Best way to play Mega CD games

[Vlcice]

Re: Shining Force: every game chapter gets its own save, and those saves are big. The Sega CD has enough internal RAM to store one chapter's save with a little leftover room, but not more than that. Since accessing chapters 3 and 4 requires a completed savegame from chapters 1 and 2, you basically have to have a RAM cart to get the entire game. If you only care about the main game you can squeeze by without one, though.

[theclaw]

That would require me buying another CD unit, possibly having to open it up and replace the battery... I'd rather not have to do that.

If I could find a unit that someone's already done that to though, it would be a different story.

Obviously given overseas postage to import a Mega CD (unless you find one here somehow?), Everdrive is the better choice bar none.

[SteveSpeeze]

I hope nobody minds me bumping this topic since I recently developed a similar interest.

I'm kind of confused about what this "Everdrive" is. How does it work?

Someone mentioned a "Mega Cart." What is that?

Thanks.

i have one, sometimes its a hassle though so i just got a mega cd player.

[blue lander]

I put a multibios in my Sega CD, now I can play everything. I just use a toggle switch to change from us to japan.

[RCM]

I use the Tototek Mega Cart and have no complaints running Mega CD on my Sega CD 1 & 2. Very easy, and I think it's a flashcart for Genesis and 32X games too.

[Edmond Dantes]

Re: Shining Force: every game chapter gets its own save, and those saves are big. The Sega CD has enough internal RAM to store one chapter's save with a little leftover room, but not more than that. Since accessing chapters 3 and 4 requires a completed savegame from chapters 1 and 2, you basically have to have a RAM cart to get the entire game. If you only care about the main game you can squeeze by without one, though.

So basically, the 16-Bit version of Metal Gear Solid 4 then.

I'm not supposing there's some way to simply put more RAM in the Sega CD itself, is there?

Or to use the Everdrive or something similar as a RAM cart itself?

[Leo_A]

The Everdrive is a flash cart...

How come you're always coming into a thread and restating answers for questions that were already answered?

[xelement5x]

So basically, the 16-Bit version of Metal Gear Solid 4 then.

I'm not supposing there's some way to simply put more RAM in the Sega CD itself, is there?

Or to use the Everdrive or something similar as a RAM cart itself?

I think it's possible to add more memory to the Sega CD, as I believe someone drew up proof of concept schematics. But I remember that it was not going to be very easy to do, hence why they never executed it

The EverDrive can't be used as a RAM cart as far as I know, due to the way the RAM cart interacts with the system. Someone in Brazil had made their own though and made them ridiculously large as well.

FWIW, I would just shell out the cash for a Backup cart if you need the extra space. They're also region free so if you can find a JP on the cheap it's a good route to take.

[substantial_snake]

How come you're always coming into a thread and restating answers for questions that were already answered?

There is a time code stamp on the post before mine of two minutes, that reply was posted as I was typing out mine.

[Leo_A]

There is a time code stamp on the post before mine of two minutes, that reply was posted as I was typing out mine.

Everything you added to it was already basically explained quite a bit earlier in the thread over half a day before (What the Everdrive can do, that the Sega CD doesn't have enough internal ram for Shining Force, that the Everdrive allows you to load a different region's bios). I've noticed you doing this quite a bit lately, and was puzzled by it.

[substantial_snake]

Everything you added to it was already basically explained quite a bit earlier in the thread over half a day before (What the Everdrive can do, that the Sega CD doesn't have enough internal ram for Shining Force, that the Everdrive allows you to load a different region's bios). I've noticed you doing this quite a bit lately, and was puzzled by it.

Mostly because it seemed like the person I was replying to needed more clarification on what the Everdrive actually did or how you go about region free. I figured a brief explanation of what the Everdrive was and how it worked with region free would be useful, if not I am deeply sorry for wasting you and everyone else's time.

[Leo_A]

I figured a brief explanation of what the Everdrive was and how it worked with region free would be useful, if not I am deeply sorry for wasting you and everyone else's time.

Don't take it so personal, it was just an observation that I was curious about.

[Edmond Dantes]

FWIW, I would just shell out the cash for a Backup cart if you need the extra space. They're also region free so if you can find a JP on the cheap it's a good route to take.

The main question in my mind was "what if, for whatever reason, I wanted to play the Japanese version of Shining Force CD on an American Sega CD?"

I guess though if I ever became that dedicated, I could always just get a Wondermega, or a Japanese Mega Drive with the CD. Shining Force isn't exactly a series I enjoy for its plot regardless, so the quality of the English version's translation probably won't be that big of an issue.

[substantial_snake]

Don't take it so personal, it was just an observation that I was curious about.

And how else am I supposed to take it, you personally called me out?

The main question in my mind was "what if, for whatever reason, I wanted to play the Japanese version of Shining Force CD on an American Sega CD?"

I guess though if I ever became that dedicated, I could always just get a Wondermega, or a Japanese Mega Drive with the CD. Shining Force isn't exactly a series I enjoy for its plot regardless, so the quality of the English version's translation probably won't be that big of an issue.

In the case of this one game the MegaCart seems like the way to go, it has both the extra onboard memory and region free bios that you need while the Everdrive doesn't.

(oops my opinion coincides with others in this thread..guess I did it again)

[Edmond Dantes]

Okay, I shall seek out a MegaCart.

Incidentally I don't see much point getting too upset at Leo_A. He probably didn't realize how his post sounded. And anyway, I personally thought your information was helpful, since it answered the specific questions I had and cleared up things previous posters didn't.

(on top of that, I'd rather see this topic used to discuss the Sega CD and importing, not forum users)

[substantial_snake]

Okay, I shall seek out a MegaCart.

Incidentally I don't see much point getting too upset at Leo_A. He probably didn't realize how his post sounded. And anyway, I personally thought your information was helpful, since it answered the specific questions I had and cleared up things previous posters didn't.

(on top of that, I'd rather see this topic used to discuss the Sega CD and importing, not forum users)

Like I said before I have no personal experience with the MegaCart but from whats said on their website, reviews, and others in this thread it seems like a solid bet.

http://products.genny4ever.net/megacart_v1x.html

Yeah sorry shoulda let that go, just a bad day.

[xelement5x]

I've always wondered if there were any games that were really worth importing for the Sega (Mega) CD. The only ones I've heard mentioned that might be worth it are the Urusei Yatsura game, and Heavy Nova. The Sega CD is odd in that (as far as I know) a majority of the games for it that were made in Japan got localized for the US as well.

[Vlcice]

There are some interesting Japanese exclusive games, but most of them are very Japanese language-heavy so they're pretty much inaccessible if you can't understand it. Stuff like Urusei Yatsura, Illusion City, Shadowrun, etc.

[Az]

The main question in my mind was "what if, for whatever reason, I wanted to play the Japanese version of Shining Force CD on an American Sega CD?"

You're still SOL if you want to play the last chapter, regardless if you're using an Everdrive or Megacart. The only options would be both to buy a backup RAM cart and solder in a new bios chip, or the slim possibility that Shining Force CD can be region converted through software (but you'd still have to buy a backup RAM cart).

The Megacart acts like the Pro Action Replay for Saturn; you can save/restore system memory to it but you can't access it on the fly like you can a regular backup RAM cart.

[Az]

I've always wondered if there were any games that were really worth importing for the Sega (Mega) CD.

Night Striker and The Ninja Warriors are both alright if found for a decent price. Final Fight CD is worth buying for the uncensored version if you're a big enough FF nut (I am!).

I've noticed a few titles are sometimes cheaper or easier to come across in their PAL format than NTSC, so there's that factor also.