Sega vs. Nintendo: Battle of the retro consoles

The Nintendo NES Classic Edition, coming soon for $60, looks like a great deal for classic game fans.

Not to be outdone, arch-rival (from 25 years ago) Sega has a slate of 80 “classic” games appearing in a new retro console of its own: The Mega Drive Classic.

The device is available for pre-order from U.K. retailers Smyths and FunStockRetro£49.99 (about $65 US) and will ship in October. A similar portable console is also available for the same price.

The TV-based console supports original Mega Drive cartridges, comes with two wireless controllers and plugs into your TV. The portable has a 3.2-inch display and rechargeable battery.

Both are actually manufactured by Chinese maker At Games, which has made numerous retro consoles in the past. According to an article by USGamer.net, however, the new consoles might be “anything but a nostalgic home run.” It cites shoddy hardware and mediocre emulators, and concludes “For the moment at least, the absolute best Genesis reissues you’re going to find are all on Nintendo systems.”