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Internet Message Format | 1995-06-17 | 55KB

Path: newsbf01.news.aol.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!uunet!solaris.cc.vt.edu!news.mathworks.com!udel!darwin.sura.net!blaze.cs.jhu.edu!jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu!not-for-mail From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee) Newsgroups: rec.games.video.misc,rec.games.video.nintendo,rec.games.video.sega,rec.games.video.atari,rec.games.video.3do,rec.games.video.advocacy,news.answers,rec.answers Subject: rec.games.video.* Frequently Asked Questions (part 3 of 3) Followup-To: rec.games.video.misc,rec.games.video.nintendo,rec.games.video.sega,rec.games.video.atari,rec.games.video.3do,rec.games.video.advocacy Date: 15 Jun 1995 13:10:17 -0400 Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept. Lines: 1237 Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Message-ID: <3rpphp$6bt@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu> Reply-To: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee) NNTP-Posting-Host: jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu Xref: newsbf01.news.aol.com rec.games.video.misc:11626 rec.games.video.nintendo:63788 rec.games.video.sega:57359 rec.games.video.atari:48617 rec.games.video.3do:45801 rec.games.video.advocacy:20079 news.answers:29553 rec.answers:8973 Archive-name: games/video-games/faq/part3 Section 7: System Capabilities: ============================== ______________________________________________________________________________ | | Neo Geo | SNES | Genesis | TG-16 | NES | Sega MS2 | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------| |Bits (CPU)| 8 + 16 | 16 | 16 | 8 + 8 | 8 | 8 | |Bits (Gx) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 8 | |CPU | 68000| 65816 | 68000 | HuC6280| 6502 | Z80 | |APU (Aud) | Z80| SPC???? | Z80 | | | | |MHz | 12.5, 4| 3.6 | 7.6 | 3.6 3.6| 1.8 | 3.6 | |Graphics | 320 x 224| 256 x 224| 320 x 224| 256 x 256| 256 x 240| 240 x 226| | -2nd mode| | 512 x 448|320 x 448*| 320x256**| | | |Planes | 3 | ? | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |Colors |4096/65536| 256/32768| 61/512 | 482/512 | 16/52 | 52/256 | |Sprites | 380 | 128 | 80 | 64 | 8 | 16 | | - size | 16 x 512| 32 x 32| 32 x 32| 16 x 16| 8 x 8 | 8 x 8 | |Audio | 15-lyr |PCM 8-lyr | 10-lyr | 6-lyr | mono | mono | |RAM | 64K+68Kgx|128K+64Kgx| 72K+64Kgx| 8K+64Kgx| 2K+ 2Kgx| ? | | | (+2K Z80)| | | | | | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------| |CD CPU/MHz| ? | |68000/12.5| 65802/16 | |CD RAM |430K VRAM | | 768K | CD=64K | | | 64K SRAM | | | SCD=256K | | |7 mg DRAM | | | | |----------+----------+ +----------+----------+ * The 320x448 mode on the Genesis is the Sonic split-screen mode. ** A 512x256 mode is possible through fiddling with registers, but not officially supported. Comment: The Genesis would have 64 colors, having 8x8 tiles which use 16 colors from one of 4 palettes each, except the 16th color is a "transparent" color that's the same for all 4, making 61. Similarly, the TG-16 has a back- ground made of 8x8 tiles using 16 palettes of 16 colors each, and sprites also using 16 palettes of 16 colors each, making 512 colors, which is reduced to 482 because all sprites have one transparent color and all tiles have one background color. (It's not 481 because the sprite color register 0 is used for the border.) I have no idea if other systems have similar features that lower the number of colors below an even power of 2. ______________________________________________________________________________ | | Jaguar | 3DO | CD32 | Saturn | Sony | NEC PC-FX| |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ |Bits (CPU)| 64 + 16 | 32 | 32 | 32 + 16 | 32 | 32 | |Bits (Gx) | 64 | 32 | 32 | 64 (?)| ? | ? | |CPU |Proprietary ARM/60 | 68EC020 |HitachiSH2| R3000A | V810 | | | + 68000| | | (two) | | | | | | | | + 68EC000| | | |APU (Aud) |Proprietary ? |Proprietary ? | ? | ? | |MHz | 13.3 | 12.5 | 14 | 27 | 33 | 21.5 | |MHz (Gx) | ? | ? | 28 | ? | ? | ? | |Graphics | 720x526**|320x240***|1280x512**| ? | 640 x 480| 320 x 240| |Colors | 16777216| 16777216|256/1677.*|?/16777216|?/16777216|?/16777216| |Sprites | N/A | N/A | 8 | ? | 4000 | 128 | | - size | N/A | N/A |64x scrnht| ? | 8x8 | ? | |Audio | unlim | ? |4 channels| 32 chan. | 24 chan. | ? | |RAM |2 megabyte|2 megabyte|2 megabyte|2 megabyte|2 megabyte|2 megabyte| |Video RAM | ? |1 megabyte| ? | 1.5m |1 megabyte| 1.25m | |Audio RAM | ? | ? | ? | 512K | 512K | ? | |MPEG |MPEG1 opt.