================================================ *** Description of BIOS versions *** Notes by Mike Gordon / SMS Power! ================================================ ================================================ Sega Master System BIOS ================================================ ------------------------------------------- SONBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- European BIOS with Sonic The Hedgehog Dumped by Mike Gordon. This BIOS contains Sonic the Hedgehog as the built-in game. When the console is turned on, a static Sega logo bumper is displayed; if no card or cart is detected, the BIOS defaults to Sonic. This version of Sonic appears to be identical to the version released on cartridge. The Snail Maze game is not included. This is a 256K ROM requiring mapping in both frame 1 and frame 2. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- AKBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- US/European BIOS with Alex Kidd in Miracle World ROM part code: MPR-12808 Dumped by Mike Gordon. This BIOS contains Alex Kidd in Miracle World as the built-in game. When the console is turned on, a static Sega logo bumper is displayed; if no card or cart is detected, the BIOS defaults to Alex Kidd. This version of Alex Kidd has some differences to the version released on cartridge. The copyright date is given as 1990 rather than 1986. The "rice ball" you collect at the end of each level has been replaced by a hamburger. Finally, the control buttons are reversed, so button 1 is used for punch/fire and button 2 for jump. The Snail Maze game is not included. This is a 128K ROM requiring frame 2 mapping. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ??????? (Missile Defense 3-D BIOS) ------------------------------------------- There is an additional SMS BIOS which contains Missile Defense 3-D as a built-in game, but it hasn't been dumped yet. It's probably the least common of all the US and European SMS BIOS versions, and was included in the "Super System" SMS units that came with 3-D glasses. If you have such a SMS and would be willing to let me dump the BIOS (don't worry, it requires no surgery!) please let me know. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- HSHBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- US/European BIOS v2.4 with Hang On and Safari Hunt ROM part code: MPR-11459A Dumped by Mike Gordon. This BIOS contains Hang On and Safari Hunt as the built-in games. The "venetian blind" bumper is displayed when the console is turned on; if no card or cartridge is detected, the BIOS defaults to a menu which allows either Hang On or Safari Hunt to be selected. The Snail Maze game is also included, and is accessed by holding both buttons and Up on the pad when the bumper is displayed. This is a 128K ROM requiring frame 2 mapping. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- HANGBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- US/European BIOS v3.4 with Hang On ROM part code: MPR-11458 Dumped by Mike Gordon. This BIOS contains Hang On as the built- in game. The "venetian blind" bumper is displayed when the console is turned on; if no card or cartridge is detected, the BIOS defaults to Hang On. The Snail Maze game is also included, and is accessed by holding both buttons and Up on the pad when the bumper is displayed. This is a 128K ROM requiring frame 2 mapping. Only about 40K of the ROM is actually used, the remainder is blank. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- MPR11124.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Japanese SMS BIOS v2.1 ROM part code: MPR-11124 Dumped by Hiroshi. This BIOS plays a "Space Harrier"-like demo with FM music. (There is no built-in game.) Copyright date is 1987. In common with all Japanese SMS BIOS versions, there is no checksum calculation or country code/copyright checking. A commented disassembly of this ROM (by Omar Cornut) is contained in the file MPR11124.ASM ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- BIOS13.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Hacked US/European BIOS v1.3 Dumped by Image/Helsinki/Finland. Hacked by...? This is the original US BIOS with built-in Snail Maze game only. Copyright date is 1986. A checksum calculation is performed along with copyright/country code checking, so these aspects of a ROM must be correct in order to work with this (or any other US/European) BIOS in place. The "venetian blind" bumper with "Sega Master System" logo and copyright message is displayed before the game is started. A fanfare (brrt... der ner) is also played. NOTE: this image has been hacked to play the Snail Maze game *only* (it never jumps to the cartridge ROM) so is *not* suitable for use as a BIOS. Use BIOS13FX instead. The hack was probably made so Snail Maze could be played on the Super Magic Drive or on the early SMS emulators, which did not support or include an SMS BIOS. A commented disassembly of this ROM (by Omar Cornut) is contained in the file BIOS13.ASM ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- BIOS13FX.ZIP ------------------------------------------- This is a version of BIOS13 which has been fixed to behave correctly as a BIOS. See above for details. Use this instead of BIOS13 if you want to run it as a BIOS on the real Master System. ------------------------------------------- ================================================ Sega Game Gear BIOS ================================================ ------------------------------------------- MAJBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Majesco Game Gear BIOS Dumped by Mike Gordon. This BIOS (found in Majesco, and presumably later Sega, Game Gears) displays a message, "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD." on a blue background. It checks for the presence of the string "TMR SEGA" at address 0x7FF0 in cartridge ROM, and will not run the game (or display the above message) if this string is not present. A commented disassembly of this ROM (by Omar Cornut) is contained in the file majbios.asm ------------------------------------------- ================================================ MD Cartridge Copier BIOS (these run in SMS mode) ================================================ ------------------------------------------- SMDV3.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Super Magic Drive BIOS v3 Dumped by Mike Cukan. The BIOS contains the following string: *** MAGIC DRIVER V-3 *** PRODUCT MANAGER: LMM, DEBUG ENGINEER: JUS, BIOS PROGRAMMER: JSI, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, COPYRIGHT 1991 BY JSI, CHINA COACH COMPANY LTD., FRONT FAREAST CORPORATION. 8/17/91 ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- SMD31G.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Super Magic Drive BIOS v3.1G Dumped by dhau. The BIOS contains the following string: *** MAGIC DRIVE V3.1 *** PRODUCT MANAGER: LMM, DEBUG ENGINEER: JUS, BIOS PROGRAMMER: JSI, FRONT FAREAST CORPORATION. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- SMD4_1A.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Super Magic Drive BIOS v4.1A Dumped by Eunos. The accompanying text file claims this is for a 24MBit version of the copier. The BIOS contains the following string: * MAGIC DRIVE BIOS * COPYRIGHT BY JSI/FRONT FAREAST CO. 93-12-07 ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- MDPBIOS.ZIP ------------------------------------------- Magic Drive Plus BIOS Dumped by David Han. David writes: "The MDP has more memory than the SMD copier, but it also runs in SMS-mode on a Genesis (and also enables running some SMS roms)." ------------------------------------------- ================================================ Mike G, last updated 09 Dec 01 m.a.gordon@ncl.ac.uk ================================================