just wondering if anyone may have a list of the titles that require or at least utilize this accessory, i haven't seen any... thanks in advance for any info.
Sega CD RAM Cart
just wondering if anyone may have a list of the titles that require or at least utilize this accessory, i haven't seen any... thanks in advance for any info.
Require? None that I know of. Even Shining Force CD, while strongly SUGGESTED you have the RAM cart, does'nt REQUIRE it in order to move on.
Use it? At least 20 that I'm aware off.
"Four o'clock and all is well.....wish I was in bed, Sir."
-- Guard in the Imperial City, Oblivion
so basically it works just like a memory card, eh? surprising that shining force doesn't require it then... how long does it take to play through that game?
Shining Force? Eh....I've had it about a year and still working through Book 3.
Well, it's kind of like a memory card, yes. The cart plugs into your Genesis and operates like a external hard drive. It's something like 10 times the internal memory that comes with the Sega CD.
Basicaly, this is a MUST HAVE item for your Sega CD if you plan to have many adventure/RPG/Sim games for the system. I got mine on EBay (complete, with box and manual) for $40.
"Four o'clock and all is well.....wish I was in bed, Sir."
-- Guard in the Imperial City, Oblivion
so the sega cd has it's own internal memory for saves? i didn't know that... definitely good to know. thanks
Oh, I thought everyone knew that.
Yes, the Sega CD has it's own memory, but as I said it's very limited, it can only hold a few files at the same time. That's why the RAM Cart is such a NICE thing to have.
It's not needed for every system. The 3DO has a expensive (at the time) large RAM ammount. PlayStation memory cards were quite good for the early games.
"Four o'clock and all is well.....wish I was in bed, Sir."
-- Guard in the Imperial City, Oblivion
heh... never actually used a sega cd in my life... but i've got one on it's way, so trying to learn a bit more about them. this definitely helped a bit. although, i probably won't have much use for the RAM cart, since i don't play RPGs...
The 3DO doesn't have much RAM at all! They made a Game Guru to somewhat help that situation by creating "zip files" out of your saves, but it was still a huge pain in the ass to have to manage all of your games that way and STILL not enough space.Originally Posted by SoulBlazer
Oh, I thought everyone knew that.
Yes, the Sega CD has it's own memory, but as I said it's very limited, it can only hold a few files at the same time. That's why the RAM Cart is such a NICE thing to have.
It's not needed for every system. The 3DO has a expensive (at the time) large RAM ammount. PlayStation memory cards were quite good for the early games.
Describing the Sega CD RAM Cart as a memory card is a perfect analogy since that's really all it does. It doesn't add anything to the gameplay but it does create a place for you to keep your configs and save game states. As SoulBlazer said, a "must have" if you're going to tackle the RPG's!
Did the SegaCD RAM cart have a battery backup or was it flash ram? I wonder if you could MAKE one..
That I'm not sure about. Maybe some brave soul will open theirs up?
Also in case no one has looked at Barry Cantin's Sega CD FAQ (http://www.digitpress.com/faq/sega_cd.txt), here's the RAM Cart excerpt:
VII. Sega CD Backup RAM Cart
This is an ordinary-looking Genesis cart which allows you to copy
individual files to and from the Sega CD internal RAM. It allows 16
times the storage of the Sega CD's internal RAM. One nice advantage is
that many games (particularly the memory-hogging RPGs) will allow you to
play directly from the backup RAM cart.
The cart allows you to copy individual files or the entire directory to
it from the RAM, and allows individual files to be copied over (space
permitting) to the Sega CD Internal RAM.
It behaves very much like a floppy disk, in that it must be formatted
before use, then files can be copied to/from it. Individual files can
also be deleted. Known shelf life is probably on the order of several
years, maybe longer.
The RAM cart has capacity for 1 Mbit of data storage (which translates
to 2000 blocks), or sixteen times the storage capacity of the internal
Sega CD RAM (125 blocks).
It is also required to perform certain things, such as access the third
"hidden" battle stages in Shining Force CD. Since each Shining Force CD
saved game takes up almost all the internal Sega CD RAM and you have to
have saved games from both parts 1 and 2, you must have at least one of
them stored on the RAM cart. Also, some games such as "Shining Force
CD", "Third World War", and "Eye of the Beholder" take up all 125 blocks
with a save game, so if you want to save anything else (or have multiple
saves) the backup RAM cart is essential.
One note: the External RAM cart instructions do not mention how long the
cart will keep the files but more than likely will keep them
approximately 3-5 years, assuming that the player occasionally plugs it
into the Sega Genesis WITH the Sega CD attached to recharge it and keep
power at optimum levels. Later versions of the FAQ will have an index
of the savegame filenames. This way, you will know what those "mystery
files" are that have been there for a long time, that you were afraid to
delete...
The RAM cart retailed for $59.99. VERY highly recommended for RPGs.
Q: Can I play Sega CD games while the RAM cart is inside the machine?
A: Yes, it's actually more convenient this way because you have
the option of saving directly TO the cart if you wish.
Q: Can I use the RAM cart with foreign CDs?
A: No. Since you need a translator cart such as Datel's
Pro-CDX or CD+PLUS, the cart slot will already be occupied.
However, you can still save to the Sega CD's internal RAM
and later move the file(s) over to a RAM cart.
If there's mention of recharging the cart by keeping it in the system with the power on then it uses a battery. It's the same advice for the internal RAM.
I've always wondered: Does thing work with the 32X attached? I've had mine for some time and could never get it to work when it's pluged into a 32X. Is mine just a dud???
that FAQ is golden... didn't know it was on here. thanks for that!
Yes, it works fine in a 32X connected to a Genny. That's how I do mine all the time.
The 3DO does'nt have much RAM? I always have a lot of space on mine.....curious. Oh well.
The FAQ IS wrong about the third book of Shining Force CD (There's a trick mentioned in one of the SFCD FAQ's on how to access that without a RAM cart) but beyond that the FAQ is dead on.
And I suspect I paid too much for mine on EBay, but it WAS complete, and both the box and manual were in good shape.
"Four o'clock and all is well.....wish I was in bed, Sir."
-- Guard in the Imperial City, Oblivion
The sega cd cart has a battery in it (opened mine up) and the average ebay price is $40-50 and that is about only place to find one.
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