| ? | ? | ? | MPEG1 | MPEG1 | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ |CD CPU/MHz| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |CD RAM | 256K | ? | ? | 512K | 256K | 256K | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ _____________________________________________ | | Jaguar 2 | 3DO M2 | Ultra 64 | |----------+----------+----------+----------+ |Bits (CPU)| ? | 64 | 64 | |Bits (Gx) | ? | ? | ? | |CPU | ? | PPC-602 |R4300i (?)| |APU (Aud) | ? | ? | ? | |MHz | ? | 66 | *4 | |MHz (Gx) | ? | ? | ? | |Graphics | ? |640 x 480?| ? | |Colors | ? | 16777216| 16777216| |Sprites | ? | N/A | ? | | - size | ? | ? | ? | |Audio | ? | ? | ? | |RAM | ? |4 megabyte| ? | |Video RAM | ? | ? | ? | |Audio RAM | ? | ? | ? | |MPEG | ? |MPEG1;2opt| ? | |----------+----------+----------+----------+ |CD CPU/MHz| ? | ? | |CD RAM | ? | ? | |----------+----------+----------+ * Also has Hold and Modify mode which gives 262144/16777216 colors and is mainly useful for still pictures. ** Jaguar resolution includes overscan. CD32 can do >1300x566 overscanned. *** Interpolated to 640x480? *4 Apparently the oft-quoted 500 Mhz figure refers to the speed of the bus to RAM. Real speed is unknown. CD-I: I don't know, but very primitive. Most of its capability seems to come from playing video and video clips, not machine-generated graphics. Bandai Playdia Quick Interactive System (formerly BA-X): Ditto. It's a lot newer, so I assume the graphics are better, but I've never seen one.... ________________________________________________________ | | GameBoy | Lynx | GameGear | TExpress | |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------| |Bits (CPU)| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 + 8 | |Bits (Gx) | 8 | 16 | 8 | 16 | |CPU | Z80 | 6502 | Z80 | 6502 6502| |MHz (CPU) | 2.2 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 7.2 | |MHz (Gx) | | 16.0 | | | |ScreenSize| 2.6" | 3.5" | 3.2" | 2.6" | |Graphics | 160 x 144| 160 x 102| 160 x 144| 256 x 216| |Colors | mono (4) | 16/4096 | 32/4096 | 482/512 | |Sprites | 8 | unlim | 64 | 64 | | - size | 8 x 8 | unlim | 8 x 8 | 16 x 16 | |Audio | 2-lyr | 4-lyr | 4-lyr | 6-lyr | |RAM | 16K | 64K | 24K | 8K+64Kgx| |----------+----------+----------+----------+----------| Most systems can change colors on successive scan lines, using more colors than the ones listed. The game Ex-ranza (Ranger-X in USA) for the Genesis is billed as having 128 colors. It's not clear whether or not this is just a scan line change. The existence of multiple graphics modes also confuses things--it might not be possible to use all features at the highest graphics mode, as in the lack of hardware rotation in the SNES 512x448 mode. I'm not sure if there are limitations on the double resolution Genesis mode (used for Sonic split screen). ``Does the Genesis CD-ROM have extra colors, sprites, or resolution?'' No. (Despite at least two errors in Gamepro magazine, and a repetition of this error in the book Phoenix.) ``What is this megabit stuff? Isn't it supposed to be byte?'' 1 byte is equal to 8 bits, so an 8 megabit game is really 1 megabyte. (Also, ``mega'' for computers is 1048576, not an even million). Although it is widely believed that this was popularized by Sega's "mega cartridges" for the Master System, the idea of inflating game size this way apparently dates back at least to Coleco's Adam. (Some memory chips really are measured in bits, though.) Old Neo-Geo ads claimed "megabytes" for their games, which was a lie. 'Bits' in game systems There are several processor characteristics that measure in bits; whether or not a processor counts as 32-bit may depend on what you consider important. (A 32-bit processor might have 32-bit address space, perform operations on 32-bit quantities, or have a 32 bit wide bus). It's never legitimate to add the bits in all a system's processors, so a Sega CD is not a 32-bit system even though it has two 16-bit processors, nor is a Neo-Geo a 24-bit system. When discussing graphics, professionals often use "bits" to refer to how many colors there are: if a system lets a pixel be one of 2^16 colors, the system has "16-bit graphics". (A common error associated with this definition is to say that this means the machine can show 2^16 colors at once, although video game systems don't have enough pixels on the screen to do so.) This contrasts with video game company hype, which usually says either 1) "This is a 16 bit machine, so we'll call the graphics 16 bits", or 2) "This is a 16 bit processor, and we use it for graphics, so we'll say we have 16-bit graphics". (The latter is the method used at the top of this section of the FAQ.) "How many bits of graphics" and "how many bits" are about equally worthless, er, bits, of information. It's only in the FAQ because people keep asking for it anyway. Game Genie Genesis decoding Merlyn LeRoy posted the method to convert Game Genie codes to real