Something to look forward to: It might not have sold over 155 million units like the PlayStation 2, or be as famous as the Nintendo Entertainment System, but former owners will tell you that Sega's Dreamcast was one of the greatest consoles ever made. If you fondly remember the machine, which launched at the end of 1999, here's some exciting news: Sega is considering a Dreamcast Mini device.
Since the NES Classic's original launch back in 2016, we've seen several companies jump on the retro 'mini console' bandwagon. Not all of them have been as successful as Nintendo's efforts---the PlayStation Classic flopped so hard that its $100 price fell to $25 just seven months after release---but Sega's Genesis Mini from last year was hailed as one of the best examples of how to do a miniature console right. The company has also created a Game Gear Micro that's only available in Japan right now.
Speaking in an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu (translated by Siliconera), Sega's mini chief Yosuke Okunari was asked about the next device in the firm's retro line.
"I think for the next one, we may go with a concept close to the Mega Drive Mini. If I have to say some names, it could be an SG-1000 Mini or a Dreamcast Mini..."
The SG-1000 was a fugly console---Sega's first for the home market---that got a limited release when it arrived on July 15, 1983, the same day Nintendo launched the Famicom in Japan. It seems unlikely that Sega would release a miniature version of a machine few people know about, so a Dreamcast Mini looks to be the obvious choice.
I remember spending hours on Crazy Taxi, Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, and the completely bewildering Seaman twenty years ago. And despite not even being a fan of the sport, I'd buy a Dreamcast Mini just to play Virtua Tennis and its sequel again.
Sadly, it looks as if we'll be waiting some time before getting our hands on a reimagined Dreamcast.
"The Game Gear Micro is only sold domestically in Japan. When we do the next one, I feel like the project scope will be much bigger as we gaze upon the world. So we won't be able to release it at this time the next year or two years after the Mega Drive Mini. We can't make it that quickly [laughs]," said Okunari.