So I bought a retrogen adapter...

[hellraiser]

***Working/non-working list on post 24***

Yup, I sure did.

The only game I had waiting for it when it arrived was streets of rage 2. It came, I popped it in to my retro duo and it started right up! Looked good, sounded good played awesome! Button layout was perfect on my original snes controller. A was jump, b is attack and y is special. Played for a couple hours and no problems...

So I went to a local retrogame shop I picked up a copy of spiderman. Brought it home and nada! Just a blank screen. Hmmm.... Well it could be the game. So I gave it a good cleaning but nope, nothing. So I drive back for an exchange but they had no other copys so I grabbed a golden axe 1. Brought it home and cleaned it first thing. Popped it in and nothing again.

I put back in sor2 and it worked fine again...

So either I'm having amazingly bad luck with bad games or these 2 games are incompatible???

To early to call it since I don't have a genesis to try it on. kinda bumming me out cause sor2 was perfect.

Oh well thought I'd share and I will update as I get more games...


.... Btw if anyone has a retrogen adapter and can confirm if these games work or not for you please chime in. Or any other non working games as there is no incompatible list I have found yet...

[hellraiser]

Ok for anyone interested I went back and got sonic 1,2 and 3. I also picked up vectorman and a different copy of spiderman. All of witch worked fine in the adapter.

Golden axe is another story... I had trouble getting it working in the in store genesis. After a kittle cleaning on the stores part it worked fine on there system. Thing is when I got home it still wouldn't work for me. Oh well probably gonna trade it toward a sonic spinball.

I got a kid chameleon on the way and if that don't work I'm gonna be really pissed as that was one of my absolute favorites.

[BricatSegaFan]

Ok for anyone interested I went back and got sonic 1,2 and 3. I also picked up vectorman and a different copy of spiderman. All of witch worked fine in the adapter.

Golden axe is another story... I had trouble getting it working in the in store genesis. After a kittle cleaning on the stores part it worked fine on there system. Thing is when I got home it still wouldn't work for me. Oh well probably gonna trade it toward a sonic spinball.

I got a kid chameleon on the way and if that don't work I'm gonna be really pissed as that was one of my absolute favorites.

At this point I suggest investing in a Sega Genesis. They are quite easy to get and of course has 100 percent compatibility.

[heybtbm]

At this point I suggest investing in a Sega Genesis. They are quite easy to get and of course has 100 percent compatibility.

Not quite 100%. More like: 100% - EA games manufactured 1989 to 1991 = 99%.

[markusman64ds]

If you do get a Genesis, get a model 1.

[streetsofrage]

get a model 1 that's has High Definition Graphics written on it

[heybtbm]

The "Will my Model 1 play EA games?" bible: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?53284

...or at least as close as we're ever going to get.

[hellraiser]

Yeah I could have just got a genesis but I picked up the retrogen adapter because of the novelty...

This may anger purist but I've been more then satisfied with the performance of my retroduo. So the ability to play a couple sega classics on it is irresistible.

I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't bummed about golden axe. I may pick up another copy of it on the cheap to try it again...

[klausien]

Get a gamebit so you can open cartridges. Clean all of your games with a pencil eraser followed by a swabbing with 90% alcohol. I've brought games back from the "dead" in this manner.

And buy a real Genesis if you want a true experience. The sound and colors are usually wonky on clones anyway.

[hellraiser]

Get a gamebit so you can open cartridges. Clean all of your games with a pencil eraser followed by a swabbing with 90% alcohol. I've brought games back from the "dead" in this manner.



Hey thanks... I been thinking about doing just this

[Parodius Duh!]

Retroduo's and retrogen adapters are better off in a landfill or at the bottom of the Atlantic. Thats my 2 cents. Buy a real Genesis it probably costs less anyway.

[Polygon]

I suggest getting a real Genesis as well. It will work with every game and there won't be any audio, video, or control issues. They're everywhere and they're cheap. My suggestion would be to get a model 1. And I also suggest getting one that has "High Definition Graphics" written on it. That's because they have better audio than the later model 1 and the model 2. Avoid the model 3 as it has compatibility issues with some games.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

For what it's worth, I've bought one of these myself and will do a full video review of it when it arrives. I'm not expecting the world from it, but I am interested to see how it handles Sonic at the very least.

[hellraiser]

For what it's worth, I've bought one of these myself and will do a full video review of it when it arrives. I'm not expecting the world from it, but I am interested to see how it handles Sonic at the very least.

That's great! Please let us know what games work/don't work for you. I'm still not 100% convinced on my copy of golden axe.

[kedawa]

I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't bummed about golden axe. I may pick up another copy of it on the cheap to try it again...

If you can't find a working copy of Golden Axe, there are a couple of official multicarts that include Golden Axe and a few other great titles. They would be ideal for a portable.

[hellraiser]

If you can't find a working copy of Golden Axe, there are a couple of official multicarts that include Golden Axe and a few other great titles. They would be ideal for a portable.

Smart idea! Thanks!

[hellraiser]

Ok so I just picked up today tmnt hyperstone heist, afterburner 2, columns and Rambo 3 (one of my favorites as a kid)

All seem to work fine in the adapter. I've not yet located a second golden axe cart but that first one definitely works on a genny 3.

After some real "play time" I did notices that it glitches a little during sonic 3. During the intro before the 3d sonic pops out, my screen will go blank for 1/2 second. Also when you finish the bonus game (blue spheres) my screen will go blank for a second or two as it ads up your points then go back to normal before gameplay that's all I found so far but I'm only up to level 3...


Really lookin forward to the satoshi matrix review video as I'm sure he will be alot more detailed then me!

[Culex4096]

I've had mine since it first came out and just recently I've gotten some more games. Overall, the Retrogen is a little gimmicky, but it does work. Most games have minor graphical flaws though (white backgrounds scroll on the screen..... though it depends on the TV too). Also, some games have major audio glitches, I tested Castlevania: Bloodlines and the music was great, but the sound effects were either muffled or way out of pitch. In addition, Castlevania did experience some minor graphical glitches, once again on anything white. Still cool though and I don't regret the purchase at all.

