6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
131 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
131 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Sega Mega Drive
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categories:
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- Consoles
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params:
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name: Mega Drive
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image: /media/museum/photos/sega_megadrive_jap_1_s.jpg
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company: /companies/sega
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company_name: Sega
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tabs:
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- hardware
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- connectors
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- emulators
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- links
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- videos
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hardware:
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- title: THE ACTION CHAIR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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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.
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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.
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Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture
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image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair.jpg
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- title: DOCUMENTATION
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subtitle: Page 1
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text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture
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image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_1.jpg
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- title: DOCUMENTATION
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subtitle: Page 2
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text: Thanks to **Spycal** for this picture
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image: /media/museum/hardware/sega_action-chair_doc_2.jpg
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connectors:
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- title: 3 BUTTONS JOYSTICK
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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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).
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**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.
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image: /media/museum/connectors/genesis_joystick.gif
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emulators:
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- title: Gens
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url: http://gens.consolemul.com/
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platform: Windows
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text: Excellent Genesis emulator
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- title: KEGA
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url: http://www.eidolons-inn.net/kega/
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platform: Windows
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text: Kega is a Sega SG1000, SC3000, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Megadrive and SegaCD/MegaCD emulator for Win9x/ME/2000/XP
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- title: Wgens
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url: http://emu.makii.pl/pokazpliki.php3?tematy=smd
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platform: Windows
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text: Sega Megadrive emulator
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links:
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- title: GameFAQs
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url: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/
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text: All sort of FAQs related to the Genesis / megadrive (games, hardware, etc.)
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- title: GameWinners.com
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url: http://www.gamewinners.com/GEN/
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text: Great cheat codes archive !
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- title: GAMEX.COM
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url: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/genesisav.htm
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text: Genesis / Megadrive video pinouts
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- title: Genesis Collective
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url: http://www.genesiscollective.com/
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text: Giant software database, full of useful info
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- title: IGN.COM
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url: http://codes.ign.com/
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text: A LOT of Genesis game codes
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- title: Megadrive FAQ
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url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/megadfaq.shtml
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text: Megadrive FAQ hosted by Classicgaming.com
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- title: Official 32X pages from Sega!
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url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/32x/
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text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.)
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- title: Official Mega Drive pages from Sega!
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url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/md/
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text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.)
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- title: Official Sega CD pages from Sega!
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url: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/mcd/
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text: Excellent. Lot of info here (specs, pix, soft lists, ads,etc.)
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- title: SEGA CD FAQ
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url: http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/faqs/segacdfaq.shtml
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text: Sega CD FAQ hosted by classicgaming.com
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- title: The Dump
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url: http://www.classicgaming.com/thedump/genesis/
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text: Box arts, covers, reviews and more
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- title: The McDonald Family Homepage
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url: http://www.billnkaz.demon.co.uk/segalist.htm
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text: How to build a RGB to D-SUB video cable for your Genesis / Megadrive 1. Also a big cheat file is available
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- title: Video Game Music Archive
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url: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/
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text: Sega Genesis music files directory !!!
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- title: Zophar's Domain
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url: http://www.zophar.net/genesis.html
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text: Nice emulator list & some interestinf game info to download
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- title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
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url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
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text: Sega dedicated newsgroup
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videos:
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- title: Sega Genesis TV commercial
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url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-tH9fKuOo
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text: 'Length: 30s'
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comments:
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- author: Anamyd Mailliw
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date: Sunday 15th August 2021
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text: Watch out for very late revisions of the Mega Drive 1 (VA7). Like most Mega Drive 2s, they 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.
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related:
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- /museum/sega-genesis
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- /museum/sega-genesis-2
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- /museum/sega-genesis-3
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- /museum/sega-mega-drive-ii
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- /museum/sega-nomad
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- /museum/sega-wondermega
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oc_id: 1247
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221204121334/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1247
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date: '2022-12-04'
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---
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The Mega Drive launched in 1988 in Japan. Europe had to wait two whole years before they would get the machine.
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Designed as the replacement for the 8 bit [Master System](/museum/sega-master-system/), it originally competed against other 8 bit systems, namely the [Famicom/NES](/museum/nintendo-nes/) and [PC Engine](/museum/nec-pc-engine/)/[TurboGrafx](/museum/nec-turbografx-16-turbografx/).
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The Mega Drive had mixed fortunes. In Japan the console was out sold by both the PC Engine and later the [Super Famicom](/museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system/). In Europe on the other hand, the Mega Drive fared considerably better. The practically unheard of TurboGrafx was extremely rare and the Mega Drive was able to outsell the [SNES](/museum/nintendo-super-nintendo-entertainment-system/), finishing the generation in first place.
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However, the success of the console in Europe, and as the [Genesis](/museum/sega-genesis/) in the States, may well have contributed to Sega's downfall. Two misjudged add-ons, the 32X and Mega CD put a huge dent in Sega's reputation, one so large that the company would never recover.
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A redesigned [Mega Drive II](/museum/sega-mega-drive-ii/) was released in 1993. The smaller console was cheaper to produce, similar in concept to the [Master System II](/museum/sega-master-system-ii/).
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