The Most Useless Must Have Accessory? Should You Import the Tower of Power for the Sega Genesis Mini
63In this video, we unbox and set up the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Mini Tower of Power.
When I was a kid, I had a Sega Genesis for a short time. Actually, I really just wanted to play Sonic. After a while, however, my heart just wasn't into it and I went back to my Nintendo roots. But that does not mean that I did not occasionally look at what Sega was doing, and rather lustfully wishing that I had a 32x & a Sega CD. Thankfully, I've been able to go back and fill in gaps in my collection, including a Sega Genesis, Sega CD, and a 32x. Fans of this monstrosity call it the Tower of Power.
With the launch of the Sega Genesis Mini in 2019, many people wondered if there would be a similar Tower of Power released for it. Sega actually created a US version that they sent to several high-profile YouTubers as publicity items, however, they actually sell the Tower of Power in Japan for the Mega Drive. I thought many times about importing one, but at $80 to $100, it just wasn't worth it to me.
The Mini Tower of Power is made up of four components - A Model 1 Sega CD, a 32x, a Sonic and Knuckles cart, and a Sonic the Hedgehog cartridge that plugs into the Sonic and Knuckles cart. All of it is molded out of a very similar material to the Genesis Mini itself, which means it feels pretty quality in the hands. In addition to the Tower of Power, there's also an envelope that has a dossier on the system. Here you will find a poster and notebook, all featuring patent drawings for the system. As someone who loves seeing how things are made, I didn't know this was in here and just increased the cool factor by a ton.
One thing I will say is the plastic packaging holds the Sega CD and the 32x extremely firm. I felt like I was going to have to punch through the back of the plastic to release these from where they were being held, so take care if you do pick one of these up. Also, know that the four feet that the Genesis many keys into on the Sega CD can actually pop loose of the Sega CD if you do pull on them. Don't sweat it, you haven't broken anything, but it may come as a shock. While the 32x in the Sega CD were held extremely tight, the Sonic the Hedgehog cartridge was not Mr. Maynard proof as Zach Maynard pop the cartridge out just by looking at the box. Putz.
It only took a few minutes to get everything assembled, but I will say that I wish there was a tighter fit between the Genesis and the Sega CD. If you happen to bump the Genesis, it'll become detached from the sidearm on the Sega CD. I was also a bit surprised that the fitment between the Knuckles cartridge in the 32x was not tighter. Overall though, this is a great display piece.
Why it RoX:
- The aesthetics are spot-on
- Molded from quality materials
- The included poster and patton book was unexpected
- It's a mini friggin Tower of freaking power frigging here!
What could be improved?
- Release the US version!
- The blister pack really holds on to the Sega CD and 32x tight
- Loose fit between the cartridge, system and 32x
- Genesis can slide loose from the Sega CD easily
Should you buy one?
This is a definite maybe. If you have to pay over $70 for this, don't. It looks cool but it's completely non-functional. It's essentially creating a diorama for your Sega Genesis Mini. If you have or have had a Tower of Power, the cool factor cannot be understated. I do wish the fitment between the pieces was a little tighter, and obviously, I wish that we had the US version available, but even with those two things, this is an amazing piece that I'm glad that I now have in my collection.
#Sega #Genesis #TowerOfPower
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