Imagine a world where Sega continually outsold Nintendo instead of falling behind in the race. That world exists, and it’s Brazil.
Up until very recently, a Brazillian company called TecToy was still making Sega Genesis consoles for gamers to use. The company has ceased production of the console now, but a new Brazillian company has stepped up to the plate with something that none of us thought we would ever see.
The Sega Neptune never saw the light of day despite being announced before the arrival of the Sega Saturn. It was supposed to be an amalgamation of the Mega Drive/Genesis and the 32X console, but at a time when Sega was starting to implode from within, it never actually came to fruition.
A company called GamesCare has created their own version of the Sega Neptune called the GF1 Neptune, and a fact that was reported by The Metro that was music to our ears which is music to our ears is that it will play original Sega software in the forms of original Mega Drive and 32X carts, as well as (oh yes) Sega CD games via a hook-up port for the original hardware!
And no, this new Sega Neptune console won’t need an old-school RGB cable or a scart lead; the plan is to build it with HDMI and 1080p resolution to work with modern TVs, including online compatibility and storage via SD cards. How cool is that! It will have Analogue visual and audio outputs for the purists too, but in an age where most people’s TVs only have HDMI ports, I think HDMI will be the most popular option.
The annoying thing is that we haven’t actually seen any proper images bar one on the Level Up website which I’ve used in this featured image, and that looks a little like an air fryer. We don’t have any information with regards to how much this thing will cost or, more importantly, how much it will cost for me to get hold of one here in the UK. I would definitely pay a pretty penny for this as I would love to review it!
So stand by for more information as and when I get it, but for now, check out the official trailer the company launched below. If you don’t understand Brazillian Portuguese, however, you’ll need to flip the subtitles on!
Quickfire Questions With GamesCare
RD: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us about the GF1 Neptune! Would you be able to start things off by telling us a little bit about yourselves?
GC: Hello! We are a small company focused on producing equipment aimed at old video games based in Brazil. We also do repairs and modifications, always focusing on the quality of equipment and repairs.
RD: So how did you become involved in creating the GF1 Neptune?
GC: My feeling as a fan is greater than that of a businessman, and the idea came a few years ago to recreate an iconic console like this, though we knew it would only be possible using Fpga, otherwise there would be no way to meet the demand. With a lot of patience and luck, we found the right designers and development began.
RD: How difficult was the initial design phase and keeping to the original mock-up plans from SEGA’s lost console?
GC: Actually it wasn’t very difficult; a company in Brazil made the 3D model of the console based on photos of the original prototype. The board was based on the dimensions of the case and to fit perfectly in the SEGA CD Model 2.
RD: Having HDMI connectivity is a brilliant move as well as original cables and will be a huge hit for the SEGA fans in Brazil and over the world. Have there been any challenges integrating old tech with new during the design process?
GC: The biggest difficulty today is finding chips dedicated to this type of analog video output. Unfortunately, these are often parts that are not manufactured today, but we managed to overcome this situation and develop a practical solution with high-quality results. For us, it is very important to give this option to the customer, whether to use digital or Analog TVs.
RD: Demand for this console is going to be huge. Can you see yourself recreating other cancelled SEGA consoles in the future such as the Venus or the Pluto?
CG: It’s been a dream to recreate this iconic console; I believe that all Sega fans will want to have one in their collection. Our goal is not just to recreate the Neptune, but to offer people a hi-end solution to play their old games and cartridges, but also offer robust online support, offer new games and experiences, and in addition to all that, create an interesting ecosystem for all types of developers so that they feel comfortable creating and selling their works in our online store.
