Is there a way to play Mega CD games on a US Sega CD?

[Theretrogamer12345]

After a quick search I didn't find anything on this so I'll ask. Is there a way to play Mega CD (Japanese) games on a US Sega CD? Let me specify, I have a US Sega Genesis Model 1 hooked up to a US Sega CD Model 1 (Neither have any mods done to them) and was wondering if there was a certain way to burn Mega CD games to be played on my Sega CD. I have no problems with burning the games, I just need to know if maybe there's a way to "convert" Japanese Mega CD games, so that my US console will play them. I am open to any suggestions as I just want to play some Mega CD exclusives on my real US hardware. Just to reiterate, They do not have to be official Mega CD games (I can burn the ISOs or convert CUE files etc.) I just want to be able to play them on my real Sega CD hardware. Thanks!

[goldenband]

There are programs called ConvSCD and scdconv that will convert the region on Japanese ISOs to US. I don't use DOS/Windows but I know they'll handle region conversion on a lot of Sega CD disc images, though at least one of those programs doesn't support BIN/CUE. There may be other programs that do the same thing.

Alternatively, you can use a flashcart like the EverDrive as a BIOS replacement. I've been able to get some burned Japanese games to work that way, though not all the ones I've tried have worked.

[Guntz]

This is what you're looking for:

http://www.zophar.net/utilities/segacdutil/convscd.html

If using legitimate discs, you have to install a new BIOS in the Sega CD and install a region switch in the Genesis.

[goldenband]

If using legitimate discs, you have to install a new BIOS in the Sega CD and install a region switch in the Genesis.

With no Genesis region switch, I was able to use a region-free BIOS with the EverDrive and play burned images of Earnest Evans and Annet Futatabi, FWIW. Those discs won't boot without the BIOS replacement, so I'm guessing that they haven't been hacked in advance for (U) compatibility.

[Guntz]

I wasn't considering a flash cart when I made that suggestion.

[goldenband]

Right, but my point was more to raise the question of whether you need a region switch in the Genesis if you're able to load a region-free BIOS (through whatever means). My impression is that some games require it, while others don't, but unfortunately we don't seem to have a definitive list of which games have active code for region lockout (as opposed to relying on the Sega CD to handle it).

[Guntz]

All Sega CD games are region protected by the hardware. I don't take the flash carts into consideration because they're complicated and I've never used one.

As it stands though, if you only have a Genesis and a Sega CD, you have to change the region of the Genesis and the region of the Sega CD, in order to play foreign Mega CD games. The Genesis has to be the same region as the Sega CD, or they won't work together. The Sega CD then has to be the same region as the CD game you're trying to play.

[goldenband]

All Sega CD games are region protected by the hardware.

Right, and some Sega CD games are also protected in software. Unfortunately, we don't have a list of which ones, AFAIK.


As it stands though, if you only have a Genesis and a Sega CD, you have to change the region of the Genesis and the region of the Sega CD, in order to play foreign Mega CD games. The Genesis has to be the same region as the Sega CD, or they won't work together. The Sega CD then has to be the same region as the CD game you're trying to play.

Right, but is that still true when you use a replacement BIOS (including an EPROM)? I believe there's a region-free BIOS that can be installed in a Sega CD unit that will allow it to run Japanese games without a region switch on the Genesis, unless the game has a region check in software (or unless it relies on certain BIOS calls to the Japanese hardware).

However the threads I checked didn't explicitly say one way or the other, unless I missed something. Here are two of them, BTW:

Region free hacked MEGA/SEGA-CD ROM BIOS (http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?12579-Region-free-hacked-MEGA-SEGA-CD-ROM-BIOS)

Playing Japanese Mega CD games on a US Sega CD (http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?18189-Playing-Japanese-Mega-CD-games-on-a-US-Sega-CD)

Either way, we've far exceeded the OP's needs, since he probably just wants to get patched burns to work -- though there are a few games that will only work on Japanese hardware IIRC (at least until there's a fix), and can't be patched by SCDConv/ConvSCD. I think Sengoku is one.

[ApolloBoy]

I don't take the flash carts into consideration because they're complicated and I've never used one.
It's not complicated at all, just select the BIOS image as if it were a game and run it. Simple as that. That's what I use for my European Mega CD II and I haven't run into compatibility issues as of yet. I might do a BIOS mod however now that I have an EPROM burner, just for the sake of convenience.

[Guntz]

It's not complicated at all, just select the BIOS image as if it were a game and run it. Simple as that. That's what I use for my European Mega CD II and I haven't run into compatibility issues as of yet. I might do a BIOS mod however now that I have an EPROM burner, just for the sake of convenience.

They're complicated when you try to take them all into consideration. Each flash cart has it's own features and way of doing things.

[ApolloBoy]

They're complicated when you try to take them all into consideration. Each flash cart has it's own features and way of doing things.
True, but the Everdrive and Mega Everdrive are the only ones worth caring about these days and they're both super easy to use.

[Hidden_Darkness]

there was a cart made a few years ago called the megacart that allows imports to be played on the sega cd, i'm not sure if it's still available though. here's the thread:

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?1475-Megacart-the-ultimate-utility-cart-for-your-segacd-megacd&highlight=megacart