The number of retro gaming systems recreated in LEGO could be about to increase once again, with the leak of a SEGA Lego Mega Drive/Genesis controller made of plastic bricks.
I’ve just got in from a trip to York, where the local WH Smith has been rebranded as TG Jones, but everything inside is the same — including some free LEGO. The giveaway demands you follow a simple two-sided sheet to build a funky-looking LEGO game controller.
And by coincidence, I’ve been alerted to this. A LEGO account on Instagram has spotted that an upcoming kit, 40769, is a LEGO SEGA Genesis controller, branded as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog license.
In case you can’t see that:
SEGA Lego controller
LEGO has been increasingly dipping its fingers into the retro replicas market over the past few years, with everything from replica consoles to arcade systems. So a SEGA Genesis controller made from bricks is less of a surprise, more of a “how come it took so long?!”
As previously noted, we have already had:
2021’s offering was the Lego Nintendo Entertainment System, complete with a TV set and a “playable” Mario.
In 2023, Lego brought us a plastic brick representation of the Atari 2600. This was accompanied by cartridges that “exploded” with a representation of the corresponding games.
There is also a Lego Pac-Man arcade set, with a hand-cranked display of moving characters (which is probably my favourite of all retro console Lego sets).
Meanwhile, a Lego Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone set has been spun off into a larger collection of Sonic toys. You’ve probably already seen the Lego Mario toys.
(Speaking of the Atari 2600 replica, I’m a few days away from completing a LEGO spaceship and moving onto that console kit. That is, unless I opt for a prime Transformer build first…)
Of course, the LEGO Game Boy 72046 replica is coming in October, adding to an ever-increasing list of brick-based retro systems. As for when the LEGO SEGA Genesis controller is released, that is another question entirely.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.