SMS - SG-1000 compatibility?

[tz101]

Will SMS play SG-1000 games, or vice versa? If not, is there an adapter available for this purpose?

[goldenband]

Only possible with a flash cart that handles the BIOS check. There's no way to run real SG-1000 carts on US or European SMS hardware (except maybe if you replace the SMS BIOS with an alternate BIOS, but I think that gets very involved).

Also, all SG-1000 games have incorrect colors when played on SMS/Mark III hardware, because of a flaw in the implementation of TMS9918 video modes. The only ways to play SG-1000 games with correct colors on real hardware are (a) importing a SG-1000/SC-3000 system, (b) buying a Dina 2-in-1 system, or (c) setting up a Game Gear flashcart with a custom palette.

[eddiespruce]

As far as I know, a North Amercian SMS won't play SG-1000 games, but the Japanese Sega Mark III will play them.

[Chilly Willy]

As far as I know, a North Amercian SMS won't play SG-1000 games, but the Japanese Sega Mark III will play them.

That's because of the BIOS. The NA SMS all come with a BIOS that checks if the cart is valid. The SG-1000 games all lack the header needed to work with the BIOS. As mentioned, you CAN play all SG-1000 games via a flash cart as the flash cart menu boots just fine, then allows you to run the SG-1000 game without checking for a non-existent header. I've run most of the SG-1000 games on my SMS via the NeoFlash MKIII Myth flash cart; they run fine, but the colors are off a little. It's not something that matters except for one or two games that are hard to make out certain details due to the different colors. The Master Everdrive can also run the SG-1000 games on an SMS as well.

[Guntz]

Curious, I've seen SG-1000 reproduction carts before, stuff like Pitfall. How is it these can still work on US hardware?

[Chilly Willy]

They either patch the rom with a header (if possible), or maybe add a loader with a little circuitry to boot past the BIOS, then flip to the game.

[ApolloBoy]

Curious, I've seen SG-1000 reproduction carts before, stuff like Pitfall. How is it these can still work on US hardware?

There have been SG-1000 games that were ported to the ColecoVision like Pitfall II and Gulkave; this is mainly because the ColecoVision and SG-1000 use the exact same hardware for the most part. I'm not aware of any SG-1000 games ported to the SMS. There are some Korean SMS games that use the SG-1000 video modes but that's about it.

[ThugsRook]

about half of the SG-1000 games are SEGA MY CARDS.

too bad they dont work on SMS, its a nice little collection.

[SpaceFlea]

about half of the SG-1000 games are SEGA MY CARDS.

too bad they dont work on SMS, its a nice little collection.

HALF?! Not quite. It's about 25% Approximately 31 of 112 (or 1/3 of 90 if you take out the games that require the SC-3000) counting variants with some games having both a card and a cart version. Just sayin'... :P

But it is a nice little collection.

[Zz Badnusty]

Will SMS play SG-1000 games

thread from earlier this year

also, regarding "My Card" compatibility

[goldenband]

They either patch the rom with a header (if possible), or maybe add a loader with a little circuitry to boot past the BIOS, then flip to the game.

Would it be possible (in the metaphysical and/or practical sense) to build some kind of bootloader device that takes an actual SG-1000 cart at one end, supplies the header on bootup, and then immediately deactivates once those addresses are read and turns into a plain passthrough adapter?

[Chilly Willy]

Would it be possible (in the metaphysical and/or practical sense) to build some kind of bootloader device that takes an actual SG-1000 cart at one end, supplies the header on bootup, and then immediately deactivates once those addresses are read and turns into a plain passthrough adapter?

Yep! But is it worth it? You're probably better off just getting a flash cart - keep the cards as your collection and your justification for being able to play rom images from the flash cart. Making an adapter like you describe would be pretty easy, but probably run about as much as the Master Everdrive.

[ThugsRook]

HALF?! Not quite. It's about 25% Approximately 31 of 112 (or 1/3 of 90 if you take out the games that require the SC-3000) counting variants with some games having both a card and a cart version. Just sayin'... :P

But it is a nice little collection.

SG-1000 releases only... (not including region variants etc)
41 carts
29 cards
(5 available on both)