Sega Neptune....the long lost treasure

[AxelStone]

I was considering how cool it would be to own a Sega Neptune, it would have been so damned convinient.

[playgen]

I'm still dreaming of owning a Multimega, I can't be bothered to keep my MegaCDII connected, especially since it needs its own power supply, I'd like to be able to play CD games though. I want a Sega errrr.... Pluto, with CD and 32x built in!

[Joe Redifer]

Pluto? A machine like that would be more like Jupiter LOLOLOLOLAWL am i rite?

OK... I'll go away now. :)

[Psy]

I'm still dreaming of owning a Multimega, I can't be bothered to keep my MegaCDII connected, especially since it needs its own power supply, I'd like to be able to play CD games though. I want a Sega errrr.... Pluto, with CD and 32x built in!
There is not that many 32x games so your not missing much by just getting the Mega Drive/Mega CD combos. If you must play 32x games you just run them in a emulator.

[AxelStone]

I have to admit there are only like 3 or 4 32X games that I really enjoy playing, most aren't worth owning.

[Dirt Ball Gamer]

I bet deep inside the inner sanctum of Yuji Naka's secret compound there is a Neptune on display. I just have to sneak past all those ninjas to claim it for myself. Risky busisness but it'd be worth it.

[seganutt]

why do you whant that joke of a combo it looks worse than the megadrive 2 mega cd 2 and 32x all together. the best combo to own is model one megadrive mega cd 32x looks very mean set up togther any ture sega fan would agree!

[Earthworm_Jim_Fan]

I agree with Playgen. I own a Sega CDX(Multimega in Europe) and I LOVE it. Iff they ever did release a Genesis/32X console together, I wouldn't buy it.

Why? Because the 32X is incompadible with the Power Base Converter/Master System Converter.

Now if they ever made, say, a Sega Pluto, which would be a Master System, Genesis, Sega CD and 32X all in one system, I'd spend my life savings on it.

[evildragon]

The neptune could have been PBC compatible, if they did the logic work for it.

[Joe Redifer]

Does it need logic, or is it just a case like one pin wasn't run through the 32X from one slot to the other?

[evildragon]

Does it need logic, or is it just a case like one pin wasn't run through the 32X from one slot to the other?
I think it needs logic, because the 32X doesn't forward the data correctly, as the cartridge is totally different.

This is my understanding of it.

[Earthworm_Jim_Fan]

Really? I aways thought the cartrige was the same size as a Genesis cartrige, just the plastic cassing is diferent to keep people from puting them in the Genesis slot.

[evildragon]

Really? I aways thought the cartrige was the same size as a Genesis cartrige, just the plastic cassing is diferent to keep people from puting them in the Genesis slot.
No, pinout and size of cart connector is different.

[lordofduct]

The neptune could have been PBC compatible, if they did the logic work for it.

For this to work it is a rather basic process... I don't know why they didn't add it.


See the Powerbase Converter is a simple piece of hardware, all it does is change the cartridge size and pinout of the SMS cart so it fits into a Sega Genesis. The Genesis has all the hardware in it to play SMS games as it's sound processor is the Z80, which is the main CPU in the SMS. The final little task the PBC does is ground out a specific pin on the genny cart slot which tells the genesis to go into SMS mode to play the game.

The 32X already has the capability to pass genesis carts through to the genesis itself and run in genny mode. It stays on only to take in the video from the genny and redirect it out it's video pin. But the actual logics get passed straight through to the sega genesis.

All the 32X would have to do is have the same pin unused, pass the ground through to the genny and tell the genny to go into SMS mode. But it doesn't.

Reasons why?

laziness possibly... or maybe the 32X uses the same pin to recognize if there is a 32X cart or Genny cart in the slot. I don't know the pinout of the 32X well enough to know for sure.



