Retro-bit Rereleases for Sega Genesis

 Retro gamers who enjoy playing physical cartridges all have certain games that they would love to play, but cannot. Whether those games are incredibly rare, expensive, region or both, some games are just out of reach to the average gamer. Some games were not released domestically, or did not have English text. This is where Retro-bit publishing comes in. Originally a clone console hardware company, Retro-bit started branching out and seeking licenses to re-release games.  

Retro-bit released the Generations mini console right around the time that Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition. It is an emulator console that plays 100 licensed games from esteemed companies like Capcom, Data East, Irem and Jaleco. There are some choice titles included, like Super R-Type, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Captain Commando, 1943, and others. The games span several consoles, from gameboy, NES,  Genesis, Super Nintendo, and arcade. There are some good titles here for sure, but it's clear that these are not the A list games one was hoping for, but its a good start. The intent of the console seems to bring licensed retro gaming into the HDTV era, while maintaining compatibility with CRTs with RCA style cables. The 2 included controllers are physical copies of Sega's six button Genesis controllers. The asking price is $60, which is on par with Nintendo's official offering. This all sounds good, but there is a problem. The emulation sucks. Variable from game to game, but issues abound. Whether it is frame rate, color palate, sound warble, the experience is marred for anyone who remembers how these games are supposed to play.

Unsatisfied how round one went, Retro-bit went back to the drawing board and sought to right some wrongs with the new and improved Retro-cade mini console. The game offerings are similar, with some heavy hitters added like Bad Dudes, Double Dragon, Mega Man 2, Final Fight, and others. The emulation is better (albeit soft image quality), and the overall experience is improved. It is nice redemption for the company and more efforts in the retro gaming space are appreciated. 

After realizing the potential of licensing retro IPs, Retro-bit developed a fork of the company primarily for physical cartridge releases. Some of the early releases were a combo cart of Super R-Type and R-Type III for SNES, Holy Diver for NES, A Jaleco brawlers multicart with Rival Turf, Brawl Brothers and The Peace Keepers, and others. Some titles were unavailable in English (Holy Diver), rare and expensive (R-Type III, Metal Storm), and some are just convenient collections of IPs (Joe and Mac). These are all good, but for me the Genesis rereleases are the high points. 

The Genesis / Mega Drive is known for shooters, and many of those were produced by Toaplan. Securing the rights from one company with several desirable titles was a stroke of genius. The Toaplan Shooters Collection Vol.1 included Fire Shark, Hellfire, Truxton, and Zero Wing, which could be purchased as a set or individually. These games are not particularly rare or expensive, but the presentation and execution is superb. 

The Toaplan Shooting Collections are bound by a sturdy slipcase, that from the side piece together the Toaplan Logo. Each game has new original artwork on a slipcover, and double sided case artwork. The carts are made of a translucent plastic, each colored differently to match the color theme of the art.  They all come with full color manuals printed on heavy, high paper, and are in English and Japanese.

The Toaplan Shooting Collection vol. 2 was originally planned with three titles: Slap Fight MD, Grind Stormer (V V), and Twin Cobra (Kyuukyoku Tiger). Preorders were taken, but some time after Retro-bit announced that Twin Cobra was to be removed for licensing issues. Buyers were refunded the difference and so the collection included only the first two games. Instead of a third game, the collection included a standee with digital clock, which is kinda useless in my opinion, but I'm never interested in the extra stuff, I just want the games. Perhaps this licensing problem can be worked out in the future, and it can be included in another volume with the another Toaplan shooter, Twin Hawk. 

Other Retro-bit releases were Sol-Deace, Gaiares, and Advanced Busterhawk Gleylancer. Sol Deace was an interesting choice. It is an uncommon game, but also one that is not really lauded, it was a surprising pick. Maybe they got the license for cheap, or in some other deal. Gaiares was a strong choice as it has a strong reputation, is getting pricey, and has funny promotional story. The game has a famous advertisement featuring a mullet-clad game reviewer touting the merits of Gaiares. Retrobit reached out said reviewer and included a printed interview and T shirt with the game. 

What is very interesting to me is that Gaires was published by Renovation, and so if the ground work was done for that deal, perhaps other Genesis Renovation shooters are coming in the future. This is not so far fetched, as Retro-bit released all three Genesis Valis games in a collection a few years ago. Titles like Vapor Trail (rare and expensive), Arrow Flash, Granada, Final Zone, Whip Rush, and Gain Ground would be great to see. 

Reissue (left) and original (right)

One of the greatest and most expensive shooters on the Mega Drive is Eliminate Down, a Japanese exclusive. This game is known for pushing the limits of the hardware, with excellent programming and lots of large sprites doing things not seen on other 16-bit games. Retro-bit rereleasing this banger is exactly what everyone wanted, and the epitome of what makes a great modern retro game publisher.

Another great release was P-47 II MD, which was a Mega Drive game that was cancelled before release. The game pretty much finished, but for whatever reason it was decided to not be released. Finding gems like this are releasing now are such a treat, and who knows what else is floating around out there.

The business of producing cartridges can be fickle, and there is some nuance not to be taken for granted. The edge of the PCB should be bevelled, so that inserted into the console does not put unnecessary strain on the pins, which could lead to cartridges not being read. Improper voltages often found in flash memory reproduction carts can damage and shorten the lifespan of game consoles. Retro-bit understands all of this, and these factors are resolved as standard practice. 

 In the past, I admit to having purchased reproduction carts to fill holes in my collection. Some games are priced astronomically high, and so I don't have a problem with repros as long as they are labeled as such when sold. With Retro-bit's designs, this is not even an issue as the carts are obviously not the originals, and still are properly licensed and legal. 

 Of course most games can be played via emulation and roms found on the internet, but if that's your thing then you would not have started reading this article in the first place. I would like to see them continue to release more games and collections. Titles like the Thunder Force series, MUSHA, come to mind. Keep up the good work Retro-bit!