With temperatures dropping and daylight dwindling and a still-raging pandemic threatening to keep us mostly at home until well into next year, now would be the time to nab stuff that’ll mitigate the monotony of spending the next several months indoors. Earlier this year, I wrote how the Sega Genesis Mini became my go-to stress-reliever in quarantine, not just for the hours of distraction it provides but also for its comforting dose of nostalgia: “With the press of a button, the little gadget will instantly transport me to my childhood living room, and I can spend hours not obsessing over the rising death toll or if I’ll have any money left in my retirement savings by the end of the pandemic. To anyone who grew up playing Sega Genesis, the mini-console functions exactly as you remember its older sister working — except for the fact that the games are built in, so no swapping (or blowing on) cartridges is necessary. It comes with two controllers, the cords needed to hook it up to most TVs, and a delightful array of some 40 games, from Sonic the Hedgehog to Toejam & Earl to Altered Beast.” When first writing about the Sega Genesis Mini, I also noted how the Serious Gamers over at Polygon “had more good things to say about it than bad things.” Right now, it’s on sale for $50 — not the cheapest it’s ever been, but still a substantial $30 off, and a modest price for the hours of easy entertainment I can guarantee it will provide. (If you’re looking for more great sales on electronics, head here for our list of Amazon Prime Day tech deals and here for a similar list from the Verge.)
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