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Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Appreciation Thread: Alien Storm > Golden Axe

D

davidwhangchoi

Member
hey Genesis club, grabbed this at a retro store by the beach on Sunday:
ZyAU8mTl.jpg


dSr8EnWl.jpg
 
G

Galdelico

Member
I guess the answer is no - I did some research, and read interesting technical bits at RetroRGB - but, you know, I may have missed news/stuff as well...

Does anything like the Hyperkin 3-in-1 adapter for the Retron5 - that one to allow playing Master Sytem carts/cards and Game Gear games on the Retron's Genesis slot - only to be used with actual MD/Gen systems, exist?

I know you can use original Master Systems games on the MD, through official Power Bases, as well as with the Power Base FM Mini (even though with some limitations). On top of that, one can load Game Gear's ROMs on an Everdrive too.

As someone who will always want to use original games on actual hardware, is there any other 3-in-1 solution for me, out there?
 
K

Khaz

Member
Playing Game Gear games on a Megadrive? Nope, that's not possible.

There are hacks to go around the limitations of the console, but they need to be devised on a game by game basis.

sixteen-bit said:
I thought Game Gear playback isn't possible on Genesis because Game Gear has a way bigger color palette.
Click to expand...

This, and also the Start button isn't mapped to anything on a controller. You need to remap it for each game.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
sixteen-bit said:
I thought Game Gear playback isn't possible on Genesis because Game Gear has a way bigger color palette.
Click to expand...

Khaz said:
Playing Game Gear games on a Megadrive? Nope, that's not possible.

There are hacks to go around the limitations of the console, but they need to be devised on a game by game basis.

This, and also the Start button isn't mapped to anything on a controller. You need to remap it for each game.
Click to expand...

Ha, thanks guys, that's basically what I found too.
It's a shame, because I accidentaly stumbled across a video on YouTube, about that Hyperkin add-on, and I thought it was actually pretty awesome. Not so awesome that you have to use it in combo with a Retron5, which I'm not a fan of, in the slightest.

Genesis Knight said:
I accidentally asked this question in the Sega CD thread. So I'll try it here.

Best cart intro/opening? I threw out Arcus Odyssey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBrL7MWNQfY

Others said Flashback and MUSHA.
Click to expand...
Out of my mind:
- Gaiares
- Gleylancer
- Red Zone
- Splatterhouse Part 2
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Zyrinx were wizards. Plus, I really need to get Sub-Terrania.
I wonder if Scorcher on the Saturn is on the same level of marvel (doesn't look like, from what I've seen through various videos, but I've never played it).
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Very impressive, thanks for that!
I realize there were no actual games behind those scenes, so it's all pretty relative, but in some places that looked almost on par with N64 standards. Especially the last bit, with the desert scenario, was especially smooth and rich.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Genesis-GAF, still on my quest to find a meaningful way to play at least Master System games on my Japanese Mega Drive 2...

Any of you with a PowerBase Mini FM - it's out since quite a while, now, and I remember some of you guys got one - can give me some feedback towards/against it?
I didn't find too many useful informations of video footage, to be honest, and the only major confirmation I got out of my research is that the cart should be region-free, as in, I should be able to use it with my Japanese MD2 no problem.

What I'm most confused about is: will I have to stick with Japanese Master System games, then? Or US carts will work just fine too? And, what about PAL games? Japanese MD2 can't output at PAL50, so I assume this alone will rule them out, unless the PB FM Mini can force them to run at full speed/60hz somehow.

Finally, anyone with a PB Mini FM and possibly an OSSC as well? I'd love to see how MS games look through it.
 
K

Khaz

Member
A Power Base Mini FM is what you want, it will let you play Western cartridges on a megadrive from any region at the framerate of the console.

Forget about PAL/NTSC, US/Europe/Japan, etc. On the Master System, the distinction is made between Japanese games and non-Japanese (Western, Export) games. The difference between the two is the shape of the cartridge, which renders them physically incompatible with the other region. There are minute distinctions in the code between the two, but it doesn't matter to you.