hex codes: For example, SCRA-BJX0 is a game genie code. Each letter is 5 bits from the table ABCDEFGHJKLMNPRSTVWXYZ0123456789, A=00000, B=00001, C=00010... S C R A - B J X 0 01111 00010 01110 00000 00001 01000 10011 10110 ijklm nopIJ KLMNO PABCD EFGHd efgha bcQRS TUVWX rearrange as... 00000000 10011100 01110110: 01010100 01111000 ABCDEFGH IJKLMNOP QRSTUVWX: abcdefgh ijklmnop 24-bit address 16-bit data MSB LSB MSB LSB Which is 009c76: 5478 Pro Action Replay format for Genesis The Pro Action Replay codes for the Genesis are just an address/data format, AAAAAADDDD. The Pro Action Replay can either intercept reads to ROM, or in- stall a routine which continually restores RAM values. (Codes which modify RAM can't be converted to Game Genie formats.) The best educated guesses are that FF as first two digits of the address indicates RAM, and anything else is a page pointer for ROM. The data is a 16 bit number, but if the first two di- gits of the data are 00, the device only inserts an 8 bit number. (You prob- ably need two codes if you want to insert a 16 bit number which starts with two zeroes.) Game Genie SNES decoding (This is from hexadecimal to Genie, to reverse just run it backwards) Data - D7 down to D0 Address - A23 down to A0. Bit 15 is always a 1; if you use a 0, the Game Genie will just change it to a 1 anyway. DDDD DDDD AAAA AAAA AAAA AAAA AAAA AAAA (Genie Code) 7654 3210 1111 7654 9822 2232 1011 1111 (True address, rearranged) 5432 32 10 98 7610 Example - Force AD at 80C7AA Data = 1010 1101 Address = 1000 0000 1100 0111 1010 1010 Take the data in order, and then take bit 15, 14, 13, 12, 7, 6, etc. of the address, to get: 1010 1101 1100 1010 1110 0010 1000 0001 = ADCAE281 The Game Genie hex is encoded from normal hexadecimal, so at this point you must translate with the following table: HEX: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F GENIE: D F 4 7 0 9 1 5 6 B C 8 A 2 3 E Translates to C2AC-346F SNES/SF Game Finger (copier code) decoding The general format is: AAAAABBBBBBCCD <- a 14-digit codes | | | |_ D: target to replace bytes A: address of the first | | |___ C: checksum byte to be replaced _______| |_______ B: 3 bytes for replacement Unused B bytes are replaced by XX. Note that the address only refers to a 1 meg address space. The checksum format is: stick an 0 in front and then divide into sequences of two hex digits representing bytes. Add together the first six of these (the A's and B's). I have no idea if D is added in also, since the person who originally posted this information used an example of D=0. Values for D are: 0: replace values in DRAM of copier 1: replace values in backup RAM of copier 2, 8, A, C, F: non-standard codes which may be converted to 0. The Game Finger codes are in plain hexadecimal, but they use ROM cartridge addresses while the Game Genie uses CPU addresses. The conversion is as follows: CPU ROM (cartridge) address address A23 none A22 none A21 none A20 A19 A19 A18 A18 A17 A17 A16 A16 A15 A15 none (A15 is always high for ROM accesses) A14 A14 A13 A13 A12 A12 A11 A11 A10 A10 A9 A9 A8 A8 A7 A7 A6 A6 A5 A5 A4 A4 A3 A3 A2 A2 A1 A1 [Pro] Action Replay Codes for SNES The format is AAAAAADD for address and data. The cumulative intellect of the net doesn't seem to know much about these codes at all. As for the Genesis, this works by continually rewriting RAM locations. I don't know the format of these codes, or if they also do ROM like the Game Genie does (though they _probably_ do). The Game Action Replay is something different, which saves a copy of the NES's RAM so it can be used later; for instance in returning to a level in a game without a level select. Game Genie codes for Gameboy: see the Gameboy FAQ. Section 8: Connecter/Controller Pinouts: ======================================= Genesis A/V connector Starting from the 1 o'clock position, looking at the Genesis from the back, and going clockwise, the pins are: red, audio, +5 volts, ground, green, composite video, and negative combined sync, with blue on the center pin. Neo Geo A/V connector Same as Genesis, though the plug is a different size. SNES controller _________ 1 | U | 20 2 | | 19 3 | | 18 4 | | 17 5 | | 16 6 | | 15 7 | | 14 8 | | 13 9 | | 12 10 |_________| 11 1 : Pad: Down 2 : Pad: Left 3 : Pad: Right 4 : Select 5 : Start 6-9: Output 1-4 10: Gnd (pin 5 on connector) 11: nc 12: nc 13: Y 14: B 15: A 16: X 17: R 18: L 19: Pad: Up 20: nc SNES output pinouts From Radio Electronics April 1992: 11 9 7 5 3 1 12 10 8 6 4 2 1. RED VIDEO (requires series 200ufd) 2. GREEN VIDEO (requires series 200ufd) 3. RGB SYNCH (active low combined v+h synch pulses) 4. BLUE VIDEO (requires series 200ufd) 5. GROUND 6. GROUND 7. S-Video "Y" 8. S-Video "C" 9. NTSC COMPOSITE VIDEO 10. +5 Volts DC 11. L+R Sound 12. L-R Sound SNES cartridge pinouts (from rolfes@uni-muenster.de) SNES Slot: .