[edit]
oh yeah, while I'm here talking about the genny AND the Neptune... well check out this little bugger:
http://www.genny4ever.net/index.php?page=stuff#picture_magic

yep, it is basically the sega Neptune in the wild. Almost... that is. It is a 32X and psuedo-genny mobo jacked into a case together with a touch pad for editing photos. In essence it IS a neptune as it is a 32X and Genny in one solid case manufactured by Sega. As for being able to play 32X games... that's a completely different question, the megadrive mobo it has lacks some of the hardware of a real sega megadrive... like sound and the sort!

[evildragon]

Have you tried this yourself?

The 32X wouldn't have safely fit the PBC anyway, without it looking reallly ugly and bending a certain way.

From what I see, the carts are passed through, yes, but I don't know if it could propperly pass through a master system game...

[lordofduct]

Have you tried this yourself?

The 32X wouldn't have safely fit the PBC anyway, without it looking reallly ugly and bending a certain way.

From what I see, the carts are passed through, yes, but I don't know if it could propperly pass through a master system game...

tried it? No, it takes a little more work then just slapping in a wire.

As for passing the info through, that shouldn't be an issue at all. The data travels down the same pins as a genny cart... if the 32X can pass genny data down the same bus, why wouldn't it pass SMS data. It's an issue of what is that pin used for on the 32X side... I don't know. The pin might not exist on the 32X cartridge slot and instead it is reserved for something different on that end.


What I can tell you for 100% sure, there is something in hardware that tells the 32X that there is a 32X cart in the slot and not a sega genny... it doesn't just check the header of the rom.

[evildragon]

tried it? No, it takes a little more work then just slapping in a wire.

As for passing the info through, that shouldn't be an issue at all. The data travels down the same pins as a genny cart... if the 32X can pass genny data down the same bus, why wouldn't it pass SMS data. It's an issue of what is that pin used for on the 32X side... I don't know. The pin might not exist on the 32X cartridge slot and instead it is reserved for something different on that end.


What I can tell you for 100% sure, there is something in hardware that tells the 32X that there is a 32X cart in the slot and not a sega genny... it doesn't just check the header of the rom.
The 32X games go to the Genesis and then init the security program on the 32X which in turn turns on the 32X.

I believe that's how it goes.

That's because all 32X games at first start on the Genesis...

[lordofduct]

The 32X games go to the Genesis and then init the security program on the 32X which in turn turns on the 32X.

I believe that's how it goes.

That's because all 32X games at first start on the Genesis...

You're basically right about that one. The thing I'm getting at though is that there is a hardware dependent protocol to instate this. This means there has to be certain bus pipes open (i.e. pins on the cartridge slot) to perform this task.

[Joe Redifer]

So do we know which pin needs to be grounded out on the Genesis for the PBC to work? Is it possible to ground it internally on the Genesis itself and slap a PBC onto the 32X and see what happens? If it worked, a simple switch could be built to switch between Master System and Genesis/32X mode. Somehow I think it might take more than that, though.


oh yeah, while I'm here talking about the genny AND the Neptune... well check out this little bugger:
http://www.genny4ever.net/index.php?page=stuff#picture_magic

That kicks ass.

[lordofduct]

yeah it is known what pin it is... If I remember correctly it is Pin B31. The powerbase converter has the boot rom that is required once the pin is shorted out for mode4 (sms mode) to work. (I don't think the 32x would stop this either...)

oh B is the front pins and A is the back pins on the cartridge slot.



anyone who feels like testing it out, let me know. All my genny's are broken right now and I just use a X'eye/Multimega for gaming on. Don't have the time to repair and test this out.

[TmEE]

its B30 and no boot rom in pbc

[Joe Redifer]

There is a small chip in the PBC. Not sure what's on it or why it is there.

[lordofduct]

its B30 and no boot rom in pbc
It may be pin 30... my memory a little slow right now.

But I'm pretty sure about the boot rom, and most places I've been are in agreement on it. Even all the tech guru's from the hay day of SegaXtreme tend to agree... and well, I trust them more then an innocuous "not boot rom in pbc".


