Sega Announces Mega Drive Mini 2, With 50 Games Included

Sega has announced the Mega Drive Mini 2 which comes with more than 50 pre-installed Mega Drive and Mega CD games (Sega Genesis and Sega CD in North America).

Sonic CD, Virtua Racing, Silpheed and more are all included in the ¥9,980 (around $76) price alongside a new Mega Drive port of Fantasy Zone, which was never released on the original console. Sega is instead porting (presumably) the Master System or arcade version to Mega Drive using its sequel, Super Fantasy Zone, as a basis, and has promised other arcade ports that it described as "mysterious new work".

As reported by Video Games Chronicle, the console was announced during a Japanese live stream and is expected to be released on October 27 in Japan, though an international release hasn't been confirmed as of yet.

The original Sega Mega Drive Mini was launched in 2019 with 42 games, including some that never properly arrived in the west, and it appears its sequel will also grant access to some previously difficult to get games.

It released during a craze of retro consoles being released such as "Classic" editions of Nintendo's NES and the original PlayStation, but IGN said the Sega Mega Drive Mini was the best one to be made so far.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "The SEGA Genesis Mini isn't perfect, but it's as close to perfect as any retro all-in-one mini console has come so far."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Sega Announces Mega Drive Mini 2, With 50 Games Included

Sega has announced the Mega Drive Mini 2 which comes with more than 50 pre-installed Mega Drive and Mega CD games (Sega Genesis and Sega CD in North America).

Sonic CD, Virtua Racing, Silpheed and more are all included in the ¥9,980 (around $76) price alongside a new Mega Drive port of Fantasy Zone, which was never released on the original console. Sega is instead porting (presumably) the Master System or arcade version to Mega Drive using its sequel, Super Fantasy Zone, as a basis, and has promised other arcade ports that it described as "mysterious new work".

As reported by Video Games Chronicle, the console was announced during a Japanese live stream and is expected to be released on October 27 in Japan, though an international release hasn't been confirmed as of yet.

The original Sega Mega Drive Mini was launched in 2019 with 42 games, including some that never properly arrived in the west, and it appears its sequel will also grant access to some previously difficult to get games.

It released during a craze of retro consoles being released such as "Classic" editions of Nintendo's NES and the original PlayStation, but IGN said the Sega Mega Drive Mini was the best one to be made so far.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "The SEGA Genesis Mini isn't perfect, but it's as close to perfect as any retro all-in-one mini console has come so far."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Devolver’s Summer Showcase Coming June 9, With Host ‘Mecha’ Suda51

Devolver Digital has just announced its summer showcase event, and this year, it's all about the countdown.

The 'Devolver Marketing Countdown to Marketing' will be held on June 9 at 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 11pm UK, and will apparently center around the 30 minutes of the countdown that typically takes place before a big showcase. It will also be hosted, incredibly, by "mecha" Suda51.

If you've seen Devolver's shows in the past, you probably have a good idea of what the deal is here. But if not, Devolver shared a little teaser:

Don't fret if you were hoping for actual game announcements though, because Devolver is promising "at least four video game announcements" during the event. Last year's show revealed games including Trek to Yomi and Wizard with a Gun, as well as showed more of Inscryption, Death's Door, and several other games.

Devolver's showcase takes place shortly after Summer Game Fest Live that same day, which is itself following the Upload VR showcase. For a full rundown of everything to expect from the Summer of Gaming 2022, we've got a full calendar here.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Devolver’s Summer Showcase Coming June 9, With Host ‘Mecha’ Suda51

Devolver Digital has just announced its summer showcase event, and this year, it's all about the countdown.

The 'Devolver Marketing Countdown to Marketing' will be held on June 9 at 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern / 11pm UK, and will apparently center around the 30 minutes of the countdown that typically takes place before a big showcase. It will also be hosted, incredibly, by "mecha" Suda51.

If you've seen Devolver's shows in the past, you probably have a good idea of what the deal is here. But if not, Devolver shared a little teaser:

Don't fret if you were hoping for actual game announcements though, because Devolver is promising "at least four video game announcements" during the event. Last year's show revealed games including Trek to Yomi and Wizard with a Gun, as well as showed more of Inscryption, Death's Door, and several other games.

Devolver's showcase takes place shortly after Summer Game Fest Live that same day, which is itself following the Upload VR showcase. For a full rundown of everything to expect from the Summer of Gaming 2022, we've got a full calendar here.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: Fans Spot Potential Connections to Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil 4 Remake was only revealed during yesterday's PlayStation State of Play, but fans have already dissected the trailer and found potential connections to Resident Evil Village.

Perhaps the most obvious link between the two games was spotted by kaijumediajames on Reddit (below), who showed the similarities between a carving in the new trailer with Mother Miranda's cult symbol from Village.

