Game Gear to Mega Drive/Genesis? [Archive]

Yfrid

03-09-2010, 04:37 AM

omp

03-09-2010, 05:40 AM

The Game Gear has more colours than the Genesis/MD so yill have issues there.

kool kitty89

03-09-2010, 05:56 PM

Been a couple threads on this fairly recently, one was titled mega game gear I think, I'm not going to go digging for them right now though. ;) (search yourself)

TmEE

03-09-2010, 08:00 PM

One will still have to mod the GG game to work in SMS mode to work on MD, the I/O and palette setup is different and the result is dark green colors and non responsive controls if no modification is done on the game.

Guntz

03-09-2010, 08:11 PM

What if we skipped the whole converter method and went with a Super Game Boy approach? The Super Game Boy was essentially a Game Boy in a cartridge with interfacing added to route it through the SNES. Would that be too expensive/difficult to do with a Game Gear?

KnightWarrior

03-09-2010, 09:30 PM

I don't know..

I think it going to be harder to do a Mega GG, Color Wise

I think it needs like a 32X ala cart to display the color palette

TmEE

03-10-2010, 02:49 AM

Nobody is going to manufacture a GG clone that one could use with MD

Christuserloeser

03-10-2010, 03:05 AM

Even if someone did manufacture the 32X.

chessage

03-10-2010, 04:01 AM

snooping around the interned i found this:
http://disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/segahacking/gg2sms.html
this explain how to allow a Master System to play a Game Gear game. In this guide he uses roms and a flash cart for SMS. This is necessary to hack game's palette to look good (64 vs 32 bytes).

I was wondering: is it possible to skip this step and let it work straight to a genesis using original cartridges? right now i'm wiring a SMS to MD adapter, it would be amazing to add GG games compatibility

Just make a direct Game Gear to Master System adapter. Sometimes companies would get lazy and release already completed Master System games in Game Gear carts to save on the time and money it would take to add an enhanced color palette. Here's an example:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Castle of Illusion was not released for the Japanese Master System, but the Japanese Game Gear release works fine on any Master System with a simple pin adapter.

Yfrid

03-10-2010, 04:45 AM

Just make a direct Game Gear to Master System adapter. Sometimes companies would get lazy and release already completed Master System games in Game Gear carts to save on the time and money it would take to add an enhanced color palette. Here's an example:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Castle of Illusion was not released for the Japanese Master System, but the Japanese Game Gear release works fine on any Master System with a simple pin adapter.

interesting, maybe it could work also with sonic1 and 2. far as i know their colors are the same to SMS. i would try it, but i don't know how to wire a GG slot to SMS :(
about the video, where did he plugged that cartridge? oO

Guntz

03-10-2010, 01:05 PM

Nobody is going to manufacture a GG clone that one could use with MD

No, I meant take a real Game Gear and rig up an interface chip or something to route it through the Genesis. There would be no use of the Genesis' hardware outside of a video and sound adapter. It doesn't seem that hard to do. Not much harder than the Neo Myth.

Phantar

03-10-2010, 05:10 PM

Just make a direct Game Gear to Master System adapter. Sometimes companies would get lazy and release already completed Master System games in Game Gear carts to save on the time and money it would take to add an enhanced color palette. Here's an example:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hYrUTOe2Sxg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Castle of Illusion was not released for the Japanese Master System, but the Japanese Game Gear release works fine on any Master System with a simple pin adapter.

huh, odd... so, would this kind of thing work on a Power Baser Converter as well, or only on a true Master System?

chessage

03-10-2010, 07:20 PM

i would try it, but i don't know how to wire a GG slot to SMS :(

Open up a Game Gear and ground pin 42 on the cartridge connector. This will turn the Game Gear into a hand-held Master System. Test games this way.

about the video, where did he plugged that cartridge? oO

That is a Japanese Master System with a 44 pin cartridge connector. In order to play foreign games, a 50 pin cartridge connector was added to the back of the unit where the Game Gear adapter is plugged in. That is my assumption.

huh, odd... so, would this kind of thing work on a Power Baser Converter as well, or only on a true Master System?

