--- title: Sega Mega Drive II categories: - Consoles params: name: Mega Drive II company: /companies/sega company_name: Sega tabs: - photos - hardware - connectors - software - emulators - links - videos photos: - title: SEGA MEGADRIVE II subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'FRONT #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: TOP subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: POWER BUTTON subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOX - BACK subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: GENESIS II BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'GENESIS II BOX # 2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null hardware: - title: THE ACTION CHAIR subtitle: '' text: |- The action chair is a rare item. Connected to a Genesis/Megadrive, it acts as a controller! When you lean backward/forward it tells the Genesis to go down/up and when you lean left/right it tells to go left/right. Two handles on each side offer two buttons each, resulting in 4 buttons : START, SELECT, A & B. The Action Chair is basically a chair mounted on a controller. It is thus possible to play all games with it, though it is more convenient to play games like After Burner II, Space Harrier II, Super Thunder Blade, Hang on, Road Rash, Super Monaco GP, etc. Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 1 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_1.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: Page 2 text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_2.jpg - title: THE UNIT subtitle: '' text: |- This is the second version of the Mega CD, especially designed to be used with the Genesis / Megadrive II system. The MegaCD was released in 1991 in Japan, in 1992 in the USA and in 1993 in Europe. This very expensive addon was meant to fight the Nintendo SNES which was just released, and alternatively the NEC CD based systems... The main interest of the MegaCD was that if enabled bigger games and FMV movies/music. Despite this, movie based games were often boring, offering very little interaction with the player. Finaly there were not a lot of games produced for the MegaCD. image: null - title: 'PICTURE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: GENESIS / MEGADRIVE II FITTED ON THE MEGACD II subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: CLOSE UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'CLOSE UP #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null connectors: - title: A/V CONNECTOR PINOUT subtitle: '' text: This is the same pinout found on the Nomad and the 32x. image: null - title: 3 BUTTONS JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: |- The joystick port uses a multiplexing technique based on the 74HC157 chip (high-speed cmos quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer) built-in the controller. There are 2 inputs for each 4 outputs of the chip. The console can determine which function is read by setting the *select* signal to 0v (logic low) or +5v (logic high). **Fun fact :** Atari 2600 joysticks could be used in the Genesis joystick ports. The button of the Atari joystick was the "B" button on a Sega Genesis, and the direction buttons are fully functional. image: /media/museum/connectors/genesis_joystick.gif emulators: - title: Gens url: http://gens.consolemul.com/ platform: Windows text: Excellent Genesis emulator - title: KEGA url: http://www.eidolons-inn.net/kega/ platform: Windows text: Kega is a Sega SG1000, SC3000, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Megadrive and SegaCD/MegaCD emulator for Win9x/ME/2000/XP - title: Wgens url: http://emu.makii.pl/pokazpliki.php3?tematy=smd platform: Windows text: Sega Megadrive emulator links: - title: GameFAQs url: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/ text: All sort of FAQs related to the Genesis / megadrive (games, hardware, etc.) - title: GameWinners.com url: http://www.gamewinners.com/GEN/ text: Great cheat codes archive ! - title: GAMEX.COM url: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/genesisav.htm text: Genesis / Megadrive video pinouts - title: Genesis Collective url: http://www.genesiscollective.com/ text: Giant software database, full of useful info - title: IGN.COM url: http://codes.ign.com/ text: A LOT of Genesis game codes - title: Megadrive FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/megadfaq.shtml text: Megadrive FAQ hosted by Classicgaming.com - title: Official 32X pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/32x/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Mega Drive pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/md/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: Official Sega CD pages from Sega! url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/ text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) - title: SEGA CD FAQ url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/segacdfaq.shtml text: Sega CD FAQ hosted by classicgaming.com - title: The Dump url: http://www.classicgaming.com/thedump/genesis/ text: Box arts, covers, reviews and more - title: The McDonald Family Homepage url: http://www.billnkaz.demon.co.uk/segalist.htm text: How to build a RGB to D-SUB video cable for your Genesis / Megadrive 1. Also a big cheat file is available - title: Video Game Music Archive url: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/ text: Sega Genesis music files directory !!! - title: Zophar's Domain url: http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html text: Nice emulator list & some interestinf game info to download - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Sega dedicated newsgroup videos: - title: Sega Genesis TV commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo text: 'Length: 30s' comments: - author: Anamyd Mailliw (United Kingdom) date: Sunday 15th August 2021 text: A lot of Mega Drive 2s (and late Mega Drive 1s) were made with significantly worse sound quality than most Mega Drive 1s. This was due to removing the physical YM2612 chip and embedding a YM3438 in the ASIC with the graphics and PSG, but without correcting the audio amplification circuit for the difference in output level / impedance. This can be rectified with a Crystal Clear Audio or MegaAmp audio mod or as part of the Triple Bypass video board. - author: Ako Shirabe date: Wednesday 25th March 2015 text: My favorite game console - author: Alex (Bulgaria) date: Wednesday 22nd September 2010 text: When I was a kid this looks like a hi-tech gadget from the future :) - author: Nathan Graves (UK) date: Tuesday 2nd November 2004 text: Two things. Firstly, a piece of plastic (pacakged with the 32x) was placed on top to help keep the cartridges steady (as the slot is not as high up). Also, when it was released in the UK, It retailed as a pack for about £100 (with Sonic Complimation) or £120 (with Mega Games 6). I have one and I think it is the best console I have ever had. - author: ray (uk) date: Wednesday 9th June 2004 text: i like sega mega cd related: - /museum/sega-genesis - /museum/sega-genesis-2 - /museum/sega-genesis-3 - /museum/sega-mega-drive - /museum/sega-nomad - /museum/sega-wondermega software: - /software/nfl-quarterback-club-32x - /software/rbi-baseball-95-32x - /software/toughman-contest-32x - /software/virtua-fighter-32x - /software/world-series-baseball-32x oc_id: 843 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230530201936/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=843 date: '2023-05-30' --- The Mega Drive II is basically just a re-designed [Mega Drive](/museum/sega-mega-drive/). The Mega Drive II was much smaller and squarer then the original Mega Drive. It did not have the headphone jack, volume control or RF TV output. The A/V port changed to a custom multi out port that now provided stereo sound to T.V's (previously only mono was output by the Mega Drive, the headphone jack had to be used for stereo sound). The power lead port was made smaller and a different AC adapter was used. Finaly the power switch was changed to a push button. Both the original Mega Drive and the Mega Drive II could be connected to a Sega CD and 32X add-ons. The Mega CD was even remodeled to better fit the Mega Drive II. A specific version of the Mega Adapter/Master System Converter was also designed. --- Adapted from Miles Mason's Genesis 2/Megadrive II text