Welcome to the OCN Sega Fan Club, dedicated to Japan's greatest videogame company, Sega.
If you are a fan of Sega consoles, videogames, or the blue hedgehog, feel free to join.
I know you guys are out there! Whenever there's something posted in the videogame news section about Sega, a lot of you show up with tons of Sega spirit.
5/1/13 - Club Ownership transferred to neurotix. Members list merged into one list, instead of separate console owners and former console owners.
Members
jetpak12 (Founder, former Club Owner) - Master System, Genesis 1, 32X, Sega CD 2
neurotix (Founding Member, Club Owner) - Master System, Genesis (Model 1, CD, 32x), Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast
Captain318 - Master System, Genesis (Models 1-3, 32X, CD), Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast
DAI_JAZZER - Genesis
frickfrock99 - Dreamcast
Metalcrack - Master System, Genesis (Models 1, 2, 32X, CD), Saturn, Dreamcast
MaxFTW - Dreamcast
Sainesk - Genesis (Currently MIA Found!
d33r - Genesis, Nomad
cdoublejj - CDX, Genesis
Ibage - Genesis, Game Gear, Dreamcast
iDeaL7 - Master System, Genesis (Models 1, 2, 32X, CD), Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast
Plan9 - Master System, Dreamcast
graverobtrue - Master System, Genesis, Nomad, Saturn, Dreamcast
hertz9753 - Genesis 2 (32X)
Geeboi - Mega Drive, Saturn, Dreamcast
Simple_echo - Genesis 2 (32X, CD), Nomad, Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast
Dr-Alan - Genesis 2, Game Gear, Saturn, Dreamcast
PostalTwinkie - Genesis
Shadowrunner340 - Genesis (1, 2, 32X), Dreamcast
head-fi-nut - Master System, Mega Drive, Saturn (one white, one black), Dreamcast
Axon14 - Master System, Genesis (1, 2, 3), Sega CD (Model 1), CDX, Dreamcast
efeltherock - Genesis, Sega CD
vikingsteve - Formerly Saturn
Rains - Genesis, Dreamcast
That_guy3 - Genesis
666lbs - Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast
Mega Man - Master System, Genesis, Sega CD, 32x, Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Gear
bridgypoo - neurotix' girlfriend. Has bought me a lot of games D:
TheN00bBuilder - Genesis, Genesis 2, Sega CD, Japanese Saturn, Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Gear
Renairy - Mega Drive
johnvosh - Sega Master System, Genesis V1 & 2, Dreamcast
legoman786 - Genesis
davek - Genesis 1
ledzepp3 - Nomad
FlawleZ - Genesis, 32x, Saturn, Game Gear, Nomad
amd655 - Genesis, Dreamcast, broken Saturn
Manny123 - Mega Drive
gopackersjt - Master System, Genesis II, Dreamcast, Nomad, Game Gear
OC'ing Noob - Dreamcast
Mr357 - Model 2 Genesis, Dreamcast
Aaron_Henderson - Model 2 Genesis, Dreamcast, big ambitions
Levys - Mega Drive 1, Mega CD 2
jameswalt1 - Formerly Master System
ksimp88 - Formerly Genesis
dava4444 - Formerly Dreamcast
Membership Requirements: Console ownership preferred, but not required. Must love all things Sega. Post to be added to the membership list. List the consoles you own in an easy-to-copy-and-paste manner.
Check out my other club: OCN Retro - The Overclock.net Retrogaming Club
Retro Sega systems repair manuals: http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/sega-service-manuals.44343/
Sega Retro Hardware Guide by neurotix, with help from outside sources:
The first Sega console was the SG-1000. Before this, Sega made arcade games. Sega actually stands for "Service Games"; the company was founded in Hawaii in the 50s as "standard games". Back then, Service Games imported and serviced pinball style games on American military bases in the Pacific. A merger between Service Games and Rosen Enterprises in the 60s resulted in Sega Enterprises, with David Rosen as the CEO. He also put out their first manufactured coin operated game, Periscope.
Many retro collectors mistakenly believe the first Sega console to be the Master System, but this predates it by 2 years. It was released July 15, 1983. This console was Japan only. It was very simple and had great graphics for it's day, far surpassing an Atari 2600, around the level of Colecovision.
