When Nintendo announced their NES Classic Edition, their Flashback version of the NES with 30 built-in games, the Sega camp felt the need respond. By “the Sega camp”, I mean AtGames, the manufacturer that essentially created the emulated console market with the release of the Atari Flashback and the original Sega Genesis Classic Game Console. They have decided to respond to Nintendo’s decision…by rehashing their old product under a new banner, and with very few meaningful changes.
AtGames pretty much defined the emulated console space with the release of the Atari Flashback. Their Genesis/Mega Drive entrant was a capable entry, but Nintendo’s announcement has highlighted all the weaknesses of AtGames’s entrant. To highlight the 25th anniversary of Sonic – and to remain somewhat relevant in the market – AtGames followed Nintendo’s announcement of the NES Classic Edition with a refresh of their original Genesis/Mega Drive contraption.
AtGames’s Sega retro console does have its advantages. In addition to the console’s roster of 80 games – much more than the 30 games the NES Classic Edition sports – the Sega Genesis Classic Game Console also sports a cartridge slot that allows players to plug in original Genesis cartridges. The retro console also allows players to use original Genesis controllers, including the original 3-button and later 6-button controllers. These features clearly put the Sega Genesis Classic Game Console over the NES Classic Edition…right?
Things fall apart upon further inspection. The 80 games included with the Sega Genesis Classic Game Console are not all that great. While classics like the Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Mortal Kombat trilogies are included, as well as Phantasy Star II and III, you have excellent entries like Curling 2010 and Chess. Nintendo may only have 30 entries in their retro console, but even the weakest entries, like Ice Climbers and Donkey Kong, are heavy hitters. How many Genesis fanboys want to play Chess? The Streets of Rage trilogy, considered by many to be the preeminent beat-em-up series, has been removed from the original Sega Genesis Classic Game Console, replaced by such Sega luminaries as Mr. Balls and Meatloaf Rototion.
In addition, the NES Classic Edition has a native HDMI output with hardware upscaling. The Sega Genesis Classic Game Console makes do with an old-school composite output that forces modern TVs to upscale the AtGames console’s output, resulting in a subpar experience for players…assuming they can connect the RCA outputs to their new TV in the first place.
All in all, it’s good to see companies taking the retro gaming experience to heart, but AtGames needs to step it up. They may have started the emulated mini-console craze, but they have to elevate their game if they want to steal Nintendo’s thunder.
