Getting SG-1000 games to run on a Genesis Everdrive?

[asmikace]

Hello everyone, since you can run SMS games on a Genesis Everdrive, I wonder if its possible to get SG 1000 games to run on it as well. When I try to run a SG 1000 game on the Everdrive, I get game sounds but also a black screen. Is it possible to get the games to run on the Everdrive?

[goldenband]

No, unfortunately. The Genesis has no support for the TMS9918 video mode used in the SG-1000, so you'll just get a black screen with all SG-1000 games.

[chilled]

Is no one converting the best SG-1000 games to SMS "regular" video modes/palettes in order to render them compatible with the MD as it has been done to death with Game Gear games (GG2SMS) so they are playable on an Everdrive MD ?

[goldenband]

GG2SMS is a completely different set of issues, though. The Game Gear essentially uses a high-color version of the Master System's native video mode, so the number of tweaks needed is relatively small and the basics are already present.

The SG-1000 graphics mode is more or less the same as the ColecoVision's, and nothing like it is used natively in the Genesis, so you'd be starting from near-scratch. (They even managed to screw it up on the Master System, with incorrect palette values that are hardcoded and can't be fixed.)

The best way to play SG-1000 games on US hardware is probably on the Game Gear, strangely enough -- especially now that KRIKzz has released a BIOS revision for the EverDrive-GG that sets up the TMS9918 palette correctly. (I need to check that out, as I was one of the people bugging him for it.)

Otherwise, someone would probably have to write a program to interpret SG-1000 code somehow, intercept any calls to graphics routines, and convert them to something the Genesis supports. A guy on AtariAge recently did something like that to allow RCA Studio II games to run on the Intellivision, and I'd imagine it's at least theoretically possible -- as long as the Genesis palette allows for an exact reproduction of the SG-1000 colors.

[Black_Tiger]

You can play SG-1000 games on a Mark III using the Master Everdrive and a converter. The colors aren't technically exact though, but neither are SMS games' color correct on Genesis hardware.

[chilled]

Theoretically speaking would the 68000 be enough for SG-1000 emulation ?

[goldenband]

You can play SG-1000 games on a Mark III using the Master Everdrive and a converter. The colors aren't technically exact though, but neither are SMS games' color correct on Genesis hardware.

Some games are borderline unplayable with the Mark III/SMS colors, though -- typically enemies that can't be seen against the background -- and a lot of them are butt-ugly.

If only the ColecoVision had better controllers it'd be a great platform for playing SG-1000 games, given that around half of the SG-1000 library has already been ported (not that it's a trivial task to do so, but the CV gradually seems to be absorbing the SG-1000 library) and the colors are correct.

[segasonicfan]

GG2SMS is a completely different set of issues, though. The Game Gear essentially uses a high-color version of the Master System's native video mode, so the number of tweaks needed is relatively small and the basics are already present.

The SG-1000 graphics mode is more or less the same as the ColecoVision's, and nothing like it is used natively in the Genesis, so you'd be starting from near-scratch. (They even managed to screw it up on the Master System, with incorrect palette values that are hardcoded and can't be fixed.)

The best way to play SG-1000 games on US hardware is probably on the Game Gear, strangely enough -- especially now that KRIKzz has released a BIOS revision for the EverDrive-GG that sets up the TMS9918 palette correctly. (I need to check that out, as I was one of the people bugging him for it.)

Otherwise, someone would probably have to write a program to interpret SG-1000 code somehow, intercept any calls to graphics routines, and convert them to something the Genesis supports. A guy on AtariAge recently did something like that to allow RCA Studio II games to run on the Intellivision, and I'd imagine it's at least theoretically possible -- as long as the Genesis palette allows for an exact reproduction of the SG-1000 colors.

So interesting...I didnt realize the GG increased palette helped so much! Glad you bugged Kirkzz about the support (I did too) - so its all out now with a new OS?The GG is so underrated...I mean, 3 systems in one portable!

-Segasonicfan