The console had a 4-bit NEC 780C processor clocked at 3.58mhz, 2kb system RAM and 16kb video ram. It had a screen resolution of 256x192 and 16 color palette. The max ROM/cartridge size was 48kb. See more here: http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg80-sg1000.htm
In 1984 Sega released the Sega Mark III in Japan. This was an improved version of the SG-1000 II. In America this console is called the Sega Master System and was redesigned to be black and red, which started the trend of most Sega consoles being black. It was released in America in 1986.
The Master System featured cartridges as well as removable "Sega cards" about the size of a credit card as an alternate format (another console that used similar cards was the NEC Turbografx 16/PC Engine with it's HUcards). It had a few accessories including the Light Phaser light gun, and the highly collectable and sought after 3D glasses.
Sadly the Master System was released after the NES/Famicom had already come out in America, and hot on the heels of the video game crash of 1983. Although technically superior, the Master System had few killer apps and only ever gained about 5% of the market share from the behemoth, Nintendo, in the mid to late 80s. It also competed with the underwhelming Atari 7800. In contrast, Sega was very successful in Europe with the Master System, doing far better than Nintendo during this time period due to exclusive licensing deals with toy stores and it's vastly superior graphics and sound.
More information on racketboy's site here:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/sms/games-that-defined-sega-master-system
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/sms/sega-master-system-101-a-beginners-guide
Hardware specs (courtesy consoledatabase.com):
Sega Master System/SG-1000 Mark III Technical Specifications
CPU: 8 Bit Zilog Z-80 Processor running at 3.58 MHz
Graphics: Texas Instruments TMS9929A VDP
VRAM: 64K
RAM: 64-Kbits
ROM: 1MB
Colours Available: 256
Max. Colours on screen: 52
Pixel Resolution: 240 x 226, 32x28 character text display mode
Max. Simultaneous Sprites: 16
Sprite size: 8 x 8 pixels
Sound: Texas Instruments SN-76596 PCM audio processor producing 6 channel mono sound
1 cartridge port
1 Game Card slot (Mark III and Master System 1 only)
2 controller ports
AV port and internal RF adapter
Here we go... big section!
Original JP Megadrive
Original NA Genesis model 1 (note the 'High Definition Graphics' xD)
The Sega Mega Drive was released in Japan in 1988. It was based on the widely popular Sega System 16 arcade hardware that ran machines like Afterburner, Out-run, Altered Beast, and Space Harrier. The Sega Genesis was released in the States on September 15th 1989 for $190. It was the first true 16-bit machine to be released; the other machine at the time claiming to be 16-bit was the NEC Turbografx 16, but that system actually used two 8-bit processors.
The Genesis is reknown for it's high build quality, great controllers, and excellent gameplay. Over the years there were many variations of it, including the Genesis 2 and 3, as well as Genesis model 1s with no High Definition Graphics and lacking an ext port. The Genesis 2 and 3 also lack a headphone jack for stereo sound and the volume slider that goes with it.
The Genesis was Sega's most successful console in America due to games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, and due to arcade ports such as Mortal Kombat being uncensored (blood was removed in the SNES version). It has a large library of quality games. However, the Megadrive did poorly in Japan, with more people owning a PC Engine for it's large library of Japanese only CD RPGs or a Super Famicom for it's equally large library of games.
There were many peripherals released for the Genesis, including a cartridge slot converter called the Power Base Converter that lets the Genesis run Master System games (in realtime, using the onboard Zilog Z-80 processor, NOT through emulation). There were many third party controllers, a light gun, 6 button Sega brand gamepads, and more.
Redesigned NA Genesis 2
Even smaller Genesis 3, that won't run certain games
Genesis information on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/genesis/sega-genesis-megadrive-101-a-beginners-guide
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/genesis/the-best-sega-genesis-games-under-10
There is a ton of information on Genesis/Megadrive variants here, and the ones to avoid if you're a collector:
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?7796-GUIDE-Telling-apart-good-Genesis-1s-and-Genesis-2s-from-bad-ones
Specs:
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Technical Specifications
CPU: 16-bit Motorola 68000 running at 7.61 MHz
Co-processor: Zilog Z80 running at 4 MHz (Not Present in model MK-1631 [ed. Genesis 3]) controls PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) FM Chips
RAM: 64 Kbytes
ROM: 1 Mbytes (8-Mbit)
VRAM: 64 Kbytes (Video Ram)
Graphics: VDP (Video Display Processor) dedicated video display processor for playfield and sprite control, 3 Planes, 2 scrolling playfields, 1 sprite plane
Colours Available: 512
Max. Colours on screen: 64
CRAM: 64 x 9-kbit (Colour RAM)
Pixel Resolution: 320 x 224, 40 x 28 text display mode
Sound: Texas Instruments PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) TI 76489 chip, Yamaha YM 2612 FM chip
Signal/Noise Ratio: 14dB
Sound Channels: 6 stereo sound channels
Sound RAM: 8 Kbytes
1 sidecar expansion slot
1 cartridge port
2 joystick ports
AV port
Sega CD:
Model 1
Model 2
The Sega CD (Mega CD in Japan and Europe) is a CD peripheral addon for the Genesis released in 1991 in Japan and April 1993 in America.
