website/content/museum/sega-genesis.md

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Sega Genesis	Consoles	name company company_name tabs photos hardware connectors emulators links videos comments related software oc_id source Genesis /companies/sega Sega photos hardware connectors software emulators links videos title subtitle text image GENESIS null title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE null title subtitle text image CLOSE UP null title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE null title subtitle text image EUROPEAN MEGADRIVE null title subtitle text image MEGADRIVE - CLOSE-UP null title subtitle text image MEGADRIVE - CONTROL PANEL The volume slider, on/off switch and Reset button. null title subtitle text image POWER LED null title subtitle text image BOTTOM null title subtitle text image JAPANESE MEGADRIVE null title subtitle text image JAPANESE MEGADRIVE null title subtitle text image CONTROL PANEL null title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP null title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE null title subtitle text image VERSIONS COMPARISON From top to bottom : - European Megadrive - Japanese Megadrive - American Genesis Just a few cosmetic differences... null title subtitle text image CONTROL PAD null title subtitle text image PAD - TOP VIEW null title subtitle text image PAD - CLOSE-UP null title subtitle text image BOX null title subtitle text image BOX - BACK null title subtitle text image THE ACTION CHAIR 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 /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair.jpg title subtitle text image DOCUMENTATION Page 1 Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_1.jpg title subtitle text image DOCUMENTATION Page 2 Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_2.jpg title subtitle text image THE UNIT 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. Another version of the MegaCD was released to be used with the Genesis / Megadrive II system. null title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP null title subtitle text image GENESIS / MEGADRIVE FIITED ON THE MEGACD null title subtitle text image PICTURE #2 null title subtitle text image FRONT null title subtitle text image CLOSE-UP #2 null title subtitle text image BACK null title subtitle text image BOX null title subtitle text image PICTURE #1 The Sega Powerbase Convertor enables the Genesis / Megadrive to play Master System games. Its case design is a mix between the Genesis and the Master System. It fits on top of the Genesis / Megadrive and includes a cartridge slot and a cart slot. The Powerbase cannot be used with the Genesis / Megadrive II but a special version was later released for it, which, like the Genesis / Megadrive II, did not include the cart slot. null title subtitle text image PICTURE #2 null title subtitle text image BOX null title subtitle text image A/V CONNECTOR PINOUT null title subtitle text image 3 BUTTONS JOYSTICK 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. /media/museum/connectors/genesis_joystick.gif title url platform text Gens http://gens.consolemul.com/ Windows Excellent Genesis emulator title url platform text KEGA http://www.eidolons-inn.net/kega/ Windows Kega is a Sega SG1000, SC3000, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Megadrive and SegaCD/MegaCD emulator for Win9x/ME/2000/XP title url platform text Wgens http://emu.makii.pl/pokazpliki.php3?tematy=smd Windows Sega Megadrive emulator title url text GameFAQs http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/ All sort of FAQs related to the Genesis / megadrive (games, hardware, etc.) title url text GameWinners.com http://www.gamewinners.com/GEN/ Great cheat codes archive ! title url text GAMEX.COM http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/genesisav.htm Genesis / Megadrive video pinouts title url text Genesis Collective http://www.genesiscollective.com/ Giant software database, full of useful info title url text IGN.COM http://codes.ign.com/ A LOT of Genesis game codes title url text Megadrive FAQ http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/megadfaq.shtml Megadrive FAQ hosted by Classicgaming.com title url text Official 32X pages from Sega! http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/32x/ Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) title url text Official Mega Drive pages from Sega! http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/md/ Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) title url text Official Sega CD pages from Sega! http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/ Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.) title url text SEGA CD FAQ http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/segacdfaq.shtml Sega CD FAQ hosted by classicgaming.com title url text The Dump http://www.classicgaming.com/thedump/genesis/ Box arts, covers, reviews and more title url text The McDonald Family Homepage http://www.billnkaz.demon.co.uk/segalist.htm How to build a RGB to D-SUB video cable for your Genesis / Megadrive 1. Also a big cheat file is available title url text Video Game Music Archive http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/ Sega Genesis music files directory !!! title url text Zophar's Domain http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html Nice emulator list & some interestinf game info to download title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Sega dedicated newsgroup title url text Sega Genesis TV commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo Length: 30s author date text lynda (usa) Tuesday 12th June 2007 where can i gaet games for the sega? author date text Thomsonicus (Poland) Thursday 30th November 2006 I remember that when I was a young kiddo, I wanted to buy a console for myself. I had to choose between a Sega Master System II or the newly released Mega Drive. Unfotunately for me, I didn't know much about technology so I chose the console with the additional games - the SMS2. It's a pity that Megadrive's fame came to Poland only AFTER I've bought the darn Master System2! :-[ author date text Matt (Uckfield) Tuesday 5th September 2006 I was told by my friend that the Megadrive controllers were originally meant to have the buttons A, B and Z rather than the A, B and C that was put on them. I am told this is an error and the buttons were infact meant to be A for Aim, B for Block and Z for attack. I am unsure as to wether there is any truth to this and would like to know if anybody has any information or websites with proof of this fact, if you fo then feel free to e-mail me at matt_waters14@hotmail.com thanks author date text dave uk ( london) Thursday 17th August 2006 hi have just got auk megadrive and feel like a 5 year old gitt as i have just pluged it in and cant get a signal on any of the chanels ?