SMS games with "Mark III mode" in them

[Raccoon Lad]

OK, I've been doing alot of testing, and it seems Sega left the Mark III or Sega logos that display on a Japanese system in many of the US/Euro versions of the ROM.
You can boot your SMS in "Mark III mode" by following this simple MOD here:
http://raccoonlad.topcities.com/video/MKIIIMOD.html
(apparantly there are a few versions of the SMS this wont work on, but the average system can be easily modded)

Here are the games that have "Mark III mode" in them:
*Note - there are a few games that WEREN'T released in Japan on this list (they might surprise you)

There might still be one or two games I haven't tested that have the MKIII mode still

Action Fighter - Mark III logo
Aerial Assault - Sega logo
After Burner - Mark III logo
Alex Kidd Lost Stars - Mark III logo
Alien Syndrome - Mark III logo
Aztec Adventure - Mark III logo, "Nazca 88" title screen
Basketball Nightmare - Sega logo
Black Belt - Mark III logo
Blade Eagle 3-D - Mark III logo
Bomber Raid - Sega logo
California Games - Sega logo
Captain Silver (UK) - Sega logo
Casino Games - Sega logo
Choplifter - Mark III logo
Cloud Master - Sega Logo "Chuka Taisen" title screen
Cyborg Hunter - Sega logo
Double Dragon - Sega logo
Dynamite Duke - Sega logo
Dynamite Dux - Sega logo
Enduro Racer - Mark III logo
Fantasy Zone - Mark III logo
Fantasy Zone 2 - Mark III logo
Fantasy Zone Maze - Mark III logo
Ghostbusters - Mark III logo
Global Defense - Mark III logo
Golfamania -Sega logo
Golvellius - Sega logo
Great Football - Mark III logo
Great Golf - Mark III logo "Master Golf" title screen
Great Soccer - Mark III logo "World Soccer" title screen
Great Volleyball - Mark III logo
Kenseiden - Sega Logo
Kung Fu Kid - Mark III logo, Japanese title screen
Miracle Warriors - Mark III logo
Monopoly - Mark III logo
Out Run - Mark III logo
Out Run 3-D - Sega logo
Parlour Games - Mark III logo
Penguin Land - Mark III logo, Japanese title screen
Poseidon Wars 3-D - 3-D Sega logo
Power Strike - Sega logo, "aleste" title screen
Psychic World - Sega logo
Psycho Fox - Sega logo
Quartet - Mark III logo
R-Type - Sega logo
Rampage - Sega logo
Rastan - Sega logo
Rocky - Mark III logo
Scramble Spirits - Sega logo
Shanghai - Sega logo, Japanese text
Shinobi - Sega logo
Slap Shot - Sega logo
Space Harrier - Mark III logo
Space Harrier 3-D - Mark III logo
Thunderblade - Sega logo
Time Soldiers - Green Sega logo, Japanese text
Vigilante - Sega logo
Wonderboy - Mark III logo, "super wonderboy" title screen, harder
Wonderboy 2 - Mark III logo, "super Wonderboy Monster World" title screen, Japanese text
Wonderboy 3 - Sega logo "monster world II" title screen
World Grand Prix - Mark III logo "The Circuit" title screen
Zaxxon 3-D - Mark III logo
Zillion - Mark III logo, Japanese title, Japanese text
Zillion 2 - Mark III logo


There are actually quite a few variations of the Mark III logo and Sega Logo, which can be interesting to see load up.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Sweeeeet!!!...Thanks for this info..

[ShinobiMan]

Hey there Raccoon Lad. In an effort to get this wonderful information on the MOD out to more SMS fans, I was hoping you'd let me host your page on segamastersystem.com. Kudos to you my friend, that's a great list and finding.

[Raccoon Lad]

Added Ghostbusters to the list, a game NOT released in Japan.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hey, have you tried out Shadow Dancer yet?

[Raccoon Lad]

Yes, and there was no Mark III mode in it. of course, being a 1991 game, and the Mark III dying in 1989, there was virtually no chance of there being one anyway.