[hellraiser]

I've had mine since it first came out and just recently I've gotten some more games. Overall, the Retrogen is a little gimmicky, but it does work. Most games have minor graphical flaws though (white backgrounds scroll on the screen..... though it depends on the TV too). Also, some games have major audio glitches, I tested Castlevania: Bloodlines and the music was great, but the sound effects were either muffled or way out of pitch. In addition, Castlevania did experience some minor graphical glitches, once again on anything white. Still cool though and I don't regret the purchase at all.

Hello,

Was wondering if you've come across any games that haven't worked yet? Or maybe even let's us know your confirmed working games...

Thank you!

[Ace]

After some real "play time" I did notices that it glitches a little during sonic 3. During the intro before the 3d sonic pops out, my screen will go blank for 1/2 second. Also when you finish the bonus game (blue spheres) my screen will go blank for a second or two as it ads up your points then go back to normal before gameplay that's all I found so far but I'm only up to level 3...

Is it like what Twin Cobra does in this video on the RetroN3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYgm_G16KjA

If that's the case, it's just a quirk with GOACs. For some reason, any solid color screen comes out black on all GOACs I've come across. Not quite sure what's up with that.

On another note, like Satoshi_Matrix, I've got a RetroGen on the way as well. And I'll be sure to stress test the hell out of the cart.

[hellraiser]

Is it like what Twin Cobra does in this video on the RetroN3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYgm_G16KjA

If that's the case, it's just a quirk with GOACs. For some reason, any solid color screen comes out black on all GOACs I've come across. Not quite sure what's up with that.

On another note, like Satoshi_Matrix, I've got a RetroGen on the way as well. And I'll be sure to stress test the hell out of the cart.

Yeah it's very similar... But on my t.v. A message pops up sayin unusable signal as if it wasant plugged in. The retron3 v2 seemed to deal with the sonic 3 intro fine. It's on episode 10 of that video you posted. If you watch the sonic 3 intro you'll notice for a brief second the screen turns white. That's when it happens. So culex4096 is probably right about the all white glitch.

I would really like to hear the results of your stress test! And anyone else's for that matter. Maybe we can start compiling a verified list of workin games.

Somebody please try golden axe!!! Lol!!!

[Culex4096]

Hello, Was wondering if you've come across any games that haven't worked yet? Or maybe even let's us know your confirmed working games... Thank you!

Okay, I don't have alot of games yet, because I just started a Genesis collection, but I can confirm a few. Keep in mind though that no game plays perfectly, there are graphical issues and sound issues in every game I've tested. However, if I put it under the working category, than that means that there are no major issues that effect gameplay. Also, I want to reiterate that the Retrogen hates white backgrounds..... like the Sega screen and special stage results in Sonic 1 and the Konami boot screen for Castlevania Bloodlines. Typically, the screen will scroll on these screens or shake, it depends on the TV, though I haven't seen a TV where there are no issues for these white screens, but perhaps some TVs won't exhibit these issues as much. If you guys have any particular questions about the games I tested feel free to ask :)

Working
Castlevania Bloodlines
Game Genie
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic Classics
Sonic Spinball
Sonic 1
Sonic 2
Super Street Fighter II
Vectorman

Not-Working
Virtua Racing

[hellraiser]

If you guys have any particular questions about the games I tested feel free to ask :)

Working
Castlevania Bloodlines
Game Genie
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic Classics
Sonic Spinball
Sonic 1
Sonic 2
Super Street Fighter II
Vectorman

Not-Working
Virtua Racing

Thank you!

I just found out USPS may have lost my kid chameleon so I'm gonna have to buy another copy...

[hellraiser]

Last updated 4/1/12

***some games have minor sound & graphic issues. If it effects gameplay it will be put on non- working list***

Working game list...
Afterburner 2
Castlevania Bloodlines
Contra hard corps
Comix zone (alot of glitches during intro)
Columns
Game Genie
Ghost busters
Golden Axe
Kid Chameleon
Power Base Converter (which master system games unknown)
Rambo 3
Revenge of Shinobi
Road Blasters
Shadow Dancer
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic Classics
Sonic Spinball
Sonic 1
Sonic 2
Sonic 3
Spiderman
Streets of rage 2
Strider
Strider Returns
Super Street Fighter II (???)
Tmnt hyper stone heist
Vectorman
Vectorman 2

Not working...
Games requiring mode button (see post 66)
Virtual racing
Sonic 2 locked on to knuckles (black screen)

***look on post 74 for member ace review and compatible list***

*** please fill free to post any games you've tried and any details about glitches***

[nebrazca78]

When using an item like this, you have to keep in mind you are doubling the amount of connections that needs to be made for the game to play. While the adapter is new, your Genesis and any game you try to play are not and should be meticulously cleaned for best operation. If you have a Naki-style (pink) Genesis cleaner, spray a bit of contact cleaner on it before use. I just started using this method and it is amazing, much better than alcohol, unless you are using 90% alcohol or something similar. Common isopropyl alcohol is only 40% alcohol which leaves 60% water to cause minor corrosion.

.

[Ace]

Yeah it's very similar... But on my t.v. A message pops up sayin unusable signal as if it wasant plugged in. The retron3 v2 seemed to deal with the sonic 3 intro fine. It's on episode 10 of that video you posted. If you watch the sonic 3 intro you'll notice for a brief second the screen turns white. That's when it happens. So culex4096 is probably right about the all white glitch.

If you get that message on an all-white screen, it's possible the video amp used isn't exactly adequate for all-white screens. I've had sync issues on the FC3 Plus whenever I'd run the video through a splitter where any and all white screens would jitter vertically. It's possible other all-white screens like that do the same. We'll see what my TV and capture device do when I get my RetroGen adapter.


Somebody please try golden axe!!! Lol!!!