\ sos help please author date text james (uk) Tuesday 2nd May 2006 I believe i have a seen two different versions which havent been mentioned here. the mega drive i own has a white pice of plastic around the power L.E.D, and no writing at all on the ring. it has no ext port and all plastic feet and only mono sound from the a.v out port - i modified it for stereo by taking th eoutput from the headphone port. The mega drive my uncle had was one of the first in the uk. That had a GREY piece of plastic around the led and had 'high definition audio' only written on the ring :) author date text MIH (POLAND) Monday 20th June 2005 HI, I have one question for you...Does SEGA CD hardware has immplied the local restrictions...in the other words is it possible to play NTSC version CDgames on my european MEGA CD??? please help.... author date text Michael Tesh (sheffield) Wednesday 25th May 2005 I've noticed somethings unusual on my megadrive 1, it's diffrent to most others because mine has a port on the back with EXT similar to the one on the controller, also it says high definition graphics and stereo sound on the round mould above the cartridge slot. ive only recently noticed that my megadrive is a lot diffrent to all the others ive seen also i have read on the internet that if you remove a cartridge whilst the power is on and re insert it the game may access some things that you would only get if you got 100% game completion but i'm not stupid. is this true? author date text michael tesh (sheffield) Wednesday 25th May 2005 How much would a megadrive II be worth with the box and all the books at the moment? author date text Epicenter (USA) Saturday 23rd April 2005 The cartridge for a MegaDrive/Genesis system is rather simple, just a 16-bit ROM chip on a printed circuit board with a plastic shell around it. You can easily find images on Google Image Search entering Genesis Cartridge or MegaDrive cartridge as your search term. A note--\ ** THE NEW, UP TO DATE URL TO THE MEGADRIVE/GENESIS OVERCLOCKING GUIDE IS: http://www.epicgaming.us\ ** author date text Epicenter (USA) Tuesday 2nd November 2004 Just wanted to correct some inaccuracies in the original post. #1. The Megadrive never had a lockout chip. The glue chip had a new BIOS incorporated into it in a secondary revision adding the copy protection .. also the VDP Then required SEGA be written into it before it would start up. #2. The MC68HC000 (smaller surface mount 68000) or Hitachi HD68HC000 weren't 'cheaper clones'. The MC68HC000 is a surface mount variant from Motorola. Hitachi's HD68HC000 is a licensed clone and actually performs MORE work per clock tick than the real McCoy from Motorola under numerous tests I've performed. The only weaker clone was the Signetics SCN68000 used in the VERY FIRST versions of the MegaDrive model 1, which did FAR LESS work per clock tick, about 20% less! #3. I am unable to confirm claims of any lower sound quality on newer MegaDrive revisions except the Genesis 3 released by Majesco which omitted the Z80 and incorporated a workalike into a large combination chip. #4. The EXT port acted as a controller port and is wired into the glue chip as such. It was used to select a game on a second display in the MegaTech/MegaPlay arcade system. It was removed from the design spec shortly after the first revisions at the same time as HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS was removed from the lid. I may be wrong about this but I believe the modem released in Japan utilized the cartridge slot or Mega CD / Demo Unit edge connector rather than this port. However the Megaplay/Tech application appears to be the intended purpose of this port. For all interested, the MegaDrive/Genesis overclocking page is here:\ http://www.epicgaming.net/md_oc/\ ;) Adios.\ - Epicenter author date text SeanSmith (Lasvegas Nevada) Tuesday 4th May 2004 I wanted to share some reasearch i have done on the american sega genesis, I belive this may apply to the mega drives as well. There were quite a bit of revisions of models, The early model in 1989 could play unlicenced titles becase it didnt have a lockout chip, and read High Definition Graphics on the top of the ring and had an ext port on the back for a modem that was only released in japan. It also had better audio clarity, then in 1990 they added the lockout chip while still keeping the ext port on the back and the High definiton logo still on the top of the ring, this revision still has clear audio. Then in 1992 sega decided to take out the ext port, remove the Hight Defintion Graphics logo and make the red part of the plastic around the light a seperate piece of plastic, before it was painted on the ring. This models audio was fuzzy sounding and the contacs on the expansion port for the sega cd wernt silver anymore they put cheap black material for the contacs. there is a model bettween 1990 and 1992 revisions that had the Hight Definition Grapichs log removed and the ext port removed but inside the hardware is the same. when 1992 came around they stoped using the big motorolla processor and used a cheap set of clone chips. That concudes all the revisions of the model 1 genesis. The best one to get is the 1989 one you get the full quality of what you would have payed for in 1989. There a distinctive factors that tell you the differance when shopping for one, first of all you will want to look for one with the "HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS" log on the top of the ring or "High AV Terminal" for the japanese mega drive. Then to tell if it is the 1989 model with out the lockout chip instead of the 1990 model with it, you want to look at the front rubber boots on the botom that support the system. The 1989 model will have real rubber boots and the 1990 model and later will have plastic. Good luck and have fun, If you find one of these you have to get the sega cd model 1 for it, they also have better audio clarity and generally look better with the model 1 genesis. author date text michael (sheffield south yorkshire) Thursday 15th January 2004 i was wondering does any one have outrun for thier sega that there selling? author date text mick (Sheffield England) Friday 6th June 2003 I own a sega megadrive 1,an acorn a3000, an acorn electron and a texas ti994ai was wondering if anybody at old computers of any where could tell me how a cartridge works and what doesit look like in a sega mega drive, i would look for myself but im terrified of damaging it also is the genesis the same inside as an old arcade game like out run or super hang on with the cartridges and that lot thanks for your time!!! /museum/sega-genesis-2 /museum/sega-genesis-3 /museum/sega-mega-drive /museum/sega-mega-drive-ii /museum/sega-nomad /museum/sega-wondermega /software/36-great-holes-starring-fred-couples-32x /software/after-burner-complete-32x /software/chaotix-32x /software/doom-32x /software/fifa-soccer-96-32x /software/kolibri-32x /software/mortal-kombat-ii-32x /software/nba-jam-tournament-edition-32x /software/pitfall-the-mayan-adventure-32x /software/sangokushi-iv-32x /software/space-harrier-32x /software/spider-man-web-of-fire-32x /software/star-wars-arcade-32x /software/stellar-assault-32x /software/tempo-32x /software/wwf-raw-32x /software/zaxxon-s-motherbase-2000-32x 837 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230602055346/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=837 2023-06-02