Both. It will even work on a Game Gear with a Master Gear converter, but that would be a waste of space since you can just mod the Game Gear as I mentioned above.

tomaitheous

03-10-2010, 07:34 PM

Christuserloeser

03-10-2010, 07:34 PM

Castle of Illusion is one of two or three games that were released for Game Gear that use the GG's Master System compatibility mode - same thing with Sega of Japan's Phantasy Star 1 re-release for Mega Drive.
No other game will work on a Master System with a simple pin converter.

Guntz

03-10-2010, 07:47 PM

What???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Game_Boy

Has nobody hear heard about the Super Game Boy? I mentioned it in my first post in this thread. -_-;

rift

03-10-2010, 07:57 PM

seriously, it would have been nice if there was a super game boy type device for the genesis/game gear. there are several games I've been wanting to play (like Arena) but I dont own a gear and dont like playing on handhelds. Luckily Tail's Adventure was emulated in one of those Sonic compilations

Yfrid

03-11-2010, 03:42 PM

No, I meant take a real Game Gear and rig up an interface chip or something to route it through the Genesis. There would be no use of the Genesis' hardware outside of a video and sound adapter. It doesn't seem that hard to do. Not much harder than the Neo Myth.

but at this poit, instead of convert a whole (working) gamegear to a genesis peripheral, isn't more worth to mod it to output rgb like a nomad?
http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/segahacking/ggrgb.html

Open up a Game Gear and ground pin 42 on the cartridge connector. This will turn the Game Gear into a hand-held Master System. Test games this way.
That is a Japanese Master System with a 44 pin cartridge connector. In order to play foreign games, a 50 pin cartridge connector was added to the back of the unit where the Game Gear adapter is plugged in. That is my assumption.thanks for the infos ;)

about my first post, i've almost finished the standard sms>md converter :p
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/9387/smstomd1.th.jpg (http://img62.imageshack.us/i/smstomd1.jpg/)http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/866/smstomd2.th.jpg (http://img220.imageshack.us/i/smstomd2.jpg/)
the cover is from a useless pirated sport game cartidge. too bad for that crack on the back of the sms slot, i should make a new one. and i have to check wiring because right now it doesen't work

CMA Death Adder

03-11-2010, 04:37 PM

but at this poit, instead of convert a whole (working) gamegear to a genesis peripheral, isn't more worth to mod it to output rgb like a nomad?

That's what I had done to my Game Gear. It's now modified for composite output, and all the capacitors were swapped for new ones.

Despite how "easy" or "hard" it may or may not be to build a device for the Genesis that plays Game Gear games, there's absolutely no market for it. You want to play these games on your TV, do like I did and get your Game Gear modified.

tomaitheous

03-11-2010, 04:45 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Game_Boy

Has nobody hear heard about the Super Game Boy? I mentioned it in my first post in this thread. -_-;

I know what a super gameboy is (I have like 3 of them). What I want to know is, what makes you think you could just "make" a super gamegear for the Genesis? I mean, considering all the threads already about why GG is just not doable on the Genesis. Not only would it be very expensive, there's thing you still can't do - even if you replaced the GG "VDP" with a device that translated graphic data as a pass through, you still can't get everything converted correctly (not just the colors). The architectures are just too different. Even if you could output sprites as a single BMP layer and BG as a tile/tilemap layer, you wouldn't have the bandwidth to update that to the VDP in 60fps (i.e. basically bitmap pass through system to the Genesis VDP). Not to mention games that might change CRAM mid screen, etc.

I think the best you could do, is just make a Super GG that sits on top of the Genesis, uses the Genesis ports, but outputs its own audio/video (would look like an addon, but would really be a standalone system). Not really super at all and probably why they never made such a project. Could you imagine another set of cables besides the 32x?

