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Sega Megadrive and Megatech


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Seeing Woka's Megatech system (never seen one before) on the weekend. I looked up info on the web that it uses Megadrive hardware but they are not compatible as the Megatech cartridges as additional info on them for running the small screen. Does anyone know if there is a converter?

 

On the weekend (before I knew the above info) I told Woka that I had an adapter that might be able to use Megatech or Megadrive carts on the system. I have had this adapter for years but never new what it is for, I got it with a bunch of other carts. I have taken pics. Looking inside it is just wired pin for pin. So it seems it only does a physical conversion?

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Megatech is a different pinout. It is a Megadrive and Master System hardware on the one board.

 

What you have there is a cart port extender. My guess it is so you can put japanese carts into a PAL/US megadrive (the japanese carts were a different shape, same as the Megatech cart cases).

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Yeah I remember my old megadrive was the "good" version, because it was Japanese, and the slot was big enough for Jap/Aus/Genesis games. The Jap games were curved and a bit bigger, that thing will let them sit above the slot etc...
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  • 8 years later...

Both systems are based on the Sega Megadrive console.

 

Here's a quick article about my finds on these systems.

 

 

 

 

1) Sega Mega-Tech

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.1) Cartridges

 

They contain 2 ROMs :

 

- One is the game itself. It can be a Megadrive ROM or Master System ROM.

 

- The second contains simply the name of the game to be displayed on the upper screen

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.2) Functionalities

 

Motherboard can hold up to 8 cartridges.

 

Player buy time rather than credits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.3) Compatibility

 

The only thing that forbids you to play Megadrive or Master System games on a Mega-Tech motherboard is the difference of pinout. With an adapter they play fine.

 

Region can be changed via dipswitches.

 

 

 

 

On the other side Mega-Tech games can be played on either the Megadrive or the Master System (depending of their origin) with an adapter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Sega Mega-Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.1) Cartridges

 

They contain 2 ROMs :

 

- One is the game itself. It's a modified Megadrive ROM.

 

- The second contains instructions on how to play the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2) Functionalities

 

Motherboard can hold up to 4 cartridges.

 

Player buy credits.

 

Games are generally shorter (less levels) than their Megadrive counterparts, and harder (less lives, less time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.3) Compatibility

 

First you'll need an adapter to play Megadrive games on the Mega-Play.

 

However with the stock BIOS it displays an error message on the foreground:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I modified the BIOS to disable that. Here's the link to the file:

 

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3HXfvdQ0w7QLWNxb3hpWDdMb1k

 

 

 

 

Mega-Play games still plays fine with the modified BIOS so no need to swap it every time.

 

 

Region can be changed via dipswitches.

 

 

 

On the other side Mega-Play games can be played on the Megadrive with an adapter and a bit of hackery to disable inter-CPU exchanges and force credits.

 

Here's the link to Sonic The Hedgehog I've hacked to be played on the Megadrive:

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3HXfvdQ0w7QaXNENTVoYWY0bTA

 

It's a quick and dirty job, just leave the intro play and when level 1 starts it's up to you. Lives are almost unlimited.

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  • 6 years later...
On 04/05/2017 at 10:30 PM, Apocalypse said:

2.3) Compatibility

First you'll need an adapter to play Megadrive games on the Mega-Play.

However with the stock BIOS it displays an error message on the foreground:

I modified the BIOS to disable that. Here's the link to the file:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3HXfvdQ0w7QLWNxb3hpWDdMb1k

Mega-Play games still plays fine with the modified BIOS so no need to swap it every time.

 

Hello and sorry for necroposting!

Just got my first MegaPlay board and I would love to test the edited bios that Apocalypse posted on this forum (see above).

Is there anyone who saved this file? I have tried contacting Apocalypse but he was not on this forum since 2018...

Thank you for your help!!!

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