It allowed you to play CD based games with features such as redbook audio, bigger gameworlds, and full motion video.
A lot of the games are hard to find and rare and fetch a commanding price on ebay and other outlets (I've seen some go for $200 used).
More on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/segacd/games-that-defined-sega-cd
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X was an ill fated late release in the lifespan of the Genesis. It was a 32 bit cartridge based peripheral addon for the Genesis and added things like rudimentary polygonal rendering support to the Genesis; this was right around the time of the big transition from sprite and raster based graphics to full 3D polygonal graphics in video gaming. This system is well known for failing spectacularly; it was launched in November 1994 for $170 and then abandoned in October 1995 when Sega's CEO, Hayao Nakayama, ordered all development to be focused on the upcoming Sega Saturn, a true 32-bit console.
There are a few games (5) that require a Genesis base unit, Sega CD and 32X to work. These are enhanced titles, called Sega CD-32X games.
Ultimately the 32X was one of the biggest failures ever in the gaming industry, with very few redeeming titles or reasons to own one. In comparison, a great deal of amazing games were released in the 2 year lifespan of the Sega CD.
Processor: Two SH2 32-bit RISC processors with a clock speed of 23.011 MHz, approx 20 MIPS each
Video RAM: Two linear framebuffers with support for RLE compression and an overdraw mode to simplify compositing objects with transparency. All scaling, rotation, and 3D operations are performed in software on the SH2 processors.
ROM (BIOS): 3 kb
Color depth: 32,768 simultaneous colors on screen at standard Mega Drive/Genesis resolution. Video output can overlay Mega Drive/Genesis graphics or vice versa. Mega Drive/Genesis video effects such as shadow or highlight do not affect 32X video.
Memory: 256 kB (2 MBit) program RAM and two 128 kB (1 MBit) framebuffers.
Audio: Stereo 10-bit PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) mixing with Mega Drive/Genesis sound for a total of 12 audio channels of varying capability, 20 with the addition of a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
I/O: Same as Mega Drive/Genesis.
Storage: 32X cartridges are fundamentally the same as Mega Drive/Genesis cartridges with some small differences in the plastic casing. A few CD-ROM games were developed that also required a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
Compatibility: Compatible with Mega Drive/Genesis models 1 and 2, JVC Wondermega/X'Eye and the Multi-Mega/CDX. The 32X does not work with the Genesis 3 which lacks some of the necessary interface logic.
Dimensions: 107 × 205 × 110 mm (4.2 × 8.1 × 4.3 in)
Mass: 495 grams (17.5 oz)
Sega CD-X/Wondermega/X-Eye
CD-X
Wondermega
JVC X-Eye
These were all combinations of a Mega Drive/ Genesis and a Sega CD. They were released late in the Genesis' life cycle (around 1994-95).
The CD-X also functions as a portable CD player (Walkman).
Original JP Megadrive
Original NA Genesis model 1 (note the 'High Definition Graphics' xD)
The Sega Mega Drive was released in Japan in 1988. It was based on the widely popular Sega System 16 arcade hardware that ran machines like Afterburner, Out-run, Altered Beast, and Space Harrier. The Sega Genesis was released in the States on September 15th 1989 for $190. It was the first true 16-bit machine to be released; the other machine at the time claiming to be 16-bit was the NEC Turbografx 16, but that system actually used two 8-bit processors.
The Genesis is reknown for it's high build quality, great controllers, and excellent gameplay. Over the years there were many variations of it, including the Genesis 2 and 3, as well as Genesis model 1s with no High Definition Graphics and lacking an ext port. The Genesis 2 and 3 also lack a headphone jack for stereo sound and the volume slider that goes with it.