TmEE

03-11-2010, 04:51 PM

so a device that pretty much only needs MD for power and controllers :P

Yfrid

03-12-2010, 09:35 AM

TmEE, i've wired it by your scheme but it won't work :(
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9805/tmsconv.th.png (http://img35.imageshack.us/i/tmsconv.png/)
about VCC, have i to short all of them togheter on both slots? and about capacitors, how much mf?

TmEE

03-12-2010, 01:08 PM

Things with same name are same signals, and can be connected together.

Any wrong connection or short or something else means no success. Can you show any clear photos or scans of your design ?

Yfrid

03-12-2010, 04:04 PM

Things with same name are same signals, and can be connected together.

Any wrong connection or short or something else means no success. Can you show any clear photos or scans of your design ?

here two photos:
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4894/mdc2.jpg front
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/6420/mdc1.jpg back

sadly i don't have any design.. i've picked a cartridge and i started to solder wires in it :?

TmEE

03-12-2010, 06:18 PM

It seems like it should work... the instructions should be accurate as I recall some other person use them and doing it with success.

Guntz

03-13-2010, 05:00 PM

I know what a super gameboy is (I have like 3 of them). What I want to know is, what makes you think you could just "make" a super gamegear for the Genesis? I mean, considering all the threads already about why GG is just not doable on the Genesis. Not only would it be very expensive, there's thing you still can't do - even if you replaced the GG "VDP" with a device that translated graphic data as a pass through, you still can't get everything converted correctly (not just the colors). The architectures are just too different. Even if you could output sprites as a single BMP layer and BG as a tile/tilemap layer, you wouldn't have the bandwidth to update that to the VDP in 60fps (i.e. basically bitmap pass through system to the Genesis VDP). Not to mention games that might change CRAM mid screen, etc.

I think the best you could do, is just make a Super GG that sits on top of the Genesis, uses the Genesis ports, but outputs its own audio/video (would look like an addon, but would really be a standalone system). Not really super at all and probably why they never made such a project. Could you imagine another set of cables besides the 32x?

Again, like I said before, there would be no converting or anything. Did you really think I'm dumb enough to think incompatible architectures can work together? Like what TMEE said, just use the MD for power, controllers and route the video and audio through the MD, no conversion.

Yfrid

03-14-2010, 06:16 AM

It seems like it should work... the instructions should be accurate as I recall some other person use them and doing it with success.

argh, i'm checking it over and over, but i can't find the error :daze: (i must have done at least one..), about the schematics, i've noticed "A14" is not wired to anything on both slots, A15 is not wired on mega drive's slot, are them supposed to be disconnected? (maybe it can soud a stupid question, but i don't know how cardridges communicate)

EDIT:
now it works!! there's a little error in your instructions :p

on the right, it say to wire B09(MD) to F23(SMS) for A15 signal. BUT on genesis B09 is A05! the right one is B12 :p

FFantasy6

03-25-2010, 06:37 PM

Castle of Illusion was not released for the Japanese Master System, but the Japanese Game Gear release works fine on any Master System with a simple pin adapter.

Exists a diagram to make that adaptor ? because they have different number of pins.

Christuserloeser

03-25-2010, 06:43 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Game_Boy

Has nobody hear heard about the Super Game Boy? I mentioned it in my first post in this thread. -_-;

Okay, but the NeoMyth is really just a cartridge. There's no hardware inside that thing other than the FM2413 expansion sound chip for Japanese Master System games. The Mega Drive / Genesis itself contains the Master System hardware.

molotovwars

03-25-2010, 06:48 PM

Castle of Illusion was not released for the Japanese Master System, but the Japanese Game Gear release works fine on any Master System with a simple pin adapter.

Oh that helps explain things. I found a pirate cartridge for the Mega Drive that has 3 games on it: Sonic 2, Castle of Illusion, and Tom and Jerry the Movie. I knew that Sonic 2 was a game gear version of Sonic 2, but now I realize Castle of Illusion is also the game gear version, and I believe Tom and Jerry is as well. Tom and Jerry was also a Master System game so that may be why its possible.

