I love things that do things. I think every gamer can agree with that sentiment but we don’t seem to get quite as many random gadgets to muck about with as we used to. I remember going back into the 90s I had a drawer full of hand-held games. I’m not talking about hand-held consoles, by the way, we’re talking about one game per hand-held device. I even had a watch that played Zelda, or a variant of it, (I shit you not, it was a thing, go and look it up.) This being said, I love it when we get to play on something that isn’t the norm. This brings me nicely to the point of this article. The SEGA Astro City Mini V is about to appear across Europe.
So, what’s a SEGA Astro City Mini V when it’s at home then? Well for those retro fans amongst you, this should be a fairly big deal. This pre-loaded, mini-console is an homage to the beloved 90s Actro City arcade cabinet. The nice thing about this one though, is that it’s 1 sixth the size of the original so you won’t need to load it into your house off the back of a truck. The other great thing about it is that, as I’ve just mentioned, it comes pre-loaded with 22 classic arcade games. Oh, and did I mention it has the name SEGA attached to it? Just a tiny little point in case you missed it.
Right, let’s get down to the nerdy techy bits that we love so much. Firstly, the SEGA Astro City Mini V comes with a vertical screen. This might seem like a little thing, but it’s the perfect set-up for arcade gaming, especially when it comes to shoot-em-ups. After this, the screen is a 4.6-inch LCD monitor and you’ll have a ball-top joystick and action buttons that will give you the nostalgic feel of tapping away at your favorite arcade game. This is a faithful adaptation of the arcade cabinet that many of us older gamers will remember punching our coins into all those years ago; it’s just smaller, making it a perfect addition to your living room. Speaking of which, if you want the arcade experience on a much bigger screen, you can link the mini-cabinet to your TV via the HDMI output with the cable that comes included with the device.
I’m not going to sit here and list all 22 of the great games pre-loaded onto this console, mostly because I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Amongst the classic arcade romps on which you’re being invited to while away the hours, you’ll get Batsugun, Gunbird, Raiden, Samurai Aces, and Zaxxon. There really are some great classic games on this list, I know, I’ve seen it. Let’s just say there should be plenty for you to go at if you love a good 90s blaster.
Commenting on the EU shipping of the SEGA® Astro City Mini V, David Karlsson, CEO of GOE said, “The Astro City arcade holds a special place in the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide, thanks to its legendary design and slew of incredible games. To bring 22 of these classics to home users in a footprint which fits in the palm of the hand is mind blowing. With the high-quality emulation gamers can realise the full arcade experience, complete with the stunning vertical screen. We’re so excited that arcade fans and collectors across the EU can finally bring the SEGA® Astro City Mini V home for themselves.”
If you want to get the feel of having a mini arcade in your own home, the SEGA Astro City Mini V is available now on Amazon and through other leading game retailers. The console is retailing at €249.99 which for my fellow Brits comes to £223.91. If that sounds like a lot, you’d probably pay quite a bit more to move an arcade into your house and it probably wouldn’t fit quite as many games. Also, think of all the money you won’t be giving to someone else every time you want the privilege of having a go.
If you’re a fan of all things retro and nostalgic like I am, the SEGA Astro City Mini V sounds like it could be a really nice addition to your gaming collection. If you’re one of our American friends reading this and wondering whether this is a European-only release, it isn’t. This is coming on the back of an already successful NA launch so if you want in you should be able to find a console of your own somewhere near you. Those of you looking to grab one of these beauties might want to exercise the old thumbs, you’re going to have a lot of gaming to do.