---------. | 01 | 32 | | 02 | 33 | | 03 | 34 | | 04 | 35 | |----+----| GND | 05 | 36 | GND A11 | 06 | 37 | A12 A10 | 07 | 38 | A13 A9 | 08 | 39 | A14 A8 | 09 | 40 | If ROM > 8Mbit to LS139, otherwise NC A7 | 10 | 41 | A15 A6 | 11 | 42 | A16 A5 | 12 | 43 | A17 A4 | 13 | 44 | A18 A3 | 14 | 45 | A19 A2 | 15 | 46 | A20 A1 | 16 | 47 | A21 A0 | 17 | 48 | A22 NC | 18 | 49 | ROM /OE. If RAM via LS139 to ROM D0 | 19 | 50 | D4 D1 | 20 | 51 | D5 D2 | 21 | 52 | D6 D3 | 22 | 53 | D7 RAM /OE and ROM /CE | 23 | 54 | RAM /W Pin 1 D413 | 24 | 55 | Pin 2 D413 Pin 7 D413 | 25 | 56 | Pin 6 D413 RAM /E | 26 | 57 | NC VCC | 27 | 58 | VCC |----+----| | 28 | 59 | | 29 | 60 | | 30 | 61 | | 31 | 62 | `---------' D413/D411 (Europe/USA) are the security chips RAM/ROM Select: RAM - RAM /E low, RAM /OE low, ROM /OE high, (A20 or A21 must be high if cartridge size is less or equal 8 Mbit) ROM - ROM /CE low, ROM /OE low, RAM /E high, 40 high (A20 and A21 must be low if cartridge size is less or equal 8 Mbit) Cartridge ROM: EPROM ROM ROM EPROM .----_----. A20 | | VCC A21 | | A22 |----_----| A19 A17 | 01 32 | VCC VCC A16 A18 | 02 31 | /OE A18 A15 A15 | 03 30 | A19 A17 A12 A12 | 04 29 | A14 A14 A7 A7 | 05 28 | A13 A13 A6 A6 | 06 27 | A8 A8 A5 A5 | 07 26 | A9 A9 A4 A4 | 08 25 | A11 A11 A3 A3 | 09 24 | A16 /OE A2 A2 | 10 23 | A10 A10 A1 A1 | 11 22 | /CE /CE A0 A0 | 12 21 | D7 D7 D0 D0 | 13 20 | D6 D6 D1 D1 | 14 19 | D5 D5 D2 D2 | 16 18 | D4 D4 GND GND | 16 17 | D3 D3 `---------' LS139 (two binary decoders) in less or equal 8 Mbit cartridges: .----_----. ROM /OE /1G | 01 16 | VCC VCC A21 1A | 02 15 | /2G /1Y3 A20 1B | 03 14 | 2A A19 /OE /1Y0 | 04 13 | 2B RAM /E NC /1Y1 | 05 12 | /2Y0 NC NC /1Y2 | 06 11 | /2Y1 NC /2G /1Y3 | 07 10 | /2Y2 NC GND GND | 08 09 | /2Y3 NC `---------' LS139 (two binary decoders) in more than 8 Mbit cartridges: .----_----. ROM /OE /1G | 01 16 | VCC VCC 40 1A | 02 15 | /2G /1Y3 RAM /E 1B | 03 14 | 2A NC NC /1Y0 | 04 13 | 2B NC NC /1Y1 | 05 12 | /2Y0 NC NC /1Y2 | 06 11 | /2Y1 NC /OE and /2G /1Y3 | 07 10 | /2Y2 NC GND GND | 08 09 | /2Y3 NC `---------' Cartridge pinouts for Gameboy: see the Gameboy FAQ. Section 9: Compatibility: ======================== FAMICOM: Same as NES. Adaptors reportedly exist. FAMICOM DISK SYSTEM: No US counterpart. (People kept copying the disks.) SUPER FAMICOM: Same as Super NES. There are at least four versions: American/Japanese, at least two incompatible European versions, and Australi- an. These are incompatible because of lockout chips, but you can buy an adapter which connects a lockout chip from a native cartridge and a program from a foreign cartridge. Some older adapters that don't include all data lines, and on these, games like Super Mario Kart or Starfox won't work. Some games also have PAL protection (PAL is the TV system in Europe and Aus- tralia.) This problem can't be fixed with an adaptor alone, and only happens when trying to run American/Japanese games on PAL systems or vice-versa. Known games with this problem are SF2 Turbo and Super Mario All-Stars. A Game Action Replay code to get SF2 Turbo to work is listed elsewhere in this FAQ. One person posted that to bypass the lockout, a circuit on the bottom left, possibly U8, needs to have pins 1 and 10 connected. (He advised putting a switch on it instead of making a permanent change). I assume no responsibili- ty for you ruining your machine by trying this; I have no idea if this works on all SNES models. If you're trying to play a Japanese game on an American system, or vice versa, you can ignore the above; neither of those problems happens. However, the cartridges are shaped to not fit in each other's machines. If you cut away the plastic that prevents them from fitting, you can play them; on a US system it's the two little plastic tabs that slide into the back of cartridges. (Or you can use an ``adapter'' which just changes the cartridge slot size). News flash: It is said that some newer SNES systems have metal inside the tabs, in which case you might actually need the adapter. There are said to be some newer machines which won't run any Japanese games. PC ENGINE/COREGRAFX/DUO: Same as Turbografx-16. Cartridge games aren't compatible, but you can buy adapters for $20-30 through many mail order places. (If you have a Duo, watch out to be sure your adapter fits, or else do some cutting....) CDs are compatible without adapters, although the SCD and Arcade Card expansions are themselves cartridges and so need adapters if you're using Japanese ones in an American machine. There is a hardware difference between the two machines. Most TG-16 car- tridges check