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Mark
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Using Mega Drive/Genesis backup unit to backup and run SMS code?
 Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2000 12:28 am
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Hi,
I will shortly (I hope) be receiving a "Multi Game Hunter" backup unit for the Mega Drive/Genesis.
I read somewhere that an adapter was available for MD/Genesis copier units that allowed SMS games to be backed up, and presumably played from backup too.
Does anyone know where I can get one of these adapters? Are they the same as Master System converters for the MD/Genesis II?
Having one would make it easy to test out code on a real console.
-- Mark
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- Joined: 28 Sep 1999
- Posts: 1197
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2000 5:11 am
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Quote > I will shortly (I hope) be receiving a "Multi Game Hunter" backup unit for the Mega Drive/Genesis.
By any chance is your supplier selling other units too? I've been dying to run some tests on a real Genesis for quite some time now. :)
Quote > I read somewhere that an adapter was available for MD/Genesis copier units that allowed SMS games to be backed up, and presumably played from backup too.
You can't backup SMS games using a copier. They don't have any means of controlling the built-in bankswitching registers that games have.
This has been proven by several attempts to dump 'Phantasy Star MD', which is basically a SMS game in a Mega Drive cartridge.
It's interesting to point out that even the default 48K of RAM that should normally be loaded couldn't be read either.
Playing SMS/GG games is another story. To my understanding, this can only be done on the 'Super Magic Drive'. The SMD is unique in that it's operating software runs in the Mega Drive's SMS compatability mode, and it provides software control over the M3 pin which switches between Mega Drive and SMS modes.
You can run a SMS/GG game on one by appending a SMD header to the image. I don't know how the unit can tell if a game is for the SMS/GG or the Mega Drive. The headers are not different between the two, but the Mega Drive images are stored in a weird interleaved format while this is not needed for SMS/GG games.
Quote > Does anyone know where I can get one of these adapters? Are they the same as Master System converters for the MD/Genesis II?
Datel makes a 'clone' adapter, though I don't know the name of it. Another clone adapter is the Master Mega Converter, but I don't know the name of the manufacturer.
When I checked a year ago, Datel still sold much of their old products, though this is not listed on their website.
Sega made two adapters, the first one supported card games as well, and the second was basically the same thing as the two other adapters I mentioned.
Apart from card game support, I believe all four adapters are functionally identical.
Quote > Having one would make it easy to test out code on a real console.
At least you can still run Mega Drive tests.
Having SMS/GG compatability is one of those things that the copier hardware would have to be designed to support in the first place.
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MrVCD
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Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2000 5:47 pm
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I posted here a while ago on this subject of getting .SMS roms to work on a Sega Genesis copier.
SMS roms seem to work really well on my Super Magic Drive.
All i have to do is convert the .sms roms for play on the Super Magic drive by using this DOS program called GG2MD. It properly gives the .sms rom an SMD header
Now, if i can only get SG-1000 and SG-3000 games to work on my Super Magic Drive
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