I've got a known working copy of Golden Axe, so I'll give it a shot for you.

[hellraiser]

I've got a known working copy of Golden Axe, so I'll give it a shot for you.

Thank you! I been really pondering buying another copy from flea bay.

I swear I remember some one saying that some of these goac systems have a problem with golden axe 1 or 2.

As for the white screens it makes me worry a bit about games with snow/ice levels. I don't know how much it takes to make it go wonky.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Alrighty, I got mine yesterday and have tested it out on on my SNES, RetroDuo and all three of the portables. I don't have a huge library of Genesis games, but everything I've tried so far works. I can't get over how clear the composite video quality is on this - it is vastly superior to any model of the real Genesis hardware.

Unlike quarky sound emulation issues present in some clones like the RetorN3, this little device does a remarkably solid job at preserving the Genesis sound. It sounds just like it would if I were using my CDX. The SNES controller button mapping makes complete sense and I haven't ran into any games that don't run so far. I need to do a bit of further testing but all things are looking good. I'll be posting a video review as soon as I get a chance.

[hellraiser]

I need to do a bit of further testing but all things are looking good. I'll be posting a video review as soon as I get a chance.

Can't wait!


I've been wanting to mention the audio. Thing is I have no original hardware to compare it to. I haven't owned a genesis since the mid 90's.

[hellraiser]

Pretty cool video...

This guy got a power base converter working on his! For me this opens a whole new can of worms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImbjolkfhKY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Ace]

My RetroGen came in today. Result?

This thing is weird! It only works on two of Super NES compatible systems:

-Super NES Mini
-Super Famicom Jr.

It doesn't work on any of my other systems:

-Super NES
-Super Famicom
-FC Twin
-FC3 Plus(completely pointless, but I tested it anyways)
-RetroDuo v2.0

I don't know what's going on, but damn, this is weird.

Still I was able to do some preliminary tests and I have this to say so far:

-Some people have experienced video issues with this thing on white screens where the video signal gets wavy. No such issue here, BUT I do get scrolling horizontal lines all over the screen. It seems a lot of audio noise leeches into the video signal because when you unplug the audio outputs, the lines disappear. However, it seems the RetroGen doesn't pass the audio signal into the Super NES as I get no sound through the Super NES' multi-A/V out.
-The video is dark, much darker than a Genesis and like everything with a GOAC, there's too much green in the video signal. Satoshi_Matrix, I don't know where you get the idea that the Composite is good, but let me tell you: it looks worse than original hardware on my TV.
-Volume balance between FM Synthesis and PSG is *almost* perfect. PSG is a little louder than it should be, but still at an acceptable volume
-The FM Synthesis gets distorted at times and PCM samples get scratchy
-There's a nasty squealing noise in the audio signal
-THE STEREO SOUND IS REVERSED!!! WTF??? It's the same like the RetroN3! The red plug outputs the left audio channel and the white plug outputs the right audio channel. Jeez, are the manufacturers that stupid?

Oh, and Golden Axe works on my RetroGen. Hellraiser, I think your cartridge is defective. I can also confirm Virtua Racing does NOT work on the RetroGen(I knew it wouldn't).

EDIT: The lines aren't caused by the RetroGen. It's a grounding issue with my recording equipment causing the horizonal lines.

[hellraiser]

That is weird Ace! Mine is happily sitting I'm my retroduo v 2.0!

I wonder if the scrolling issues can be fixed with a higher quality cable?

Now that I got a confirmed I will jump on another golden axe cart! Thank you!

[markusman64ds]

I doubt it would work, but has anyone tried a 32X or Power Base Converter?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I doubt it would work, but has anyone tried a 32X or Power Base Converter?

Power Base Converter you say?


Pretty cool video...

This guy got a power base converter working on his! For me this opens a whole new can of worms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImbjolkfhKY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[markusman64ds]

I wonder which Master System games are compatible? 32X might not work due to the whole video cable thing.

[MarioMania]

I hope there's a mod to get Virtua Racing working....

[Ace]

That is weird Ace! Mine is happily sitting I'm my retroduo v 2.0!

It's almost like the adapter doesn't receive enough voltage on those consoles because when I apply power, I hear a pop noise in my speakers like when I power on something, but there's no video and no sound. There isn't even a line on the TV when I apply power to the RetroGen on those systems. I have no idea what the hell is going on.


I wonder if the scrolling issues can be fixed with a higher quality cable?

The scrolling lines were caused by a grounding issue with my computer. I have a splitter on the audio outputs from my switchbox going into my laptop's microphone input so I can A) listen to games with headphones and B) record audio samples. I've removed the splitter from my laptop and all is fine.

I must say, though, whoever makes the A/V cables is incompetent. The Stereo sound on the RetroGen itself is NOT reversed, but the A/V cables are wired with the audio outputs reversed. Plug in headphones into the RetroGen and you'll see what I mean. If you're familiar with the Stereo sound of a certain game, you'll notice the Stereo sound is correct with headphones plugged into the adapter, but reversed with the included A/V cables.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I wonder which Master System games are compatible? 32X might not work due to the whole video cable thing.

32X does some major sharing with the Genesis' video feed, so I'm thinking that a setup like that would need some healthy a/v modification.

[Ace]

32X does some major sharing with the Genesis' video feed, so I'm thinking that a setup like that would need some healthy a/v modification.

That's only half of the explanation. Like the Genesis 3, several Geniclones, including the RetroN3, early versions of the FC3 Plus and the RetroGen Adapter, completely omit certain signals between the cartridge slot and the GOAC(even the Genesis 3 is a GOAC, but one with external RAM and no built-in RGB to Composite video encoder). Video mixing is one thing, but if certain signals are missing from the cartridge slot, the 32X won't even boot. As a general rule of thumb: if Virtua Racing doesn't work, the 32X won't work either.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

That's only half of the explanation. Like the Genesis 3, several Geniclones, including the RetroN3, early versions of the FC3 Plus and the RetroGen Adapter, completely omit certain signals between the cartridge slot and the GOAC(even the Genesis 3 is a GOAC, but one with external RAM and no built-in RGB to Composite video encoder). Video mixing is one thing, but if certain signals are missing from the cartridge slot, the 32X won't even boot. As a general rule of thumb: if Virtua Racing doesn't work, the 32X won't work either.

