Retro Megabit

Neo Geo MVS Mini Marquee’s

Posted by Sega Dude on July 19, 2015

Posted in: Hardware, Modifications, MVS, Restoration, SNK Neo Geo. Tagged: backlit film, custom, mini marquee, mvs, neo geo. 7 Comments

I’ve really enjoyed fixing up my Neo Geo MVS Arcade cabinet. At this point all of the really important stuff like the PCB, joysticks, buttons, monitor and sound are working great. So before I tackle why my Memory card isn’t always seen by the Neo Geo I’d like to do something a bit more fun and something that will help make the cabinet a little bit more pretty.

In an arcade cabinet where you’re able to play one of four games you need a way to select your game of choice. Across the top of my Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet is a marquee made up of four Mini Marquees. A Mini Marquee is really just a small poster displaying the name of the game and some artwork to give you a quick idea of what it might be. Pressing the Neo Geo’s Select button will cycle between each game lighting up the currently selected poster/game so that it is illuminated and stands out from the rest.

Four games ready to go. Bust-A-Move, NAM-1975, Metal Slug X and Samurai Shodown.

Even though it’s entirely unnecessary I would like to have a Mini Marquee for each game I have. So when I switch cartridges I can also slide in a Mini Marquee that will match the game.

Below are a few that I’ve made. Keep in mind I can’t take any credit. All I’ve done is some cutting and pasting of other peoples work. I searched the Internet for a large high resolution image that I liked for a particular game and make it the backdrop. I would then find a high resolution title for the game and paste it on top.

You can click on any of these custom Mini Marquee’s to see the full sized image that is ready for printing.

I’ve had a bunch of these mini marquees printed on 12mm backlit film. They are 4.44 inches by 5.44 inches and they cost about $8 CAD each. It’s not cheap but it really makes the cabinet look excellent.

So far I’ve whipped up four Metal Slug Mini Marquees. I think they all look great thanks to the high resolution artwork and graphics available online.

Metal Slug Mini Marquee

Metal Slug X (a remake of Metal Slug 2) Mini Marquee

Metal Slug 3 Mini Marquee

Metal Slug 5 Mini Marquee

NAM-1975 turned out really well. I was concerned that it might be too dark to see well when it’s not lit up but as it turns out it looks great in both states. Same with Metal Slug 5 (above). It’s a dark image but it is still clear and easy to see and read.

Neo Geo MVS Mini Marquee NAM-1975 (Light)

NAM-1975 Mini Marquee

Burning Fight printed very well. I just wish I could get the Title a bit larger without loosing quality but the source is not big enough. I also wish there was a better place to position the title so that it’s not covering faces. So far this is the best I’ve come up with.

Burning Fight Mini Marquee

There are so many King of the Fighter games (KOF 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) that I’ll start with one mini marquee as generic as possible to represent the series. I had this one printed and I think it looks excellent!

The King of the Fighters Mini Marquee

Ninja Commando is one of the more recent Mini Marquee that I’ve worked on. This one was tough. I had to remove the Title from the image (which was in the upper right corner) and cover up what I cut out. I used Photoshop’s smudge feature to blend the yellow to orange covering the white gap I left after cutting out the title. When I get a chance to print it I’ll know for sure if it will be good enough. Typically the bright and vibrant images always look great when both lit and not lit.

Neo Geo MVS Mini Marquee Ninja Commando 01

Ninja Commando Mini Marquee

I tried really hard to find a sharp and large resolution title for Ninja Master’s but I just couldn’t do better than what’s below. I very slightly increased the size of the title image, placed it on the background image and sent if off to the print shop. Both Ninja Master’s Mini Marquees printed really well. Turns out the title image is just fine. I’m really happy with these two. There is only one Ninja Master’s game but I could not decide which mini marquee image I liked more so I printed both.

Ninja Master’s Mini Marquee

There are six Samurai Shodown games for the Neo Geo (SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS5 Special). So just like King of the Fighters I started by making one as generic as possible for use with any Samurai Shodown game.

There is a lot of really nice artwork out there for this series. It was easy to find a bunch that look really good.

Samurai Shodown Mini Marquee

Pretty much any artwork you find for Neo Geo games was drawn for one particular edition of a game. This one above was meant for Samurai Shodown 5 so when I found a good high resolution title I made it again.

Samurai Showdown 5 Mini Marquee

This one below was also too cool not to use!

Samurai Shodown 5 Mini Marquee

Bust-A-Move is pretty good but it’s lower resolution does show a bit. When printed the title suffers the most. I will try to find something better but it does print OK and I will use it.