it, and won't work on a PCE even with an adapter. (Known excep- tions which _do_ work are Night Creatures, Ghost Manor, and some runs of Klax. There is a hypothesis that US-only games which aren't Japanese ports will work.) Although in theory any game could be locked out this way, this has only happened for carts, and only in one direction, so you probably don't need to worry about it. The Altered Beast CD won't work, but that's because of an incompatibility with the CD system version; it won't work on a PC Engine 2.0 or SCD either. Note: The CD-ROM2 is the the CD, not the super-CD. The "2" comes from the Japanese name "Rom Rom". SUPERGRAFX: No US counterpart. (The Supergrafx was an enhanced PC Engine and can play PC Engine games without modification, though of course these are hard to get in the US.) 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 will usually run. But there are a language setting and a 50/60 hertz setting that cartridges can read. Some newer games are programmed to check these settings and decide not to run at all. The following games are locked out this way (CD games refuse to run even with a Pro-CDX): 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, Majin Saga, Outrun 2019, Phantasy Star IV, Ren and Stimpy, Rocket Knight Adventures, SF2, Shadowrun, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Streets of Rage II, Streets of Rage III, 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 is nowhere near an exhaustive list--it's just the ones people told me about. To play English/Japanese versions, you need a language switch, or a special adaptor which acts like one. To play European/non-European versions, you need a 50/60 hertz switch (see below). (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.) For the CD-ROM, there are 4 different versions: American, European, Japanese, and (other) Asian. There are three combinations to consider; the disk, CD drive, and console can each be mismatches. CD drive/disk: You can get around mismatches by replacing the ROM containing the operating system with one from another country, and replacing the timing crystal if there is a 50/60 hertz incompatibility. (I have no idea if there are non-pirated ROMs which let you do this.) The ROM is the big chip near the connector (at least on older versions). There is an adapter called the Pro- CDX which usually fixes the problem without replacing anything. (Older Pro- CDX versions don't work on Japanese drives, and older Pro-CDX versions, in general, have problems with several games). There is also an adapter called the CD-Key. I have no idea how well it works, whether it works on the same principles, etc. CD drive/console: the American CD player won't start up on a Japanese console (there are mixed reports about Japanese players and US consoles). The Pro-CDX (usually), swapping ROMs, or a language/50/60 switch fixes this. Disk/console: The Pro-CDX does _not_ fix this one, and can't. Use a language switch or a language switch-type adaptor in addition to a Pro-CDX. Luckily, this is rare, so far. There is supposedly a version D ROM, for internal Sega use by game developers, with which a Pro-CDX is not needed. I have no idea if there are pirated versions of this floating around either.... (The excuse for incompatibility is that cartridges don't use music or footage from licensed properties, but CDs do, and licensing might only apply to limit- ed geographic areas. Needless to say, cartridges _do_ use music, and at least digitized pictures from, licensed properties. Nor do the compatible PC Engine/TG CD's, 3DO CDs, or for that matter regular music CDs or laser discs, have this problem.) SEGA MARK III/SEGA SG-1000: same as and compatible with the Sega Master Sys- tem. There is growing evidence of language switchability, but no known lockout. NEO-GEO: same as and compatible with US version. There is a 1 megabit ROM in it which is different in different versions. There are at least arcade ver- sions, English-language home versions, and Japanese language home versions, and you can make a language and/or version switch if you have an EPROM burner. The arcade Neo-Geo carts are functionally identical to the home ones, but have different sized boards to keep arcade owners from using the cheap home versions. Whether or not there's an adapter for this, I have no idea. The Neo-Geo CD has not been released in America, but does support a language switching capability. It will likely be the same: compatible but shows different languages in different countries. 