The Genesis was Sega's most successful console in America due to games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, and due to arcade ports such as Mortal Kombat being uncensored (blood was removed in the SNES version). It has a large library of quality games. However, the Megadrive did poorly in Japan, with more people owning a PC Engine for it's large library of Japanese only CD RPGs or a Super Famicom for it's equally large library of games.
There were many peripherals released for the Genesis, including a cartridge slot converter called the Power Base Converter that lets the Genesis run Master System games (in realtime, using the onboard Zilog Z-80 processor, NOT through emulation). There were many third party controllers, a light gun, 6 button Sega brand gamepads, and more.
Redesigned NA Genesis 2
Even smaller Genesis 3, that won't run certain games
Genesis information on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/genesis/sega-genesis-megadrive-101-a-beginners-guide
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/genesis/the-best-sega-genesis-games-under-10
There is a ton of information on Genesis/Megadrive variants here, and the ones to avoid if you're a collector:
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?7796-GUIDE-Telling-apart-good-Genesis-1s-and-Genesis-2s-from-bad-ones
Specs:
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Technical Specifications
CPU: 16-bit Motorola 68000 running at 7.61 MHz
Co-processor: Zilog Z80 running at 4 MHz (Not Present in model MK-1631 [ed. Genesis 3]) controls PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) FM Chips
RAM: 64 Kbytes
ROM: 1 Mbytes (8-Mbit)
VRAM: 64 Kbytes (Video Ram)
Graphics: VDP (Video Display Processor) dedicated video display processor for playfield and sprite control, 3 Planes, 2 scrolling playfields, 1 sprite plane
Colours Available: 512
Max. Colours on screen: 64
CRAM: 64 x 9-kbit (Colour RAM)
Pixel Resolution: 320 x 224, 40 x 28 text display mode
Sound: Texas Instruments PSG (Programmable Sound Generator) TI 76489 chip, Yamaha YM 2612 FM chip
Signal/Noise Ratio: 14dB
Sound Channels: 6 stereo sound channels
Sound RAM: 8 Kbytes
1 sidecar expansion slot
1 cartridge port
2 joystick ports
AV port
Sega CD:
Model 1
Model 2
The Sega CD (Mega CD in Japan and Europe) is a CD peripheral addon for the Genesis released in 1991 in Japan and April 1993 in America.
It allowed you to play CD based games with features such as redbook audio, bigger gameworlds, and full motion video.
A lot of the games are hard to find and rare and fetch a commanding price on ebay and other outlets (I've seen some go for $200 used).
More on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/segacd/games-that-defined-sega-cd
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X was an ill fated late release in the lifespan of the Genesis. It was a 32 bit cartridge based peripheral addon for the Genesis and added things like rudimentary polygonal rendering support to the Genesis; this was right around the time of the big transition from sprite and raster based graphics to full 3D polygonal graphics in video gaming. This system is well known for failing spectacularly; it was launched in November 1994 for $170 and then abandoned in October 1995 when Sega's CEO, Hayao Nakayama, ordered all development to be focused on the upcoming Sega Saturn, a true 32-bit console.
There are a few games (5) that require a Genesis base unit, Sega CD and 32X to work. These are enhanced titles, called Sega CD-32X games.
Ultimately the 32X was one of the biggest failures ever in the gaming industry, with very few redeeming titles or reasons to own one. In comparison, a great deal of amazing games were released in the 2 year lifespan of the Sega CD.
Processor: Two SH2 32-bit RISC processors with a clock speed of 23.011 MHz, approx 20 MIPS each
Video RAM: Two linear framebuffers with support for RLE compression and an overdraw mode to simplify compositing objects with transparency. All scaling, rotation, and 3D operations are performed in software on the SH2 processors.
ROM (BIOS): 3 kb
Color depth: 32,768 simultaneous colors on screen at standard Mega Drive/Genesis resolution. Video output can overlay Mega Drive/Genesis graphics or vice versa. Mega Drive/Genesis video effects such as shadow or highlight do not affect 32X video.
Memory: 256 kB (2 MBit) program RAM and two 128 kB (1 MBit) framebuffers.
Audio: Stereo 10-bit PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) mixing with Mega Drive/Genesis sound for a total of 12 audio channels of varying capability, 20 with the addition of a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
I/O: Same as Mega Drive/Genesis.