That clears things up for me, thanks.

chessage

03-25-2010, 07:11 PM

Exists a diagram to make that adaptor ? because they have different number of pins.

Here are the cartridge slot pinouts for Game Gear (http://www.gamesx.com/cartouts/ggcart.htm) and Master System (http://www.gamesx.com/cartouts/mastercart.htm). Match together the corresponding signals and see if that works.

-OR-

You can contact the good folks at SMSPower, since they were responsible for the adapter shown in the Castle of Illusion video posted in this thread.

Oh that helps explain things. I found a pirate cartridge for the Mega Drive that has 3 games on it: Sonic 2, Castle of Illusion, and Tom and Jerry the Movie. I knew that Sonic 2 was a game gear version of Sonic 2, but now I realize Castle of Illusion is also the game gear version, and I believe Tom and Jerry is as well. Tom and Jerry was also a Master System game so that may be why its possible.

That clears things up for me, thanks.

You're welcome. Do the games pause properly? Do they use the controller's start button or is a button mounted on the cartridge?

FFantasy6

03-25-2010, 07:23 PM

Here are the cartridge slot pinouts for Game Gear (http://www.gamesx.com/cartouts/ggcart.htm) and Master System (http://www.gamesx.com/cartouts/mastercart.htm). Match together the corresponding signals and see if that works.

-OR-

You can contact the good folks at SMSPower, since they were responsible for the adapter shown in the Castle of Illusion video posted in this thread.

I found those diagrams googling, but there are missing signals (or I don't find the correspondace signals).

About the SMSPower, since I don't have an account, it's a bit dangerous to start the first post asking :P

chessage

03-25-2010, 07:42 PM

I found those diagrams googling, but there are missing signals (or I don't find the correspondace signals).

About the SMSPower, since I don't have an account, it's a bit dangerous to start the first post asking :P

Hmm... perhaps you could just add A/V out to a Game Gear and set it to Master System mode via cartridge pin 42, so the picture will correctly fit your TV screen.

-OR-

Disassemble a Master Gear converter to see how the lines are connected. Connecting a Master System game to a Game Gear should be just like connecting a Game Gear game to a Master System.

FFantasy6

03-25-2010, 08:08 PM

Hmm... perhaps you could just add A/V out to a Game Gear and set it to Master System mode via cartridge pin 42, so the picture will correctly fit your TV screen.

-OR-

Disassemble a Master Gear converter to see how the lines are connected. Connecting a Master System game to a Game Gear should be just like connecting a Game Gear game to a Master System.

The video output from the GameGear is half done
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3562/gg4.jpg

About the Master Gear converter, I have to break it to see how is conected, and I don't want to :(

chessage

03-25-2010, 08:17 PM

About the Master Gear converter, I have to break it to see how is conected, and I don't want to :(

Go here (http://www.smspower.org/maxim/Documents/Pinouts) and scroll down to "Master Gear Adaptor (export SMS to Game Gear)". Those are the lines needed for a Game Gear to Master System adapter.

FFantasy6

03-25-2010, 08:27 PM

Go here (http://www.smspower.org/maxim/Documents/Pinouts) and scroll down to "Master Gear Adaptor (export SMS to Game Gear)". Those are the lines needed for a Game Gear to Master System adapter.
Thanks, I will try to make a "SuperGameGear" only for Castle of Illusion :D

molotovwars

03-25-2010, 09:10 PM

You're welcome. Do the games pause properly? Do they use the controller's start button or is a button mounted on the cartridge?

I'll check tonight. I think I remember having to press one of the A B or C buttons to get the game to start. I do not think the start button worked.

FFantasy6

04-01-2010, 01:59 PM

Thanks, I will try to make a "SuperGameGear" only for Castle of Illusion :D
Done

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/1373/sgg.jpg

Thanks for the help ;)

TmEE

04-01-2010, 02:06 PM

hahaha, that's awesome :ok:

FFantasy6

04-01-2010, 03:40 PM

:D

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2226/gg2my.jpg

It's strange, because on the Master System II it don't work "Software Error" after the sega logo, and in the Master System Converter on the Megadrive, it works but with no controls.