[Aswald]

Man, I've got to program a Commodore-64 game and get it out there.

None of those emulated games you sent my way really works very well. Again, emulation is an iffy thing here; Lord knows, there isn't a serious ColecoVision emulator that runs. Still, that's a superb website you have. Who's that rabbit-like critter playing pool with Spunky?

[Raccoon Lad]

Well, this is a bit off from the main topic...

Anywho, that rabbit's name is "Bunny", he's Spunky's ever tormented roommate, who's in love with a woman named Bonnie who works in the same office building as Bunny. Some of the rather "odd couple" situation they live in can be extrapolated from "Spunky's Death-Ray", the video game I made starring Spunky lasy year: http://raccoonlad.topcities.com/deathray.html

[Aswald]

Hmmmm...big surprise- it doesn't work here.

How similar to a ColecoVision is a SMS? I understand that they both use Z-80 processors, but are there any other similarities?

[Raccoon Lad]

Well, the SMS is somewhat backwards compatible with the SG-1000/SC-3000, and those systems are very similar to the Colecovision. So, I guess it's sorta like the coleco's far more powerfull cousin in a way.

[Lady Jaye]

Hey, cool finding about the SMS' Mark III switching! I already knew about some SMS roms containing the Mark III version in them (just use a SMS emulator; if you can switch the ROM to Japanese mode, then there's the Mark III version in there).

I've tried playing some Cloud Master on the emulator set on Japanese mode... Since Cloud Master is only half localized, it's not that much different.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yes, and there was no Mark III mode in it. of course, being a 1991 game, and the Mark III dying in 1989, there was virtually no chance of there being one anyway.

Cool, thanks. Must've been rather odd (if not downright depressing) to work on a game of such high quality that you knew would never be sold in your country.

[Raccoon Lad]

Some games were so heavily localised they took out the Mark III/Sega logos even. Example: Phantasy Star. In fact, they even took out the FM code from Phantasy Star (Which is surprising, seeing as the FM music code was usually shared with the normal PSG music)

[anagrama]

I'm sure this is common knowledge to most, but the Mark III mode games can also be seen by using a Power Base Convertor on a Japanese (or region-switched) Megadrive.

Racoon Lad - Do you have a list of games you haven't tested? I'd be happy to check any I've got, but I don't want to spend a couple of hours trying everything if you've already tested most of them.

[Raccoon Lad]

Well, I don't have any lists right now, but I've checked everything that was released both in Japan and the US. I think there's a few US releases I haven't tested, I think maybe Slap Shot, and there's alot of European releases I haven't tested. Though, if you're gonna do any testing, anything released after 1991, or any games not made by Sega or Taito almost certainly won't have a Mark III mode.

The Mark III or Sega logo's were only put in games "intended" to be released in Japan. Example: Sega never released the light Phaser in Japan, thus no light gun games have a "Mark III" mode.

[Lost Monkey]

I've seen the Mark III screens on some titles I purchased a few years ago... when I first bought them (off eBay) they arrived in terrible condition, so when I was trying them out, many didn't work or would boot up to a Mark III screen and then crash... after giving them a good cleaning, they all worked "normally".

Should Australian/European games show the Mark III logo on a US system? Or does the system's region code determine how the game boots?

[anagrama]

Should Australian/European games show the Mark III logo on a US system? Or does the system's region code determine how the game boots?

It's determined by the console's region.

[Raccoon Lad]

Updated list with Slap Shot.

I really want to test Sports Pad Football, but it's one of the games I don't have yet, and a ROM's not available online either. Anyone able to test this one?

[Raccoon Lad]

Slight related info type update:
Woody Pop, will work on a US SMS, but the paddle will be VERY jumpy. If you install the "Mark III mode" switch on your system, Woody Pop will work perfectly on a US system.

Also, the complete list of games with "Mark III mode" in them is on the same page as this MOD. (see link at beginning of thread)

[Ze_ro]

Wow, it's good to see that someone figure out this long-rumored mod. I'll have to pick up some wires and such and give this a try.

--Zero