Hardware

Pick-Ups – Boxed Japanese Sega Mega Drive

Posted by Sega Dude on June 12, 2020

Posted in: Hardware, Mega Drive (Japanese), SEGA. Tagged: japan, MD, mega drive, sega. 3 Comments

Just too beautify to pass up!

For a long time now it’s been a rare occurrence to find Japanese Mega Drive stuff out in the wild. So when I found this boxed Mega Drive console it was a genuine surprise. I wasn’t planning on buying what would be my third Mega Drive but after holding it for just a few minutes there was already an unbreakable bond. I offer Retro Quest $40 CAD (~$30 USD) and they were willing. It’s missing the power brick and video cable but I’ll find them eventually.

The condition is not perfect but it’s pretty good and it’s hard to argue with the price. If you’re local to Toronto (GTA) be sure to visit Retro Quest. I have purchased a lot of great retro gaming stuff from them over the years. It’s a great store with great people!

Initially I thought this was going to be an easy pass because in 2014 I purchased a really great condition Mega Drive (pictured below) at the VGCC Game Swap for $65 CAD (~$47 USD). However, since these two Mega Drives have different packaging they both feel like good additions to the collection.

Japanese Mega Drive

Asian Region Packaging

Box Opened

Mega Drive Close Up

Below is my loose Model 2 Mega Drive that cost me about $30 CAD (~$22 USD) in the same year (2014) as the model 2 above. Even though they’re not pictured I do have power and video cables for this Model 2; just no box.

Mega Drive Model 2

Believe it or not I purchased this model 2 Mega Drive in a bundle that included the very elusive game Eliminate Down. Click here for those details. The short answer is I scored Eliminate Down for about $80 CAD in 2014 (~$70 USD).

OK, this is something real special. How often do you get a chance to own a video game sound track on cartridge? Not often… not often at all. Almost never actually.

Have a look at the Tanglewood OST with its beautiful red (orange?) cartridge for play on your original Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive. This is a sight you won’t see often!

In addition to the OST cartridge you might have noticed a set of 10 Tanglewood themed Post Cards.

Normally you’d only get one random Tanglewood Post Card in every physical copy of Tanglewood the game from Matt Phillips’ Tanglewood Kickstarter campaign. The full set of ten was only available to those who purchased the collectors edition. A true gem that I could not afford at the time.

So how did I end up with a full Post Card set?

Courtesy of a very close friend who reached out to the creator Matt Phillips of Big Evil Corporation and asked if he could buy a set for me.

Not only was Matt willing but he went one step further and included a free OST cartridge as well. When I received this packaged I was truly beside myself. I like very niche things. Things that are incredibly hard for family and friends to deduce. And my buddy nailed it… in a very big way.

Thank you RamboRy!

How good is this 16-bit video game sound track by freezedream?
Oh, it’s good. It’s very good.

The very first track is the Tanglewood theme and it sets a serene and calming mood. Conjuring images of the fairy tale ending you’ll want to earn for our fury friends; Nymn and Echo.

If I had to choose, I’d say my favourite songs would be tracks #20 (So long) and #21 (Deadwood). Not only are they incredible songs in their own right but they play at a very pivotal storytelling moment in the game and they are major contributors to a very emotional moment of loss and enduring.

Below is a recording I captured of the entire OST playing from my original model 1 Sega Genesis. Have a listen!

Unfortunately the Tanglewood cartridge OST is sold out at the time this post was published.
But a digital version is available over at freezedream.bandcamp.

Haven’t heard of Tanglewood? Read my spoiler free review here: Tanglewood 16-bit Perfection.

And have a peak at my Tanglewood longplay:

Honestly, if you’re a retro gamer you need to get your hands on Tanglewood.

Sega Game Gear Micro. Sega Celebrates it’s 60th Anniversary!

Posted by Sega Dude on June 3, 2020

Posted in: Community, Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: 60th Anniversary, game gear, Game Gear Micro, sega. 7 Comments

Happy 60th’s Anniversary Sega! Thank you for all you do!

And what an incredibly fun way to celebrate with a micro version of Sega’s Game Gear.

We don’t have all the details yet but I feel Sega is off to a great start. The Game Gear Micro will retail for about $46 USD, with a release date of October 6th, 2020 and will be available in four different colours (black, blue, yellow and red).

And, yeah, it’s… small. Really small. In fact it would appear to be very appropriately named.

Each version is shown with a different game; including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic & Tails, Shinning Force and Last Bible.

Does this mean each colour variant Game Gear Micro will come with only one game or will each Game Gear come with all four of these games regardless of it’s colour?

Certainly we’re all hoping this early tease is not the whole show. Of course we’re all expecting every Game Gear Micro to come with the same library of games and for that library to include many games. Hopefully the game count will be similar to the Sega Genesis Mini and Sega Mega Drive Mini. Even if it fall short and launches with 20+ games I think I’d be content.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you Excited for the Sega Game Gear Micro?

Pick-Ups – Boxed Sega Genesis, Round Two!