TmEE

04-01-2010, 03:55 PM

perhaps there's a short somewhere, or some signals are swapped ?

djshok

04-01-2010, 04:30 PM

Damn, that's pretty crazy. I'd totally be willing to buy one of these Super Game Gear converters if you ever get the process perfected.

Yfrid

04-01-2010, 04:31 PM

that's cool! i should add a gg slot on the back of my previous sms->smd converter just for fun :p

chessage

04-02-2010, 02:35 AM

Done

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/1373/sgg.jpg

Thanks for the help ;)

You're welcome. Excellent work! :)

:D

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2226/gg2my.jpg

It's strange, because on the Master System II it don't work "Software Error" after the sega logo, and in the Master System Converter on the Megadrive, it works but with no controls.

Have you tried out any other Game Gear games to check for different results? Also, are you using a Master System control pad?

FFantasy6

04-02-2010, 04:21 AM

Thanks ;)

Have you tried out any other Game Gear games to check for different results? Also, are you using a Master System control pad?

With others games black screen, or the game start with different palette color (like Sonic 2).
I used a 6 button and 3 button controller in Megadrive, in Master System the original pad.

chrisbid

04-02-2010, 02:09 PM

my 8-bit sega wet dream would be an all-in-1 console that plays

US Master System carts
US Master System cards
JPN SG 1000
JPN SG 3000
Game Gear

the unit would have composite and RGB output, and FM sound

QuickSciFi

04-02-2010, 10:53 PM

^I wouldn't mind a consolized Game Gear myself. I don't even care if it retains its handheld abilities, has a controller port, or even its screen. All I want is an RGB out like TmEE knows how ;).

chessage

04-03-2010, 02:04 AM

With others games black screen, or the game start with different palette color (like Sonic 2).

Like this?:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-MRYgG0CUcg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-MRYgG0CUcg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Eventually, a list of compatible and incompatible Game Gear games needs to be made.

I used a 6 button and 3 button controller in Megadrive, in Master System the original pad.

Try playing Castle of Illusion on your Mega Drive with a Master System controller and see if the controls work.

FFantasy6

04-03-2010, 04:36 AM

Like this?:

Try playing Castle of Illusion on your Mega Drive with a Master System controller and see if the controls work.

Yes, like in the video.

With Master System controller don't know either. I have to check the wires, like TmEE recomend me, maybe I missed something.

Christuserloeser

04-27-2010, 06:35 PM

No, I meant take a real Game Gear and rig up an interface chip or something to route it through the Genesis. There would be no use of the Genesis' hardware outside of a video and sound adapter. It doesn't seem that hard to do. Not much harder than the Neo Myth.

No. This isn't comparable at all. All the Neo Myth does is providing the missing sound chip (2413) of the Japanese Master System and using one of the MD's cartridge slot's sound expansion pins to feed it into the mix. The Master System itself is already there (part of the MD hardware).

For GG you'd have to pull of something like the 32X with its dedicated video out and power adapter.

Elliotw2

04-27-2010, 07:19 PM

No. This isn't comparable at all. All the Neo Myth does is providing the missing sound chip (2413) of the Japanese Master System and using one of the MD's cartridge slot's sound expansion pins to feed it into the mix. The Master System itself is already there (part of the MD hardware).

For GG you'd have to pull of something like the 32X with its dedicated video out and power adapter.

At that point, wouldn't it be easier to just make it completely separate?

Christuserloeser

04-27-2010, 07:26 PM

Definitely.

And that's what they should have done with 32X too.

Elliotw2

04-27-2010, 07:44 PM

At least the 32X had the excuse of using the Genesis VDP to render somethings, and the sound chip for some sound. I don't see why they couldn't have just added these and put the 32X as a upgraded Genesis, or something instead of the mushroom of doom.

I wonder, will the 32X work without the Genesis plugged in?