12/15/2023 0 Comments Tower of power arcade game![]() Not forgetting the Mega Drive’s steel joining plate and screw, which connects the unit to its Mega CD base: Sega MK-1602 Mega Drive AC power supply.At the very minimum, the 90s behemoth requires… ![]() When it comes to the mega tower of power, the sheer number of cables and adapters required for its operation needs no introduction. Television connectivity to comes in the form of an HDMI video cable, included in the box. The mini tower is powered by a USB-to-Micro-B power cable, with the option of connecting to a mains outlet via an optional USB AC adapter. Careful not to bend those pins! Power to the tower The original Mega Drive housed two DB-9 male ports. Of course, at the time of release in 1988, the USB standard simply didn’t exist. The Mega Drive Mini retains the two controller ports of it’s older 90s sibling, with one significant difference - this little powerhouse comes packed with twin USBs. Take a look for yourself…ĩ.4 cm (h) x 21 cm ( w ) x 11.3 cm (d) (Full-size European model)ĥ.3 cm (h) x 11.5 cm ( w ) x 6 cm (d) (Mini Japanese model) ![]() Being purely for aesthetics, it certainly looks the part and is a near-identical copy of it’s full-size predecessor. A short lived affair, the 32X’s catalogue of 40 games does contain a few gems - Chaotix, Virtua Fighter and Kolibri included.Īlthough it looks the part, the Japanese mini tower of power’s Super 32X add-on is non-functional. Quite unbelievably, the 32X was touted as being 40x more powerful than the SNES.Ī console of contention between Sega of America (who favoured the 32X) and Sega of Japan (who did not), ultimately, the 32-bit add-on was overshadowed by the release of the Sega Saturn. Known as the ‘Mega Drive 32X’ in Europe, the ‘Genesis 32X’ in the US, the and the ‘Super 32X’ in Japan, the Mega Drive’s bulbous 32-bit add-on was unleashed in 1994.Ĭonnecting to the Mega Drive via its cartridge port, the 32X boasted two Hitachi SH-2 CPUs and was capable of displaying an impressive 32,768 on-screen colours - a far cry from the Mega Drive’s total of 61. On the other hand, the Mini tower of power measures:ġ6 cm (h), 16.5cm ( w ), 12 cm (d) (Japanese model) - representing an approximate 47% size decrease. In terms of measurements, the full size tower of power comes in at:ģ0.5cm (h) x 30.5cm ( w ) x 23.5cm (d) (European model) Let’s begin with the obvious - the sheer difference in size between the ‘mini’ and ‘mega’ tower of power. With my own full size European ‘tower of power’ in tow, and the odd piece of Japanese hardware thrown in for good measure, how do the elements of the ‘mini’ shape up against their 90s counterparts? However, Sega has unleashed European and US formats of the mini tower to a select few social media influencers and members of the press. Even today, the hardware remains an obscure anomaly to track down - until now.įast forward to 2019 - a miniature replica of the ‘tower of power’ has been made available as an add-on for the Mega Drive Mini.Īt the time of writing, the accessory is only available to the public as a Japanese variant… at least for now. With all these circumstances combined, Sega’s almighty tower was simply unrealistic and unattainable for the masses. Requiring a combined investment in the range of £400 (!), young Sega fans at the time were looking at a lifetime of paid household chores to afford the ‘tower of power’ unit and its compatible titles. By this time, however, the Sega Saturn had already become Sega’s 32-bit showpiece, and the gaming industry at large was singing to the tune of Sony’s shiny new Playstation 1 release. ![]() While the Mega CD had been available since 1991, the tower was only made possible following the release of the 32X in 1994 (Japan/USA) and 1995 (Europe). For all the expectation, sadly, this tower toppled. Sega’s towering hardware combo promised so much - advanced 32-bit gaming, 3D graphics, smooth FMV, CD audio and the unique ‘Mega CD 32X’ disk format. In essence, it was the Mega Drive at its most potent and powerful, if not a tad cumbersome. Name a famous tower - the Eiffel Tower, the tower of London, the leaning tower of Pisa perhaps? Ask the same question to a retrogamer and the answer is likely to be Sega’s ‘tower of power’.īut what was the ‘tower of power’? In essence, it was a 32-bit CD upgrade of the Sega Mega Drive - a powerhouse made possible by combining the Mega Drive with the Mega CD and 32X. Read on as MegaBites dives in for a close-up aesthetic comparison of the 2019 ‘tower’ and its mid-90s original. Bringing the Sega Mega Drive back to the masses in miniature format, the release has also resurrected a cult hardware combo - the awe-inspiring ‘tower of power’. The Mega Drive Mini is Sega’s first official in-house console launch since 2001.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |