From: BCantin@aol.com
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 13:28:17 EDT
SEGA GENESIS/MEGA DRIVE F.A.Q.
Version 1.5
September 1998
Maintained by: Barry Cantin (BCantin@aol.com)
Contributors: John Hokanson Jr. (gameman@alphainfo.com)
Ken Arromdee (arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
Introduction - About this FAQ
Section 1 - General Info
Section 2 - Technical Info
Section 3 - The Games
Section 4 - Peripherals
Section 5 - Emulators
Section 6 - Miscellaneous
**************************
* Introduction *
**************************
Shortly after releasing an update of the Sega CD FAQ, I was contacted by John
Hokanson about helping him put together a similar document for the Sega
Genesis (Mega Drive). I hadn't given it much thought before, due to the scope
of the project, but decided to work on this with John since he had already
done a good deal of work on it and I could fill in some of the details.
John eventually became overwhelmed with other commitments and could no longer
devote the time necessary to completing such a project, and sometime last year
he mailed me much of what is contained in this document. I've since taken
responsibility for the maintenance of the FAQ.
This is really a first draft of the Genesis/Mega Drive FAQ. There are many,
many gaps to fill in and I am doing them as I can. John has put a tremendous
amount of work into this and received a great deal of assistance from Ken
Arromdee. I was initially responsible for the title list (which is - in fact
how I started the Sega CD FAQ) and then wrote up a section on the Sega 32X
(which is now part of SlyDC's 32X FAQ). Now I have the task of updating and
maintaining this FAQ, which is purely enjoyable since I love the Sega Genesis
(and the portable Nomad).
John Hokanson has written a large portion of this document, particularly the
hardware technical areas. Much of what is included here was also culled from
Usenet posts, and the authors are given credit at the beginning of the pertinent section.
So here is the first cut, hope it is useful. Keep in mind that I am still
working on it and still have a great deal of material to go through, so please
bear with me on this. I still have odds & ends to add, but it will be some
time before I can get to all the materials I have on hand to include them. I
thought it might be good to get this version "out on the street" now, and feel
that its content is sufficiently correct to release. Also please note that
this is Version 1.5; Version 1.0 was (considered to be) the initial copy sent
to me in 1996 by John Hokanson, to which I have added a very substantial
amount of material. Thanks. %^)
BWC 8/98
DISCLAIMER
This document contains information on modifying hardware, caring for your
hardware and software, and so forth. Procedures are described within that may
damage your equipment (although not likely). If you perform any of the
mods/cleaning procedures, etc. listed in this FAQ, you do so at your own risk.
I - and the other authors of this FAQ - do not take responsibility for any
broken hardware/software as a result of attempting anything described here.
The information is presented as a convenience for Sega Genesis/Megadrive fans,
and should be treated as such.
**************************
*Section 1 - General Info*
**************************
-------------------------------------------
1.1 The Sega Genesis and Mega Drive Systems
-------------------------------------------
The Genesis is a 16-bit home Video Game Console released in the US
by Sega Enterprises in August of 1989. The system was designed in
Japan as the "Mega Drive" and released in 1988. It was primarily marketed
as a higher power alternative to the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and
competed initially with that and NEC's new PC Engine.
The Genesis had far more to offer then the NES, including better
graphics, better sound (in stereo, as opposed to the NES mono),
and greater speed.
Genesis and MegaDrive cartridges are about four inches long, three inches
high, and about 3/4" deep. Exceptions to this are those released by
Electronic Arts ("EA"), which are approximately 3x3" square. Accolade
cartridges are also approximately this size. Although narrower than standard
Genesis cartridge size, they fit comfortably inside all versions of Genesis
hardware.
The Mega Drive is the original name for the system. It is known as
the Mega Drive in all countries outside of North America. However, since
this FAQ was compiled and written in the US the term "Genesis" will be used in
respect to the aforementioned system. Unless otherwise noted, assume that any
info pertaining to the Genesis, is correct for the Mega Drive.
In the US, the Genesis was released in three different models. The first
model was about 20" wide with a circular plate on the right half; the
cartridge slot is in the center of this. There is also a volume control and
headphone jack on this model.
The Genesis 2 was released in 1994, and is much smaller. It's square, about
11" on each side, and thinner. This model does not have a headphone jack or a
volume output. A third model Genesis ("Genesis 3") was released in 1998 by a
company called Majesco, Inc. (Majesco Sales is also responsible for many
early Genesis game title re-releases, and use cardboard boxes instead of the
nicer plastic cases). It's even smaller than the model 2 Genesis (approx. 8"
by 8") and is packaged without a game cartridge. The box is bright blue with
"Sega!" scrawled across the top.
A *portable* version of the Genesis, the Sega Nomad, was released in 1995. It
is about the same size as a Game Gear but with squared corners is a little
thicker. It features a high-quality 3" passive-matrix LCD screen and a full
compliment of six buttons. The Nomad also can also be hooked to a television
(there is a DIN-type output - Genesis II-style) and played simultaneously on
the Nomad screen and the television. There is also a port for a second joypad
to allow two-player play (although Player 1 must always use the Nomad joypad
and buttons). The Nomad was released in North America and Japan.
Unfortunately for Europe, Sega decided *not* to release the Nomad there.
For more information about the Sega Nomad, seek out a copy of Chris Pickett's
Sega Nomad FAQ (don't have a website address for it at this time).
Another "portable" version of the Japanese Mega Drive was the "Air Mega Drive"
(not certain about the name), which wasn't portable in that it had to be
connected to a TV/monitor to play. This unit was designed to be used on
airplanes for passengers to use in-flight.
There were some compatibility problems with some of the earlier third-party
cartridges (Electronic Arts titles: Budokan, Ishido, Zany Golf, a couple
others) with later Genesis units. These can only be played on an *early*
Model I Genesis, or on later models if you plug them into a Game Genie before
putting them into your Genesis.
Q: How can I tell if I have one of these early model Genesis units?
A: (something to do with the wording on the top of the unit... don't know
exactly)
Q: If I do not have an early Genesis, is there ANY way I can play these early
games on my newer Genesis system?
A: If you have a Game Genie, it is possible - just plug the cart into the
Genie and that into the Genesis. The lockout code of the newer model
Genesis unit is then disabled and the game will play properly.
Q: Will my Genesis cartridges fit inside a Master System game case?
A: Although the cases are virtually identical from the outside, the cart
sizes are different enough so that a Genesis cart will not quite fit
inside a Master System case. But it's better than nothing. One item
of note: often, Electronic Arts Genesis game manuals are much smaller
than the slots allotted for them inside the case, and tend to just flop
around loosely inside. (Pet peeve of the author's, obviously. %^)
------------------------------------------------------------
1.2 Differences Between the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive
------------------------------------------------------------
From the Sega Programming FAQ:
------------------------------
Physically, on the outside, the only difference is the plastic case, the
cartridge shape is slightly different on the American version, smaller in
size. On the inside there are four jumpers labeled J1 though J4. J1 and J2
is the language switch, between English and Japanese, J3 and J4 select the
output between PAL and NTSC. You can build a switch that can allow you to
select between these options. The diagram is included in this further down.
The reason for the language switch is to keep people from getting the game
before it is officially released elsewhere in the world. The newer Sega
Machines do not have the jumpers, and hence you can not build a switch (as of
yet).
From the rec.games.video FAQ:
-----------------------------
MEGA DRIVE: Same as Genesis. Compatibility is a bit tricky.
The European and Australian machine called the Mega Drive is identical to the
Genesis except that it emits a 50 hertz PAL signal. The Japanese one is
identical to the Genesis except for (sometimes) the cartridge slot, and the
language setting.
First, to play games in the "wrong" machine you must plug them in. You can
buy an adapter, or just cut away the plastic that keeps them from fitting. On
a US/European machine, this is some plastic around the slot; on an older
Japanese machine, this is the cartridge lock (the tab that pushes into the
slot from the left when you turn on the machine). I never even needed to
remove the cartridge lock, but some people have told me they did.
Now that you've plugged the game in, it _might_ run; cartridges can read the
language and 50/60 hertz setting, and some newer games are programmed to check
these settings and decide not to run at all. The following games are locked
out this way:
Do not run in English mode: Japanese versions of After Burner II, Bare
Knuckle 3, Chameleon Kid, Doraemon, Gunstar Heroes, Monster World 4,
Ragnacenti, Rolling Thunder II, Super Monaco GP 2, Super SF2, Thunder
Force IV, Virtua Racing, Yuu Yuu Hakusho.
Do not run in Japanese mode: US versions of Aladdin, Bio-Hazard Battle,
Castlevania Bloodlines, Cyborg Justice, Dragon's Fury, Eternal
Champions,
Flashback, Gauntlet IV, Gunstar Heroes, Landstalker, Lightening Force,
Mazin Saga, Outrun 2019, Phantasy Star IV, Ren and Stimpy, Rocket Knight
Adventures, SF2CE, Shadowrun, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Streets of Rage
II, Streets of Rage III, Subterrania, Sunset Riders, Thunderstrike (CD),
World of Illusion, X-Men.
Do not run in 50 hertz mode: US versions of Flashback, Sonic Spinball,
Streets of Rage II, World of Illusion, World Series Baseball (And
probably most of the ones that don't run in Japanese mode, too.)
Does not run in 60 hertz mode: European version of Xenon2.
This list is nowhere near complete; these are just a few examples.
To play English/Japanese carts, you need a language switch, or a special
adapter which acts like one. To play European/non-European carts, you may
need a 50/60 hertz switch (see below). Some European Mega Drive games will
play perfectly on US systems. (The language switch is useful in its own
right. Some games have dual ROMs, and play US versions in US/European
machines and Japanese versions in Japanese machines; you can see both versions
by installing the switch.)
Q: Can my Game Genie work with foreign cartridges?
A: It appears to work with many, but I cannot vouch that it will work with
all of them. This is a great place to start trying, though.
****************************
*Section 2 - Technical Info*
****************************
----------------------------------------------------------
2.1 Genesis Technical Specs
----------------------------------------------------------
Taken from official (yet apparently released) Sega Documentation:
68000 @ 8 MHz
main CPU
1 MByte (8 Mbit) ROM Area
64 Kbytes RAM Area
VDP (Video Display Processor)
dedicated video display processor
- controls playfield & sprites
- capable of DMA
- Horizontal & Vertical interrupts
64 Kbytes of dedicated VRAM (Video Ram)
64 x 9-bits of CRAM (Color RAM)
Z80 @ 4 MHz
controls PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) & FM Chips
8 KBytes of dedicated Sound Ram
VIDEO:
NOTE: Playfield and Sprites are character-based
Display Area (visual)
- 40 chars wide x 28 chars high
each char is 8 x 8 pixels
pixel resolution = 320 x 224
- 3 Planes
2 scrolling playfields
1 sprite plane
definable priorities between planes
- Playfields:
6 different sizes
1 playfield can have a "fixed" window
playfield map
- each char position takes 2 Bytes, that includes:
char name (10 bits); points to char definition
horizontal flip
vertical flip
color palette (2 bits); index into CRAM
priority
scrolling:
- 1 pixel scrolling resolution
- horizontal:
whole playfield as unit
each character line
each scan line
- vertical:
whole playfield as unit
2 char wide columns
- Sprites:
1 x 1 char up to 4 x 4 chars
up to 80 sprites can be defined
up to 20 sprites displayed on a scan line
sprite priorities
- Character Definitions
4 bits/pixel; points to color register
4 bytes/scanline of char
32 bytes for complete char definition
playfield & sprite chars are the same!
COLOR:
- Uses CRAM (part of the VDP)
64 9-bit wide color registers
- 64 colors out of 512 possible colors
3 bits of Red
3 bits of Green
3 bits of Blue
4 palettes of 16 colors
- 0th color (of each palette) is always transparent
OTHER:
- DMA
removes the 68000 from the BUS
can move 205 Bytes/scanline during VBLANK
- there are 36 scanlines during VBLANK
- DMA can move 7380 Bytes during VBLANK
- Horizontal & Vertical interrupts
SOUND:
- Z80 controls:
PSG (TI 76489 chip)
FM chip (Yamaha YM 2612)
- 6-channel stereo
Z80 can access ROM data
8 KBytes RAM
HARDWARE:
- 2 controllers
joypad
3 buttons
Start button
(A Three Button Variation of the above was later made available)
- 1 external port
- 2 video-outs (RF & RGB)
- audio jack (stereo)
- volume control (for audio jack)
-----------------------------------------------
A Brief Explanation of the Genesis Hardware
Taken directly from the Sega Programming FAQ:
The genesis graphics hardware consists of 2 scrollable planes.
Each plane is made up of tiles. Each tile is an 8x8 pixel square
with 4 bits per pixel. Each pixel can thus have 16 colors. Each
tile can use 1 of 4 color tables, so on screen you can get 64
colors at once, but only 16 in any specific tile. Tiles require
32 bytes. There is 64K of graphics memory. This would allow
for 2048 unique tiles if memory were used for nothing else.
Each plane can be scrolled independently in various ways.
Planes consist of tables of words, where each word describes a
tile. The word contains 11 bits for describing which tile, 2 bits
for flip x and flip y, 2 bits for the selection of the color
table, and 1 bit for a depth selector. Sprites are composed of
tiles also. A sprite can be up to 4 tiles wide by four tiles
high. Since each tile is 8x8, this means sprites can be anywhere
from 8x8 pixels to 32x32 pixels. There can be 80 sprites on
screen at one time. On a scan line you can have 10 32 pixel
wide sprites or 20 16 pixel wide sprites. Each sprite can
only have 16 colors but they are out of the 4 different color
tables. Color 0=transparent.
Colors are 3 bits for each gun, so 512 colors are possible.
There is a memory copier that is in hardware. This does fast
copies from the 68000 ram into the graphics ram.
The 68000 runs at about 8 MHz. It has 64K of memory devoted to it.
The ROM cartridge appears at 0.
The Z80 has 8K of ram. The 68000 can download programs to the
z80 and let them go. The z80 can access the graphics chips or
the sound synth chips but usually those things are controlled
by the 68000.
The sound chips consist of a Yamaha synthesis chip and a
TI programmable sound generator. The PSG has 3 square wave tones
and 1 white noise tone. Each tone/noise channel can have its own
frequency and volume.
The Yamaha chips are based on FM synthesis. There are 6 voices
with 4 operators each. The chips are similar to those used in
the Yamaha DX27 and DX100 synthesizers. By setting up registers
a rich variety of sounds can be created.
---------------------------------
Also of note (by John Hokanson):
The Yamaha YM 2612 FM Synthesis Chip is based on the Yamaha 2151
(which was used in earlier Sega Arcade Games). Ironically it's
of a higher quality then the OPL2/3 FM Synthesis chips produced
by Yamaha and used in Creative Labs PC sound cards such as the
popular "Sound Blaster" line.
The Z80 chip used to issue instructions to the YM 2612, served
a duel purpose in that it provided backwards compatibility with
the older Sega Master System (predecessor to the Genesis). When
used with the "Power Base Converter" SMS carts could be inserted
into the Genesis and use the Z80 as the main CPU (At which point
the 68000 was basically inactive).
Though the Genesis could only display a maximum of 64 colors at
any given time, special software techniques such as HAM (Hold and
Modify) could be used to boost color output. Such a technique was
used in the game "Eternal Champions", which had an output of 256 colors.
Sega CD Based games (such as "Snatcher") also used this method.
-------------------------------
2.2 Cartridge Pin Configuration
-------------------------------
To be added in a later release.
------------------------------
2.3 Joystick Pin Configuration
------------------------------
To be added in a later release.
---------------------------
2.4 Video Pin Configuration
---------------------------
From: QUINNGRANFOR@delphi.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega
The pin configuration is as follows....
Match pin----------O
Red-------------O O----Negative sync
O---Blue
Audio(mono)-O O---Composite Video
Vcc +5 volts---O O---Green
Ground--O
The O's are the pins...hope this helps.
Quinn Granfor
---------------------------
2.5 NTSC and PAL formats
---------------------------
NTSC and PAL are television broadcast frequencies. NTSC is about 60 (actually
59.94) fields per second, 525 lines per frame (each frame is 2 fields). PAL
is 50 fields per second and 625 lines per frame.
Parts of Europe and Hong Kong use PAL, while North America and Japan use
NTSC. There were NTSC and PAL versions of the Genesis/Megadrive released in
the appropriate regions. To the best of my knowledge, there was never a SECAM
(other parts of Europe) model.
Q: What happens when I play a PAL game on an NTSC console,
or vice versa without the switch?
A: If you play a NTSC game on a PAL console and the game is not programmed to
notice what kind of console you're on, there are two effects: first, the
game's screen is squashed because the 525 lines fit on a narrower portion
of the screen, and second, the game runs about 17 percent slower _if_ the
game's timing depends on events that happen at a specified rate compared
to the frame. (Or if its timing depends on the current, but it probably
won't, because part of Japan is 50 hertz but 60 fields per second.)
The opposite happens in reverse: the screen is stretched out (and probably
rolls badly) and the game is too fast. You can correct this problem by
building a 50/60Hz Switch.
BUILDING A 50/60Hz (NTSC/PAL) SWITCH
You can build a 50/60 hertz switch on a Genesis/Mega Drive like a language
switch, but using jumpers JP3 and JP4. The standard setting is 50 in PAL
areas such as Europe, and 60 in NTSC areas like the US and Japan. In the 60
hertz mode, the game is faster and the screen taller; however, not all TVs and
monitors in Europe can display this mode.
Some American/Japanese games are protected to keep Europeans from playing
them; this protection checks the 50/60 hertz setting. You can often get
around it by installing the switch and switching when starting the game, then
switching back afterwards.
Some European games are simple ports of American or Japanese games and are not
redesigned for 50 hertz, so work faster and with "better" screen proportions
if played at 60 hertz.
----------------------------------------
2.6 The Japanese/English language switch
----------------------------------------
In order to make your Genesis/Megadrive into a Japanese machine (internally),
you can build a switch that will convert the electronics internally and fool
your machine into thinking it's Japanese. Many cartridges have both versions
(English and Japanese) built in, and the language switch will bring forth the
appropriate version.
Here's how to build your own. Note: I do not take responsibility for what
any reader(s) decide to do to their hardware or software; we are not liable
nor responsible.. this info is presented as such.
On a Genesis/MD, there are jumpers labeled JP1, JP2, JP4, and JP3. The
Genesis has a capacitor on JP1 and a trace on JP2; the Mega Drive has a
capacitor on JP2 and a trace on JP1. The bottom ends of JP1 and JP2 are
connected together. So if you cut the trace and the top end of the capacitor,
and install a DPDT switch between them which reconnects them either unchanged
or swapped left to right, you have a language switch. You'll need some wire,
a soldering iron, solder, and a DPDT switch.
Some machines have an open circuit instead of the capacitor. Also, I've been
told that even if there is a capacitor, you can throw it out and leave an open
circuit. Either way, the switch is a lot simpler, requiring a SPDT switch and
less wire and solder.
Several people have told me (JH) that you could just cut both JP1 and JP2 and
put a SPST switch on JP1. This is even simpler, but I'm not sure it really
works, as opposed to putting your machine in an intermediate state that only
sort-of works.
The redesigned Genesis 2 machines don't appear to have either the capacitor or
circuit. Nobody yet knows how to make the language switch for one, though
language switch adapter/cartridges should still work.
IF YOUR MACHINE HAS NO CAPACITOR (or if you want to cross your fingers and
throw away your capacitor) and is not a Genesis 2:
Cut JP2. The trace might be covered with paint and hard to see. (If you
started with a Mega Drive, JP2 is open and you have to cut JP1 instead.) If
you aren't sure which end I mean by "bottom", just check the back of the board
to see which end is connected together.
Original state of machine: After cutting:
JP2 top JP1 top JP2 top JP1 top
| | | |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
| | | |
\ / \ /
\_______/ \_______/
bottom of both bottom of both
Add a SPDT switch which can be in one of two positions:
._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. .
. . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. . . .
JP2 top JP1 top . .
| | . .
| | _________
| o o |
| \ |
| \ |
\___o___/
| | .
\ / .
\_______/ - - - - - - - - - - - -
bottom of both
._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. .
. . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. . . .
JP2 top JP1 top . .
| | . .
| | _________
| o o |
| / |
| / |
\___o___/
| | .
\ / .
\_______/ - - - - - - - - - - - -
bottom of both
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOUR MACHINE DOES HAVE THE CAPACITOR:
Cut both sides. (Note: if you started with a Japanese Mega Drive the
capacitor will be on the side labeled X instead)
Original state of machine: After cutting:
JP2 top JP1 top JP2 top JP1 top
| | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
| | |
X | ### X | ###
| ### | ###
| ### | ###
\ / \ /
\_______/ \_______/
bottom of both
add switch which can be in one of two positions:
JP2 top JP1 top (Connect 2 to 2
| | and 1 to 1)
| |
2 1 2 1 1 2
______________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | o o o o |
| ` | \ \ |
X | ###` ` | \ \ |
| ### ` ` \____o__o____/
| ### ` ` ' '
\ / ` `- - - - -' '
\_______/ ` _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ '
bottom of both
JP2 top JP1 top (Connect 2 to 2
| | and 1 to 1)
| |
2 1 2 1 1 2
______________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | o o o o |
| ` | / / |
X | ###` ` | / / |
| ### ` ` \____o__o____/
| ### ` ` ' '
\ / ` `- - - - -' '
\_______/ ` _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ '
bottom of both
----------------------------------------------
2.7 Playing your Genesis on a computer monitor
----------------------------------------------
The Genesis can connect to an analog RGB monitor with a similar scan rate;
this means an analog RGB monitor for use with an Amiga, Atari ST, or Apple
//gs. An analog RGB multisync monitor would also work; a digital monitor
(CGA or EGA only for PC's) will not.
-----------------------------------------------
2.8 How to I build an RGB Cable for the Genesis
-----------------------------------------------
From: dgb@owlnet.rice.edu (Dennis Gale Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega
This is an article I wrote last year to post here. I'm posting it again.
This is probably not the best way to hook up the Genesis to a monitor
but it works. I have no clue what the "new" Genesis is like, so this
may or may not work with it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's how I hooked up my Genesis to my NEC Multisync II:
First, I went to Radio Shack and bought the following parts:
274-026 8-pin DIN plug (Genesis end)
276-1427 9 Position D-shell MALE connector
276-1513 Hood for above
278-775 9-conductor wire (sold by the foot; I got 3')
Then I checked out the Genesis Monitor pinout from the FAQ:
(looking at port itself)
1 . 8 . 7
2 . . . 6
3 . . 5
4 '
(these numbers probably aren't correct but they match my list below!):
1 - Negative Combined Sync
2 - Composite Video
3 - Green
4 - Ground
5 - +5 Volts
6 - Audio
7 - Red
8 - Green
Then I checked out the pinout for the Multisync:
1 2 3 4 5
. . . . .
. . . .
6 7 8 9
2 - Sync
3 - Blue (analog)
4 - Green (analog)
5 - Red (analog)
6 - Ground
(again, numbers are probably wrong, and this isn't the full pin-out, but
it's enough)
After this, it's just a matter of putting things together. Using the
8-pin DIN connector requires some soldering, but the 9-pin connector
I chose can simply have the pins clamped onto the wires.
One note: You may have to bend the pins in the 8-pin connector slightly
to make it fit in the Genesis. I had to bend the middle pin down a bit
and the two top pins outward. After that, no problem.
Final word: Do this at your own risk. This probably isn't the best way to
go about this, but it does work. If your equipment blows up, don't blame me!
Have fun...
BTW, If you have a different monitor, I can't help you. All I can say is that
if it works with an Amiga 500/1000/2000, it probably works with the Genesis
(similar if not identical scan rates),
provided you have the correct pinouts and connectors...
------------------------------------------
2.9 How to build a Genesis Joystick/Joypad
------------------------------------------
If you have trouble finding joypads in your area, or want a specially-
configured joypad, the following post is for you. Otherwise, nowadays it is
easy to find brand new Genesis joypads being dumped on the market as the
16-bit gaming market dies out.
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 93 08:10:28 CST
From: nhowland@centurion.ksu.ksu.edu (Neal Patrick Howland)
To: sysrick@starbase.spd.louisville.edu
Subject: Genesis joystick pinouts
Yes folks! It is the much requested Genesis joystick pinout information!!!
<much applause>
First some background info: The chip inside the controller is a 74HC157.
This is a high-speed cmos quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer. Basically how
this works is there are two inputs ( A and B ) for every output ( Y ). There
are four groups like this. There is one select signal for the whole chip.
When the select signal is low, the output ( Y ) is the same as input A. When
the select signal is high, the output Y is the same as input B. The pinout
for the chip is as follows:
Pin 1 - Select Pin 16 - Vcc (+5V)
Pin 2 - 1A Pin 15 - G (? must be low)
Pin 3 - 1B Pin 14 - 4A
Pin 4 - 1Y Pin 13 - 4B
Pin 5 - 2A Pin 12 - 4Y
Pin 6 - 2B Pin 11 - 3A
Pin 7 - 2Y Pin 10 - 3B
Pin 8 - Gnd Pin 9 - 3Y
All the controls are done with switches. Up is a switch, Down is a switch,
etc. Now, I will be referring to the output of these switches later on. What
I mean is that the output is usually high, that is when the switch isn't
pressed.
When the button is pushed, the output goes low. This is accomplished by
connecting the output to +5V through a 10k resistor. The button is then
attached between the output and ground. It looks like this:
+5V -----/\/\/------+--------- Output
10k |
|
/ |
Ground -----/ -------+
button
(normally open)
For all of those who could actually decipher the above schematic,
congratulations!
I will now run down what lines from the plug are connected to what.
The line numbers are determined as follows, looking straight at the plug on
the front of the Genesis the numbers are:
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
(For those of you who buy a joystick cable from radio shack the pin #'s to
wire colors are as follows: 1-black 2-brown 3-red 4-orange 5-get cup from
bag
sorry about that, lets start again 1-white 2-blue 3-green 4-brown 5-yellow
6-orange 7-red 8-black 9-gray, )
anyway, line connections:
Line 1 - Up output
Line 2 - Down output These are the only two direct connections
Line 3 - Pin 4 of the chip output 1Y
Line 4 - Pin 7 of the chip output 2Y
Line 5 - This line carries in +5V. It is connected to the +5V bus line.
Line 6 - Pin 9 of the chip output 3Y
line 7 - Pin 1 of the chip this carries in a select signal from the Genesis.
This is a signal which varies rapidly and
controls which input goes through the output
Line 8 - Ground This is connected to the Ground bus line.
Line 9 - Pin 12 of the chip output 4Y
Now for the chips pin connections:
Pin 1 - Line 7 (select)
Pin 2 - Ground (1A) don't ask me why they do this. Maybe future expansion
Pin 3 - Left (1B)
Pin 4 - Line 3 (1Y)
Pin 5 - Ground (2A) again, possibly future expansion
Pin 6 - Right (2B)
Pin 7 - Line 4 (2Y)
Pin 8 - Ground (GND)
Pin 9 - Line 6 (3Y)
Pin 10 - Button B (3B)
Pin 11 - Button A (3A)
Pin 12 - Line 9 (4Y)
Pin 13 - Button C (4B)
Pin 14 - Start (4A)
Pin 15 - Ground (G) This must be connected to ground
Pin 16 - +5V (Vcc) Power source for the chip
Anyway that's all the info needed to build your own joystick.
Now as an added bonus, additional information!
A simple source for a joystick cable is the Radio Shack joystick extension
cable. It is around $5 and is 10 ft. long. Just snip off the connector that
won't plug into the Genesis, strip the wires back, and use the color pinout
list I gave above.
I went to my local arcade game repair company today and purchased the supplies
I needed. They were much cheaper than I expected. Things you would need to
buy from them would be:
an 8-way joystick this ran me $15
3 buttons $2.50 apiece
3.0 Game List
There were approximately 700 game cartridges released for the Sega Genesis. I
cannot vouch for each and every one of these listed here, but for the most
part the list is accurate release-wise. I still have a few blanks in there,
and do have most of the info at my disposal. It takes time to get each and
every piece of information, so in order to release this now I just left the
ones I don't have yet blank.
Some titles have been re-released with different publishers; I try to consider
both when listing this. More information on this can be found after the game
list.
Note: Some games do not comfortably fit into one single category. In
these cases, two categories were assigned to the game type to
describe them better.
Game types (these are my definitions, and I do not claim them to be absolute):
Adventure - game contains elements of exploration and requires fulfilling
some sort of quest or other obligation(s) before moving to a
higher level. "Isoadventure" indicates that the game uses
an "isometric" perspective, which means that the character and
surrounding area are viewed from a 45-degree angle between
head-on and sideways. (Move squares may appear as diamonds)
Arcade - action/reflex-based game based on arcade title.
Board game - based on/conversion of popular board game.
Educational - game teaches (mainly youngsters) various things during
play.
Fighting - if the description just says "fighting" then it's a 1-on-1
fighting game where the objective is to win 2 out of 3 matches
then move on to the next opponent. If the description is
"platform/fighting" then the game is a fight-based platform
game, in which you must fight your way through various scenes
and environments and beat the boss at the end of each level.
Flt sim - flight simulator. Game provides 1st-person perspective view
during flight sequences.
Multi - game has multiple formats.
Platform - game uses platforms (originally defined by "Super Mario Bros.",
in which Mario jumps from platform to platform) in its setting.
Can be a shooter or a fighting game.
Puzzle - game requires solving various levels/types of puzzles.
Quiz - game as numerous question/answer quizzes for player.
Racing - typically a car racing game, can be 1st-person perspective or
over-the-driver view.
RPG - "Role Playing Game". You take on the persona of the main
character of the game, and build various attributes (strength,
attack and defense abilities, etc.) while fulfilling a quest.
Shooter - game's primary objective it to shoot the bad guys. Can be
vertical, horizontal, with or without platforms. A "1st Person
Shooter" is one in which the perspective is from the player,
PC examples include "Doom", "Wolf 3D", and "Quake".
Sim - When attached to "Strategy", refers to a battle simulation.
Could also refer to hardware/vehicle simulations.
Sports - pretty obvious, huh? %^)
Strategy - game has elements of planning and decision-making, may be
turn-based or real-time.
Also: The publisher(s) listed apply to the North American releases only.
Name Type Publisher
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Ninjas Platform/Fight Sony Imagesoft
52-in-1 (2) Multi Active Ent.
6-In-1 Menacer Cart Shooting Sega
6-Pak Multi Sega
688 Attack Sub Strategy/sim Sega
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters Platform Viacom
Abrams Battle Tank Strategy Sega
Addams Family Platform/Strat Flying Edge
Addams Family Values Platform Ocean
Advanced D&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun RPG Sega
Adventures of Batman and Robin Platform/Fight Sega
Adventures of Mighty Max Platform Ocean
Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle Platform Absolute
Aero the Acrobat Platform Sunsoft
Aero the Acrobat 2 Platform Sunsoft
Aerobiz Strategy Koei
Aerobiz Supersonic Strategy Koei
After Burner II Shooter Sega
Air Buster Shooter Kaneco
Air Diver Shooter/Sim Seismic
Aladdin Platform Sega
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle Platform Sega
Alien 3 Arcade Arena
Alien Storm Action Sega
Alisia Dragoon Adventure Game Arts
Altered Beast Platform Sega
Amazing Tennis Sports
American Gladiators Sports Gametek
Andre Agassi Tennis Sports Tecmagik
Animaniacs Platform Konami
Aquatic Games - James Pond Sports EA
Arcade Classics Arcade Sega
Arcade's Greatest Hits Arcade Williams
Arch Rivals Sports Flying Edge
Arcus Odyssey RPG/Adventure Renovation
Ariel - The Little Mermaid Platform Sega
Arnold Palmer's Tournament Golf Sports Sega
Arrow Flash Platform/Shoot Renovation
Art Alive Educational Sega
Art of Fighting Fighting
Asterix and the Great Rescue Platform Sega
Atomic Robo Kid Shooter Treco
Atomic Runner Shooter/Platfm Data East
ATP Tour Tennis Sports EA Sports
Awesome Possum Platform Tengen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B.O.B. Platform EA
Back to the Future III
Ballz Fighting Accolade
Barbie Platform/misc Hi-Tech Expr.
Barkley: Shut Up and Jam! Sports Accolade
Barkley: Shut Up and Jam 2 Sports Accolade
Barney's Hide & Seek Educational Sega
Bass Masters Classic Sports Black Pearl
Bass Masters Classic Pro Edition Sports T*HQ
Batman Platform/Fight Sega
Batman Forever Platform/Fight Acclaim
Batman Returns Platform Sega
Batman: Revenge of the Joker Platform/Fight Sunsoft
Battle Master
Battle Squadron Shooter EA
Battletech Shooter/Sim
Battletoads Platform/Fight Tradewest
Battletoads/Double Dragon Fighting Tradewest
Beast Wrestler Fighting Renovation
Beauty & the Beast: Belle's Quest Platform Sunsoft
Beauty & the Beast: Roar of the Beast Platform Sunsoft
Beavis and Butthead Platform Viacom
Berenstain Bears: Camping Adventure Platform Sega
Best of the Best Karate Fighting
Beyond Oasis Adv/RPG Sega
Bill Walsh College Football Sports EA Sports
Bill Walsh College Football '95 Sports EA Sports
Bimini Run Shooter NuVision
Bio Hazard Battle Shooter Sega
Blades of Vengeance Adventure EA
Blaster Master 2 Shooter/Platfm Sunsoft
Block Out Puzzle EA
Bonanza Brothers
Bonkers Platform Sega
Boogerman Platform Interplay
Boxing Legends of the Ring Sports
Brett Hull Hockey '95 Sports Accolade
Brutal: Paws of Fury Fighting Gametek
Bubba 'n Stix
Bubble & Squeak Platform Sunsoft
Bubsy Platform Accolade
Bubsy II Platform Accolade
Buck Rogers RPG/Adventure EA
Budokan (1) Fighting EA
Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble Platform Sega
Bulls vs. Blazers Sports EA
Bulls vs. Lakers Sports EA
Burning Force Shooter Namco
Buster Douglas Boxing Sports Sega
Busy Town
Cadash Platfm/Fighter Taito
Caesars Palace Strategy Virgin
Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball Sports Mindscape
Caliber .50 Shooter Mentrix
California Games Sports Sega
Captain America Platform/shoot Data East
Castlevania Bloodlines Platform Konami
Centurion: Defender of Rome Strategy EA
Chakan Platform/Fight Sega
Champions - World Class Soccer Sports
Championship Bowling Sports Mentrix
Championship Pool Sports Mindscape/SWT
Championship Pro Am Racing Tradewest
Chase HQ II Racing Taito
Chavez II Sports
Chester Cheetah Platform Kaneco
Chester Cheetah's Wild Wild Quest Platform
Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf Sports Virgin
Chiki Chiki Boys
Chuck Rock Platform Virgin
Chuck Rock II Platform Virgin
Clayfighter Fighting Interplay
Cliffhanger Platform/Fight Sony Imagesoft
Clue Board Game Parker Bros.
Coach K College Basketball Sports EA Sports
College Football National Championship Sports Sega Sports
College Football National Championship II Sports Sega Sports
College Football USA '96 Sports EA Sports
College Football USA '97 Sports EA Sports
College Slam Sports Acclaim
Columns Puzzle Sega
Columns III Puzzle Vic Tokai
Combat Cars Racing Accolade
Comix Zone Platform Sega
Contra Hard Corps Shooter/Platfm Konami
Cool Spot Platform Virgin
Cosmic Spacehead Platform Codemasters
Crackdown Action/Strat. Sage's Creation
Crossfire
Crue Ball Pinball EA
Crusader of Centy Action RPG Atlus
Crystal's Pony Tale Adventure/Pltfm Sega Club
Cutthroat Island Platform Acclaim
Cyber Cop Platform Virgin
Cyberball Sports Sega
Cyborg Justice Fighting Sega
Dark Castle Adventure EA
Dashin' Desperadoes Platform/Racing Data East
David Robinson's Supreme Court Sports Sega
Davis Cup Tennis Sports Tengen
Deadly Moves Fighting Kaneco
Death and Return of Superman
Death Duel Shooter Razorsoft
Decapattack Platform Sega
Demolition Man
Desert Demolition - Road Runner Platform Sega
Desert Strike Shooter/Strat. EA
Devilish Arcade Sage's Creation
Dick Tracy Platform/Fight Sega
Dick Vitale's College Hoops Sports
Dino Land Pinball Renovation
Dinosaur's Tale Platform Hi-Tech Ent.
Dinosaurs for Hire Platform
DJ Boy Fighting/Platfm Kaneco
Doom Troopers
Double Dragon Fighting/Platfm Tradewest
Double Dragon 3: The Arcade Game Fighting/Platfm Tradewest
Double Dragon V Fighting Tradewest
Double Dribble Sports Konami
Dr. Robotnik's Bean Machine Puzzle Sega
Dracula (Bram Stoker's) Platform/fight Sony Imagesoft
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Fighting Acclaim
Dragon's Fury Pinball Tengen
Dragon's Revenge Pinball Tengen
Duel: Test Drive II Racing Accolade
Dune Strategy Virgin
Dynamite Duke Platform Sega
Dynamite Headdy Platform Sega
E-SWAT Shooter Sega
EA Hockey - European League Sports EA Sports
Earnest Evans Platform Renovation
Earth Defense (2) Shooter Realtec
Earthworm Jim Platform Playmates
Earthworm Jim 2 Platform Playmates
Ecco: Tides of Time Adventure Sega
Ecco Jr. Educational Sega Club
Ecco the Dolphin Adventure Sega
El Viento Platform Renovation
Elemental Master
ESPN Baseball Tonight Sports Sony Imagesoft
ESPN National Hockey Night Sports Sony Imagesoft
ESPN Speed World Racing Sony Imagesoft
ESPN Sunday Night NFL Sports Sony Imagesoft
Eternal Champions Fighting Sega
Evander Holyfield Boxing Sports
Ex-Mutants Platform/Fight
Exile Action RPG Renovation
Exo Squad Shooter Playmates
F-117 Night Storm Shooter/Flt Sim EA
F-15 Strike Eagle II Shooter/Flt Sim Microprose
F-22 Interceptor Shooter/Flt Sim EA
Faery Tale Adventure Adventure/RPG EA
Family Feud Quiz Gametek
Fantasia Platform Sega
Fantastic Dizzy Platform Codemasters
Fatal Fury Fighting Takara
Fatal Fury 2 Fighting Takara
Fatal Labyrinth Adventure Sega
Fatal Rewind Shooter/Platfm EA
Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge Racing Flying Edge
FIFA Soccer Sports EA Sports
FIFA Soccer '95 Sports EA Sports
FIFA Soccer '96 Sports EA Sports
FIFA Soccer '97 Sports EA Sports
Fighting Masters Fighting Treco
Final Zone Shooter Renovation
Fire Shark Shooter Dreamworks
Flashback Platform/Adv. US Gold
Flicky Platform Sega
Flintstones Platform Taito
Foreman for Real Sports Flying Edge
Forgotten Worlds Fighting Capcom
Formula One Racing Domark
Frank Thomas - Big Hurt Baseball Sports Acclaim
Frankenstein Platform Sony Imagesoft
Fun and Games Educational Tradewest
Funny World/Balloon Boy (2) Arcade Realtec
G-Loc Shooter (1st P) Sega
Gadget Twins Platform Gametek
Gaiares Shooter Renovation
Gain Ground Adventure/Shoot Renovation
Galahad Shooter/strat Sega
Galaxy Force II Shooter Sega
Garfield Caught In The Act Platform Sega
Gargoyles Platform Disney Int.
Gauntlet IV Adv/Shooter Tengen
Gemfire Strategy Koei
General Chaos Shooter/strat EA
Generations Lost
Genghis Khan II Strategy Koei
George Foreman KO Boxing Sports Flying Edge
Ghostbusters Platform/shoot Sega
Ghouls 'n' Ghosts Platform Sega
Global Gladiators
Gods Platform Mindscape
Golden Axe Fighting/Platfm Sega
Golden Axe II Fighting/Platfm Sega
Goofy's Hysterical Tour Platform Absolute
Granada Shooter Renovation
Great Circus Mystery Platform Capcom
Great Waldo Search Puzzle T*HQ
Greatest Heavyweights Sports Sega Sports
Greendog
Grind Stormer Shooter Tengen
Growl Fighting/Platfm Taito
Gunstar Heroes Platform/Shootr Sega
Hardball Sports Ballistic/Accolade
Hardball III Sports Accolade
Hardball '94 Sports Accolade
Hardball '95 Sports Accolade
Hard Drivin' Racing Tengen
Harrint
Haunting (Starring Polterguy) Arcd/Adventure EA
Head-On Soccer Sports
Heavy Nova Fighting
Hellfire Shooter Seismic
Herzog Zwei Strategy Sega
High Seas Havoc Platform
Hit the Ice Sports Taito
Home Alone Platform Sega
Home Alone 2 Platform Sega
Hook Platform Sony Imagesoft
Humans Puzzle
Immortal Adv/Isoplatfm EA
Incredible Crash Dummies Platform
Incredible Hulk Platform US Gold
Indiana Jones: Last Crusade Platform/Fight
Insector X Shooter Sage's Creation
International Tour Tennis Sports EA Sports
Ishido (2) Puzzle EA
Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings
Jack Nicklaus Power Challenge Golf Sports Ballistic/Accolade
James Bond 007: The Duel Platform Domark
James Pond Platform EA
James Pond 2: Codename Robocod Platform EA
James Pond 3 Platform EA
Jammit Sports Virgin
Jennifer Capriati Tennis Sports Renovation
Jeopardy! Quiz Gametek
Jeopardy! Deluxe Edition Quiz Gametek
Jeopardy! Sports Edition Quiz Gametek
Jewel Master Platform Sega
Joe & Mac Platform Takara
Joe Montana Football Sports Sega
Joe Montana Football 2 Sports Sega
Joe Montana Football '93 Sports Sega
Joe Montana Football '94 Sports Sega
John Madden Football Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '92 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '93 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '94 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '95 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '96 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '97 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football '98 Sports EA Sports
John Madden Football Championship Sports EA Sports
Jordan vs. Bird Sports
Judge Dredd Platform/Fight Acclaim
Junction Puzzle Bignet USA
Jungle Book (9) Platform Virgin/Sega
Jungle Strike Shooter/Strat EA
Jurassic Park Platform Sega
Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition Platform/Adv Sega
Jurassic Park: The Lost World Platform/Adv Sega
Justice League Task Force Fighting Acclaim
Ka Ge Ki Fighting Sage's Creation
Kawasaki Superbike Challenge Racing Time-Warner Int.
Kid Chameleon Platform Sega
King of the Monsters Fighting Takara
King of the Monsters 2 Fighting Takara
King Salmon Sports Vic Tokai
King's Bounty Adv/strategy EA
Klax Puzzle Tengen
Krusty's Super Fun House Action/Puzzle Acclaim
Lakers vs. Celtics Sports EA
Landstalker Adventure/RPG Sega
Last Action Hero Platform/Fight Sony Img.
Last Battle Fighting Sega
Lawnmower Man Action/Shooter
Leaderboard Golf Sports Sega
Lemmings Puzzle/Arcade Sunsoft
Lemmings 2 Tribes Puzzle/Arcade Psygnosis
Lethal Enforcers (5) Shooter Konami
Lethal Enforcers II Shooter Konami
LHX Attack Chopper Shooter/Flt Sim EA
Liberty or Death Strategy Koei
Light Crusader Adv.RPG Sega
Lightening Force Shooter
Lion King Shooter Virgin
Lost Vikings Puzzle/Arcade Accolade
Lotus Turbo Challenge Racing EA
Lotus II Racing EA
Madden Football see "John Madden Football"
Magic School Bus Educational Sega
Marble Madness Arcade Tengen
Mario Andretti Racing Racing EA Sports
Mario Lemieux Hockey Sports Sega
Marko's Magic Soccer Platform
Marsupilami Platform Sega
Marvel Land Platform Renovation
Master of Monsters RPG/Strategy Renovation
Math Blaster Educational Davidson
Maximum Carnage Platform/Fight Acclaim
Mazin Saga Mutant Fighter Platform/Fight Vic Tokai
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure Platform Sega
Mega Bomberman Arcade/Puzzle Hudson Soft
Mega Turrican Platform/Shoot
Mercs Shooter Sega
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Platform Sega
Mickey Mania: Timeless Adventures Platform Sony Imagesoft
Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion Platform Sega
Mickey Mouse: World of Illusion Platform Sega
Mickey's Ultimate Challenge Puzzle Hi-Tech Expr.
Micro Machines Racing Codemasters
Midnight Resistance Platform/Shootr Sega
MIG-29 Fighter Pilot Shooter/Flt Sim Domark
Might and Magic RPG EA
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Fighting Sega
Mighty Morphin P.R.: The Movie Fighting Sega
Mike Ditka Power Football Sports Ballistic/Accolade
Minnesota Fats Pool Legend Sports Data East
MLBPA Baseball Sports EA Sports
Monopoly Board Game Parker Bros.
Mortal Kombat Fighting Williams
Mortal Kombat II Fighting Williams
Mortal Kombat 3 Fighting Williams
Ms. Pac Man Arcade/Maze Tengen
Muhammad Ali Boxing Sports Sega
MUSHA Shooter Seismic
Mutant League Football Sports/Arcade EA
Mutant League Hockey Sports/Arcade EA
Mystic Defender Platform Sega
Mystical Fighter
NBA Action '94 Sports Sega Sports
NBA Action '95 Sports Sega Sports
NBA All Star Challenge Sports Flying Edge
NBA Hang Time Sports Midway
NBA Jam Sports Arena/Midway
NBA Jam Tournament Edition Sports Acclaim
NBA Live '95 Sports EA Sports
NBA Live '96 Sports EA Sports
NBA Live '97 Sports EA Sports
NBA Live '98 Sports EA Sports
NBA Showdown '94 Sports
NCAA Final Four Basketball Sports
NCAA Football Sports Sega Sports
New Horizons (Uncharted Waters 2) Strategy Koei
Newman Haas Indy Car Racing Racing
NFL '95 Sports Sega Sports
NFL '98 Sports Sega Sports
NFL Quarterback Club Sports Acclaim
NFL Quarterback Club '96 Sports Acclaim
NHL '94 Sports EA Sports
NHL '95 Sports EA Sports
NHL '96 Sports EA Sports
NHL '97 Sports EA Sports
NHL '98 Sports EA Sports
NHL All-Star Hockey 95 Sports Sega Sports
NHL Hockey Sports Sega Sports
NHLPA Hockey '93 Sports EA
Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing Gametek
No Escape Platform/Strat Psygnosis
Nobunaga's Ambition Strategy Koei
Normy's Beach Babe-O-Rama
Olympic Gold Sports
Olympic Summer Games Sports T*HQ
Onslaught Platform/Fight Ballistic/Accolade
Ooze Adv/Shooter Sega
Operation Europe Strategy Koei
Out of This World Platform/Adv. Virgin
Outlander Racing
Outrun Racing Sega
Outrun 2019 Racing Sega
Outrunners Racing Data East
P.T.O. Strategy Koei
Pac Attack Puzzle Namco
Pac Mania Arcade/Maze Tengen
Pac Man 2: The New Adventures Platform Namco
Pagemaster Platform
Paperboy Arcade Tengen
Paperboy 2 Arcade Tengen
Pat Riley Basketball Sports Sega
Pebble Beach Golf Links Sports Sega
Pele! Sports Accolade
Pele II Sports Accolade
Pete Sampras Tennis (6) Sports Codemasters
PGA European Tour Sports EA Sports
PGA Tour '96 Sports EA Sports
PGA Tour Golf Sports EA Sports
PGA Tour Golf II Sports EA Sports
PGA Tour Golf III Sports EA Sports
Phantasy Star II (3) RPG Sega
Phantasy Star III RPG Sega
Phantasy Star IV RPG Sega
Phantom 2040 Act/Platform Viacom
Phelios Shooter Namco
Pigskin Footbrawl (Jerry Glanville's) Sports Razor Soft
Pink Goes to Hollywood Platform
Pinocchio Platform T*HQ
Pirates of Dark Water Platform
Pirates! Gold Strategy/Adv Microprose
Pit Fighter Fighting Tengen
Pitfall - Mayan Adventure Platform Activision
Pocahontas Platform Disney Int.
Populous (1) Strategy EA
Power Monger Strategy EA
Powerball Arcade Namco
Predator 2 Platform/Fight
Primal Rage Fighting Time-Warner Int.
Prime Time NFL Sports Sega Sports
Prince of Persia Platform Tengen
Pro Moves Soccer Sports
Pro Quarterback Sports
Puggsy Platform
Punisher Platform/Fight
Quackshot Platform Sega
Quad Challenge Racing Namco
Race Drivin' Racing Tengen
Radical Rex Platform Activision
Raiden Trad Shooter Bignet USA
Rambo III Shooter/Action Sega
Rampart Arcade/Puzzle Tengen
Ranger X Platform/Shoot Sega
Rastan Saga II Platform/Fight Taito
RBI Baseball '93 Sports Tengen
RBI Baseball '94 Sports Tengen
RBI Baseball 3 Sports Tengen
RBI Baseball 4 Sports Tengen
Red Zone Shooter (1P)
Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy's Invention Platform Sega
Revenge of Shinobi Fighting/Platfm Sega
Revolution X Shooter Acclaim
Rings of Power RPG/Adventure EA
Risk Board Game Parker Bros.
Risky Woods Adventure EA
Ristar Platform Sega
Road Blasters Racing Tengen
Road Rash Racing EA
Road Rash 2 Racing EA
Road Rash 3 Racing EA
Robocop 3 Platform/fight Flying Edge
Robocop vs. Terminator Platform Virgin
Rock 'n' Roll Racing Racing Interplay
Rocket Knight Adventures Platform/shoot Konami
Roger Clemens MVP Baseball Sports
Rolling Thunder 2 Platform/Fight Namco
Rolling Thunder 3 Platform/Fight Namco
Rolo to the Rescue
Romance of 3 Kingdoms II Strategy Koei
Romance of 3 Kingdoms III Strategy Koei
Rugby World Cup '95 Sports EA Sports
Sagaia Shooter Taito
Saint Sword Platform/Adv. Taito
Samurai Shodown Fighting
Saturday Night Slam Masters Sports
Scooby-Doo Mysteries Adventure/Str. Acclaim
Seaquest DSV Shooter/Strat.
Sesame Street Counting Cafe Educational EA Kids
Shadow Blasters Platform/Adv Sage's Creation
Shadow Dancer Platform/Fight Sega
Shadow of the Beast Platform EA
Shadow of the Beast II Platform EA
Shadowrun Adventure Sega
Shanghai II Puzzle Activision
Shaq-Fu Fight/Adventure EA
Shining Force Strategy RPG Sega
Shining Force II Strategy RPG Sega
Shining in the Darkness RPG Sega
Shinobi III Fight/Platform Sega
Shove It Puzzle Dreamworks
Side Pocket Sports Data East
Simpsons: Bart vs. Space Mutants Platform Flying Edge
Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare Platform Acclaim
Skeleton Krew Adventure Sega
Skitchin' Racing EA
Slaughter Sport Fighting Razorsoft
Socket Platform Vic Tokai
Sol Deace Shooter Renovation
Soldier of Fortune Shooter/Platfm Spectrum Holobyte
Sonic 3D Blast Platform Sega
Sonic and Knuckles (10) Platform Sega
Sonic Classics Platform Sega
Sonic Spinball Pinball Sega
Sonic the Hedgehog Platform Sega
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Platform Sega
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Platform Sega
Sorcerers Kingdom RPG/Strategy Treco
Space Harrier II Shooter Sega
Space Invaders '91 Arcade shooter Taito
Sparkster Platform
Speedball 2 Sports/arcade Arena Ent.
Spiderman (1993 - Sega) Platform/Fight Sega
Spiderman (1995 - Acclaim) Platform/Fight Acclaim
Spiderman/X-Men Platform/Fight Flying Edge
Spiderman/Venom - Separation Anxiety Platform/Fight Acclaim
Splatterhouse 2 Platform/Fight Namco
Splatterhouse 3 Platform/Fight Namco
Sports Talk Baseball Sports Sega
Spot Goes to Hollywood Platform Acclaim
Star Control Strategy Ballistic/Accolade
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Misc/plat/shoot Playmates
Star Trek: The Next Generation Strategy/Adv. Sega
Starflight Shooter/Strat. EA
Stargate Acclaim
Steel Empire Shooter Hot-B
Steel Talons Shooter/Flt Sim Tengen
Stormlord Platform Razorsoft
Street Fighter II Championship Edition Fighting Capcom
Street Smart Fighting Treco
Streets of Rage Fight/Platform Sega
Streets of Rage 2 Fight/Platform Sega
Streets of Rage 3 Fight/Platform Sega
Strider Platform/Fight US Gold
Strider Returns Platform/Fight US Gold
Sub Terrania Shooter/Platfm Sega
Summer Challenge Sports Ballistic/Accolade
Sunsetriders Platform/Shoot Konami
Super Baseball 2020 Sports
Super Battleship Strategy
Super Battletank Strategy/Shoot Absolute
Super Hang On Racing Sega
Super High Impact Sports
Super Hydlide RPG Seismic
Super Monaco GP Racing Sega
Super Monaco GP II Racing Sega
Super Off Road Racing Accolade
Super Smash T.V. Arcade/Shooter Flying Edge
Super Street Fighter II Fighting Capcom
Super Thunder Blade 1st P Shooter Sega
Super Volleyball Sports Sega
Super Wrestlemania Sports
Superman Platform/Fight
Sword of Sodan Platform EA
Sword of Vermillion (3) RPG Sega
Syd of Valis Platform Renovation
Sylvester and Tweety Platform Time-Warner Int.
Syndicate Strategy/Adv EA
T2 - The Arcade Game
T2 - Judgement Day
Talespin Platform Sega
Target Earth Shooter Dreamworks
Task Force Harrier Shooter/Flt Treco
Taz Mania Platform Sega
Taz: Escape from Mars Platform Sega
Team USA Basketball Sports EA
Techno Cop Platform/Fight Virgin
Technoclash Platform EA
Tecmo Super Baseball Sports Tecmo
Tecmo Super Bowl Sports Tecmo
Tecmo Super Bowl II Sports Tecmo
Tecmo Super Bowl III Sports Tecmo
Tecmo Super Hockey Sports Tecmo
Tecmo Super NBA Basketball Sports Tecmo
Tecmo World Cup Sports Tecmo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - SEE "TMNT" below
Terminator Platform Virgin
Test Drive II: The Duel Racing Accolade
Theme Park Strategy EA
Thomas the Tank Engine Educational Sega
Thunder Force II Shooter Technosoft
Thunder Force III Shooter Technosoft
Thunder Fox Platform/Fight Taito
Tick Platform/Fight
Time Killers Fighting T*HQ
Tinhead Platform Accolade
Tiny Toons: Acme All-Stars Sports Konami
Tiny Toons: Busters Treasure Platform Konami
TMNT - The Hyperstone Heist Fighting/Platfm Konami
TMNT - Tournament Fighters Fighting Konami
TNN Bass Tournament Champ Sports
TNN Outdoors Bass Tour '96 Sports American Softworks
Todd's Adventures In Slime World Platform Renovation
Toe Jam & Earl Platform Sega
Toe Jam & Earl 2 - Panic on Funkotron Platform Sega
Toki Platform Sega
Tom & Jerry: Frantic Antics! Platform Hi-Tech Expr.
Tommy Lasorda Baseball Sports Sega
Tony La Russa Baseball Sports EA Sports
Tony La Russa Baseball '95 Sports EA Sports
Top Gear 2 Racing Vic Tokai
Toughman Contest Fighting EA Sports
Toxic Crusaders Platform Sega
Toy Story Platform Disney Int.
Toys Platform
Trampoline Terror Puzzle Dreamworks
Traysia RPG Renovation
Triple Play '96 Sports EA Sports
Triple Play Gold Edition Sports EA Sports
Triple Score Multi Sega
Trouble Shooter Shooter Vic Tokai
Troy Aikman Football Sports Tradewest
True Lies Platform/Fight
Truxton Shooter Sega
Turrican (1) Shooter/Platfm Accolade
Twin Cobra Shooter Treco
Two Crude Dudes Platform/Fight Data East
Tyrants Strategy
Ultimate Mortal Kombat Fighting Williams
Ultimate Qix Puzzle/Arcade Taito
Uncharted Waters Strategy Koei
Universal Soldier Platform/Fight Accolade
Unnecessary Roughness '95 Sports Accolade
Urban Strike Shooter/Str. EA
Valis Platform/Shoot Renovation
Valis III Platform/Shoot Renovation
Vapor Trail Shooter Renovation
Vectorman Platform Sega
Vectorman 2 Platform Sega
View Point Shooter American Sammy
Virtua Fighter 2 Fighting Sega
Virtua Racing (4) Racing Sega Sports
Virtual Pinball Pinball EA
VR Troopers Fighting Sega
Wacky Worlds (11) Education Sega
Wardner Platform Mentrix
Warlock Fighting Namco
Warpspeed Shooter/strat Accolade
Warrior of Rome Strategy Bignet USA
Warrior of Rome 2 Strategy Bignet USA
Warsong Strategy Treco
Wayne Gretzky/NHLPA Sports
Wayne's World Platform T*HQ
Weaponlord Fighting/Platfm Namco
Whac-a-Critter (2) Arcade Realtec
Wheel of Fortune Quiz Gametek
Where in the World is Carmen San Diego (7) Education
Where in Time is Carmen San Diego? (8) Education
Whip Rush Shooter Renovation
Wimbledon Tennis Sports Sega Sports
Wings of Wor Shooter Dreamworks
Winter Challenge Sports Ballistic/Accolade
Winter Olympic Games Sports US Gold
Wiz 'n' Liz
Wolfchild Platform JVC
Wolverine: Adamantium Rage Platform Acclaim
Wonder Boy in Monster World Platform/Adv Sega
World Championship Soccer Sports Sega
World Championship Soccer II Sports Sega
World Cup USA '94 Sports
World Heroes Fighting Sega
World Series Baseball Sports Sega Sports
World Series Baseball '95 Sports Sega Sports
World Series Baseball '96 Sports Sega Sports
World Series Baseball '98 Sports Sega Sports
World Trophy Soccer Sports Virgin
Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game Sports Acclaim
WWF Raw Sports
WWF Royal Rumble Sports Flying Edge
X-Men Platform/Fight Sega
X-Men 2: Clone Wars Platform/Fight Sega
X-Perts Platform Sega
Ys III Action/RPG Renovation
Young Indiana Jones/Instruments of Chaos Action/Platfm Sega
Zany Golf (1) Sports EA
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel Platform Sunsoft
Zero Tolerance 1st Psn shooter Accolade
Zombies Ate My Neighbors Action Konami
Zool Platform Gametek
Zoom Puzzle Sega
Zoop Puzzle Viacom
Notes:
(1) Works only on original Genesis (very first release of Genesis 1 that
contained "Altered Beast" as a pack-in) or on other Genesis units
with a Game Genie.
(2) Unlicensed release.
(3) Packaged with a separate hint/solution guide from Sega.
(4) Does not work with the Sega 32X attached.
(5) Packaged with Konami's "Justifier" light pistol.
(6) Cartridge contains two joypad ports to allow up to four players.
(7) Packaged with 1992 World Almanac.
(8) Packaged with New American Desk Encyclopedia.
(9) Game had different publisher upon re-release. Earliest publisher
is listed first.
(10) Cartridge has port on top to allow "lock-on" of another cartridge (works
with Sonic 2 and Sonic 3).
(11) This kids' program was packaged with a mouse in a slightly thicker
(cardboard) box.
Miscellaneous:
Q: What games are not compatible with any version of the Genesis?
A: The only games that are not compatible with ANY model Genesis are some of
the early releases from Electronic Arts: Budokan, Ishido, Zany Golf. These
are *only* compatible* with the earliest model Genesis; since they were not
"licensed" titles, Sega modified the internal circuitry to make these
titles (but no others) incompatible with later releases of the machine.
Q: Which games are NOT compatible with the Nomad?
A: The following is a Usenet post from Sega employee Lisa Wilson in an attempt
To address the subject:
From: Lisa Best Wilson <lisa.best@segaoa.com>
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega
Subject: Nomad Incompatibility List (from SEGA)
Date: 19 Oct 1995 17:02:48 GMT
Organization: Sega of America
I've learned that it's difficult to get through on our Consumer
Services 800 number, so I'm posting the current list of Genesis games
that we have found to have problems on Nomad. This is the "official"
list as of now. The test process is ongoing and we will update the
list if we discover other problems.
Please bear in mind that there are over 500 Genesis games and in
order to test them properly, they need to be played numerous times
and played through more than just the first level. This process takes
a very long time. If anyone has problems with a game that isn't on
this list, please contact me and I will have your problem verified
through the test cycle.
The following games have been found to NOT work on Nomad due to
serious freezing glitches or unusual button configurations (making it
too difficult to play):
DecapAttack
Forgotten Worlds
Bonkers
Golden Axe 2
The following games have been found to freeze periodically or need
multiple attempts to power up, but continue to work after resetting:
Chakan
Pit Fighter
Shadow Run
Sonic 1
Streets of Rage 1
In addition, Outback Joey -- a game designed for an exercise bike
hookup -- does not work on Nomad.
Thanks for your continued support.
Lisa Best Wilson
Product Manager
Sega of America
Q: Which games come in both cardboard box and plastic case?
A: Those which were released early (i.e. before Sega's decision sometime in
1995 to use ALL cardboard boxes instead of those WONDERFUL plastic cases
we've been spoiled with) and re-released later. No idea if these are rarer
than the plastic case releases, but in most/all cases the docs and cart
appear identical to the original releases. Titles include:
Sega:
Ariel - The Little Mermaid
Jurassic Park
Mickey Mouse: World of Illusion
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Super Monaco GP
Taz: Escape from Mars
X-Men 2: Clone Wars
(many more)
Parker Bros (re-released by Ballistic/Accolade):
Clue
Monopoly
Risk
Tengen
Ms. Pacman
Paperboy
Paperboy 2
Steel Talons
Electronic Arts
Desert Strike
Jungle Strike
Mario Andretti Racing
Urban Strike
Misc:
Caesar's Palace
Jeopardy!
Wheel of Fortune
Q: What are the "blue label games"? "Kids Club" games?
A: All these were releases intended for children. "Blue label" refers to the
BLUE *Genesis* name stripe on the left (which is normally red). Blue
stripe titles include:
Berenstain Bears
Barney's Hide & Seek
Thomas the Tank Engine
Kids' Club titles include:
Crystal's Pony Tale
Ecco Jr.
Magic School Bus
Sesame Street Counting Cafe
Wacky Worlds
Q: Which games are compatible with the Sega Mouse?
A: Partial list here:
Art Alive
Wacky Worlds (packaged with Mouse)
Q: Which games are compatible with the Konami justifier light gun?
A: Lethal Enforcers (packaged with Justifier in large box)
Lethal Enforcers II
Q: Which games behave differently when the language switch (Section 2.5) is
installed, and switched to Japanese?
A: Here is a partial list:
* After Burner (32X): has "Super 32X" logo after the Sega logo.
* Battle Mania II: works normally, but without joysticks it gives you a
screen telling your language mode, NTSC/PAL, and system version.
* Bonanza Brothers: Game plays in Japanese. (Maybe. There seems to be
more than one version floating around.)
* Chase HQ II: speedometer changes to KM/H.
* Columns: Game plays in Japanese.
* Cosmic Carnage (32X): Turns into "Cyber Brawl", with different
characters. Also shows the Super 32X logo. (Pressing and holding X, B,
and Z when you turn the machine on lets you get Cyber Brawl on a regular
Genesis.)
* Cyberball: Japanese version has a modem option.
* Dragon's Fury: Works only with language set to English. The original,
Devil's Crush MD, works either way.
* Dynamite Duke: Harder on the Mega Drive.
* Elemental Master: Harder on the Mega Drive.
* Fatal Labyrinth: Game plays in Japanese.
* Fire Shark: Different title screen with Kanji.
* Flicky: Characters have Japanese names and instructions are in Japanese.
* Forgotten Worlds: Game plays in Japanese.
* Gaiares: only mentions the Japanese licensee on the title screen, and
has Japanese text; you can also select Japanese text from the option
screen.
* Gain Ground: "Press start" is "Push start" in the Japanese version, and
the mention of Renovation is removed.
* Gauntlet IV: The game has lockout, but you can flick the switch and then
reset. The Japanese version has Japanese text (sound stays English),
says "Megadrive", and has a Gauntlet (not Gauntlet IV) logo on the game
screen. If you reset too late, you have to select the text language
manually.
* Ghostbusters: Game plays in Japanese.
* Ghouls and Ghosts: Different title screen with Kanji. To see it on a
Genesis, select the last music and sound (26 and 56) from the options
screen, then press lower left; A, B, or C; and Start all at the same
time. (I never tried this, but Gamepro magazine claimed it works.) The
game shows some other Japanese text, and when you die during a boss you
start out earlier.
* Herzog Zwei: company's name is spelled "Tecnosoft".
* Insector X: Title screen refers to company as Hot-B, not Sage's
Creation. The MD version shoots more slowly. The ending text is still
English.
* Marvel Land: The Japanese version says "for Mega Drive" or "for Genesis"
but the language stays Japanese. Also, the Japanese version says "Push
Start" and the English "Press Start".
* Metal Head (32X): has a different, colored, Sega logo and a different
Sega sound, Japanese text (also available in US mode from the options
screen), and an "anime" option as well as "photo" and "picture".
* Monaco GP: Game plays in Japanese (also an option on the option screen).
* Mystic Defender: This game is actually the anime-based Kujaku-Ou
(Peacock King) 2 game. In Japanese mode, the opening text is replaced
by a graphics screen (never seen in the US version) with Japanese. The
levels have names, the main character wears a white robe, the lightning
magic effect is different, and the character is named Kujaku in the
ending text (which is still English).
* Outrun: The attract mode lacks sound, the startup screen says "push"
(not "press") start button, and "(C) Sega 1986, 1991" is printed in
reverse order. The default options are KM/H and a different button
selection (but can still be changed on the option screen).
* Quackshot: Game plays in Japanese.
* Raiden Trad: The "licensed to Sega" line is absent on both title
screens, and the second title screen includes only the Japanese part
instead of the non-Japanese part of the first one.
* Rambo III: Game plays in Japanese.
* Revenge of Shinobi: Title changes to Super Shinobi; credits show at the
end.
* Rolling Thunder II: The Japanese version only works on a Japanese
setting. The US version works either way (and isn't bilingual).
* Sonic the Hedgehog II: Tails is renamed to "Miles".
* Space Harrier (32X): has "Super 32X" logo after the Sega logo.
* Streets of Rage: Title screen changes to Bare Knuckle, and all text is
in Japanese, including the introduction. The clock resets when you
encounter the bosses.
* Streets of Rage II: Turns to Bare Knuckle II, and renames Skate to
Sammy -- _if_ you change the setting sometime after turning the machine
on (to skip the lockout).
* Super Fantasy Zone: opening cinema changes from English/Japanese.
* Super Hang-On: Plays in Japanese, which is also accessible with A+B+C on
the logo screen.
* Thunder Force II: Title screen has "MD" on it, and company name is
"Tecnosoft".
* Thunder Force III: company's name is spelled "Tecnosoft".
* Thunder Force IV: claims to be licensed for Genesis, if you change the
switch after the lockout check.
* Thunder Storm FX (CD): Turns to Cobra Command in US mode.
* Truxton: Japanese title is Tatsujin.
* Twin Hawk: Different title screen with Kanji.
* Wrestle War: The wrestler is blond on a Genesis and black-haired on a
MegaDrive.
**************************
*Section 4 - Peripherals *
**************************
The Genesis had quite a long lifespan; from its release in the US in 1989
until now, many peripherals were developed and sold for use with the Sega
Genesis.
Two system add-on "upgrades" were developed by Sega to enhance the gameplaying
experience for Genesis owners:
* Sega CD - allows Genesis owners to use the Sega CD library (see Sega CD
FAQ for more info).
* Sega 32X - 32-bit "upgrade" for Genesis owners, plugs into cart slot and
requires some rerouting of A/V cables. See Sega 32X FAQ.
Various other devices were developed by Sega and other companies. Note:
JOYPADS are not listed here since there were so many varieties from many
companies.
Activator - Karate/fighting game aid. Large ring of motion sensors that
determine one's moves and translate them to actions in games.
Batter Up! - Batting simulator. Actual baseball bat with sensors to
determine swing vector and simulates it in certain baseball games.
Game Genie - Cheat device. This is an elongated cartridge that plugs into
the Genesis cart slot and accepts carts on its upper end. When
activated, the user can supply codes (there is a book supplied with the
Genie that lists thousands of codes for many different games) that allow
various cheats during the game. Examples - infinite lives,
invincibility, infinite ammo, level skips, etc. From GALOOB.
Master Deck - Backward compatibility device. This black unit plugs
directly onto the top of a Model I Genesis; it fits snugly over the
circular portion. It lets you play Sega Master System (Sega's 8-bit
game machine that was released in 1986) titles on your Genesis. Does
not fit on top any Genesis other than a Model I Genesis. From SEGA.
Menacer - Light Gun. More like a "light bazooka", the user puts it on
his/her shoulder and uses the sight to aim. Came packaged with either a
6-in-1 multicart of simple shooter games or Terminator 2. Uses an
infrared receiver which is best positioned above the TV/monitor, and
plugs into the controller port. (Similar to the Superscope for the
SNES) From SEGA.
Pro Action Replay - Cheat device. The Pro Action Replay is different from
the Game Genie because it allows you to save a game "state". This lets
you go back and play a certain part of a game as many times as you need
to in order to beat that particular section. It also accepts codes like
the Genie does (although the PAR codes are not compatible with Genie
codes). From DATEL (UK).
Sega Channel - Cable-TV pay service. This was a service offered by some
cable companies and allowed subscribers to download games and demos to
their Genesis. The service was discontinued in early 1998 as the
Genesis' popularity waned. (I do not have any info on the peripheral
device used to connect the Genesis to the cable system)
Tee Vee Golf - Golf swing simulator. Contains golf club and sensors to
determine swing vector and simulates it in certain golf games.
X-Band Modem - Game modem. This modem plugs into the cartridge slot and
has a phone out jack. The X-Band modem is controlled by the Genesis and
the user (via the joypad) and allows the user to compete against other
users connected to the "X-Band Network". The X-Band Network is/was a
subscription-based service. The user had to own the game cartridge
before being able to compete with another X-Band user (who also had to
have the same game cartridge).
**************************
* Section 5 - Emulators *
**************************
This section covers emulators developed for the Macintosh and IBM-PC
computers.
If you're a novice to emulation, read this section. (If not, skip down the
the list below)
It is possible to play Genesis games on your PC or Mac! You can, if you have
a few things: (1) a FAST enough machine, (2) the emulation software, and (3)
the game ROM images. A Sega Genesis emulator is essentially a program that
runs on top of your operating system and plays - as an application - Sega
Genesis cartridge-based games. No, you do not actually *connect* your
cartridge to your computer and play it like that; you must first find the game
ROM image files and select the game you want to play from *within* the
emulator program.
A typical game system emulator works like this. You open the application by,
perhaps, double-clicking it. Then a browse screen will appear, prompting you
for a game file. You can then navigate to the game file, select it - thus
loading it into the emulator. The emulator window is then a 100% perfect
replica of your game, with controls passed onto the keyboard (key translation
depends entirely on the emulator, there is no standard). You can then play
the game until you are tired of it (or beat it!) and then select a new one in
the same window.
Emulators are generally written by (very talented) hobbyists rather than big
companies. The authors put a lot of hard work into them, and when you are
running a game of "Gunstar Heroes" in one window while waiting for a VAX job
to finish in another one, you really appreciate their effort.
In order to emulate a different hardware system, the program has to start from
the ground floor. Typically, the main chipset is emulated first. This
ensures that the basic instructions at the most *basic* level of the hardware
are performed correctly. Gradually, pieces of the hardware's operating system
and other system chips (graphics, sound, etc.) are added in the code to
provide a more complete emulation. Eventually, the entire machine has been
emulated - from the CPU to the operating system. Now all you need are the
game ROM files.
Q: What are game ROM files?
A: These are the actual cartridge programs. The code from a game cartridge
can be downloaded to a computer file if you have the equipment (see next
question). Once you have the game code transferred to a computer file, it
is ready to run with the emulator software (unless the file needs to be
formatted in any particular way to run with a certain emulator).
Q: How can I transfer my cartridge library to computer files?
A: One way to do this is to use a cartridge copier (this isn't exactly a
legal item here, so I can't exactly *endorse* it. This is a device -
typically - that has a cartridge slot and a disk drive. The machine reads
the data from the cartridge and stores it in a file on the disk. These
are *supposed* to be used to backup one's games, but obviously were also
used for software piracy. Cartridge copiers are not legal in the U.S. and
are produced in Asia (Hong Kong and Taiwan, primarily).
Q: Where can I get game ROM files?
A: Not from me! PLEASE don't ask me for them, I do not keep ROM files and
this is a touchy legal subject. If you want game ROM images, search the
Web for them with "ROMs" or "game ROMs" or "ROM images" (along these
lines, probably anything with "ROM" in it will turn up some sites). I do
not want to list websites in the FAQ since (a) they tend to change very
frequently, and (b) I do not want to choose favorites. There are many,
many sites out on the Net and a little searching will turn up quite a few
results.
Q: Where can I get the emulator programs?
A: They are found all over the web. Try a search on "Genesis emulator" and
several sites will pop up. There are numerous available.
For the Macintosh, essentially ALL emulators can be found at
http://www.emulation.net
Q: How fast does my computer have to be in order to run an emulator?
A: That depends on two things: (1) the emulator software (some emulators are
optimized better than others and do not require as much muscle from the
CPU), and (2) how your computer is configured. Emulators have to do a LOT
of work - a tremendous amount of number-crunching and graphics output. In
order for your computer to run it best, I would recommend eliminating an
background processes that may slow it down. In other words, let the
emulator hog up all the processing power of your computer. If you have a
PC, running the emulator from DOS is better than running it from Windows
due to the overhead that Windows demands (graphic processing can eat it
up). If you have a Mac, try turning off as many extensions as possible
(perhaps create a new stripped-down set with Extensions Manager to run
specifically for your emulator). There are many ways to improve the
performance.
As to how much speed you'll need, that is difficult to determine - but at
this point, a Power Macintosh or Pentium-based PC would almost certainly
be required.
Note also that many emulators are still in various stages of development. If
you download a version
Emulator List
There are several Sega Genesis emulators for the Mac and IBM-PC computers. I
have not personally tested them all and cannot vouch for each one, your best
bet is to try them all (for your system) and choose the one that works best on
your system.
For the Apple Macintosh
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There are a few emulators out there for the Mac. More in the next version of
the FAQ, but here's one:
GenEm - still in early stage. No sound support but runs clean video.
Author: Brian Verre (http://www.execpc.com/~wverre)
For the IBM-PC
There are a few emulators for the PC, more in the next version. Here's one:
GenEm - Not sure about status
(http://myst.slcc.edu/~markus)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
****************************
*Section 6 - Miscellaneous *
****************************
*** Cleaning your Genesis/Megadrive cartridges
It is important that you keep your cartridge contacts as clean as possible.
Signs that you are playing a game with dirty contacts include a failure to
start up, saved games being erased, and a cartridge "crash" in the middle
of a game.
Very simple - a Q-Tip and some isopropyl alcohol ("rubbing alcohol"). Dip
a Q-tip into the alcohol. It is not necessary to saturate the swab, but
get at least enough to wet it. Then, rub one side of the cartridge contact
strip with the wet swab. You will notice black appear on the swab; these
are the oxidation compounds that occur naturally between any sort of
electrical contacts, and eventually build up and reduce the conductivity
(sometimes eliminating it altogether).
It is a good idea to use one end of a swab for each side of the contact
strip. This way, you don't re-contaminate a potentially clean part of the
strip with oxidation from the other side. Most of the oxidation appears at
the very *tip* of the contact strip, so be sure to clean the edge very
thoroughly.
Allow the cartridge to dry before plugging it back into the deck.
Note: I have occasionally read in one of the Usenet newsgroups that some
users disagree completely with this method. The objection seems to be from
using 100% isopropyl alcohol. (Claim is that it does not react well with
circuit board resin and would only worsen your cartridge condition) I have
cleaned several hundred cartridges for many systems with rubbing alcohol,
including Genesis cartridges, and not once have I had a problem with it.
*** Cleaning your Sega Genesis/Megadrive deck
To clean the contact card connector inside your Genesis/Megadrive unit, you
will have to have a cartridge cleaning kit. These kits typically contain a
card that fits inside the Genesis cart slot, to clean the inner surfaces of
the contact pins. There are two basic varieties of these cleaning kits -
wet and dry. The wet kit uses such a card - usually with some sort of
mildly abrasive end - and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol/water solution.
Put a few drops of the solution on the card edge and put into the cart
slot. Repeat several times to clean the entire row of connector pins. The
dry version of this uses a similar cleaning card, but usually in the dry
version the cleaning card end is made of a mildly abrasive material that is
able to clean the pins by scraping the oxidation off.
*** Opening up a Genesis cartridge
This is not something I would recommend you do if possible. There aren't
too may reasons to open up a Genesis cartridge, but they include:
- replacing an old battery for gamesave feature
- to remove a piece of debris inside the cart to stop it from
"rattling"
- to inspect the circuit board of a cartridge to look for loose
connections and repair if necessary
- general curiosity
If you have tried to open a Genesis/MD cartridge with normal tools, you
have probably discovered that they will not do it for you. That's because
Sega used a different type of screw head in the cart manufacture. You will
have to obtain a special "security bit" for Sega games; this bit can fit on
a driver (like a screwdriver but with a connector-type end to attach bits
such as this one) and changed as much as you want. The bit can be bought
from MCM Electronics for about $8, the driver is about $5.
*** Sources for more Sega Genesis/Megadrive information
The best place for ANY information these days is the Internet. There are
many sites on the Internet that contain Sega Genesis-related information,
but are too numerous to list here. Also, due to the transient nature of
many personal websites (here today, gone tomorrow) I prefer NOT to list
them since it is not uncommon for a site to disappear forever.
Simply do a web search to find them. Try one of the following search
Engines:
http://www.altavista.digital.com
http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.hotbot.com
Put "Sega Genesis" as the keyword(s) and many sites will appear. Not all
Contain useful information, but if you do a little work it should pay off.
If you are looking for cheats, walkthroughs, or game/system FAQs,
there are three wonderful sources for this information:
http://www.segasages.com (incredible cheats library)
http://www.gamefaqs.com (system/game faqs and walkthroughs)
http://www.miningco.com (even more info on many game systems)
There are also two Usenet newsgroups where you can look for
Genesis/Megadrive information:
alt.sega.genesis
rec.games.video.sega (recommended)
Many, many books were released on the Sega Genesis and games for the
system. I cannot list them in this version of the FAQ but will as soon as
I cull more information on them.
Q: Where can I buy games for my Genesis/Megadrive system?
A: There are still a few places that - as of this writing - still sell games
for the Sega Genesis. (I cannot speak for Europe and Japan, but would
always recommend Toys R Us anywhere as a starting point) Most of the
games available are recent releases or re-issues, and most software stores
still sell them, although a typical selection might only be about 20
titles. Some Wal-Mart stores still carry a selection of Genesis games -
although it's probably reduced and only the re-issues (Jeopardy!, Little
Mermaid, Clue, Lion King, etc.). Toys R Us stores tend to have the best
selection, drawing from a huge inventory with some stores still offering
titles from 1994-5. Your best bet, if you are looking for an older
Genesis title, is to check out rec.games.video.marketplace and see if
anyone is selling or auctioning it there. There are also many store
websites that sell used Genesis games, your best bet to find these is to
do a websearch (Yahoo, Altavista, Hotbot, etc.) on the words "Genesis
games for sale" or some variant. The search engine always turns something
useful up.
Q: Can I still rent Sega Genesis video games?
A: Probably. As of this writing, many Blockbuster stores still rent them,
but your best bet is often with the "mom & pop" video stores that are
slow to convert to the latest system(s). Rental places are also a great
place to buy the games, used, when they are finished renting them.
