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Hello everybody,

I'm a collector of old consoles and games and even if I have a lot of game gear cassettes, I usually not play them in order to avoid capacitor failure. I recently got another GG from a friend that has a black screen (prolly capacitors gone) and I wanted to cannibalize it in order to make a consolized version, to play the games in big screen.

I just stepped in this world, i have knowledge of electronics, and i want to give a try.

Now... i have a tons of questions and infos related those projects are few.

1) The GG consolized version are better than the 'adapter cartridge' version (i mean the one that u put on the SMS) ?

2) what are the pros and the cons of the 2 systems?

3) Do there are projects that explains in detail how to do a Consolized version of the GG?

4) What about the regions and PAL/NTSC issues.....are there -actually- issues related?

Feel free to link me to other discussion if those question has been already made: I found inside this forum some topics but they are not really helping.
But i have been pointed to this board: https: //oshpark[dot]com/shared_projects/ozcIRkhg
That is for the cartridge....but as far as I could understand u need like 3 cartridges in 'piggyback' to avoid regions problems, and other issues.

Pls enlight me :)

Thank you

There are no real adapters that run Game Gear games on the SMS to full compatibility. There are some SMS ported games that run the Game Gear in SMS mode and can run fine on the SMS but there are others that cannot. There are also some Game Gear games that have been converted manually to run on the SMS via repro carts or everdrives.
Any Game Gear game converted for the SMS can experience loss of detail due to the SMS's much more limited color palette compared to the Game Gear.

The Game Gear does not perform a region check so you can play any game on any Game Gear essentially.
Following that, the game gear does not have NTSC or PAL region classifications.
I have a Consolized Game Gear myself and love it, its easy to use and compatible with Sega Genesis Controllers. I did have to get an LCD and backlit screen mod in order to get a TV out connection but there are other methods of doing this if your goal is just to have it as a console and not both a console and handheld.

Finally no matter what you do if you play your retro game systems or let them sit in their box or on a shelf forever, electrolytic capacitors age and inevitably leak so enjoy your systems while you still can! Luckily the retro community has been very active in attacking this problem with easy to find Capacitor kits online!

For consolizing your system there are a few tutorials out there, ill return here with a few links later.

Firstly, THANK YOU very much for ur exhaustive response!
Seems to me that the best approach is to consolize the game gear, but I wont use the LCD, one of my GG has the screen already gone so I'll just use it to make the console.

So, 2 more questions:
1) is it worth it to have 2 port for joypads, since games are mostly in single player? do there is a way to force the 2 player?

2) For the power we just use a PSU that is working with GG or something else? ofc i don't wanna use a batteries :P

TV out for GG: http://etim.net.au/ggtv/ggtv.htm is a lot cheaper than the McWill screen replacement. Power is power, just connect it up to the PSU connector. How you build a case is tricky - you might want to relocate the cartridge slot (or even add an SMS slot), and build a new body since it will look pretty Frankensteined at this point, but then you're into serious complexity to 3D print something.

ah i found the board that cost 63 AUD, but... it says NTSC only.....what if I want PAL? (I'm Italian)

IllusionOfMana wrote

The Game Gear does not perform a region check so you can play any game on any Game Gear essentially.

Games (in GG mode) can check whether or not the console is Japanese. Some games do that for content alteration but I don't think any used it for lockout.

All Game Gears run at 60Hz/NTSC timings, there is no PAL Game Gear.

I use a Sega Genesis power adapter for my Game Gear since killing 6 batteries every hour is not something im fond of... The Game Gear's built in supply and AC jack are more than enough to get the job done.

When I did my mod, I also used the much more compact Sega Genesis Mini Din AV port instead of the 3 composite ports, honestly it looks really clean. You dont need more than 1 controller port in my experience as well.

If youre playing on a modern LCD panel TV than dont worry, itll adjust its Refresh to fit the Game Gear's output. If you're using an older CRT then you may have to look into getting a converter.