The Mega Drive was renamed Genesis for its 1989 American launch.

Lack of awareness of the TurboGrafx-16 left the NES as the Genesis' biggest competitor until the release of the SNES. By this time the Genesis had established a large user base and was able to outsell the SNES in America. Shortly after the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (on Sonic 2's Day, which as you probably guessed was a Tuesday!) the Genesis held a massive 65% share of the market.

However, the success of the console in the States, and as the Mega Drive in Europe, may well have contributed to Sega's downfall. Two misjudged pieces of hardware, the 32X and Sega CD put a huge dent in Sega's reputation, one so large that the company would never recover.

A redesigned Genesis II was released in 1994. The smaller console was cheaper to produce, similar in concept to the Master System II.

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Taneli Lukka from Filand adds :
Connecting the 32X addon to the original Genesis/Mega Drive is very difficult because a special adapter cable is required to link the 32X unit and the MD console together. This happens because MD1 has a diffirent AV port than the MD2. This cable was very hard to get even when 32X was released (many people had to buy a MD2 unit to get their 32X working) and it's almost impossible to get your hands on one of these cables today.

James (UK) comments : I believe i have a seen two different versions which havent been mentioned here. the Mega Drive i own has a white piece of plastic around the power L.E.D, and no writing at all on the ring. it has no EXT port and all plastic feet and only mono sound from the a.v out port - i modified it for stereo by taking the output from the headphone port. The Mega Drive my uncle had was one of the first in the UK. That had a GREY piece of plastic around the led and had 'high definition audio' only written on the ring :)