3DO: No known incompatibility. It has been suggested that games that use built-in kanji-displaying ROM routines won't work on an American machine, but the only example I've heard of is the Japanese version of Alone in the Dark, and I'm not sure if this is really an incompatibility, or just a quirk that doesn't work for some other reason. JAGUAR: same as and compatible with US version. (Its market penetration is nearly nil in Japan, but European and American games are also compatible.) There is one known "language switch" game; Sensible Soccer shows fake teams in 50 hertz mode due to licensing restrictions. See the Jaguar FAQ for information about switching 50/60 hertz. SEGA 32X: No new incompatibility, but the incompatibility of the underlying Genesis/Mega Drive (and CD player, if you're playing 32X CD games) still applies; get a language switch and/or a Pro-CDX, just like for regular Mega Drive and Mega CD games. GAMEBOY: same as and compatible with US version. LYNX: same as and compatible with US version. GAME GEAR: same as and compatible with US version. The Japanese TV tuner, however, works on Japanese TV frequencies, some of which differ from US TV frequencies. There are reports that US Game Gear games play in Japanese on a Japanese system, which suggests yet another system with a language switch.... PC ENGINE GT: This is the equivalent of the TurboExpress, and runs PC Engine games. The same adapter that plays PC Engine games on a TG-16 also plays them on a TurboExpress. Again, note that Japanese TV tuners work on different frequencies than US ones. SATURN: Locked out. There are hardware modifications to fix this problem, and there will supposedly be a plug-in cartridge soon to do the same. See below. PLAYSTATION: Apparently locked out. Who knows? MISCELLANEOUS: The "Master Gear" adapter plays Sega Master System games on the Game Gear. The games won't run at the correct speed if the game is from a place where TV uses PAL (i.e. Europe). Adapters in reverse, to play Game Gear games on a Sega Master System, _might_ be possible; see the SMS FAQ. The Power Base Converter plays Sega Master System games on a Genesis. (If the reverse Game Gear/Master System adapter really exists, you could play Game Gear games on your Genesis....) There are differently-shaped Power Base Converters for the old and new Genesis shapes; the one for the Genesis 2 is only available in Europe. There are two adapters, the Tristar and the Super-8 (I'm not sure if these are the same), which allow playing NES games on a SNES. They cost enough that it is cheaper to just buy a used NES, however. How to make a language switch (Genesis/MD). On a Genesis/MD, there are jumpers labelled 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 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 adaptor/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 labelled 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 50/60 hertz 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. There is some way to build one on a SNES. I don't know how. 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. Genesis/Mega Drive dual version (language switch) 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. 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. (What does an English version do?) 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. 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 MD. * Information from testing a Japanese game Many games with a standard "Sega TM" screen also omit the TM when played in Japanese mode, even if the game isn't otherwise bilingual. Most of the Japanese has been removed from the Sega CD versions of Columns, Revenge of Shinobi, and Streets of Rage. Sega Master System and Game Gear Language Switches: There are rumors that the Sega Master System and the Game Gear had language- switchable games. I received one report of "World Gran Prix" for the Sega Master System changing title to "The Circuit" (it was played with a Power Base Converter on a Japanese Mega Drive). Further information is welcome (particularly if anyone played it on a regular Genesis or SMS and _didn't_ get "The Circuit"). Neo-Geo multiple version/language switch: Games do do different things in Japanese and American systems, as well as in arcade/home. There is a 1 megabit ROM that has to be replaced to change versions; put a new ROM (copied from a different version Neo-Geo) on top of the old one and add a switch to toggle the power pin. There are at least 4 different versions (US/Japan, home/arcade). Normally the difference is in the language for US/Japan and the number of credits for home/arcade, but the most infamous case is Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japanese), which on a US home version has no blood or violent killings. Neo-Geo CD multiple version/language switch: The Neo-Geo CD country settings are actually listed on the circuit board. There are