Sega Megadrive Handheld

MORE: Read our full review of the Sega Megadrive Handheld by clicking here

You may remember the Sega Megadrive. Back in the 1990s it was one of the biggest and most important games consoles to hit the streets.

Technology being what it is, a console that cost hundreds of pounds back then is now laughably out of date. Not only that, but technology that then needed a large-ish case to keep it in can now fit into a small hand-held device.

That, then, is what this is: it’s the Sega Retro Megadrive Handheld. It’s not made by Sega itself – after the failure of the Dreamcast console in the early 2000s Sega only makes software now.

Instead this product is being sold by a British distributor called Blaze Europe, under the Sega Retro brand. You can’t plug Megadrive cartridges into it; instead it’s loaded with 20 games.

It’s a little plasticky, but it turned out to be sturdy enough, and the controls were up to our mashing of the buttons. The screen is clear and bright, too, although you might find things a bit small, given that the games were originally designed to be played on TV screens.

The main thing to ask is whether the games are the ones you want to play. There’s a fair selection, although it’s light on big names. For instance, as far as Sega’s best-known character goes, there’s Sonic and Knuckles, which is not one of the better Sonic games, and Sonic Spinball, which is a so-so pinball game.

There’s also Alex Kidd, Altered Beast and Golden Axe, which were better games. It costs £30, which is a good deal if you like the games, and it’s good if you’re travelling: the three AAA batteries it uses lasted for hours and hours.