Bust-A-Move Mini Marquee

Just like Bust-A-Move, the image quality of Crossed Swords is a little on the low side. But since I’ve been playing and really enjoying this game I decided to print it anyways. As it turns out it printed very well and looks very nice in the cabinet. The title is a bit hard to read but that’s mostly because of the font and not because of the image itself.

Crossed Swords Mini Marquee

I’ve made others but above are the only ones that I think are worth printing. Eventually I’d like to have at least one Mini Marquee for each of my Neo Geo MVS games.

Below are some that I’ve printed. They look as good under close inspection as they appear here. I think they turned out really well.

The first printed batch.

World Heros in the image above isn’t good enough yet. The title is just too small. I’ll have to find a better source.

The second print batch.

Unfortunately taking a picture while they’re lit doesn’t really work. But in real life these Mini Marquees are working perfectly; just like the old originals.

A closer look at the new Mini Marquee’s in Big Red.

A closer look at a few others.

Original Neo Geo Mini Marquees.

Above are what original MVS Mini Marquees look like. In addition to the name of the game and some artwork you would also find instructions on how to play the game. I like the cleaner look of the custom Mini Marquees that I’ve made. However, I understand that some people will always prefer more authentic reproductions.

I tried recording each marquee getting lit-up but video also has the same trouble as pictures. In this short video below each Mini Marquee looks washed out when it’s lit. But in person this is not the case. They keep their vibrance and detail while been illuminated.

It’s Alive!!! Phantasy Star as it always should have been… by SMSPower.org

Posted by Sega Dude on July 7, 2015

Posted in: Collection New Additions, Modifications, Restoration, Translation. Tagged: fan, fm, master system, phantasy star, psg, retro megabit, sega, smspower.org, translation. 6 Comments

If I had a top 10 list of favorite games for the Sega Master System Phantasy Star would be #1. And despite the English version still being the amazing game that it is I know for a fact that it’s not everything that the Japanese version is.

After discovering a fan translated version of Phantasy Star by SMS Power I knew right away I wanted a dedicated cartridge of this creation for my Sega Master System.

What exactly is the SMS Power Phantasy Star?
It’s still Phantasy Star that you know and love for the Sega Master System. The graphics and engine are identical. But many names/labels have been lengthened now that character limit restrictions have been removed and some names have been changed to their original version or renamed to something that fits better into the Algo Universe. But when it comes right down to it this SMS Power re-imaging of Phantasy Star offers two primary changes that I could not resist.

1) FM (Frequency Modulation) Sound hardware was only installed in Japanese Sega Master System consoles and as a result the English Phantasy Star had it’s FM software code removed from the cartridge. So even if you have a modified Sega Master System console capable of playing FM sound there was still no English version of Phantasy that supported FM. ** The PowerBase Mini FM is also a great way to get FM Sound without modding. **

2) There is nothing wrong with the original English version of Phantasy Star. It is awesome as it is. What SMS Power have done to breath a bit of new life into the game is fill out the story and dialog. With the SMS Power re-imagining of Phantasy Star we get what I personally feel is a fuller richer telling of the story. By expanding on what we already know this SMS Power version makes the characters and NPC’s feel more alive and engaged with each other.

** Before you read any further know that purchasing a Flash Cart for your Sega Master System or Sega Genesis (or using Emulation) will make all the crazy work below entirely unrequired. Search http://www.aliexpress.com for inexpensive Flash Carts or http://www.stoneagegamer.com if you’re willing to spend more. **

The first thing I did was to admit to myself that I had no idea how to replace the original Phantasy Star software on an original Sega Master System cartridge with this SMS Power version. So I went to the experts and asked for some help. Below is a link to a thread I started at smspower.org about this little project:

http://www.smspower.org/forums/15351-SuccessHelpWithUSBEPROMWriter

The people over at the smspower.org forums are excellent. They knew I didn’t have a clue and they kept on helping and in the end I got my little victory 🙂 Thank you!!

SMS Power Phantasy Star

SMS Power Phantasy Star Installed

Above is the finished project. The IC (integrated Circuit) with the silver label with ‘PS’ written on it is an EPROM with the SMS Power Phantasy Star written to it. The IC just to the right is the original Phantasy Star ROM that I had to remove. I will keep it and cherish it always.

