Sega’s 60th anniversary celebrations continue with the announcement of another mini console – and this one’s likely to have a bit more appeal than the eccentric and diminutive Game Gear Micro that was unveiled earlier this year. The Astro City Mini is a scaled down version of one of Sega’s most iconic pieces of arcade hardware, and will feature some 36 of its arcade classics.
It’s unclear exactly what those 36 games will be, though an early list has been spotted already (and it seems the announcement was made a little early too – it popped up on Game Watch this morning and was handily pounced on by Sega Driven before being taken down) with Golden Axe and its sequel Revenge of Death Adder joined by Virtua Fighter and Fantasy Zone.
The system itself has a similar form to the Neo Geo Mini which came out back in 2018, though the Astro City Mini boasts a bit more besides. It has a micro-switched stick and a six button set-up, and comes complete with a marquee that lights up and a stereo speaker sat atop the cabinet – just as it is in the real thing. I should know, being dumb enough to have my own Astro City in the living room…
The Astro City Mini also has an HDMI out and is powered by Micro USB, while a couple of additional USB ports allow you to attach extra controllers for multiplayer. Sega legend Hiroshi Kawaguchi is also supplying the menu music.
It’s due out at the end of the year and looks set to come in at just under £100 – if it releases in the west at all, that is.