Posted by Sega Dude on May 26, 2020

Posted in: Games, Genesis (North America), Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: Altered Beast, boxed, genesis, Model 1, original, retail, sega. 5 Comments

Say hello to my boxed Sega Genesis. This was my last retro pick-up before COVID-19 put Canada on lock-down.

It was actually full on Winter when Nintendo Joe and myself visited Retro Game Bros.; where I made this purchase. I was on the hunt for some affordable boxed NES and SNES games when I noticed this boxed ‘launch edition’ Sega Genesis. “Launch Edition” wasn’t a thing back in the day but what was important to me is that this is the packaging variant I got as a kid. (“Variant” also wasn’t a thing back in the 90’s.)

I already had a very similar boxed Genesis but the condition of this replacement is much better and I could not resist. When I asked for the price the Retro Game Bros. asked me to offer a fair price and after seeing a ‘sold listing’ for a similar boxed Genesis for $150 USD that is what I offered; which was about $200 CAD at the time. Knowing that I’d have my previous boxed Genesis to sell helped make this an easy purchase.

My new boxed Genesis (above) is compete with everything: console, hook-ups, game pad, Altered Beast, adapters, manual and a Golden Axe poster. All in really great condition!

If you look close you can see the original retail price of $189.99. Because it’s says Kay Bee Toys I’m pretty sure that price tag is in USD. I don’t think Kay Bee Toys ever made it to Canada. $189.99 is the launch day price of the Genesis in the US which makes me believe this is a pretty early release; not that it’s particularly important but just cool trivia.

My now dethroned boxed Genesis you can see below. It’s OK. The hardware is in very good shape. It’s only the box that’s a bit battered. This one cost me $40 CAD (~$30 USD) years ago.

This variant is actually pretty interesting. I believe this is one of the last Altered Beasts boxes to sell at retail. You can see a black sticker stating ‘Game Cartridge Not Included, Sold Separately.’ It’s placed right over the area of the box that says (if it was visible) “Included Arcade Hit Altered Beast”. I image when Sega was slowing down on the Altered Beast bundle they had more consoles to unload before moving onto new packaging and new bundles.

I had no idea how satisfying this upgrade would be. I was pretty content with the battered and beat-up box but now that I have a new champ I find it very gratifying!

For kicks have a look at why I don’t bother with eBay anymore; here’s what some serious gougers feel this same boxed Genesis is worth:

Between $800-$2,800 CAD (~$600-$2,000USD) Really?! This is why I haven’t had an eBay account since Dec. 2016. And I don’t miss it at all.

What did Nintendo Joe end up scoring at Retro Game Bros.? He purchased a used copy of Metroid: Samus Returns for his Nintendo 3DS. And like a good lad he’s already beaten it.

Go visit Nintendo Joe at his Instagram NintendoJoe1985 and MyNintendoDimension.

Pick-Ups – To be this good takes Analogue

Posted by Sega Dude on January 19, 2020

Posted in: Article, Hardware, SEGA. Tagged: 8bitdo, Analogue, genesis, mega drive, Mega Sg, NES, nintendo, retro-bit, sega, snes. 4 Comments

So I did something crazy and it feels great! I purchased the extremely high-end and very expensive Mega Sg by Analogue.

Easy now, stop your gasping. I did get the wife’s permission first.

I’ve been borderline desperate to get my hands on this (dare I say) perfect Sega Genesis / Mega Drive replacement console since it’s release on March 25th, 2019. However, the steep price tag of $190 USD plus $50 USD shipping had held me off. I just could not justify the ~$310 CAD grand total; regardless of all the high praise this modern 16-bit wonder has been receiving.

It’s true, a tremendous amount of skill and a quality has been poured into the Mega Sg and I do understand that this product has a very niche audience. I cannot criticize the price tag. It feels appropriate. But at the same time I could not justify it to myself.

So what happened? I found a used Mega Sg. In fact since it’s release this is the first Mega Sg I’ve seen for sale on the second hand market. I didn’t get away like a bandit but I do feel I did well and scored it for a fair price of $240 CAD (~$184 USD). Saving $70 CAD (~$54 USD) really helped. But buying it used also did more. It spared me the risk of duty. Had I purchased it direct from Analogue and had I been charged duty I would have been hit with another $88 CAD (~$67 USD) according to borderbuddy.com. Leaving me with a grand total of $390 CAD (~$300 USD). Ouch…

As a very nice gesture the seller included this retro-bit 6 button arcade pad for free. Which I can use on my new Mega Sg or my original Sega Genesis. Of course the Sega Dude is all wireless now but this was still a very nice thing.

What really made all this fall into place is a little bit of downsizing I’ve been doing. Just a few days after my Mega Sg purchase I managed to sell some Super Nintendo carts. I’ve decided that I want just some of the AAA titles complete with box and manual. As a result I’ve recently sold the following:

Axelay $65 CAD
Super Mario All-Stars (with BitBox Case) $30 CAD (with manual)
Super Mario RPG (with BitBox Case) $70 CAD (with manual)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV Turtles in Time (with BitBox Case) $60 CAD
The Legend of Mystical Ninja (with BitBox Case) $40 CAD
Parodius Da (Super Famicom with BitBox Case) $15 CAD
Pop’n TwinBee (Super Famicom with BitBox Case) $15 CAD
Super Genjin 2 (Bonk 2) (Nintendo Super Famicom) $20 CAD

Netting me $315 CAD which more than paid for my $240 CAD Mega Sg.