There are a few games made in Europe that have trouble playing at 60Hz. They are relatively obscure, rare, and generally mediocre; therefore very unlikely to be on your "want" list. A simple region mod on the Megadrive would solve any problem you may have with those. Stay away from Codemasters games for example. Every other game plays better at 60Hz, even if it was never released in a 60Hz region.

A Megadrive Everdrive can play Master System games from all regions without any trouble. It's probably the most convenient option, but you won't get FM music. Most games don't have an FM soundtrack anyway.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Wow, that sounds pretty awesome, thank you. ;)

Yeah, as you said, my buy-list would be pretty short - at least initially - and entirely made of Japanese games (as in, developed in Japan). I'm thinking of Rastan, Double Dragon, Wonder Boy, Darius, Kenseiden... I plan to get an Everdrive X5 soon (I'm terrible at that... Every time I decide to get a budget for retro accessories, I end up spending it all in games instead), mainly for region-freeing my Mega CD 2 and use it for Mega Drive hacks of games I already own.

If you don't mind me asking, Khaz, I have a couple more questions: I assume the PowerBase Mini FM only works with Master System carts - and Mark III carts are incompatible - right? And also, I know it doesn't accept card games, so I wonder: are there card-only games that will be missed out?

I realize this stuff is more Master System related, than MD/Genesis, but once I know all that I'm pretty much done.

Hopefully, it won't be a pain in the ass to order one from Euroland!

Edit - You said the PB Mini will read every 'western' MS cart just fine. Does that mean it won't work with actual Japanese MS carts? Just out of curiosity. Of course, I'll take the chance to get European games for the most part.
 
K

Khaz

Member
Galdelico said:
If you don't mind me asking, Khaz, I have a couple more questions: I assume the PowerBase Mini FM only works with Master System carts - and Mark III carts are incompatible - right? And also, I know it doesn't accept card games, so I wonder: are there card-only games that will be missed out?
Click to expand...

The cartridges are physically incompatible. Different shape and pinout.

About the cards, all the Western cards were re-released in cartridge form, except for http://segaretro.org/Great_Soccer. There are a couple of Japanese exclusive card games, but you will miss them like you miss Japanese exclusive cartridge games.

If you want to play Japanese and card games, you'll need to locate an original SEGA Japanese Power Base. They may be rare and/or expensive.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Khaz said:
If you want to play Japanese and card games, you'll need to locate an original SEGA Japanese Power Base. They may be rare and/or expensive.
Click to expand...
Thanks again, very helpful!

And yeah, not only that. I'd need a Powe Base for the Japanese Mega Drive 2... I think I've seen a couple on eBay, in years (loose, in pretty rough shape too). On top of being even more expensive than the original Power Base, they can't play cards, just like the Mini FM... It would be like throwing money away for nothing.
 
Bar81

Bar81

Member
I'm not sure an SMS collection without Euro games is one worth having. There are a bunch of fantastic Euro exclusives (I'm ignoring Brazil, etc.) like Powerstrike 2, Sagaia, Sonic Chaos, Land of Illusion, Ninja Gaiden, the two Donald Duck games and so on.

While I usually collect JP region, the SMS output there was utter garbage in comparison even to the US which in turn paled compared to the Euro library.
 
K

Khaz

Member
Galdelico said:
Thanks again, very helpful!

And yeah, not only that. I'd need a Powe Base for the Japanese Mega Drive 2... I think I've seen a couple on eBay, in years (loose, in pretty rough shape too). On top of being even more expensive than the original Power Base, they can't play cards, just like the Mini FM... It would be like throwing money away for nothing.
Click to expand...

The http://segaretro.org/Card_Catcher with a Japanese Power Base 2 would allow you to play cards.

Bar81 said:
Powerstrike 2
Click to expand...

imo one of the few games that are better played at 50Hz. Not incompatible with 60Hz, but it feels like the pace was designed with 50Hz in mind. At 60Hz it's just frantic. Just my opinion though.
Also a stupid expensive game.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Bar81 said:
I'm not sure an SMS collection without Euro games is one worth having. There are a bunch of fantastic Euro exclusives (I'm ignoring Brazil, etc.) like Powerstrike 2, Sagaia, Sonic Chaos, Land of Illusion, Ninja Gaiden, the two Donald Duck games and so on.

