Mega Drive Arcade Nano - Sonic Edition (From Daily Echo)

Mega Drive Arcade Nano - Sonic Edition

in Game Reviews By Ian Crump

It's coined as being 'the world’s smallest Mega Drive', and measuring roughly the size of a matchbox, it could possibly be.

Little in size, tiny in price, but big on promise - this little box of tricks houses some of the most revered and treasured games the SEGA Mega Drive ever had to offer. With Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D, Alex Kidd, and another five fairly generic games - it's the ideal stocking filler or gift for any gaming enthusiast.

The games themselves are just as fun as they've ever been - our favourite blue hedgehog barely shows his age when it comes to playability. It's only a little clunky for today’s standards, which is a fantastic achievement for a 22 year-old game.

The controller itself, although solid, is not particularly ergonomic because of its miniature size. Its edges feel uncomfortable during extended play sessions, mainly because the layout mimics the arcade style with an eight way directional stick and with four face buttons. The curvy traditional Mega Drive gamepad design may have been a more comfortable way to have gone.

The portability of the device is questionable. Sure, it can be placed on the end of a key chain, but having it in your pocket could easily lead to a few unwanted holes or a couple of tenderised thighs. The AV cable which comprises a yellow video and white audio plug at one end, leads into a mini USB which plugs into the Mega Drive Nano at the other. It's the only way of hooking it to a television, and Carrying around an extra lead further makes portability questionable. It’s relatively easy if you carry a bag, it's not if you don't.

The chosen method of video output keeps things simple, but for people with a large flat-panel TV every block and every imperfection will be as clear as the light of day.

Claiming it's a Mega Drive, maybe a little over-zealous. The controller isn't right, and there's no room for further games to be played, but for its price, the Mega Drive Nano is a great piece of kit, and incredible value for money. It's perfect for those who don't want to spend too much on a slice of retro gaming heaven.

For those willing to splash out a little more cash on something to play the golden-oldies on - it may be worth checking out Blaze's GameGadget.