Sega Mania Magazine Issue 9 Celebrates 1996 with Pure Retro Sega Style

If you grew up with a Mega Drive, lived through the chaos of the Saturn era, or still hear the Sega startup chime in your dreams, Sega Mania Magazine Issue 9 is made for you. This independent publication is back on Kickstarter, and it’s bringing a full-color, nostalgia-fueled trip to 1996 for old-school Sega fans around the world.

A Magazine That Pretends It’s Still the 90s

Sega Mania doesn’t just write about the past. It writes from the past. Every issue is crafted as if it were written in the heat of the moment. There’s no retrospective wisdom or analysis with the benefit of hindsight. Just raw excitement, trash talk between consoles, and unapologetic fan energy.

Issue 9 keeps that tradition alive. It covers the end of the Mega Drive era and the early struggles of the 32-bit Saturn. The tone is loud, the reviews are punchy, and the layout is bursting with color and chaos. This isn’t a dry history lesson. It’s a time machine.

80 Pages of Glorious Madness

A Deep Dive into 1996

This new issue focuses entirely on the year 1996 — a transitional moment when Sega fans watched 2D fade and 3D rise. The Mega Drive was bowing out. The Saturn was fighting for relevance. And nobody really knew where gaming was going next.

Expect plenty of game reviews from the time, industry news written like it’s hot off the press, and editorials packed with the kind of inside jokes only real Sega diehards will get. It’s not just content. It’s an experience.

Designed With Love and Sarcasm

What sets this campaign apart is how much passion goes into every page. The magazine is designed, written, and produced in-house by a tight-knit crew of Sega fanatics. People like Simon Pike, Rob Kirkup, and Stephen Andrews aren’t doing this for profit. They don’t even pay themselves. This is a labor of love, printed in vibrant full color and shipped to backers directly.

From the artwork to the layout, every element has the feel of a classic 1990s UK gaming mag — like Mean Machines Sega or GamesMaster — with just enough cheeky commentary to keep things fun.

A Real Community of Backers

Your Support Makes It Happen

Unlike big publishing houses, Sega Mania runs on community support. That’s why it’s on Kickstarter. Backers fund the printing and shipping costs, and in return, they get early access to Issue 9 in either digital or physical format.

The magazine already has a loyal following, with over 10,000 copies sold across the first eight issues. Earlier editions sold out so fast they had to be reprinted three times. If you missed them, you can still get back issues on their website — but this Kickstarter is your only chance to grab Issue 9 as a first-run edition.

Reliable, Transparent, and Tested

The team behind Sega Mania has delivered consistently for years. They’ve shipped globally, dealt with customs challenges, and even upgraded to tracked shipping for EU and ROW customers after earlier hiccups. That kind of response shows commitment and accountability.

This isn’t some experimental zine hoping for attention. It’s a well-oiled retro machine, and the people behind it know what they’re doing.

Physical and Digital for Every Type of Fan

Sega Mania Issue 9 comes in two formats: a DRM-free digital PDF and a full-color printed edition. The print version is lovingly packaged and shipped from the UK. It’s ideal for collectors and readers who want to hold the nostalgia in their hands.

The digital version is equally gorgeous and formatted for easy reading on any screen. Whether you’re building a shelf of Sega history or flipping through pages on a tablet, this issue delivers.

What Makes It Special

This isn’t just another video game magazine. It’s an authentic slice of Sega’s golden age, filtered through a team that treats each article like a love letter. Everything from the reviews to the fake ads and inside jokes is soaked in style and substance. It’s not just retro-themed. It feels retro.

Sega Mania’s signature is its refusal to break character. Every word is written as though it’s 1996. No spoilers. No commentary from the future. Just raw reactions and enthusiasm, exactly how gamers experienced it back then. That’s what makes it real.

Why Back Sega Mania Magazine Issue 9 on Kickstarter

Supporting this campaign means more than getting a great magazine. It means helping keep indie publishing alive in a world where most retro content is digital, ad-driven, and sanitized.

You’ll be backing a team of genuine fans who give everything to make each issue shine. And you’ll get a piece of Sega history to enjoy, collect, and share.

If you ever stood in a game shop staring at Sonic 3 or Virtua Fighter covers, this magazine speaks your language. Backing it means you still believe in that magic.