Storage: 32X cartridges are fundamentally the same as Mega Drive/Genesis cartridges with some small differences in the plastic casing. A few CD-ROM games were developed that also required a Mega-CD/Sega CD.
Compatibility: Compatible with Mega Drive/Genesis models 1 and 2, JVC Wondermega/X'Eye and the Multi-Mega/CDX. The 32X does not work with the Genesis 3 which lacks some of the necessary interface logic.
Dimensions: 107 × 205 × 110 mm (4.2 × 8.1 × 4.3 in)
Mass: 495 grams (17.5 oz)
Sega CD-X/Wondermega/X-Eye
CD-X
Wondermega
JVC X-Eye
These were all combinations of a Mega Drive/ Genesis and a Sega CD. They were released late in the Genesis' life cycle (around 1994-95).
The CD-X also functions as a portable CD player (Walkman).
Sega Game Gear with TV Tuner
The Sega Game Gear was Sega's first portable system. It was released in 1991 for $150 in America and in 1990 in Japan. It was only the third portable system to feature full color (the other two being the Atari Lynx and the NEC Turboexpress) and was the cheapest portable system with a color screen at the time.
The Game Gear was basically a portable Master System with an expanded color palette and it's own cartridge format. A converter called the Master Gear Converter exists to allow the Game Gear to play Master System cartridges; however, because of the screen resolution difference between the Game Gear and SMS the games will play with horizontal black bars on the top and bottom and text may be hard to read. There were a lot of accessories for the Game Gear including a carrying case, a car charger, an AC adapter, a "Super Wide Gear" screen magnifier, and an analog TV tuner to allow you to watch over the air TV on the Game Gear (this will no longer work in the United States due to the digital TV switch).
The Game Gear uses 6 AA batteries to operate portably and because the screen is backlit by a tube light it drains them very fast (about 3-4 hours). However, there's a way to mod the Game Gear and replace the backlight with white LEDs to get a better picture and increase battery life by double or more.
The Game Gear was successful in it's own right and has a large library of games, however it failed to take market share or put a dent in the formidable yet technologically inferior Nintendo Game Boy.
Sega Game Gear capacitor repair:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ggrgb/ggrepair.html
Sega Game Gear backlight mod:
http://pipe-organ-wolf.livejournal.com/5865.html
Game Gear collecting on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/gamegear/sega-game-gear-101-a-beginners-guide
Specs:
Main processor: Zilog Z80 (8-bit)
Processor speed: 3.58 MHz (same as NTSC colour subcarrier)
Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels (same as Nintendo's Game Boy)
Colors available: 4,096
Colors on screen: 32
Maximum sprites: 64
Sprite size: 8x8 or 8x16
Screen size: 3.2 inches (81 mm)
Audio: 3 square wave generators, 1 noise generator, the system has a mono speaker, but stereo sound can be had via headphone output
RAM: 8 KB
Video RAM: 16 KB
Power:
internal: 6 AA batteries ~4-5 hours
external: 9V DC, 300mA, 3W
Physical:
Width: 209 mm
Height: 111 mm
Depth: 37 mm
weight: ~400g
Sega Genesis Nomad
A portable Sega Genesis with built in 6 button controller. It does not play Game Gear games. I don't believe it will work with a Sega CD or 32X for obvious reasons (correct me if I'm wrong).
The Sega Game Gear was Sega's first portable system. It was released in 1991 for $150 in America and in 1990 in Japan. It was only the third portable system to feature full color (the other two being the Atari Lynx and the NEC Turboexpress) and was the cheapest portable system with a color screen at the time.
The Game Gear was basically a portable Master System with an expanded color palette and it's own cartridge format. A converter called the Master Gear Converter exists to allow the Game Gear to play Master System cartridges; however, because of the screen resolution difference between the Game Gear and SMS the games will play with horizontal black bars on the top and bottom and text may be hard to read. There were a lot of accessories for the Game Gear including a carrying case, a car charger, an AC adapter, a "Super Wide Gear" screen magnifier, and an analog TV tuner to allow you to watch over the air TV on the Game Gear (this will no longer work in the United States due to the digital TV switch).
The Game Gear uses 6 AA batteries to operate portably and because the screen is backlit by a tube light it drains them very fast (about 3-4 hours). However, there's a way to mod the Game Gear and replace the backlight with white LEDs to get a better picture and increase battery life by double or more.
