Sega celebrates 60 years, will release Game Gear Micro

What you need to know

• Sega released the Game Gear back in 1990 as a direct competitor to Nintendo's Game Boy.
• The Game Gear was the only handheld Sega ever released and offered a backlit screen with 8-bit colors.
• Many classics including Sonic The Hedgehog games released on this gaming system.
• To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Sega is creating the Game Gear Micro.
• The Game Gear Micro will release in Japan on October 6th for roughly $50.
• It's unclear when or if the Game Gear Micro will release in the United States.

Today, June 3, 2020, Sega is celebrating its 60th anniverary. To mark this occasion, the gaming company will be releasing a miniature version of a classic handheld later this year, the Game Gear Micro. This device is set to release in Japan on October 6, 2020, and will sell for 4,980 Yen, which is roughly $50. At this time it is unknown whether the Game Gear Micro will also release in the United States.

This mini version of the original handheld measures 80mm wide, 43mm high, and 20mm deep, making it super small and easy to transport. There are four different colors: black, red, blue, and yellow. Each color offers its own set of four games.

• Black: Sonic the Hedgehog, Puyo Puyotsu, Outrun, Royal Stone - The Door when Opened
• Blue: Sonic & Tales, Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tail, Bakubaku Animal World Zookeeper Championship
• Red: Shining Force Gaiden - Expedition to the Land of Evil Gods, Shining Force Gaiden II Awakening of the Evil God, Shining Force Gaiden Final Conflict, Nazopuyo Aruru's Roux
• Yellow: Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible, Megami Tensei Gaiden Last Bible Special, The GG Shinobi, Columns

If you've never heard of the Game Gear before, you're not alone. While the Game Gear released as a direct competitor to Nintendo's Game Boy, it wasn't nearly as popular at the time. Back in 1990 the Game Boy was all the rage and the rivalry between Nintendo and Sega was very strong. On one side you had Mario at the forefront while on the other side you had Sonic the Hedgehog. Nintendo had released its handheld Game Boy in 1989 and Sega was determined to compete against it. Thus the Sega Game Gear was born.

Unlike the Nintendo Game Boy's monochrome screen, the Sega Game Gear's screen displayed color and was even backlit, something that Nintendo's handhelds didn't do until the Game Boy Advance SP released in 2003, 13 years later. Most people are unfamiliar with the Game Gear and that's partially because it cost significantly more than the Game Boy. The Game Boy sold for $90 while the Game Gear sold for $150, so buyers were more likely to get the cheaper handheld.

Even though it didn't sell nearly as well as the Game Boy, Sega's Game Gear hosted dozens of awesome games such as Sonic The Hedgehog, Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. Many of these games are considered classics and have aged well.