While I usually collect JP region, the SMS output there was utter garbage in comparison even to the US which in turn paled compared to the Euro library.
Click to expand...
Maybe I misunderstood what Khaz said, but I thought he meant games that were 'made in Europe', so with 50hz in mind, could be kinda problematic.
Shouldn't European titles such as Sagaia, Ninja Gaiden, the Disney platforms, or the Sonic series, run just fine at 60hz?

Khaz said:
The http://segaretro.org/Card_Catcher with a Japanese Power Base 2 would allow you to play cards.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip, I didn't even know such thing existed.
And the idea both add-ons combined could top (or maybe surpass) the price of a CIB Master System is kinda amusing. :D
 
K

Khaz

Member
Galdelico said:
Maybe I misunderstood what Khaz said, but I thought he meant games that were 'made in Europe', so with 50hz in mind, could be kinda problematic.
Shouldn't European titles such as Sagaia, Ninja Gaiden, the Disney platforms, or the Sonic series, run just fine at 60hz?
Click to expand...

Nah, there's like a dozen obscure games that are a bit glitchy, none of them are on the usual top 100 lists. There's a list somewhere, trying to find it.

[edit] there: http://www.smspower.org/Tags/PALOnly
The list is super sketchy though. Sonic 2 plays absolutely fine at 60Hz, the physics feel more natural then (you're jumping through molasses at 50Hz.) The music does glitch if you switch the framerate ingame, so you want to flick your 60Hz switch while powered off. But that's it.
Every game on that list has a better port on another console. Sonic 2 is the only one worth it.
I would suggest trying them in an Everdrive first if you want to buy them and don't have a switch on your console.

Every other game is better at 60Hz.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Phew, literally none of them was under my radar (well, aside from Sonic 2 maybe). Xenon 2 would've been a nice novelty but I can't imagine it running/being better than the Amiga version, which I played to death on my Amiga, back then.

And no, I'm not a huge fan of getting my old console chopped out, drilled and covered in switches. It will be just my Japanese MD2, the PowerBase FM Mini, and the MS cart. I must force myself to stop buying games for a minute and just get the Everdrive too. :)

I'm still curious to see how MS games look, through the MD and the OSSC, on a modern display.
 
S

Shaneus

Member
Galdelico said:
Thanks again, very helpful!

And yeah, not only that. I'd need a Powe Base for the Japanese Mega Drive 2... I think I've seen a couple on eBay, in years (loose, in pretty rough shape too). On top of being even more expensive than the original Power Base, they can't play cards, just like the Mini FM... It would be like throwing money away for nothing.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if the card-based SMS games are in the same format as regular cart-based ones, but if they are and they've been dumped, it sounds like you'd be better off getting an Everdrive, because they can play SMS games on an MD without any need for converters etc.

Edit: You've mentioned the Everdrive, so I see you're covered :)
 
N

Noahd41

Neo Member
I joined the Rolling Thunder 2 club today! So far, so good.

I'm digging the older titles, they may be a bit more simple but push the envelope still.
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Pirates! Gold carries the distinction of being the first Genesis game I've played that outright crashes and locks up the system during certain in-game events. Not terribly frequently, but enough to demand judicious save/reload.
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Khaz said:
Freezes and crashes are often due to dirty contacts.
Click to expand...

Nah, if you search for info on this game you'll see some threads where players (erroneously) assume that it's an emulator problem.

Plus I've actually gotten at least one real, legitimate error screen in-game, with some debug text.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
^ Lol, congrats. :D

If I'll ever have the chance to get it for a very good price, I can see myself buying it too... But there are so many other games in that same range I want to add to my collection first. It will probably skyrocket even higher, before I'm ready. ^^;
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
buddy runs a local shop where i had some credit for trading bravely default (wasn't my bag) and a GC duplicate my girl had, so it was a rental with a beat-up manual for $30 overall. removed the stickers & everything's rough but intact, and for a price i wanted! can't complain.
 
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