The Game Gear was successful in it's own right and has a large library of games, however it failed to take market share or put a dent in the formidable yet technologically inferior Nintendo Game Boy.
Sega Game Gear capacitor repair:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ggrgb/ggrepair.html
Sega Game Gear backlight mod:
http://pipe-organ-wolf.livejournal.com/5865.html
Game Gear collecting on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/gamegear/sega-game-gear-101-a-beginners-guide
Specs:
Main processor: Zilog Z80 (8-bit)
Processor speed: 3.58 MHz (same as NTSC colour subcarrier)
Resolution: 160 x 144 pixels (same as Nintendo's Game Boy)
Colors available: 4,096
Colors on screen: 32
Maximum sprites: 64
Sprite size: 8x8 or 8x16
Screen size: 3.2 inches (81 mm)
Audio: 3 square wave generators, 1 noise generator, the system has a mono speaker, but stereo sound can be had via headphone output
RAM: 8 KB
Video RAM: 16 KB
Power:
internal: 6 AA batteries ~4-5 hours
external: 9V DC, 300mA, 3W
Physical:
Width: 209 mm
Height: 111 mm
Depth: 37 mm
weight: ~400g
Sega Genesis Nomad
A portable Sega Genesis with built in 6 button controller. It does not play Game Gear games. I don't believe it will work with a Sega CD or 32X for obvious reasons (correct me if I'm wrong).
Original JP Sega Saturn
NA Saturn model 1
NA Saturn model 2
The Sega Saturn was Sega's first 32 bit console capable of full 3D realtime graphics. It was released in Japan in November 1994 and in the US on May 11, 1995 for $399, before the the Playstation. The Saturn was initially popular in America due to high quality arcade ports of games such as Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing, Daytona USA, and Virtua Cop. However, as time went on it declined in popularity to end up 3rd place after the Playstation and Nintendo 64, mostly due to a lack of third party support and it's unusual, advanced architecture being difficult to develop for.
The system is renown for having a great deal of arcade style games, 2D shooters such as Radiant Silvergun, and 2D fighters such as X-men vs Street Fighter and Street Fighter Alpha 3 which required use of a 4MB system RAM expansion cart to play (these ports were vastly superior to those on the Playstation).
The Saturn also has many A+ exclusive titles such as NiGHTS Into Dreams that never saw a release on any other system.
The Saturn was extremely technologically advanced for the time and it's multi processor architecture and design can be directly likened to that of the Playstation 3 today. This has made it extremely difficult to emulate the Saturn properly, and emulating it requires a high end system. Saturn emulation has only been full speed since about 2009, whereas the Playstation has been emulated perfectly since 2002.
Sega Saturn on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/games-that-defined-sega-saturn
Specs:
Processors
Two Hitachi SuperH-2 7604 32-bit RISC processors at 28.63 MHz (25 MIPS)-each has 4 kB on-chip cache (4-way associative), of which 2 kB can alternatively be used as directly addressable Scratchpad RAM
Custom VDP 1 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for sprites/polygons
Custom VDP 2 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for backgrounds/video out
Custom System Control Unit (SCU) with DSP for geometry processing and DMA controller (running at 14.3 MHz)
Motorola 68EC000 sound controller (running at 11.3 MHz / 1.5 MIPS)
Yamaha FH1 DSP sound processor, "Saturn Custom Sound Processor" (SCSP), running at 22.6 MHz
SH-1 32-bit RISC microcontroller (for the CD-ROM and CD security checks; uses preprogrammed embedded ROM, not programmable by software)
Hitachi 4-bit MCU, "System Manager & Peripheral Control" (SMPC)
Memory
1 MB SDRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (faster)
1 MB DRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (slower)
512K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Texture data for polygon/sprites and drawing command lists)
2x 256K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Two framebuffers for double-buffered polygon/sprite rendering)
512K VDP2 SDRAM for 2D graphics (Texture data for the background layers and display lists)
4 KB VDP2 SRAM for color palette data and rotation coefficient data (local, on-chip SRAM)
512 KB DRAM for sound. (Multiplexed as sound CPU work RAM, SCSP DSP RAM, and SCSP wavetable RAM)
512 KB DRAM as work RAM for the CD-ROM subsystem's SH-1 CPU
32 KB SRAM with battery back-up for data retention.
512 KB Mask ROM for the SH-2 BIOS
NA Saturn model 1
NA Saturn model 2
The Sega Saturn was Sega's first 32 bit console capable of full 3D realtime graphics. It was released in Japan in November 1994 and in the US on May 11, 1995 for $399, before the the Playstation. The Saturn was initially popular in America due to high quality arcade ports of games such as Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing, Daytona USA, and Virtua Cop. However, as time went on it declined in popularity to end up 3rd place after the Playstation and Nintendo 64, mostly due to a lack of third party support and it's unusual, advanced architecture being difficult to develop for.