The following paragraphs contain minor spoilers for Resident Evil Village.

The two images are definitely similar, and given that Resident Evil 4 takes place more than 20 years before Village, and therefore before the death of antagonist Mother Miranda, it's definitely possible that Capcom could link the two games (especially since we know they're "reimagining" the remake's story).

Further connections were noted by lejitness on Reddit who compared an image of (probable) antagonist Saddler in the trailer with one of Mother Miranda's forms from Village (below). Interestingly, this scene appeared directly after the cult symbol appeared on screen.

The post also points out that Plagas - the parasites which turn the villagers in Resident Evil 4 nasty - are also quite similar in concept to the Caduo from Village, another parasite that Mother Miranda researches and infects her own set of villagers with while trying to revive her daughter.

It's never clearly explained how Saddler learned of the Plagas in the original village, so the fan theory emanating from the Reddit post is that Mother Miranda, while researching parasites in Europe, turned Saddler onto this species and therefore triggered the events of Resident Evil 4.

Village was used as a connection point for several parts of Resident Evil lore, essentially explaining the origins of Umbrella and the story that sparked the entire franchise. The Duke from Village also refers to Resident Evil 4's merchant as his old friend.

Fans will just have to wait and see if these theories turn out to be correct but they have plenty of time to continue speculating as the remake isn't expected to release until March 24, 2023.

We don't know much else about the game at the moment, except that Leon's jacket is a real-world thing that you can buy for $1,500. We did receive other Resident Evil news at PlayStation's State of Play, however, as VR support was announced for Village.

For more on that and everything else announced during the showcase, check out IGN's round-up of the event.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: Fans Spot Potential Connections to Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil 4 Remake was only revealed during yesterday's PlayStation State of Play, but fans have already dissected the trailer and found potential connections to Resident Evil Village.

Perhaps the most obvious link between the two games was spotted by kaijumediajames on Reddit (below), who showed the similarities between a carving in the new trailer with Mother Miranda's cult symbol from Village.

The following paragraphs contain minor spoilers for Resident Evil Village.

The two images are definitely similar, and given that Resident Evil 4 takes place more than 20 years before Village, and therefore before the death of antagonist Mother Miranda, it's definitely possible that Capcom could link the two games (especially since we know they're "reimagining" the remake's story).

Further connections were noted by lejitness on Reddit who compared an image of (probable) antagonist Saddler in the trailer with one of Mother Miranda's forms from Village (below). Interestingly, this scene appeared directly after the cult symbol appeared on screen.

The post also points out that Plagas - the parasites which turn the villagers in Resident Evil 4 nasty - are also quite similar in concept to the Caduo from Village, another parasite that Mother Miranda researches and infects her own set of villagers with while trying to revive her daughter.

It's never clearly explained how Saddler learned of the Plagas in the original village, so the fan theory emanating from the Reddit post is that Mother Miranda, while researching parasites in Europe, turned Saddler onto this species and therefore triggered the events of Resident Evil 4.

Village was used as a connection point for several parts of Resident Evil lore, essentially explaining the origins of Umbrella and the story that sparked the entire franchise. The Duke from Village also refers to Resident Evil 4's merchant as his old friend.

Fans will just have to wait and see if these theories turn out to be correct but they have plenty of time to continue speculating as the remake isn't expected to release until March 24, 2023.

We don't know much else about the game at the moment, except that Leon's jacket is a real-world thing that you can buy for $1,500. We did receive other Resident Evil news at PlayStation's State of Play, however, as VR support was announced for Village.

For more on that and everything else announced during the showcase, check out IGN's round-up of the event.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: Leon’s Jacket Is a Recreation of a Real-Life $1500 Product

Resident Evil 4 Remake's existence was finally confirmed yesterday, and it turns out the new version of Leon Kennedy's iconic jacket is also totally real.

As spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit user redgrave187, the small print in Resident Evil 4 Remake's reveal trailer states that Capcom got permission from clothing firm Schott N.Y.C. to use their real jacket in-game. The US government clearly pays well, as the sheepskin leather bomber jacket costs a hefty $1,495, though perhaps no price is too high for quality clothing during a mysterious parasitic outbreak.

While Leon chose the classic brown look, the jacket is also available with gold accents or in straight black - perhaps a suggestion for some DLC costumes , given that Capcom likes to pepper them throughout its Resident Evil remakes.

Fans are only treated to a couple of looks at Leon in the trailer but Capcom did reveal Resident Evil 4 Remake's release date to be March 24, 2023. Following the success of the Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remakes, and given how beloved the original Resident Evil 4 is, fans have been longing for a remake announcement since rumours began in early 2020.