Indeed!

Thanks for the more complex and accurate explanation.

:hail:

[hellraiser]

Power Base Converter you say?

At the 4 min mark of the video I posted... I was pretty shocked myself!


It's almost like the adapter doesn't receive enough voltage on those consoles because when I apply power, I hear a pop noise in my speakers like when I power on something, but there's no video and no sound. There isn't even a line on the TV when I apply power to the RetroGen on those systems. I have no idea what the hell is going on.



That's what was going on with my copy of golden axe. Then when the game was tried on a regular system it worked. Maybe try a few different games while using the nonworking systems...


A few hours ago I picked up strider, eswat and kid chameleon. Strider worked fine the other two were just a blank screen. This has really got me puzzled! Thats a little much for bad luck. All three games that haven't worked have been from the same place too. That working strider I got from a guy on craigslist.

[Ace]

That's what was going on with my copy of golden axe. Then when the game was tried on a regular system it worked. Maybe try a few different games while using the nonworking systems...

Here's the thing, though: the RetroGen refuses to power up on those consoles EVEN WHEN NO CARTRIDGE IS INSERTED INTO THE ADAPTER! And I verified this with my capture device as when that thing detects a signal and there's no game inserted into a console(unless it's an NES), the screen is black. However, with the RetroGen, the screen is blue, indicating absolutely nothing is going on.

One thing I did notice when taking my multimeter to the RetroGen is that some of the systems where I can't get the RetroGen to work output up to almost half a volt less than what it should. The thing is: the RetroGen works perfectly fine on my Super NES Mini and Super Famicom Jr. where the voltage at the Genesis cartridge slot is around 4.95V, but on other consoles such as my FC Twin and RetroDuo v2.0, the RetroGen refuses to work with 4.99V(FC Twin) and 4.96V(RetroDuo v2.0). My launch-model Super NES and early-revision Super Famicom(they have identical motherboards with the sound hardware on a separate plug-in board) output a very low voltage in comparison. The launch-model Super NES outputs a little above 4.5V at the cartridge slot and I believe the Super Famicom outputs about 4.7V or so(my FC3 Plus also outputs voltage within that range). The RetroGen runs most stable on my mid-revision Super NES(this is when Nintendo shortened the motherboard and placed the sound hardware directly onto the motherboard) where the voltage at the Genesis cartridge slot is 5.06V.

I'm going to retest all my Super NES consoles to determine the exact voltage and also try to cover up some pins on the card-edge to see what could be the source of the problems the RetroGen has on certain systems. I believe it may have to do with the fact the RetroGen appears to have two separate VCC sources. Two pins on the Super NES cartridge slot are VCC sources(5V), but on the RetroGen, those two sources are not linked together(the Grounds are linked together, though). My multimeter shows a connection between the two Ground points, but not between the two VCC points. I do have a 30-day warranty on this RetroGen, but I will hold onto it so long as it works on some consoles. Even if it doesn't work on some Super NES systems I have, as long as it works on some, that's okay with me. I do want to get to the bottom of this issue, though, as it's really bothering me.

[Bazoo]

Pretty cool video...

This guy got a power base converter working on his! For me this opens a whole new can of worms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImbjolkfhKY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nT_sUW45J-g/Tq7niAUStwI/AAAAAAAAAfk/k0Gks20Mdn0/s400/blown%2Bmind.jpg

That was PBC for Model 1, correct? Crazy, does this mean the Master System components are built into the adapter?

[Ace]

That was PBC for Model 1, correct? Crazy, does this mean the Master System components are built into the adapter?

Questions like this make me facepalm. OF COURSE IT HAS ALL THE COMPONENTS FROM THE MASTER SYSTEM! All of the Master System's hardware is critical to the Genesis; if ANYTHING is missing, Genesis games will either stop working outright or not work correctly. Master System converters only redirect signals from the Master System cartridge into the Genesis' cartridge slot and set pin B30 on the cartridge slot low(Ground), which switches the Genesis into Master System mode. If any Genesis(Genesis 3) or Geniclone does not work with Master System games, there's no connection between pin B30 and the hardware inside the system. All the Master System's hardware is there, but since there's no way to switch the video mode(and disable the main CPU in the process - keep in mind, the Genesis has 2 CPUs: the main CPU which is a Motorola 68000 and the secondary CPU which is a Zilog Z80. When Master System mode is engaged, the 68000 is disabled and the Z80 takes over), you simply get a black screen.

[hellraiser]

Questions like this make me facepalm. OF COURSE IT HAS ALL THE COMPONENTS FROM THE MASTER SYSTEM! All of the Master System's hardware is critical to the Genesis; if ANYTHING is missing, Genesis games will either stop working outright or not work correctly. Master System converters only redirect signals from the Master System cartridge into the Genesis' cartridge slot and set pin B30 on the cartridge slot low(Ground), which switches the Genesis into Master System mode. If any Genesis(Genesis 3) or Geniclone does not work with Master System games, there's no connection between pin B30 and the hardware inside the system. All the Master System's hardware is there, but since there's no way to switch the video mode(and disable the main CPU in the process - keep in mind, the Genesis has 2 CPUs: the main CPU which is a Motorola 68000 and the secondary CPU which is a Zilog Z80. When Master System mode is engaged, the 68000 is disabled and the Z80 takes over), you simply get a black screen.

Wow! To be honest I wasant sure how that worked either!

Any hoot must be having some of the worst game luck ever! I returned the kid chameleon for another copy and it works fine... They didn't have another copy of eswat for me to try but no biggie. Got to really credit the stores customer relations! I'm gonna update our little list of working games including golden axe!(thanks again ace!!!)