The system is renown for having a great deal of arcade style games, 2D shooters such as Radiant Silvergun, and 2D fighters such as X-men vs Street Fighter and Street Fighter Alpha 3 which required use of a 4MB system RAM expansion cart to play (these ports were vastly superior to those on the Playstation).
The Saturn also has many A+ exclusive titles such as NiGHTS Into Dreams that never saw a release on any other system.
The Saturn was extremely technologically advanced for the time and it's multi processor architecture and design can be directly likened to that of the Playstation 3 today. This has made it extremely difficult to emulate the Saturn properly, and emulating it requires a high end system. Saturn emulation has only been full speed since about 2009, whereas the Playstation has been emulated perfectly since 2002.
Sega Saturn on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/games-that-defined-sega-saturn
Specs:
Processors
Two Hitachi SuperH-2 7604 32-bit RISC processors at 28.63 MHz (25 MIPS)-each has 4 kB on-chip cache (4-way associative), of which 2 kB can alternatively be used as directly addressable Scratchpad RAM
Custom VDP 1 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for sprites/polygons
Custom VDP 2 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for backgrounds/video out
Custom System Control Unit (SCU) with DSP for geometry processing and DMA controller (running at 14.3 MHz)
Motorola 68EC000 sound controller (running at 11.3 MHz / 1.5 MIPS)
Yamaha FH1 DSP sound processor, "Saturn Custom Sound Processor" (SCSP), running at 22.6 MHz
SH-1 32-bit RISC microcontroller (for the CD-ROM and CD security checks; uses preprogrammed embedded ROM, not programmable by software)
Hitachi 4-bit MCU, "System Manager & Peripheral Control" (SMPC)
Memory
1 MB SDRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (faster)
1 MB DRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (slower)
512K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Texture data for polygon/sprites and drawing command lists)
2x 256K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Two framebuffers for double-buffered polygon/sprite rendering)
512K VDP2 SDRAM for 2D graphics (Texture data for the background layers and display lists)
4 KB VDP2 SRAM for color palette data and rotation coefficient data (local, on-chip SRAM)
512 KB DRAM for sound. (Multiplexed as sound CPU work RAM, SCSP DSP RAM, and SCSP wavetable RAM)
512 KB DRAM as work RAM for the CD-ROM subsystem's SH-1 CPU
32 KB SRAM with battery back-up for data retention.
512 KB Mask ROM for the SH-2 BIOS
Sega Dreamcast- it's thinking!
The Sega Dreamcast was Sega's final console. It was released in November 1998 in Japan and on September 9, 1999 in America.
The Dreamcast was very successful in it's first year due to a plethora of great games for it including Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, and others. The Dreamcast was very notable for being the first console to support online multiplayer; all Dreamcasts came stock with a 56k dialup modem which could be upgraded to a broadband ethernet adapter for high speed connections. Games such as Phantasy Star Online exploited this multiplayer to the max and introduced features such as automatic sentence translation (Word Select) through a GUI to allow the game to cross language barriers; something generally not even done in today's games.
The Dreamcast's most unique peripheral is ironically its memory card. Called a Visual Memory Unit, the VMU has a small dot matrix screen similar to Tiger Handhelds and it's own d-pad and buttons. Certain games that made use of this VMU would download a VMU game onto the card which could then be played on the VMU seperately from the Dreamcast, on the go. The progress made in the VMU minigame could then be imported back into the actual game on the Dreamcast to unlock bonuses or items. There were many other third party peripherals for the Dreamcast, including light guns and controllers. A popular accessory is the VGA adapter, which allowed the Dreamcast to be hooked up to a monitor or HDTV for higher resolution graphic modes.
The Dreamcast has a vast library of games, including many 2D shooters, many high quality arcade perfect ports of fighting games, Sonic games, and genre redefining games such as Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, Rez and Phantasy Star Online.