The official announcement promises a reimagining of the game's story, while rumors have suggested the remake will focus more on horror. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 creator Shinji Mikami just hopes it's good.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Resident Evil 4 Remake: Leon’s Jacket Is a Recreation of a Real-Life $1500 Product

Resident Evil 4 Remake's existence was finally confirmed yesterday, and it turns out the new version of Leon Kennedy's iconic jacket is also totally real.

As spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit user redgrave187, the small print in Resident Evil 4 Remake's reveal trailer states that Capcom got permission from clothing firm Schott N.Y.C. to use their real jacket in-game. The US government clearly pays well, as the sheepskin leather bomber jacket costs a hefty $1,495, though perhaps no price is too high for quality clothing during a mysterious parasitic outbreak.

While Leon chose the classic brown look, the jacket is also available with gold accents or in straight black - perhaps a suggestion for some DLC costumes , given that Capcom likes to pepper them throughout its Resident Evil remakes.

Fans are only treated to a couple of looks at Leon in the trailer but Capcom did reveal Resident Evil 4 Remake's release date to be March 24, 2023. Following the success of the Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remakes, and given how beloved the original Resident Evil 4 is, fans have been longing for a remake announcement since rumours began in early 2020.

The official announcement promises a reimagining of the game's story, while rumors have suggested the remake will focus more on horror. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 creator Shinji Mikami just hopes it's good.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Final Fantasy 16’s Lead Developers are an All-Star Line-Up, Including a Combat Director from Devil May Cry 5

Final Fantasy 16's development team consists of an all-star line-up, with several industry veterans from not just the Final Fantasy series, but Dragon Quest and Devil May Cry .

Shared on the game's Twitter (below), Final Fantasy 16's combat director, Ryota Suzuki, was a gameplay lead on Dragon's Dogma, an effects designer on Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and a designer on Devil May Cry 5. It seems fair to say that the action elements of the new RPG come with some pedigree.

Producer Naoki Yoshida, while most known for turning Final Fantasy 14 Online from a dead-on-arrival game into an incredibly successful MMO, has also worked on Dragon Quest X and Dragon Quest Builders, and director Hiroshi Takai has plenty of JRPG chops having previously worked on Final Fantasy 5, SaGa Frontier, and The Last Remnant.

The Final Fantasy 14 experience goes deeper as creative director and screenplay writer Kazutoyo Maehiro and art director Hiroshi Minagawa worked on the game with Yoshida, alongside character design lead Kazuya Takahashi who also worked on Final Fantasy 12 and Tactics.

The game's music is being composed by Masayoshi Soken, who created most of the music in Final Fantasy 14 and its expansions plus the Nanashi no Game series and music from Mario Sports Mix.

PlayStation's June State of Play showed a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 and revealed its release window as summer 2023 for PS5 and PC after a lot of teasing from Yoshida.

The producer has been fairly open about its development timeline though, saying in July last year that the story and English voice over was almost complete but the game was later delayed as a result of COVID-19.

This Final Fantasy news was just one of several announcements made at the State of Play, with everything else you need to know available in IGN's round-up of the event.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Final Fantasy 16’s Lead Developers are an All-Star Line-Up, Including a Combat Director from Devil May Cry 5

Final Fantasy 16's development team consists of an all-star line-up, with several industry veterans from not just the Final Fantasy series, but Dragon Quest and Devil May Cry .

Shared on the game's Twitter (below), Final Fantasy 16's combat director, Ryota Suzuki, was a gameplay lead on Dragon's Dogma, an effects designer on Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and a designer on Devil May Cry 5. It seems fair to say that the action elements of the new RPG come with some pedigree.

Producer Naoki Yoshida, while most known for turning Final Fantasy 14 Online from a dead-on-arrival game into an incredibly successful MMO, has also worked on Dragon Quest X and Dragon Quest Builders, and director Hiroshi Takai has plenty of JRPG chops having previously worked on Final Fantasy 5, SaGa Frontier, and The Last Remnant.

The Final Fantasy 14 experience goes deeper as creative director and screenplay writer Kazutoyo Maehiro and art director Hiroshi Minagawa worked on the game with Yoshida, alongside character design lead Kazuya Takahashi who also worked on Final Fantasy 12 and Tactics.

The game's music is being composed by Masayoshi Soken, who created most of the music in Final Fantasy 14 and its expansions plus the Nanashi no Game series and music from Mario Sports Mix.

PlayStation's June State of Play showed a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 and revealed its release window as summer 2023 for PS5 and PC after a lot of teasing from Yoshida.

The producer has been fairly open about its development timeline though, saying in July last year that the story and English voice over was almost complete but the game was later delayed as a result of COVID-19.

This Final Fantasy news was just one of several announcements made at the State of Play, with everything else you need to know available in IGN's round-up of the event.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.