@KingMike, right, some megadrive/genesis games do the same. The Game Gear has no region check lockout though.

ok perfect, I hope the board of the link above is shipped in Italy too!

so to make all this job done what I need? I mean, what single pieces I need?

Any guide/tutorial available?

the PSU how it should be? 9 Volts ? better to put it external to avoid heat or add an internal fan?
Are available somewhere the files for the 3d printer to make the 'real' console?

Thanks again for all the help!

There's a lot of guides on YouTube. I don't think there's any case models.

Mind to post them? Because the only that I found where just showing the work done, with link on the comment about buying one.

This is what the inside of mine looks like. Ive kept the original sound board and Power Supply but everything is recapped. Things youll need:
Game Gear to Controller Port board
AV Out board
Sega MegaDrive/Genesis Mini Din Port (and pinout document)
Game Gear Capacitor Kit
and a good set of thin insolated wires.
I have not had time to find the tutorial I used but when i do ill link it here (hopefully sometime today)

For the power brick, I use a Sega MegaDrive/Genesis Core System 2 power supply (this is identifiable by the yellow tip at the end and the smaller barrel.) This is a 10 volt 0.85 amp adapter but Ive never had any issues with it, i bet any regular 9v adapter will do as well as long as the barrel polarity and size is correct.

20190726_134454.jpg (4.04 MB)

gg innards

"Game Gear to port board" Where can i buy it?
I failed finding some shop for that.

Pls don't forget to post the how-to!

https://console5.com/store/sega-game-gear-controller-port-adapter-diy-kit-unasse... Seems easy to find. This is demultiplexing the MD controller so you can use the start button.

Uhm, problem is that micro soldering are necessary for SMD components..., and i don't know how to do that ^^'

Guess I need to wait until the "already build" version comes up again, now is out of stock

Author	Message
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	GG Consolized or Adapter for SMS? Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:23 am
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Hello everybody, I'm a collector of old consoles and games and even if I have a lot of game gear cassettes, I usually not play them in order to avoid capacitor failure. I recently got another GG from a friend that has a black screen (prolly capacitors gone) and I wanted to cannibalize it in order to make a consolized version, to play the games in big screen. I just stepped in this world, i have knowledge of electronics, and i want to give a try. Now... i have a tons of questions and infos related those projects are few. 1) The GG consolized version are better than the 'adapter cartridge' version (i mean the one that u put on the SMS) ? 2) what are the pros and the cons of the 2 systems? 3) Do there are projects that explains in detail how to do a Consolized version of the GG? 4) What about the regions and PAL/NTSC issues.....are there -actually- issues related? Feel free to link me to other discussion if those question has been already made: I found inside this forum some topics but they are not really helping. But i have been pointed to this board: https: //oshpark[dot]com/shared_projects/ozcIRkhg That is for the cartridge....but as far as I could understand u need like 3 cartridges in 'piggyback' to avoid regions problems, and other issues. Pls enlight me :) Thank you

IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:05 am
IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	There are no real adapters that run Game Gear games on the SMS to full compatibility. There are some SMS ported games that run the Game Gear in SMS mode and can run fine on the SMS but there are others that cannot. There are also some Game Gear games that have been converted manually to run on the SMS via repro carts or everdrives. Any Game Gear game converted for the SMS can experience loss of detail due to the SMS's much more limited color palette compared to the Game Gear. The Game Gear does not perform a region check so you can play any game on any Game Gear essentially. Following that, the game gear does not have NTSC or PAL region classifications. I have a Consolized Game Gear myself and love it, its easy to use and compatible with Sega Genesis Controllers. I did have to get an LCD and backlit screen mod in order to get a TV out connection but there are other methods of doing this if your goal is just to have it as a console and not both a console and handheld. Finally no matter what you do if you play your retro game systems or let them sit in their box or on a shelf forever, electrolytic capacitors age and inevitably leak so enjoy your systems while you still can! Luckily the retro community has been very active in attacking this problem with easy to find Capacitor kits online! For consolizing your system there are a few tutorials out there, ill return here with a few links later.