jumpers JN1 through 4; on a US version JN1 is connected, on a European version JN2 is connected, and on a Japanese version neither is connected. So add a switch across the proper jumper (probably JN1). Saturn country code switch: It is necessary to remove 4 screws on the bottom, and one screw near the powercord, to open up the machine. Then remove the CD (several plugs to unplug), then the metal shielding. Then the main board must also be removed. On a Japanese Saturn, jumpers JP6 and JP11 are connected; on an American Saturn, jumpers JP7 and JP10 are connected. (JP9 and JP13 are connected on both systems.) So you need a switch to do the appropriate toggling. PC Engine/TG-16 pinout. This information was posted by David Shadoff (daves@interlog.com) and is mostly verbatim: Notes: (1) For reference, pin 1 is the short pin (on the left, if the card is to inserted forwards), pin 38 is the long pin on the right. (2) * - means I think this is what it is ** - means I don't know (bar) - means it is an active-while low condition (usually denoted by a bar over top) (3) I'm telling you all I know (which really isn't much), and it may contain errors, also - I will not be held responsible for errors in this list. (or any damages resulting from the use of, or inability to use, this information, etc...) Pin Use --- --- 1 ** 20 D4 2 ** 21 D5 3 A18* 22 D6 4 A16 23 D7 5 A15 24 CE (bar) - chip select 6 A12 25 A10 7 A7 26 OE (bar) - output enable 8 A6 27 A11 9 A5 28 A9 10 A4 29 A8 11 A3 30 A13 12 A2 31 A14 13 A1 32 A17 14 A0 33 A19* 15 D0 34 R/W (bar over W) - read/write 16 D1 35 ** 17 D2 36 ** 18 Gnd 37 ** 19 D3 38 +5V It is interesting to note that pins 6 thru 29 are basically exact duplicates of the functions of pins 2 thru 25 on a 2764 EPROM. Obviously, the design of the chip's die was not a complete re-work; it just sits on a different package. I got this information from tracing address- and data-paths through the PC-E to the 2K static RAM (which has a known pinout), and extending that information by reviewing an NEC data book on their 1-Megabit factory-programmed PROM's (it's an old data book, so I couldn't go any further). The TG-16 differs from the PC-E in that the D0-7 datalines are reversed (actually, the PROM is programmed that way, and the wires leading to the data bus in the machine are reversed). I have shown here, the card pinout (which does not differ). I believe that this is the PC-E port pinout (TG-16's just reverse the data lines' order; swap 0 for 7, 1 for 6, 2 for 5, and 3 for 4). - Additional information: to copy a TG-16 game to work on a PC Engine with copier, reverse the bit order. There is then a sequence of code which checks what machine the game is running on: all known examples start with 78 54 A9, have the letters NEC at offset 15 hex, and an F0 at offset 0B. If the F0 is changed to an 80 (changing a conditional jump to an unconditional jump), the game will work on both PC Engine and TG-16. This code sequence is usually at the start of the game, but can be in other places. Section 9: Game Magazines ========================= British magazines: To order a British magazine, call first; pay with a VISA card or an International Money Order: Title: Computer + Video Games (computer and console games) Title: Nintendo Magazine System Mean Machines (Nintendo) Title: Mean Machines Sega (Sega) Phone: (0858) 410510 Title: ZONE (console games) Phone: (071) 580 8908 Title: Sega Pro (Sega only) Phone: (0225) 765086 Title: Sega Force (Sega only) Phone: (051) 357 1275 Title: TOTAL (Nintendo only) Phone: (0458) 74011 Section 10: Historical References ================================= Cohen, Scott, _Zap!__The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Atari_ (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984) A famous book which is supposedly rare. I haven't seen it around recently, but haven't seen any real evidence that it's rarer than any other 1984-published book, either. Herman, Leonard. _Phoenix:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Home_Videogames_ (Rolenta Press, 1994) A book which has gotten good reviews by major videogame magazines and occasionally on the net. It was privately published as 1000 copies after the author could not interest a publisher in it. It covers the entire history of videogames up to the end of 1993, with a future supplement covering 1994. Katz, Arnie, and Worley, Joyce, "The History of Video Gaming" (parts 1-4), _A.N.A.L.O.G._Computing_, April 1988-July 1988. Brief articles on video game systems up to and a bit past the crash. Not that informative. Sheff, David, _Game_Over:_How_Nintendo_Conquered_the_World_ (New York: Random House, 1993) Mostly about Nintendo, this book has a trade paperback edition