The Dreamcast has a large homebrew scene with emulators for NES, Genesis, SNES, and others. It also was able to emulate Playstation games with enhanced graphics, such as Tekken 3, through commercial software called Bleemcast.
The Playstation 2 and software piracy based on the MIL-CD format killed the Dreamcast; Sega dropped support for it officially on January 31, 2001, a little over a year after it's US launch. Despite this, the last official Dreamcast release through Sega was Trigger Heart Exelica in 2007, and indie publishers are still making games for it today (Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles is one example).
Dreamcast collecting on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dreamcast/sega-dreamcast-101-v2
Rare Dreamcast games on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dreamcast/the-rarest-and-most-valuable-sega-dreamcast-games
Sega Dreamcast laser calibration fix:
http://retro-hack.blogspot.com/2010/06/sega-dreamcast-laser-calibration-guide.html
Special edition rare Dreamcast models:
http://segaretro.org/Special_Dreamcast_Models
Specs:
CPU: 128-bit Hitachi SH-4 RISC processor (200MHz 360 MIPS)
Graphics: NEC CLX2 processor
RAM: 16MB, 8MB Video RAM, 2MB Sound RAM
Colors: 16.7 million
Polygons: 3 million per second
Game Media: 1.2GB GD-ROM, 12x access speed
Resolution: 640x480 pixels
Sound: Yamaha 64 channel
Operating System: Custom Windows CE with DirectX support*
Modem: 56Kbps (US/JP NTSC), 33.3Kbps (PAL)
The Sega Dreamcast was Sega's final console. It was released in November 1998 in Japan and on September 9, 1999 in America.
The Dreamcast was very successful in it's first year due to a plethora of great games for it including Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, and others. The Dreamcast was very notable for being the first console to support online multiplayer; all Dreamcasts came stock with a 56k dialup modem which could be upgraded to a broadband ethernet adapter for high speed connections. Games such as Phantasy Star Online exploited this multiplayer to the max and introduced features such as automatic sentence translation (Word Select) through a GUI to allow the game to cross language barriers; something generally not even done in today's games.
The Dreamcast's most unique peripheral is ironically its memory card. Called a Visual Memory Unit, the VMU has a small dot matrix screen similar to Tiger Handhelds and it's own d-pad and buttons. Certain games that made use of this VMU would download a VMU game onto the card which could then be played on the VMU seperately from the Dreamcast, on the go. The progress made in the VMU minigame could then be imported back into the actual game on the Dreamcast to unlock bonuses or items. There were many other third party peripherals for the Dreamcast, including light guns and controllers. A popular accessory is the VGA adapter, which allowed the Dreamcast to be hooked up to a monitor or HDTV for higher resolution graphic modes.
The Dreamcast has a vast library of games, including many 2D shooters, many high quality arcade perfect ports of fighting games, Sonic games, and genre redefining games such as Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, Rez and Phantasy Star Online.
The Dreamcast has a large homebrew scene with emulators for NES, Genesis, SNES, and others. It also was able to emulate Playstation games with enhanced graphics, such as Tekken 3, through commercial software called Bleemcast.
The Playstation 2 and software piracy based on the MIL-CD format killed the Dreamcast; Sega dropped support for it officially on January 31, 2001, a little over a year after it's US launch. Despite this, the last official Dreamcast release through Sega was Trigger Heart Exelica in 2007, and indie publishers are still making games for it today (Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles is one example).
Dreamcast collecting on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dreamcast/sega-dreamcast-101-v2
Rare Dreamcast games on racketboy:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dreamcast/the-rarest-and-most-valuable-sega-dreamcast-games
Sega Dreamcast laser calibration fix:
http://retro-hack.blogspot.com/2010/06/sega-dreamcast-laser-calibration-guide.html
Special edition rare Dreamcast models:
http://segaretro.org/Special_Dreamcast_Models
Specs:
CPU: 128-bit Hitachi SH-4 RISC processor (200MHz 360 MIPS)
Graphics: NEC CLX2 processor
RAM: 16MB, 8MB Video RAM, 2MB Sound RAM
Colors: 16.7 million
Polygons: 3 million per second
Game Media: 1.2GB GD-ROM, 12x access speed
Resolution: 640x480 pixels
Sound: Yamaha 64 channel
Operating System: Custom Windows CE with DirectX support*
Modem: 56Kbps (US/JP NTSC), 33.3Kbps (PAL)