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:20 am
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Firstly, THANK YOU very much for ur exhaustive response! Seems to me that the best approach is to consolize the game gear, but I wont use the LCD, one of my GG has the screen already gone so I'll just use it to make the console. So, 2 more questions: 1) is it worth it to have 2 port for joypads, since games are mostly in single player? do there is a way to force the 2 player? 2) For the power we just use a PSU that is working with GG or something else? ofc i don't wanna use a batteries :P

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14738 Location: London	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:52 am
	TV out for GG: http://etim.net.au/ggtv/ggtv.htm is a lot cheaper than the McWill screen replacement. Power is power, just connect it up to the PSU connector. How you build a case is tricky - you might want to relocate the cartridge slot (or even add an SMS slot), and build a new body since it will look pretty Frankensteined at this point, but then you're into serious complexity to 3D print something.

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:30 pm
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	ah i found the board that cost 63 AUD, but... it says NTSC only.....what if I want PAL? (I'm Italian)

KingMike Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 510	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:00 pm
KingMike Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 510	IllusionOfMana wrote The Game Gear does not perform a region check so you can play any game on any Game Gear essentially. Games (in GG mode) can check whether or not the console is Japanese. Some games do that for content alteration but I don't think any used it for lockout.

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14738 Location: London	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 4:25 pm
	All Game Gears run at 60Hz/NTSC timings, there is no PAL Game Gear.

IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 4:49 pm
IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	I use a Sega Genesis power adapter for my Game Gear since killing 6 batteries every hour is not something im fond of... The Game Gear's built in supply and AC jack are more than enough to get the job done. When I did my mod, I also used the much more compact Sega Genesis Mini Din AV port instead of the 3 composite ports, honestly it looks really clean. You dont need more than 1 controller port in my experience as well. If youre playing on a modern LCD panel TV than dont worry, itll adjust its Refresh to fit the Game Gear's output. If you're using an older CRT then you may have to look into getting a converter. @KingMike, right, some megadrive/genesis games do the same. The Game Gear has no region check lockout though.

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:30 pm
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	ok perfect, I hope the board of the link above is shipped in Italy too! so to make all this job done what I need? I mean, what single pieces I need? Any guide/tutorial available? the PSU how it should be? 9 Volts ? better to put it external to avoid heat or add an internal fan? Are available somewhere the files for the 3d printer to make the 'real' console? Thanks again for all the help!

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14738 Location: London	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:51 pm
	There's a lot of guides on YouTube. I don't think there's any case models.

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:55 pm
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Mind to post them? Because the only that I found where just showing the work done, with link on the comment about buying one.

IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 6:58 pm
IllusionOfMana Joined: 08 Sep 2018 Posts: 270	This is what the inside of mine looks like. Ive kept the original sound board and Power Supply but everything is recapped. Things youll need: Game Gear to Controller Port board AV Out board Sega MegaDrive/Genesis Mini Din Port (and pinout document) Game Gear Capacitor Kit and a good set of thin insolated wires. I have not had time to find the tutorial I used but when i do ill link it here (hopefully sometime today) For the power brick, I use a Sega MegaDrive/Genesis Core System 2 power supply (this is identifiable by the yellow tip at the end and the smaller barrel.) This is a 10 volt 0.85 amp adapter but Ive never had any issues with it, i bet any regular 9v adapter will do as well as long as the barrel polarity and size is correct. 20190726_134454.jpg (4.04 MB) gg innards

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:40 pm
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	"Game Gear to port board" Where can i buy it? I failed finding some shop for that. Pls don't forget to post the how-to!

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14738 Location: London	Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 7:22 pm
	https://console5.com/store/sega-game-gear-controller-port-adapter-diy-kit-unasse... Seems easy to find. This is demultiplexing the MD controller so you can use the start button.

Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 10:55 pm
Anghelos Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 7	Uhm, problem is that micro soldering are necessary for SMD components..., and i don't know how to do that ^^' Guess I need to wait until the "already build" version comes up again, now is out of stock

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