Sega's continuing to make the most of the boom in interest for miniature versions of retro consoles that has spiked in the last couple of years, now announcing the Game Gear Micro, a genuinely tiny remake of the Game Gear in honour of Sega's 60th anniversary. 

The thing is absolutely minute, to be clear - packing a 240x180 pixel, 1.15-inch display that will look cute as anything but might well leave you squinting. It runs either from a pair of AA batteries or powered by a USB connection, and there are four colours to choose from.

Each console will cost around $50, although they've so far only been announced for sale in Japan, but that pricing needs a bit of caveating. For reasons that we can't fully fathom, beyond tempting collectors into spending a bit more, each colour that the Game Gear Micro actually contains a different quartet of games from the others:

  • Black: Sonic the Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo 2, Out Run, Royal Stone
  • Blue: Sonic Chaos, Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tale, Baku Baku Animal
  • Yellow: Shining Force Gaiden: Ensei – Jashin no Kuni he, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict, Nazopuyo Aruru no Ru
  • Red: Revelations: The Demon Slayer, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special, The GG Shinobi, Columns

Sega is selling a four-pack so that you can buy all them in one go, though, and will also throw in a bonus "Big Window" attachment if you do buy that package - a magnifying glass that's pleasingly retro even as it acknowledges the challenging size of the screen. 

Sega Announces The Game Gear Micro Range Four Tiny Retro Consoles Each With Different Games image 1
Amazon.co.jp

In fact, the whole body of the Game Gear has been shrunk by 40% in the conversion. Still, we can't help but feel disappointed by the separate game lists. One of the things that makes or breaks a retro console is how many classics the manufacturers have managed to include, so to pack in only four isn't brilliant - making you choose between four different lists, meanwhile, is another matter entirely.

The Game Gear Micro will be available in Japan in October, though, and we'll be keeping an ear out about a potential European or North American release.