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View topic - Sega Master System Prototype Testing Unit (v1.0 BIOS)

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Sega Master System Prototype Testing Unit (v1.0 BIOS)
Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:01 pm
Last edited by Bock on Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
Nice prototype unit thing on eBay. Seems to have a different BIOS? The auction is a bit unclear on details.

I'll try buy that thing - very expensive tho.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180709001663

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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:41 pm
Exciting! =)
Would be interesting to see what's different in the BIOS.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:55 pm
Did you try calling the guy? if he's giving his phone number for info then it's a good thing...

Since the guy sounds like he knows 'the scene' maybe a call from Bock will work in your favor?
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:10 pm
Nice! Those games look the same as the prototype Fantasy Zone and Ghost House that I sold you a few years back.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:28 pm
Yes. Those type of cartridges have been spotted a few times over the years, there seem to be more a few circulating. Maybe Sega gave those to early reviewers, or QA etc? and thus produced them in the hundreds.
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:01 am
I won the auction for $635, more news soon!
(luckily USD has become third-world money when it comes to change rate so its not so bad or at least that's what I'm making myself believe)
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Post Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 3:34 pm
Bock wrote
I won the auction for $635, more news soon!
(luckily USD has become third-world money when it comes to change rate so its not so bad or at least that's what I'm making myself believe)
Great for you! ;)
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:12 pm
Bock wrote

(luckily USD has become third-world money when it comes to change rate)

Not so great for others. :P
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More pictures
Post Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:32 pm
It is a relatively late prototype unit, hardware seems to be final?
BIOS is functional, check for same header as retail unit, but has no boot up animation (only a static picture with no sound) and a bare instruction screen.

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:04 am
Well, that's kind of a bummer. That Hang-On manual looks slightly different though. Any chance of getting a scan of it?
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:19 am
The five games are early prototype version with gridded manuals. All the dumps are different (tho we already have a dump for Ghost House).
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 12:35 am
Something special is hiding there... :)
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 4:12 am
Forgot there were games with it. So, they'll be dumped and analyzed soon?
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Post Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:55 am
Yay glad to see this all made it safely across the pond to you buddy! :)
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Post Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:13 am
Nice find indeed. :)
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:36 am
Bock wrote
It is a relatively late prototype unit, hardware seems to be final?

There is a photo of an early production SMS here. This prototype has a number of minor differences from the production system:
    1. The circuit board itself is slightly different - for example, look at the arrangement of the EM components around the controller sockets.

    2. The prototype has a small IC next to the CPU which is missing in the production version.

    3. Finally, this system appears to have a prototype I/O controller. In place of the usual Sega 315-5216, there is a Fujitsu MB675xxx gate array.
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Post Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:26 pm
Everything is now available:
http://smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13453
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Post Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:55 am
Bock wrote
Everything is now available:
http://smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13453


Awesome, thanks :)
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