I hope to hit a local flea market this weekend and i got a copy of comix zone and sonic and knuckles on the way from a member in the d.p. Market place so I can really get some testing in!

P.s. The retrogen actually glitches pretty good every time you warp in kid chameleon. It doesn't effect game play in the least.... Well so far atleast.

[Bazoo]

Questions like this make me facepalm. OF COURSE IT HAS ALL THE COMPONENTS FROM THE MASTER SYSTEM! All of the Master System's hardware is critical to the Genesis; if ANYTHING is missing, Genesis games will either stop working outright or not work correctly. Master System converters only redirect signals from the Master System cartridge into the Genesis' cartridge slot and set pin B30 on the cartridge slot low(Ground), which switches the Genesis into Master System mode. If any Genesis(Genesis 3) or Geniclone does not work with Master System games, there's no connection between pin B30 and the hardware inside the system. All the Master System's hardware is there, but since there's no way to switch the video mode(and disable the main CPU in the process - keep in mind, the Genesis has 2 CPUs: the main CPU which is a Motorola 68000 and the secondary CPU which is a Zilog Z80. When Master System mode is engaged, the 68000 is disabled and the Z80 takes over), you simply get a black screen.

Except you're talking about how the actual Genesis works, when many of our clones up until this point did not even contain a Z80, whether that be because they emulated genesis and not hardware (Firecore) or apt to push several pieces of the Genesis onto a single chip (i.e. a GOAC). They might have the capabilities of the Z80, but it's not exactly a Z80. So, when a GOAC was instituted, it generally rendered the master system unplayable since obviously it won't interact in the same way with the Converter. Sheesh, I'm not a clone expert, but way to not only misunderstand the question, but also proceed to be a complete A-Hole about it as well. :roll:

[Ace]

Except you're talking about how the actual Genesis works, when many of our clones up until this point did not even contain a Z80, whether that be because they emulated genesis and not hardware (Firecore) or apt to push several pieces of the Genesis onto a single chip (i.e. a GOAC). They might have the capabilities of the Z80, but it's not exactly a Z80. So, when a GOAC was instituted, it generally rendered the master system unplayable since obviously it won't interact in the same way with the Converter.

Where did you get this information??? The Z80 is CRITICAL to the Genesis. If the Z80 is missing or incomplete, Genesis games won't even run properly, never mind Master System games.


Sheesh, I'm not a clone expert, but way to not only misunderstand the question, but also proceed to be a complete A-Hole about it as well. :roll:

Let me be perfectly clear: I've seen NUMEROUS people bringing up misinformation about Genesis 3/Geniclone compatibility issues, and I am CONSTANTLY repeating myself to correct this misinformation, getting more and more irritated as I go along. How do you expect me not to be a complete ***hole about it, huh? If I keep repeating the same thing over and over again, wouldn't you expect me to get pissed off?

It's the same deal with clone consoles. It gets me so f***ing irritated when people call them emulators(in the sense of software emulators). For the love of God, these clones are pure reverse-engineered hardware!! It's the same thing as taking the original hardware, replicating the chips and producing system-on-a-chip designs like NES and Genesis clones or producing discrete cloned parts like Super NES clones.

[Bazoo]

Okay, upon some further research (http://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega_Drive#Mega_Drive_2), I found that you're completely right. My confusion (as I'm sure this is where the misconception arises) is probably that I've read "Only the Model 1 Genesis has a Zilog Z80," meaning that Zilog encompassed all of the Z80's (it's the Z's!), which would leave the other models and clones to deal with the Z80's capabilities in some other way. For example, when I open my Yobo FC3, it doesn't have anything strictly labeled "Z80." But that doesn't mean squat, is what you're saying, right? That the Z80 is still a piece of the system, just integrated. I'm pretty sure I read that misconception on -this- forum as well.

However, I still maintain that your approach was completely ridiculous. I can get upset about certain misconceptions about life and politics (i.e. the new one, that Obama has refused to drill domestically, or the one that floats around saying "There five weekends in this month, that only happens once every 2934e389 years), and maybe pressed enough times I would go off the fly about them. Even then, nothing productive would come out of that, so I wouldn't even be -right- to do that. But seriously, this is such a specific niche where there the very limited information about them that basically comes from wikis and forums forums. In other words, with life and politics, there's enough information out there--and usually arguments are more about logic than they are about misinformation. More importantly, though, those misconceptions affect peoples' opinions and votes--and thus affect me. With this, though, there's literally no way to extrapolate the functionality other than taking people's words at face value, or maybe applying some information from clone components to new ideas. Besides that, does it really matter that I didn't understand how the Genesis processed games? Really? Did it affect you negatively in any way?

And I mean, do you think you yourself have 0 misconceptions about anything, including clones? Just relax about this stuff, calmly clear it up if you want, and remember that no one is perfect. Yes, I expect you not to get pissed off. Because it really isn't a big deal whatsoever.

[Ace]

Okay, upon some further research (http://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega_Drive#Mega_Drive_2), I found that you're completely right. My confusion (as I'm sure this is where the misconception arises) is probably that I've read "Only the Model 1 Genesis has a Zilog Z80," meaning that Zilog encompassed all of the Z80's (it's the Z's!), which would leave the other models and clones to deal with the Z80's capabilities in some other way. For example, when I open my Yobo FC3, it doesn't have anything strictly labeled "Z80." But that doesn't mean squat, is what you're saying, right? That the Z80 is still a piece of the system, just integrated. I'm pretty sure I read that misconception on -this- forum as well.