You’ll see a few games that I still have for sale in the images above. My prices have all been in-line with pricecharting.com; adding a bit extra if I had a game manual to go along with the cartridge.

I use to buy BitBox cases because I found it hard to find fordable complete SNES and NES games. But now that I’m reducing and looking for just some core games I’m letting go of some great games in favour of a smaller more complete Nintendo collection.

Below are the top three SNES games I’m hoping to track down complete someday:

Super Mario World
The Legend of Zelda
Metroid

I still feel Bitboxes from StoneAgeGamer look great but for me personally, I’m starting to change gears.

So, how is Analogue’s Mega Sg console?

I haven’t had it long so I can’t really praise it as 100% perfect yet but at first glance it seems like it could be. I’ve been testing my Mega Sg with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts and Tanglewood. I picked these two games because I’ve spent a lot of time with them very recently on my original Genesis console with my trusty CRT (tube) TV. The hope was that any differences on the Mega Sg connected to my HDTV would be easy for me to spot.

Of course there is a difference. The image quality of these 16-bit games running on the Mega Sg is off the charts. They run crystal clear as if running from emulation on a PC. And I love it! But that’s it. Everything else feels so incredibly authentic to the original hardware.

I am a very happy Retro Dude these days!

Rise from your Grave! Saving Optical Disc Games.

Posted by Sega Dude on November 6, 2019

Posted in: Games, Hardware, Restoration, SEGA. Tagged: CD, disc rot, Dungeon Explorer, Lords of Thunder, Mega CD, optical disc, resurfacing, Retro Game Bros., sega, sega cd, Wolfchild. 2 Comments

I’ve been spoiled by the super ridiculously amazing longevity of video game cartridges. In all of my hundreds of cartridges from the 80’s and 90’s only two have ever died. These things were built to last and they have already survived the test of time.

However, my very significantly smaller Sega CD collection (standing at 50 games) hasn’t done as well. Three games (Dungeon Explorer, Lords of Thunder and Wolfchild) purchased within the last year(ish) have failed or are showing signs of trouble.

I purchased Dungeon Explorer from Lukie Games in July 2018 for $67 USD (~$88 CAD). When it arrived I found it just would not load at all. When I told Lukie Games about this they were quick to send a replacement. But unfortunately the replacement also did not work. I tried the original and the replacement on two working Sega CD’s so I’m sure the fault is with the CDs. It wasn’t a fun experience but to their credit Lukie Games did refund my money and I got to keep the broken game.

Lords of Thunder works perfectly except it will not play any audio music. The game loads, plays and sound effects can be heard. It’s only the Audio Music that is entirely absent. Lords of Thunder is well known for its intense hard rock music and losing this aspect of the game really steals it’s thunder (see what I did there?).

I bought Lords of Thunder from a fellow member over at Sega-16 in August 2018 for $120 USD (~$155 CAD) and I knew the audio music didn’t work. The seller was straight up about the problem.

Wolfchild will very reliably fail to load level one. Making it not much better off than Dungeon Explorer which does nothing at all. I purchased Wolfchild from Kijiji for $100 CAD (~$76 USD) just last month.

Fearing that these CD’s might be forever dead or half functional I took them into Retro Game Bros who (as I’ve recently learned) are very skilled at the art of re-surfacing optical discs.

Retro Game Bros had my CDs for just one day. When I returned to pick them up I was told they didn’t have a Sega CD to test if the re-surfacing had helped. But despite this they made some incredibly good predictions.

I’ll cut right to the main event; Lords of Thunder is now working perfectly. And thank goodness for that! It’s by far the most expensive game of the three. Retro Game Bros told me they expected good results from this CD. Before resurfacing they could see some mild scratches and scuffs that they were able to remove.

Dungeon Explorer they were not as sure about. There were a lot of scratches on this disc and the resurfacing actually revealed more scratches. They said maybe… and as it turns out the CD does load and play now. During the intro story the audio does have a hard time transitioning to a new track but it will muddle it’s way through and carry on. So I can’t be certain if the entire game will be playable but it feels entirely possible.

Ironically the Wolfchild CD looks absolutely perfect. With no signs of scratches, scuff or imperfections. Which is why Retro Game Bros were certain that resurfacing will not help. But at my request they tried anyways. No joy. The CD will still freeze trying to load stage one. Wolfchild is likely a victim of disc rot or some such age related degradation that can affect optical media.

If you have any optical discs that are not working or having any kind of trouble I really do recommend having them professionally re-surfaced if a gentle cleaning doesn’t help. Make sure a professional calibre machine and skilled people are at the helm. It’s important and I do believe this is the the last resort to save a disc.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I very highly recommend the Retro Game Bros for all of your re-surfacing needs. This has been such a great experience. Even if Wolfchild cannot be saved I still have piece of mind that I tried and… LORDS OF THUNDER WORKS!