Playmaji's Polymega console is, in many ways, the dream retro gaming system. It uses emulation and optional modules to replicate the performance of systems like the SNES, Mega Drive / Genesis, PlayStation and Saturn, and has a massive built-in database which allows you to 'dump' your collection, iTunes-style.

The big issue with the Polymega at present is that the machine is incredibly hard to get hold of. Following lengthy delays, it finally started shipping out to those who had pre-ordered a few years ago, but many are still waiting for their system and communication between customers and Playmaji has been inconsistent at best.

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For many, the Super Nintendo remains the absolute pinnacle of gaming hardware. The is 16-bit powerhouse was home to some amazing games, and via titles like Super Mario World, Zelda: Link to the Past and Street Fighter II, did much to expand the interactive entertainment market and turn an entire generation into diehard Nintendo fans. However, it's almost impossible to talk about the SNES without also referencing its biggest rival: the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis, as it was known in North America). After failing to make a dent in Nintendo's market share with the 8-bit Master System (outside of Europe, at least), Sega bet everything on its 16-bit successor, and thanks in no small part to some amazing arcade conversions, EA-made sports titles and a certain blue Erinaceinae, it managed to challenge Nintendo on even terms, doing the unthinkable and actually rivalling (and, at points, outselling) the creator of the SNES on North American soil – something that had been utterly unthinkable during the NES era.

The famous 'Console Wars' of the '90s have gone down in legend, and those old enough to recall this period will no doubt have expressed a preference for one of these two video game titans, but in 2019, it's easy to admit that if you wanted to sample the best the industry had to offer, you needed both in your life. That's why the release of the Analogue Mega Sg is such a noteworthy event, even in the world of Nintendo; it's the perfect opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the console that fought the SNES tooth and nail for living room supremacy.

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This year, Sega will release the Mega Drive Mini, its own take on the retro console craze which Nintendo has done rather well out of in recent years with the NES and SNES Classic Editions. However, it's not the first time that the SNES rival has been resurrected using modern technology; in fact, we've been seeing clones of the Mega Drive / Genesis for the past decade, the vast majority of which have been pretty terrible. Plagued by poor emulation, terrible controls and hopelessly inaccurate sound replication, these devices have been huge disappointments – and the ones which carry Sega's official blessing haven't been any better either, often exhibiting the same issues because they're based on largely the same 'system on a chip' tech.

When news hit our ears that Japanese company Columbus Circle – which has been doing a good job of resurrecting classic games in recent years – was about to release its own portable Mega Drive clone, we had little reason to suspect it would change this sorrowful tradition. Nonetheless, we duly ordered one – mostly out of morbid curiosity – and we've been pleasantly surprised. Not only does the unit come with a good screen that really makes the pixels stand out (although viewing angles aren't brilliant and some games appear slightly stretched), it also has a fantastic rolling D-pad and a six button setup which means you can play games like Super Street Fighter II perfectly (in case you were wondering, it works fine with games like Forgotten Worlds and Golden Axe II, both of which have issues with the official six-button controller on original hardware). It's also comfortable to use for prolonged periods and is highly portable. Oh, and Mega Everdrive carts work on it, if you're into that kind of jazz.

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