Just because something doesn't say "Z80" on it doesn't mean the Z80 is missing. Many Genesis Model 2s don't have a Zilog Z80, but there's still a Z80 regardless. It could either be made by Zilog themselves, Sega or Toshiba(I've rarely seen Zilog Z80s in the Genesis Model 2 - only one of those I've personally come across has an actual Zilog Z80. All the others have either a Sega Z80 or Toshiba Z80). Later GOAC-based Genesis Model 2s and the Genesis 3 as well as all GOAC-based clones integrate the Z80 within the GOAC, so there's no way you can see it. It's similar to what Sega did with the YM2612. At first, Sega used the discrete chip, but when Sega made the VA7 motherboard revision for the Genesis Model 1, Sega took the YM2612's CMOS variant, the YM3438, tacked on a modified DAC and integrated it within a custom ASIC(this seems to have been done intentionally as the ASIC is CMOS, not NMOS like the YM2612). GOACs use a 1:1 replica of Sega's modified YM3438 as well, and this YM3438 sounds different from the YM2612, in particular with the volume level at which some notes are output.

By the way, what GOAC is in your FC3 Plus(the TCT-xxxx chip on the Genesis board)? I noticed my FC3 Plus has a completely different GOAC than the one I've seen in earlier revisions of the system, so I'd be curious to know A) when Yobo switched GOAC and B) if the FC3 Plus at one point used a GOAC I haven't seen before.


However, I still maintain that your approach was completely ridiculous. I can get upset about certain misconceptions about life and politics (i.e. the new one, that Obama has refused to drill domestically, or the one that floats around saying "There five weekends in this month, that only happens once every 2934e389 years), and maybe pressed enough times I would go off the fly about them. Even then, nothing productive would come out of that, so I wouldn't even be -right- to do that. But seriously, this is such a specific niche where there the very limited information about them that basically comes from wikis and forums forums. In other words, with life and politics, there's enough information out there--and usually arguments are more about logic than they are about misinformation. More importantly, though, those misconceptions affect peoples' opinions and votes--and thus affect me. With this, though, there's literally no way to extrapolate the functionality other than taking people's words at face value, or maybe applying some information from clone components to new ideas. Besides that, does it really matter that I didn't understand how the Genesis processed games? Really? Did it affect you negatively in any way?

And I mean, do you think you yourself have 0 misconceptions about anything, including clones? Just relax about this stuff, calmly clear it up if you want, and remember that no one is perfect. Yes, I expect you not to get pissed off. Because it really isn't a big deal whatsoever.

What gets me worked up is when I have to consistently repeat myself to correct things I know are wrong. If something's proven wrong and I have to keep correcting people, I eventually lose my patience and respond the way I responded to you. It doesn't matter whether it's something of very little importance or something really important, if I have to repeat myself time and time again, I lose my cool.

Back on topic: I will have to exchange my RetroGen because this thing looks like it's about to die. When I tried to use it yesterday, it didn't work on ANYTHING until I hit the adapter. Sounds like the solder is bad inside the RetroGen, but since reflowing solder on surface-mounted chips always results in more problems for me(seriously, I will never reflow the solder on a surface-mounted chip like the TCT-6801 or other GOACs ever again), I might as well send it back and get another one.

[hellraiser]

Back on topic: I will have to exchange my RetroGen because this thing looks like it's about to die. When I tried to use it yesterday, it didn't work on ANYTHING until I hit the adapter. Sounds like the solder is bad inside the RetroGen, but since reflowing solder on surface-mounted chips always results in more problems for me(seriously, I will never reflow the solder on a surface-mounted chip like the TCT-6801 or other GOACs ever again), I might as well send it back and get another one.

Hopefully the return goes smoothly and quickly. I also hope that your second one is flawless, well at least as much as it can be.

I know you guys know quite abit more about clone systems then me. Are there any games that normally give these systems trouble? I'm going to pick up a handful of games today and do a mini stress test.

Here's another video I found incase anyone is interested. Now I'm really
want a willy wars!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PcW7NsnPVY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Ace]

Hopefully the return goes smoothly and quickly. I also hope that your second one is flawless, well at least as much as it can be.

I'm first going to see if I can fix it myself as I might have found out what causes the RetroGen Adapter not to work on certain systems. It seems to have something to do with the Reset line on the Super NES cartridge slot. I'm not quite sure what's up with it, but just out of curiosity, I put some electric tape on pin 26 of the RetroGen Adapter and sure enough, it stopped working altogether until I removed the electric tape. I wonder what's going on with the Reset line on the RetroGen Adapter.


I know you guys know quite abit more about clone systems then me. Are there any games that normally give these systems trouble? I'm going to pick up a handful of games today and do a mini stress test.

The only real problem game is Virtua Racing, and I've already confirmed the RetroGen Adapter is incompatible with it. I've also noticed some abnormal issues with two Genesis games:

-Super Street Fighter II: The game works, but the PCM samples come out as loud high-pitched garbage
-Sonic 2 locked onto Sonic & Knuckles: Black screen

The former is really odd as the RetroN3 doesn't have this issue(and it runs on the exact same GOAC), but the latter just makes no sense. Again, back to the RetroN3, it works no problem with Sonic 2 + Sonic & Knuckles, and to top it off, even though the RetroGen Adapter doesn't work with Sonic 2 + Sonic & Knuckles, it works with Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles as well as Sonic the Hedgehog + Sonic & Knuckles(which gives you Blue Sphere).

Now that I think about it, I wonder if the defects on my RetroGen Adapter extend to the GOAC itself and not just whatever is hooked up to the Reset line on pin 26.

[hellraiser]

Well I hit the local flea today and picked a few games. I will add the working ones to the list. Wanted to mention I did find another copy of golden axe and it worked perfectly! Thanks again ace!

The real crazy thing is I picked up a copy of golden axe 2. After giving it a good cleaning I tried it and I started up fine. Now here is where it gets strange! The button lay out is way off! The D pad dosent work at all. Here's what I mean...

Action Snes button
Jump A
Attack B
Magic Y
Left. L
Down. X
Up. R
Pause. Start

And best of all there's no right! Lol!
If some can explain this I would be very interested!!!

[Az]

Golden Axe II won't work on real hardware with a 6 button controller. I'm sure something to do with that is causing the error.

[theclaw]

Golden Axe II won't work on real hardware with a 6 button controller. I'm sure something to do with that is causing the error.