Close-Up Front

Close-Up Back

Above is a close-up of my work. It doesn’t look like much but it was a long road getting here. I had to learn a lot of new tricks to get this done. And anyone who solders I’m sure will agree that the job I did is pretty messy. I believe both my Soldering Iron and Solder were too large for the job. Next time I think I can do better.

UV EPROM Eraser

MiniPro IC Programmer

Preparing the EPROM is where I had a lot of trouble. The two tools I needed to purchase were an EPROM Ultra Violet Eraser and an IC programer. I also bought two IC’s (chips) to write the SMS Power Phantasy Star ROM to (I wanted a backup in case I broke one). Both of these ICs could not be read by my MiniPro IC Programmer (and some others I had could be read). I suspect that there is something wrong with my MiniPro IC Programmer but there are so many variables for a novice like myself that I just can’t be sure where I was going wrong:

Are the EPROMs I purcahsed OK?
Did I erase the EPROMs correctly?
Was I using the the programmer correctly?

The solution I came up with was to have someone else write the software (the game) to the ERPOM for me. I found Fox1 over at the neo-geo.com forums who for a very small fee burned the SMS Power Phantasy Star onto an appropriate EPROM for me.

When I received the EPROM I soldered it into the Phantasy Star circuit board and it worked and played perfectly in my Sega Master System.

Even though I took the long way around I am really happy to have the SMS Power Phantasy Star on a dedicated Cartridge. It’s a quality fan project that was entirely worth the effort!

Below is a recording of the first 1 hour 29 minutes of me playing my new Phantasy Star on actual hardware. I loved every minute and I’m still going strong 🙂
You can jump around the video to see some of the new dialog and hear the music and sound effects in FM. The longer I played more I started to prefer the FM music over the default PSG music.

You will hear Phantasy Star in full FM sound because previously I installed the FM Sound Board into my Sega Master System.

All those details can be found here:
https://thesegacollection.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/sega-master-system-fm-sound-mod/

Oh Mummy Genesis by 1985 Alternativo

Posted by Sega Dude on May 23, 2015

Posted in: Collection New Additions, Mega Drive (EURO), New Release (Game). Tagged: 1985 Alternativo, oh mummy genesis. 6 Comments

When ‘Oh Mummy Genesis’ was first re-released by 1985 Alternativo in 2012 for the Sega Mega Drive I missed out because I failed at ordering it from their Spanish only site. At that time it would have cost me almost $50 CAD for the game.

More recently I managed to buy it off of ebay for a little under $70 CAD (all in). Being several years after the release I think this price is about as good as I could have done. Typically games similar to this become very expensive on the second hand market.

Despite the case and cartridge being made from very cheap and soft plastic the whole package looks pretty good. The Oh Mummy Genesis case is more similar to what comes with Super Fighter Team games like Legend of Wukong and Star Odyssey than to classic Genesis cases but the Super Fighter Team cases are still much better quality.

And what of the actual game Oh Mummy Genesis? It’s a remake of a very old computer game called ‘Oh Mummy’ for the Amstrad CPC. The game is very simplistic. With the exception of the bonus stages (and pausing the game) you don’t need to use any buttons. You simply navigate your archeologist around the map similar to Pac-Man. The goal in Oh Mummy Genesis is to trace a path around the tombs on the map and find the key that will unlock the next map. The more of the map you uncover the more treasure and points you’ll earn.
In addition to Mummy’s chasing you around the board there are lots of items, environments and other enemy’s that do a great job augmenting the gameplay and help keep everything fresh and interesting.

Oh Mummy Genesis!

Oh Mummy Genesis Gameplay

If you’ve ever seen the original Oh Mummy you’ll know that Oh Mummy Genesis has had a serious graphics overhaul. Both the graphics and sounds are very nice and feel appropriate on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive. The game is fun and addictive.

Is it worth $70 CAD (~$57 USD)? Not really. When I think of what you get from more popular Genesis games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Thunder Force III, Ghouls’n Ghost, Streets of Rage, etc it’s hard for this very old style of game to compete. Personally I feel you’re going to have to be a collector as much as a gamer to make this one worth the money. However, it is a fun game and I do like it.

Classic Women of Gaming for YOU!

Posted by Sega Dude on May 20, 2015

Posted in: Community. Tagged: ashley riot, classic women of gaming. 15 Comments

I really enjoy writing this blog. Despite being very inconsistent about when I post or what I write about it’s a great extension to playing and collecting these retro video games that I’m so obsessed with.

