Sega's classic 16-bit Genesis system is getting the mini treatment in honor of its 30th anniversary. The Genesis Mini, or Sega Mega Drive Mini in Europe, will be hitting the shelves on September 19th, each with 40 pre-loaded games. So far, Sega has only revealed a few of the upcoming titles with more announcements expected to drop soon. Nintendo has had pretty amazing success with their mini consoles and the Genesis Mini expects to do the same.

The North American version of the Sega Genesis Mini contains Altered Beast, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Comix Zone, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Ecco the Dolphin, Gunstar Heroes, Shining Force, Sonic The Hedgehog, Space Harrier II, and ToeJam & Earl so far. As for the Japanese and European versions they contain a slightly different line up. The Mega Drive Mini comes with Castlevania Bloodlines, Comix Zone, Gunstar Heroes, Madou Monogatari Ichi, Powerball, Puyo Puyo 2, Rent-a-Hero, Shining Force, Sonic 2, and Space Harrier II.

The Genesis Mini will sell for $79.99 and the package includes two classic wired controllers with the iconic three button layout, HDMI cable, and a USB power cable along with a normal power supply. Pre-order links will be announced shortly and it may be wise to keep an eye on the Sega site for information. Back when Nintendo put out the mini NES and SNES, they sold out instantly and fetched insane prices on third-party sites. The mini Nintendo consoles are now easy to obtain, but the Genesis Mini could end up being one of the top holiday gifts of 2019.

Sonic the Hedgehog is an obvious choice since he is to Sega what Mario is to Nintendo. The little blue hedgehog is hitting the big screen in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which hits theaters in November. So far, the response to the look of the big screen version of the iconic character has not been good. However, we have yet to see any real footage, so all judgements should be held until we see the trailer showing the hedgehog in action. Fans may change their minds after some official footage is released.

While Sonic the Hedgehog is a no-brainer, the addition of Ecco the Dolphin may seem peculiar to some Sega fans. For many, it was a pointless game where you were a dolphin that swam around aimlessly. However, for those hardcore gamers who stuck it out, they were treated to a mind-altering adventure based on the drug-fueled stories of respected scientist John C Lilly. The game is truly an original and a must-play for anybody who never gave it the chance that it truly deserved. It's insane that Sega even allowed the game to be made in the first place, so it's cool to see it getting some respect with the new Genesis Mini console. For pre-order information and further title reveals, you can head over to Sega.