In this video, we review and test out the Mega Retron HD from Hyperkin, a 16-bit Sega Genesis and Mega Drive HDMI-equipped clone console.
I've always had an affinity for the Sega Genesis, even being a Nintendo Fanboy. The Genesis had some amazing titles, some definitive versions of titles that I played on the Super NES, and some amazing sports games. Hyperkin is hoping to help you relive the era of 16-bit Sega goodness with the Mega Retron HD, and HDMI equipped Genesis and Mega Drive clone system.
Please check out this link to see our unboxing of the Mega Retron HD - • Blast Processing Power...
Nintendo systems get all the love when it comes to clone systems, but there are a handful of Genesis and Mega Drive clones out there. Many of them suffer from poor sound, poor emulation and a lot of compatibility issues. The Mega Retron HD suffers from none of these. From the first game I put into the system the sound was really good for starters. Instead of dual-channel mono, the Mega Retron HD has stereo output, it's a big improvement over a lot of other clones out there.
Game compatibility is also fantastic. Everything that I threw at the Mega Retron HD, it played. From original cartridges, reproductions, multicarts, Everdrives, and even Virtua Racing all played. And not only did they all play, they all played great! One issue I did run into, and it actually delayed the posting of my review, was I went through four copies of Virtua Racing before I finally got a copy which worked. This had nothing to do with the Mega Retron HD; those copies did not even play on original hardware.
Hyperkin has a long history of making very good controllers and the Mega Retron HD's controller is no exception. Modeled after the six button Genesis controller, the included Hyperkin controller is quite good. It's well-balanced, the D-pad feels good (even if a bit slippery during some gameplay initially), and the buttons were very responsive. If you are looking for a replacement controller for your standard Genesis or Megadrive I would definitely consider this!
Why it RoX:
- Available for under $50
- Great included controller
- Aesthetically awesome looking
- 10' long cable on the controller
- Awesome games compatibility
- Stereo Sound
- NTSC/NTSC-J & PAL compatible
- HDMI and Composite video output
What Could Be Improved?
- Not compatible with 32x or Sega Power Base Converter
- Pins are a tight fit on the connector
- Some of the audio came through a little on the hot side
Should You Buy One?
If you are looking for a way to play your Genesis or Mega Drive games in HD the Mega Retron HD is a great way to do so. Games look and sound pretty much as they should, it has great compatibility with a variety of different games, the pack in controller is very good and I appreciate the 10-foot chord, it's aesthetically pleasing, overall they did a really good job! The only minor issue I ran into the entire time I was testing was the compatibility issue with Mega Drive games on the Everdrive, and I can't entirely say that wasn't the Everdrive! Other than that this is a really solid piece of equipment, something I would definitely recommend you consider if you are in the market for an HDMI clone Genesis or Mega drive system
UPDATE- Jason, aka Vorenge, let me know that the Everdrive issue has to do with the Mega Retron HD Needing to be set to PAL mode. We will test and report back with this.
The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:
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