Genesis Powerbase Questions

[alec006]

Ok i just bought a Sega Genesis Powerbase convertor complete in the box and im currently waiting on it to come in the mail. Anyway i need to know somethings before i hook it up. First knowing the video comes out of the genesis does the audio come out of the headphones jack as dual mono or does any come out at all? Also does the Sega CD effect the way that the system operates when the powerbase is attached? And finally what happends when you turn on the system does it come up with the original bios with the master system sega sound or does it just come up like a normal genesis game?

[Blitzwing256]

i only ever used mine on a early model genesis so i'm not sure if you get the genesis logo thing.

but from what i understand the pbc is only a connector, the genesis has the sms chips on it already.
dunno about the headphone jack thing at all though. but when you boot it up it goes right to the sms game.

also a few games don't work right with a genesis controler, one of which is super wonderboy in super monster land, and f15 fighting falcon doesn't work at all.

[Carey85]

The Genesis reads the Power Base Converter like a standard Sega cartridge, meaning that you'll have to remove it for Sega CD use... Interesting little bit as well, from my youth. I bought a Power Base Converter at a yard sale to use on my Genesis II. Got it home to realize that those pesky power/AV ports were in the way. So, like a jackass, I took a jigsaw and cut out a corner of the unit to make it fit... If only I knew now what I didn't then.

[InsaneDavid]

but from what i understand the pbc is only a connector, the genesis has the sms chips on it already.

Yup, for the most part that's all it is. A big part of Genesis design was to make it backwards compatible - one of the reasons the Power Base Converter doesn't work on the Genesis 3, said chips were removed.

[nebrazca78]

And finally what happends when you turn on the system does it come up with the original bios with the master system sega sound or does it just come up like a normal genesis game?

The game actually starts with no logo at all. It boots directly to the game's title screen (or potentially some credits I guess).

[anagrama]

And if you use it on a Japanese MegaDrive (or region-switched Genesis/MD) you'll get to see the Mark III logo and Japanese title screen with the handful of games that contain dual English/Japanese code :)

[The Manimal]

The Genesis reads the Power Base Converter like a standard Sega cartridge, meaning that you'll have to remove it for Sega CD use... Interesting little bit as well, from my youth. I bought a Power Base Converter at a yard sale to use on my Genesis II. Got it home to realize that those pesky power/AV ports were in the way. So, like a jackass, I took a jigsaw and cut out a corner of the unit to make it fit... If only I knew now what I didn't then.


I did this a couple years ago. Are they really worth that much now? I wouldn't mind having one of the Euro 'Master Converter II' ones but those are quite a bit more difficult to find/expensive.

[Carey85]

I've had 3 or 4 Power Base Converters over the years... The least I paid for one was $5 (the one I hacked up) and the most I've paid for one is $15... $20 would be the max I would pay for one, and it'd have to be in fine condition. A Master Gear is nice to have to for your Game Gear, and I see those generally fetch about the same amount. It just depends on how much you just want to play those SMS games :)

[Ninga64]

i only ever used mine on a early model genesis so i'm not sure if you get the genesis logo thing.

but from what i understand the pbc is only a connector, the genesis has the sms chips on it already.
dunno about the headphone jack thing at all though. but when you boot it up it goes right to the sms game.

also a few games don't work right with a genesis controler, one of which is super wonderboy in super monster land, and f15 fighting falcon doesn't work at all.1.You must use a Master System Controller for that.

And 2.F15 Fighting Falcon was a Modid SG1000 game & The SMS Power Base can not play SG1000 games unless you mod it (Same with SMS FM).

;)

[CosmicMonkey]

Tototek have two models of converter. One is just MS - MD/Genny and the other one supports MkIII games too. They're both available with/without a cart casing. Fits nicely in a MD2 as well.

[acem77]

Tototek have two models of converter. One is just MS - MD/Genny and the other one supports MkIII games too. They're both available with/without a cart casing. Fits nicely in a MD2 as well.

i have these they work ok.
but forget about card games and 3d games then.

[anagrama]

F15 Fighting Falcon was a Modid SG1000 game & The SMS Power Base can not play SG1000 games unless you mod it (Same with SMS FM).

Not quite true - F16 uses the SG1000 graphics mode, which is why it's unplayable through the PBC, but it was never actually released for the SG1000. It's actually an updated version of an older MSX game.
Also, there's no way to mod a PBC (or any Western SMS/MD/Genny) to play SG1000 games.

[idrougge]

Also, there's no way to mod a PBC (or any Western SMS/MD/Genny) to play SG1000 games.

There will hopefully be one soon. Look at http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8714.

[anagrama]

Also, there's no way to mod a PBC (or any Western SMS/MD/Genny) to play SG1000 games.

There will hopefully be one soon. Look at http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8714.

I've already pre-ordered one of those, but they're for playing Western SMS carts on a Japanese Master System. Nothing to do with playing SG1000 games on a Western system.