News
Blaze announces portable MegaDrive
Ben Parfitt Jul 17 2008, 5:46pm
Comments (15)
New handheld boasts 20 in-built retro classics including Sonic and Knuckles, Shinobi, Ecco the Dolphin and Golden Axe
Gamecheat specialist Blaze has announced a brand new Sega MegaDrive based handheld, which includes 20 16-bit titles built in out of the box.
Due out some time this month, the £29.99 device includes headline titles such as Sonic and Knuckles, Ecco the Dolphin, Golden Axe, Kid Chameleon, Altered Beast, Alex Kidd and Enchanted Castle and Alien Storm. The device will also hook up to TV sets using the included cable.
The firm’s press release reads: “Blaze are proud to announce they will be releasing their 16bit Megadrive handheld console in July 2008.
The Blaze portable game player will be heading to a store near you from next month, so mums and dads, if you missed playing Sega Megadrive classics such as Sonic and Knuckles, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Ecco the Dolphin, you now have a chance to do so again and all for the price of a single Nintendo DS game.”
More info can be found at the device’s dedicated website.
Comments
“First Ever Portable Magadrive?”
Posted: Jul 17, 10:57pm
So their website says 'first ever portable Mega Drive'. So what about the Sega Nomad?
“Re: First Ever Portable Magadrive?”
Posted by: LeeC - Jul 18, 8:03am
@1: Blaze are probably run by a bunch of youngsters that don't remember the Nomad and never thought to research it better.
“Re: Re: First Ever Portable Magadrive?”
Posted by: Ben@MCV - Jul 18, 9:32am
The Nomad! What a machine. Ranks alongside the Mega CD for me in my all-time favourite bits of retro hardware stakes.
“Re: Re: Re: First Ever Portable Magadrive?”
Posted by: BrettStocks - Jul 18, 9:53am
Yes, the nomad was great but it also sucked life out of they system's batteries quicker than Medusa working in a brothel...
“Re: Re: Re: First Ever Portable Magadrive?”
Posted by: ChristopherM - Jul 18, 10:18am
The new handheld will be very attactive if the games are direct ports rather than conversions (Ecco on GBA was apparently a poor conversion with very little of the original music). Also I'd be interested to see if the TV output is NTSC, which would give a better picture than Sega's games on the PAL Megadrive or the UK Virtual Console.
“Nice...”
Posted: Jul 18, 11:39am
but.
1) Good point on the Nomad front
2) Let's pre-empt the fact that like all these type of things, it'll be emulated (and therefore a few frames per second slow or something), which will irritate the fanatics. Not that this is aimed at them
“Re: Nice...”
Posted by: LordVader - Jul 18, 11:49am
And it's not like plenty of folk aren't already emulating Medgadrive stuff on DS and PSP! And for less than £30 unfortunately...
“Re: Nice...”
Posted by: woodins - Jul 18, 11:50am
Will be a good add-on xmas toy for blokes in their late twenties-early thirties who want to reminisce about the good old days. I know its been doen before, but they should have bundled streetfighter 2 on that . . . .
“Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted: Jul 18, 12:37pm
Unfortunately, 1 crucial game is missing...Streets of Rage!!!
“Re: Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted by: ChristopherM - Jul 18, 12:58pm
Streets of Rage is probably missing for the same reason that it was dropped from the Sonic compilation on UK Gamecube - it carries a higher age classification than the other games. Blaze will be looking to get this machine placed in the toy aisle in Asda, not the gaming section.
“Re: Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted by: LordVader - Jul 18, 12:59pm
Streets of Rage 2 for me. A bit lacking in 2D shooters too - maybe a Mercs or Thunder Force would have been sweet.
“Re: Re: Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted by: MrJolly - Jul 18, 8:19pm
"which will irritate the fanatics. Not that this is aimed at them"
Which is daft as otherwise it'll be in the 5 pound section of argos by the 2nd week of January.
As a games collector I buy all of these types of machines, never paid more than £2.50 for any of them.
“Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted by: amused - Jul 20, 7:44pm
This is not emulated it is the real deal they do a version of this without screen with 2 pads & a cartridge slot to play all megadrive/genesis games on playasia
“Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nice...”
Posted by: LeeC - Jul 22, 8:39am
@13: That sounds exactly like a Sega Megadrive.. i.e. the "real" real deal.
“Nice”
Posted by: gaminger - Jul 23, 12:50pm
The Nomad was only available in the US so I suppose this is the 1st worlwide Megadrive handheld, plus the nomad had terrible battery life. Ive been playing the blaze one for 10 hours without changing them. hasn't froze once either.