[edit]
yeah, verified... it is B30... eh, for 5-10 year old trivia in my brain, 1 digit off is pretty damn good! heh.

[TmEE]

I built a PBC and there's nothing more than wires in mine and it works perfectly.

[evildragon]

I believe the IC is for the card reader.

NO BOOT ROM.

[oshvision]

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs121.snc3/16845_385155605014_541415014_10342913_6932906_n.jp g

FIFA 94 NEPTUNE 32X PROTOTYPE EURO_BOX ART

[oshvision]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs141.snc3/16845_385155625014_541415014_10342914_2620135_n.jp g

SONIC 32X NEPTUNE 32X PROTOTYPE EURO_BOX ART

[Eric83]

So do we know which pin needs to be grounded out on the Genesis for the PBC to work? Is it possible to ground it internally on the Genesis itself and slap a PBC onto the 32X and see what happens? If it worked, a simple switch could be built to switch between Master System and Genesis/32X mode. Somehow I think it might take more than that, though.



its B30 and no boot rom in pbc

Any follow-up on this? Has anybody tried to get SMS games working through the 32X these past 2 years?




http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs141.snc3/16845_385155625014_541415014_10342914_2620135_n.jp g

SONIC 32X NEPTUNE 32X PROTOTYPE EURO_BOX ART

I don't get it. The back images look just like the Genesis/Mega Drive Sonic 1, no color enhancements or anything. Would it really have been necessary to re-brand standard Genesis/Mega Drive games as Neptune games?

[Chilly Willy]

The problem is that the PBC presents signals on the cart port that are completely different than what the 32X is expecting on those lines. The 32X would have to be removed from the bus completely... which is difficult if you're trying to use the cart port in the 32X.

The Genesis is designed to handle the difference when the special line is pulled low. The 32X isn't.

[mrbigreddog]

So what we really want is a SEGA MILKY WAY! One cartridge slot that plays Master System/Mega Drive/and 32x Cartridges and a CD addon. That's what the Saturn should have been!!!

[oshvision]

Any follow-up on this? Has anybody tried to get SMS games working through the 32X these past 2 years?

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs141.snc3/16845_385155625014_541415014_10342914_2620135_n.jp g

I don't get it. The back images look just like the Genesis/Mega Drive Sonic 1, no color enhancements or anything. Would it really have been necessary to re-brand standard Genesis/Mega Drive games as Neptune games?

I had a spare unboxed version of sonic 1, so i remade it into a 32x cart, simply by changing the stickers and making a box, sounds cheesy but i did to just to see what 1 my have looked like? :D

[Jasper061992]

I had a spare unboxed version of sonic 1, so i remade it into a 32x cart, simply by changing the stickers and making a box, sounds cheesy but i did to just to see what 1 my have looked like? :D

Lol, that would have been awesome had it been real. :D

[Defolto]

Shoot I would have bought a sega neptune but sega should have cancelled the sega mars project (which we know as being the sega saturn) and released the sega neptune instead, and it probably would have been a success with still making 32x/neptune games and sega would still probably be in the console war today with releasing the sega pheonix, but hey, what do i know...

[Guntz]

Shoot I would have bought a sega neptune but sega should have cancelled the sega mars project (which we know as being the sega saturn) and released the sega neptune instead, and it probably would have been a success with still making 32x/neptune games and sega would still probably be in the console war today with releasing the sega pheonix, but hey, what do i know...

The 32X was Project Mars. The Saturn was Project Saturn. It even says "Mars" in the cart slot of the 32X.

[kool kitty89]

I think there was a "jupiter" project which paralleled the Saturn using simialr hardware, but foregoing the CD drive. Not sure if that was dropped before or after the Saturn was redesigned from its "gigadrive" roots. (apparently after being shocked by sonys PSX specs released in 1993)