Tag Archives: Sega

LEGO’s Mini SEGA Genesis kit lets you relive retro gaming nostalgia right on your work desk

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LEGO has previously shown confidence in gaming console remakes in brick versions, including Game Boy, Atari 2600, and NES. However, SEGA has not been a part of LEGO’s scheme of things, that is, until now. The LEGO Group has revealed its first-ever Genesis Console set developed in collaboration with SEGA. This set comes as part of the deluge of Summer 2026 reveals, and retro gaming fans will appreciate owning one.

Unlike the LEGO NES, which was a 1:1 replica of the retro console, this one is a bit scaled down. Perhaps the SEGA console is overshadowed by the sheer number of Nintendo fans, so LEGO decided to keep it smaller and much cheaper at $40. The 479-piece set of the iconic console, also known as the Mega Drive in Japan, Europe and Australia, is coming on 1 June 2026 in online and physical stores.

Designer: LEGO Group

Those who grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, or Streets of Rage will definitely want to show off the 479-piece set on their display shelf or desk setup as a cool prop. The set is one of the easier ones to build and comes with a hidden Sonic portrait that can be put together with the block pieces. Controllers on this one are not the biggest, measuring 3 inches wide, since the LEGO console itself measures around 5 inches high, six inches wide, and 4.5 inches deep. To keep the theme going, LEGO has included a nostalgic game cartridge featuring Sonic and Tails. Of course, the thing cannot play games and is just for the feel of it. The plate around the cartridge-inserting ridge can be removed for a more raw feel, and the controllers can be plugged into the LEGO console’s ports.

Clearly, the set is not meant for hardcore LEGO collectors, as the console is not life-sized, nor can it function in any way. For that section of the gaming community, the 1:1 Mega Drive Controller replica is the better option. This one is built for SEGA fans who have always wanted a LEGO version of the Genesis console to bring back old memories. Being a miniature version has its own charm, and the small size means it can be one of your desk props without taking up too much space.

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SEGA Emojam emoji pager for kids is a quirky clash of past and present cultures

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You’ve probably heard about how some people bemoan the degradation of literacy thanks to “txtspeak” which abbreviated words to avoid hitting the SMS character count cap. Although that may be a thing of the past now that we have longer limits and more flexible messaging services, a newer trend is to completely replace words with their more expressive iconic equivalents: emojis.

In less formal settings, a string of emojis instead of a full paragraph could be more efficient and even fun, and SEGA thinks it could actually be a good thing for kids. Adults might roll their eyes at the thought, but these cute devices might remind them of their own past when text in a single scrolling line was the way to communicate. Of course, these kids have it easier with smileys and icons that can paint a dozen words.

Designer: SEGA

Given how many icons, objects, and faces are now included in the set of emojis almost universally understood by everyone, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that some people can carry out conversations without typing a single character. Of course, just like any iconography, some images or expressions can be open to interpretation, but that’s also precisely the point with this “Emojam” pager from SEGA. It’s like developing a secret coded language that only you and your close friends can understand.

With this emoji pager, kids can “type” 10 emojis from a selection of 1,100 emojis to send to their friends. That’s quite a lot, especially when you consider that the device only has three buttons. Interpreting the sequence of icons correctly is also part of the fun, making communication more active and less mechanical like the way adults communicate with each other today.

As a device designed for kids, SEGA Emojam has a few safety features to protect their emotional and mental states. It’s a Wi-Fi-only device that can only have 100 people on its friends list, and group chats are limited to five people only. More importantly, you can only add a friend after you physically tap two devices together, which means it will be someone you’ve at least met face-to-face once. The library of emojis, vast as it may be, doesn’t include harmful imagery either.

Admittedly, the idea of an emoji pager might sound cute but its commercial success might be a bit questionable. Still, SEGA definitely thinks it will be a hit among Japanese kids, especially with special emojis from popular franchises like Sanrio. The SEGA Emojam pager launches on December 10 for 7,150 JPY, around $47, though it isn’t clear if it will require a paid subscription to use.

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