The upcoming Sega Genesis Mini, known to be launching with 40 games, is now a few months away from release. Previously, only half the games included on the Sega Genesis Mini had been revealed, but Sega confirmed the identities of 10 more games today. For the most part, these titles are more obscure, but they nonetheless help represent the catalog of the Sega Genesis.

Over a year ago, while the NES Classic and SNES Classic were seeing major success in the video game market, and before the mixed release of the PlayStation Classic, Sega announced a first-party retro console in the style of the aforementioned Classic consoles with the Sega Genesis Mini. Details had initially been fairly sparse, but in recent months, Sega has been announcing the games included on the console 10 at a time. Before today, the first 20 announced included the following:

  • Altered Beast
  • Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
  • Castlevania: Bloodlines
  • Comix Zone
  • Contra: Hard Corps
  • Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
  • Earthworm Jim
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Gunstar Heroes
  • Landstalker
  • Shining Force
  • Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Space Harrier 2
  • Streets of Rage 2
  • Super Fantasy Zone
  • Thunder Force 3
  • ToeJam & Earl
  • World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck
New Sonic Game Coming in 2017 - Sonic the Hedgehog title screen

The inclusion of games like Sonic the HedgehogEarthworm Jim, and ToeJam & Earl initially came of little surprise to Sega fans. Above all, however, many gamers are at least aware of even the comparably less popular titles on the above list, which was no doubt a conscious decision by Sega. The 10 additional games announced today are a bit more obscure on average and include the listed titles below:

  • Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
  • Beyond Oasis
  • Ghouls ‘n Ghosts
  • Golden Axe
  • Mega Man: The Wily Wars
  • Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium
  • Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
  • Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition
  • Vectorman
  • Wonder Boy in Monster World

Games in the list above like Ghouls 'n GhostsGolden Axe, and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle are at least somewhat well-known to those entrenched in retro gaming. Contrarily, games like Mega Man: The Wily Wars and Wonder Boy in Monster World aren't very commonplace in nostalgic discussions of Sega's heyday.

As of right now, 10 of the 40 games remain a mystery. However, given the trend of announcing 10 included games every month or so, it would be reasonable to assume gamers and all those watching will be made aware of those sometime in June.

The Sega Genesis Mini and Sega Mega Drive Mini will be curious releases. Looking through the lens of nostalgia can lead to disappointment, as was the case for the PlayStation Classic, which was devoid of some very desired features. Ideally, Sega avoids those pitfalls and takes after the SNES Classic, which nearly perfected Nintendo's design of the NES Classic. We won't have to wait too much longer for the console's reception, as two bundles of the Sega Genesis Mini are releasing later this year. A $60 bundle contains the console with one controller, while an $80 bundle includes the console and two controllers. Hopefully, Sega's participation in this competition will lead to success for the Sega Genesis Mini.

The Sega Genesis Mini will release September 19, 2019.

Source: Polygon