published in 1994 with a new afterword. It notably omits NEC in Japan and Sega in Europe, for instance. This book has a bibliography listing a lot of other sources, though many of them aren't specifically about video games. Section 11: Other FAQ's/regular postings/mailing lists ====================================================== FAQs: ---- Game Gear FAQ: send mail to Tony Clark (tclark@hptc.mentorg.com) [Someone told me mail to him bounced, however.] Game Boy FAQ: send mail to Marat Fayzullin (fms@wam.umd.edu). Jaguar FAQ: maintained by Robert Jung (rjung@netcom.com). Lynx FAQ: maintained by Robert Jung (rjung@netcom.com). Neo-Geo FAQ: maintained by Ralph A. Barbagallo III (nugget@genesis.nred.ma.us). Sega programming FAQ: available at sunsite.unc.edu, pub/micro/games/sega. The author has stopped this FAQ at version 7. Sega Saturn FAQ: two FAQs, maintained by Gordon Craick (pred@zikzak.apana.org.au) and hill931@raven.csrv.uidaho.edu. Do not send Gordon requests for emailing the FAQ. It may be obtained through WWW at http://www.uidaho.edu/~hill931. Sony Playstation FAQ: maintained by Will McBee (mcbeew@ucsuc.colorado.edu). Mailing Lists: ------------- Game system development mailing lists: send a message to listserv@ busop.cit.wayne.edu with the line "SUBSCRIBE FAMIDEV". There is an ftp site with hardware information on busop.cit.wayne.edu. There seem to be other lists there, details of which I'm not sure. (There seems to have once been a MEGADEV list and Sega files, but both are gone. I have no idea if anyone is keeping copies of the files.) Jaguar mailing list: send a message to listserv@ctrc.idde.saci.org with the message "subscribe jaguar-l firstname lastname". SNES mailing list: send mail to snes-l-request@io.com with the body "subscribe snes-l". Spoiler/Cheat Lists (not mailing lists): --------------------------------------- Genesis and Sega CD cheat/hint list: maintained by Bill Herzog (whh@rain.org). Lynx cheat list: atari.archive.cc.umich.edu. "Secrets of the Sega Sages": maintained bu Brian Preble (rassilon@ai.mit.edu). Can be found in the Sega archives on sunsite.unc.edu and ftp.cica.indiana.edu. SNES spoiler list: maintained by Tony Iaconetti (iaconetti_a@spcvxa.spc.edu). Email Servers: ------------- Classic system cartridge server: send mail to mail-server@xocolatl.com with "send CARTS.LST" as the body. Game Boy email server: send a message to gameboy@mentor.cc.purdue.edu with a subject of ARCHIVE and a body consisting of commands (try 'help', 'filelist'). Game Genie/Gold Finger/Action Replay code server: send mail to game-genie-serv@nvc.cc.ca.us (or gold-finger-serv or action-replay-serv). The server accepts a help command. (This server will translate between GG and GF formats for you.) FTP sites: --------- wiretap.spies.com, game_archive directory, has lots of stuff including arcade game information, pinouts, and complete game lists. Move lists (and a lot of these other lists): ftp ftp.netcom.com, pub/vi/vidgames/faqs. FAQ for Gameboy and SNES: available at io.com, /pub/usr/averyc. Fighting Game Archive/FAQ site: ftp to brawl.mindlink.net. Includes a lot of move lists, and includes home games. Miscellaneous: ------------- Anime video games list: maintained by me (arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu). Japanese video game source list: maintained by Steve Pearl (pearl@ remus.rutgers.edu). The list can be ftp'ed from romulus.rutgers.edu (128.6.13.2). SNES review list: ftp brownvm.brown.edu, cd james.394. Semi-Classic System stuff: ------------------------- Sega Master System FAQ: maintained by Jeff Bogumil (aj809@yfn.ysu.edu). TG-16 FAQ: maintained by John Yu (jky@csa.bu.edu). TG-16 mailing list: send mail to turbo-list-request@cpac.washington.edu. Send a help message for the server. Classic System stuff: -------------------- Classic Atari systems: last posted by Andrew K. Heller (cagsfaq@akh104.rh.psu.edu). I assume he maintains it. Classic systems FAQ FAQ: maintained by joey.mcdonald@209-254-8.genesplicer.org. Classic Video Game Book and Periodical List: maintained by Lee Seitz (lkseitz@iquest.com). Complete Atari 2600 Game List: maintained by Craig Pell (vgriscep@wam.umd.edu). Colecovision FAQ: maintained by Joe Huber (huber@tribe.enet.dec.com). Intellivision FAQ: maintained by Larry Anderson Jr. (larry_a@netcom.com). Microvision FAQ: maintained by Joe Huber (huber@tribe.enet.dec.com). Starpath FAQ: maintained by Glenn Saunders (krishna@max.tiac.net). Vectrex FAQ: maintained by Gregg Woodcock (woodcock@sdf.lonestar.org). -- Ken Arromdee (email: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu) Romana: "But he had such an honest face!" Doctor: "Romana! You can't be a successful thief with a _dis_honest face!"