What I didn’t expect was how much more fun it is finding people who (for reason’s unknown! 😛 ) want to see what I’m up to next. Most of you are very quiet but I know you’re there. And that feels good. Thank you.

Very recently I hit 100 followers…
I actually don’t like the term ‘followers’. To me it implies a distinction or elevation of one over the other; which is not the case here. To me this blog is more akin to meeting a friend of a friend. A social and level playing field. I don’t know a better term other than ‘Retro Comrades’. Which is what I’ve labeled the widget to the right that lists many of you.

In this massive Interweb of ours 100 is not considered very significant. But today it is… at least for me. So, for fun, I’d like to give away a copy of Ashley Riot’s Classic Women of Gaming.

First I’m going to qualify 100. For starters I’m not following my own blog! And yes, I have signed up a few close friends without their consent but it has been many years and they have not removed themselves. So I’m declaring that this tiny milestone is straight up legit!

Even if a few of you drop out I’ll still move forward with this as 100 has in fact happened, even if it doesn’t last.

The rules? Just write a comment on this post about how you would enjoy this print by Ashley or what you might do with it (put it in your game room or give it to a friend). Or write a comment about this blog… or whatever. A lot of effort or just a little will all count the same.
I’ll draw a name from everyone who comments and mail the winner a print of Classic Women of Gaming. It’s approximately two feet long and I personally feel that it really rocks.

Comment before Wednesday May 27th 11:59 pm in order to be entered in the draw.
And if you miss out but still really want a print you can contact the artist directly from where I found her at http://jocelynada.deviantart.com.

Brand New and Official Artwork for Classic Sega Games

Posted by Sega Dude on May 15, 2015

Posted in: Article, Community, Restoration. Tagged: art, ashley riot, cook & becker, golden axe, jet set radio, kalman ndrasofszky, phantasy star, sega, shinobi, streets of rage. 5 Comments

I love reminders that there are still many people out there who love classic video games. What’s happening over at Cook & Becker right now is an excellent example of this.

“Cook & Becker asked some of the hottest artists working in entertainment and video games today to draw and create a print of their favorite classic SEGA games. The idea was to create a series of beautiful prints under direction of SEGA that would capture the heart of these classic brands, their aesthetic and what they meant for people playing them and growing up with them.” – www.candb.com

The fact that a company like Cook & Becker are selling video game related artwork/prints shows that many of our old favorite games are not forgotten. And that new material is still very desirable by many of us.

Golden Axe by Gerald Parel

Golden Axe and Shinobi are my personal favorites of these first five offering from Cook & Becker. For prints they are very expensive at $115 USD each. However they are quite large (36 x 24 inch) and exceptionally well crafted. I don’t yet know if I would buy them for myself. It’s hard to redirect money that could otherwise become actually retro video games but I am very tempted. And I do want to give credit to Cook & Becker for posting relatively large (1029×1600) versions online that will allow everyone to enjoy them. Thank you Cook & Becker!

Phantasy Star by Kilian Eng

Jet Set Radio by Roman van der Haven

I’m looking forward to summer 2015 when Cook & Becker promises more art from new artist to add to this first excellent wave.

Streets of Rage by Julien Renoult

And if you just can’t wait for the perfect piece to show up for your all time favorite game; don’t you worry! The Internet is a wonderful place. A little while ago I discovered poster called ‘Classic Women of Gaming’ featuring every strong female characters in gaming up until 1995.

Classic Women of Gaming by Ashley Riot

You can read more about the artist and this beautiful piece at kotaku.com. This is how I found Ashley and she has already drawn Alis from Phantasy Star for me. I feel that her drawing brings my little blog to life with Alis being ever vigilant as an amazing backdrop 🙂

Alis on Retro Megabit by Ashley Riot.

Alis (Mega Drive) by Ashley Riot

Be sure to check out more of Ashley Riot’s work at Deviant Art. Ashley is currently working on Odin for me right now and my good buddy Kalman the super talented comic book artist is also working on a Phantasy Star poster for me. These are exciting times! 🙂 New love for old stuff abound!

And of course thanks to geelw from Destroy All Fanboys! for bringing us this news 🙂

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Posted by Sega Dude on May 12, 2015

Posted in: Community. 2 Comments

Sword or Whip…Which will you chose?

Even though this is not a retro video game it’s hard not to get excited by it.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is being called the spiritual successor to Castlevania.
What more needs to be said?

Visit Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained Kickstarter campaign and have a look. You’ll notice that pledges have blown the roof off the pledge goals. Like 20k+ others I have signed up for this next chapter 🙂