I'll vouch for this as well. I too own the cartridge.

[Ace]

The real crazy thing is I picked up a copy of golden axe 2. After giving it a good cleaning I tried it and I started up fine. Now here is where it gets strange! The button lay out is way off! The D pad dosent work at all. Here's what I mean...

Action Snes button
Jump A
Attack B
Magic Y
Left. L
Down. X
Up. R
Pause. Start

And best of all there's no right! Lol!
If some can explain this I would be very interested!!!

Golden Axe II doesn't work correctly with a 6-button controller and I'm not sure if the RetroGen Adapter maps the 6-button controller's Mode button anywhere. My guess is if the Mode button is mapped, it'd be on the Select button. Try holding the Select button before you turn on the console. If it doesn't work, Golden Axe II will be rendered completely unplayable due to inadequate button mapping.

[hellraiser]

Golden Axe II doesn't work correctly with a 6-button controller and I'm not sure if the RetroGen Adapter maps the 6-button controller's Mode button anywhere. My guess is if the Mode button is mapped, it'd be on the Select button. Try holding the Select button before you turn on the console. If it doesn't work, Golden Axe II will be rendered completely unplayable due to inadequate button mapping.

Well I guess were putting golden axe 2 on the nonworking list. I tried select
and some button combinations and got squat! Shame too because I've never played it and it looked pretty good. Oh well 4 bucks in the drain but I plan on using it for trade in value.


I'll vouch for this as well. I too own the cartridge.

Is there any other button combo that will work as mode?

If some figures out something I couldn't please let us know.


http://www.dasreviews.com/forum/topic/retron-3-compatibility-list-usa

Going back to the retron3, I've found that ecco tides of time ,golden axe 2, mrs. Pac man and gauntlet iv were problem games. Mrs. Pacman for button mapping issues. Not sure about ecco and gauntlet.

[Ace]

Well I guess were putting golden axe 2 on the nonworking list. I tried select
and some button combinations and got squat!

Press Select ONLY. Do not press any other button. Hold Select before turning on the Super NES and keep holding the button until Golden Axe II boots. You can release the Select button after the game boots.

[hellraiser]

Press Select ONLY. Do not press any other button. Hold Select before turning on the Super NES and keep holding the button until Golden Axe II boots. You can release the Select button after the game boots.

Just tried again to make sure... It's a no go.

[markusman64ds]

Hold Select before turning on the Super NES and keep holding the button until Golden Axe II boots.

If you said that back in the 90's you would get some strange looks.

[markusman64ds]

So the RetroDuo Portable can play:

SNES
NES
Game Boy
Genesis
Master System

I gotta buy one.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Can anyone confirm if the mode button is mapped to select at all? I can't think of a single game that uses it, but I'd like to mention in my video review.

[Ace]

Considering Hellraiser couldn't get Golden Axe II to work correctly, I'd say the Mode button is not mapped at all. Unfortunately, I personally can't test this as I don't have any games that NEED the 3-button controller to work correctly.

[hellraiser]

Sorry guys... I couldn't get mode to work. You guys would laugh if you knew how many times I tried!

Hey have you guys heard anything about the retron3 getting hung up on some konami games? Any chance some one can confirm this? I have a copy of tmnt hyperstone heist and it works fine. Just want to know the risk before buying contra and castlevania.

[Ace]

While I haven't played through the entire game, Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania Bloodlines seem to work just fine on my RetroGen Adapter. Be advised, though: Contra Hard Corps' audio is a bit grating and quite loud, so be prepared to turn down the volume on your TV.

[hellraiser]

While I haven't played through the entire game, Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania Bloodlines seem to work just fine on my RetroGen Adapter. Be advised, though: Contra Hard Corps' audio is a bit grating and quite loud, so be prepared to turn down the volume on your TV.

Thanks again ace! Your the man!

[hellraiser]

Ok guys I've been reading up on the whole mode button issue. Here is a list I've compiled from multiple sources of games that require use of the mode button. I can't confirm all of them but I figure it's a good start point. As always if anybody wants to confirm, dispute or even add to this list then by all means feel free. I'm still holding hope that someone can figure out the mode button issue for the retrogen.

Air Driver
Alien 3
Clue
Double Dragon 3
John Madden Football
Jordan vs. Bird
Pit-Fighter
Todd's Adventure in Slime World
Stormlord
Trouble Shooter
Forgotten worlds
King of monsters
Golden axe 2
Decap attack
Mrs. Pac-Man (some carts work)
NBA hang time (unconfirmed)
Phantom 2040 (unconfirmed)

These games use mode as a gameplay button-
Lost Vikings
Battle corps

Sunset riders (won't recognize controller 2 without holding mode on startup - 1 player game ok)

Eternal champions (mode button used for passwords)

[Necron99]

I'm really disappointed in the Retrogen adapter. I was hoping to save a bit more room by having this but I'm definitely never going to use this again. after testing quite a few games on a multiple SNES's and my RetroDuo, I've came to the conclusion that it's just not worth the hassle to even look at anymore. compatibility mode is a joke.

Minor graphical issues are ok, scrolling and flickering screens are unacceptable to me. so that leaves less than 10% of the games compatible, and most of those are titles I normally wouldn't play anyways.

Back to my Model 1 Genesis!

[hellraiser]

Minor graphical issues are ok, scrolling and flickering screens are unacceptable to me. so that leaves less than 10% of the games compatible, and most of those are titles I normally wouldn't play anyways.

Back to my Model 1 Genesis!

That's a bummer! At least you have a model 1 to fall back on.

Just out of curiosity were there any games that had really bad issues more then flickering or scrolling? I know these issues make the games bad but I'm interested in issues that can effect game play.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'm really disappointed in the Retrogen adapter. I was hoping to save a bit more room by having this but I'm definitely never going to use this again. after testing quite a few games on a multiple SNES's and my RetroDuo, I've came to the conclusion that it's just not worth the hassle to even look at anymore. compatibility mode is a joke.

