Genesis Model 1 repair question

[ianoid]

I have a Gen 1 that plays some games but doesn't play other known good games. For example, it doesn't play Madden 98 or my MegaSD, but all play fine on my Genesis model 3. Is there a known issue with compatibility with some games? I don't recall ever hearing about that. 

 

Could it be RAM or something like that causing a fault with certain games?

 

Thanks!

[Steven Pendleton]

Clean your carts. The ones that don't work might be dirty.

[ianoid]

17 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Clean your carts. The ones that don't work might be dirty.

I know, right? That is usually the problem, but these carts work first try on the other system. I've been cleaning them quite a bit. And one is the MegaSD, but maybe it's just more sensitive to the cart connector being dirty. I'll keep trying. 

 

Thanks!

[Steven Pendleton]

16 hours ago, ianoid said:

I know, right? That is usually the problem, but these carts work first try on the other system. I've been cleaning them quite a bit. And one is the MegaSD, but maybe it's just more sensitive to the cart connector being dirty. I'll keep trying. 

 

Thanks!

Did you clean the cart slot?

[+pboland]

On 10/29/2022 at 11:08 PM, ianoid said:

I have a Gen 1 that plays some games but doesn't play other known good games. For example, it doesn't play Madden 98 or my MegaSD, but all play fine on my Genesis model 3. Is there a known issue with compatibility with some games? I don't recall ever hearing about that. 

 

Could it be RAM or something like that causing a fault with certain games?

 

Thanks!

I can't explain the MegaSD, but do you have any other EA games that work with your Gen 1 system?

 

Most people don't realize that there are two different Gen 1 looking systems. The later one has a lockout chip that will not allow EA games to play. If you can play EA games then you have a true Gen 1 system as the original Genesis system did not have the lockout chip. Basically if your pack in game was Altered Beast you have no lockout chip. If your pack in was Sonic, you have the lockout chip.

[Tanooki]

I have a plausible explanation or idea to look towards on the MegaSG if that is not being detected so it's like no cart in the slot?

 

Power

 

Due to the nature of the chips, the read/write and general accessing of the card, but they're far more power thirsty than your standard cart.  It's a known if you stuff one of those into a Nomad modded or not, you'll get very countable times that clock in lower than using a stock cart.  Maybe, just maybe, you have a problem with power.  Problem with the console, or a problem with the ac adapter itself (original, ghetto modern chinese shit?) that isn't feeding it enough, so being starved out you get bad behavior, in this case, not working.

[Steven Pendleton]

TMSS won't stop the MegaSD from working and it also shouldn't stop the later EA games; Madden 98 is well after the point at which EA games were officially licensed by Sega, so EA shouldn't have had to work around TMSS to get that game running since Sega would have told them how to do it by that point.

 

I suppose it is possible that the cartridge connector thing is damaged or something. Check the connector pins and clean them if needed.

 

MegaSD does need more power than a regular cart, but it also draws less power than Virtua Racing, so if you can run Virtua Racing, it's not the power.

[ianoid]

OK, so I got this Genesis unit working. 

 

I had bought an AV Cable and switching power supply from Amazon that was specifically for the Genesis model 1. It is a 9v 850mA power supply. The original power supply puts out 9v 1.2A. When I subbed it out with a 10v 2A original SegaCD power supply the unit worked normally with both Madden 98 and the MegaSD. I found a higher mA power supply replacement and now the unit works great. 

 

The issue ended up being a below spec power supply causing the Genesis to behave erratically. Thanks for everyone’s help!