Minor graphical issues are ok, scrolling and flickering screens are unacceptable to me. so that leaves less than 10% of the games compatible, and most of those are titles I normally wouldn't play anyways.

Back to my Model 1 Genesis!

Try a different TV - a CRT made in the last ten years or an HDTV. I've found radically different results on different tvs. Older CRTs tend to have crazy issues.

[Ace]

Try a different TV - a CRT made in the last ten years or an HDTV. I've found radically different results on different tvs. Older CRTs tend to have crazy issues.

Yeah, from what you showed me, your old CRT had some pretty nasty sync issues. Same with my Commodore 1084S. The video tends to get wavy at times and white screens roll vertically quite a bit. But that's not to say modern CRTs are immune from video sync issues. Far from it. I've only seen this with After Burner II, but on Stage 6, the top of the screen right near the overscan area was warped. It's like everything just got shifted left in an arc.

The RetroGen Adapter even caused problems with my capture equipment. My capture device seems EXTREMELY sensitive to the strength of the video signal coming in, and it hates the RetroGen Adapter so much, it doesn't even sync on brightly colored screens (not just white screens). This is using a Composite to S-Video pass-through cable as my capture device refuses to pick up any color from any Sega system (original hardware and clones) pre-Saturn unless I run the Composite video from my CRT TV's Composite output into my DVD recorder then output Composite from the DVD recorder into my capture device. This is a big problem as I was going to make RetroGen Adapter vs. Original Hardware on my YouTube channel to compare the RetroGen Adapter to a non-TMSS Genesis Model 1.

While I'm at it, I should mention I've got a replacement RetroGen Adapter on the way. Let's hope this one works better than the one I sent back did.

[Akito01]

What a strange funny device. Given that it cost me only $21 total with shipping, it seemed like a safe risk to take getting one, and I received it today. I plugged it into my original SNES and the LCD TV I typically use, and got a lot of those crazy screen warping issues whenever there is anything strongly white on the screen (a super bummer in Strider). I tested it as well with my SupaBoy and got the same results. Then I took the SupaBoy over to my CRT, and it played and looked perfectly fine on that TV (kinda the reverse of other peoples experiences, where CRTs are going nuts and LCDs are fine?)

It feels like this thing came very very close to getting it right. For a composite signal, it does look a lot better on my LCD than nearly anything else I've used to play Genesis games on it (screen warping aside), and it isn't offensive to the ears. I guess there are no simple or obvious solutions to the video signal issues? The fact that it looks fine on my CRT is what is keeping me from tossing this thing out the window, since it clearly is capable of displaying a normal image, but but what on earth can be done to not make my LCD choke on it like an oversized olive pit?

[Ace]

What a strange funny device. Given that it cost me only $21 total with shipping, it seemed like a safe risk to take getting one, and I received it today. I plugged it into my original SNES and the LCD TV I typically use, and got a lot of those crazy screen warping issues whenever there is anything strongly white on the screen (a super bummer in Strider). I tested it as well with my SupaBoy and got the same results. Then I took the SupaBoy over to my CRT, and it played and looked perfectly fine on that TV (kinda the reverse of other peoples experiences, where CRTs are going nuts and LCDs are fine?)

It feels like this thing came very very close to getting it right. For a composite signal, it does look a lot better on my LCD than nearly anything else I've used to play Genesis games on it (screen warping aside), and it isn't offensive to the ears. I guess there are no simple or obvious solutions to the video signal issues? The fact that it looks fine on my CRT is what is keeping me from tossing this thing out the window, since it clearly is capable of displaying a normal image, but but what on earth can be done to not make my LCD choke on it like an oversized olive pit?

It seems like the video signal may be too strong for some TVs. Case and point: the defective RetroGen Adapter I had at first worked fine on my main CRT TV, an Electrohome 27E510, but on my Commodore 1084S, white screens were tearing and the screen would roll vertically.

I just got my replacement RetroGen Adapter and this one seems to work better than the one I had before. The video does still have some issues on my 1084S, but it doesn't roll as much as my first RetroGen Adapter did, but it still works fine on my 27E510. My Samsung SyncMaster 244T PC monitor, on the other hand, has some issues with the RetroGen Adapter's video. Not only do white screens tear, they also tend to jitter quite a bit and sometimes completely lose color. Sounds like what happened on one of my Master Systems when trying to fix its oversatured Composite video and the video signal was too strong. I'm going to check the voltage of the Composite video compared to a Genesis Model 1 and see if the signal really is too strong for some TVs to handle.

Right now, I'm going to run a full stress test of the RetroGen Adapter. My replacement adapter works flawlessly on every Super NES and Super NES clone I own:

-Super NES (SPC700 on a separate board)
-Super NES (SPC700 on the motherboard)
-Super NES Mini
-Super Famicom (SPC700 on a separate board)
-Super Famicom Jr.
-FC Twin
-RetroDuo v2.0
-FC3 Plus (old revision)
-FC3 Plus (new revision)

Even if it's completely pointless, I tried it on the FC3 Plus just to see if it works, and it does. I did notice something rather odd with the sound, though. For some reason, the RetroGen Adapter outputs sound through the clones (not video; it doesn't output video to anything, not a clone, and not original hardware), but outputs nothing at all through original hardware. Wonder what's up with that.

[hellraiser]

I've noticed mine can be very picky.
There's a couple of games that work on normal systems then won't on the adapter. Another copy of the same game will work fine.

[Ace]

Just letting you know I posted a review of the RetroGen Adapter on Sega-16: http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?19959-Retro-Gen-Adapter&p=468660&viewfull=1#post468660

[hellraiser]

Just letting you know I posted a review of the RetroGen Adapter on Sega-16: http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?19959-Retro-Gen-Adapter&p=468660&viewfull=1#post468660

Cool review! Pretty awesome compatible list too! You got me real curious about how to run genesis controllers. If it's possible that should get rid of the "mode button" issue.