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Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130165] Tue, 26 May 2009 02:49 Go to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
(it's almost 1am, I've had a few drinks...let's get this started)
Wang just recently picked up an SMS lot off Craig's List and I am
*seriously* considering buying quite a bit off of him before it goes off
to auction(RGA lackey privilege). Being relatively new to the SMS, I
thought I'd throw out some quick questions(mostly for Scott, but I
thought it'd be fun for everyone who is SMS-interested to either read
along or chime in)...

(one thing to keep in mind before we begin is that I am using a Power
Base Converter, and I have no real interest in buying an actual SMS
unit, even though we have one for sale)

1. Two of the games I want to buy are "3D"...and I've gotta say that the
thought of 3D glasses *that you plug in to the system* has me fucking
hyped to no end. Problem is...I don't have'em. Looking over ebay, I see
quite a few options...but haven't determined what the common going price
is. What should I expect to pay for just the glasses and the little
thing you use to plug them in to? These will work with the
PBC...right?(please say yes)

2. Six of the games I want to buy are for the Light Phaser. The lot
didn't come with one, but I did find a one over at Play N Trade for
$4.99. Now, you know me, I am a fucking LIGHT-GUN-GAME-FREAK! I LOVE the
Light Phaser...this thing is just awesome. I don't know why it's better
than the NES' Zapper...but it's black, it's slick and I love it. Anyway,
I could get all the games to work with it except one: Rescue Mission. I
can get the game to start, I can get the game to acknowledge that I have
picked(shot) a difficulty level...but once the game starts, I pull the
trigger, the screen flashes but there are not bullet marks on the screen
and no one ever gets hit. *Every other games works perfectly*. What gives?

3. The SMS lot came with two SMS controllers, and I saw another one at
Play N Trade for $4.99...but, really, what's the point? What I mean to
ask is: Is there any real reason to buy an SMS controller when I have
both six and three button Genesis controllers? Is there any
incompatibility that I am missing? I still have the PBC manual(sadly,
over the years, I lost my box for the PBC...if anyone is selling one,
LET ME KNOW), but just don't have it handy.

Ok, enough questions...time for some comments!

A bit of a forward(if you could care less, jump down to the first game
title): A little bit after the Genesis debuted, and I got mine(btw, that
has been the *best* gift I have ever received) a buddy of mine, with an
SMS and quite a library, proposed that we make a little bit of a
"borrowing trade". Essentially, I let him borrow quite a few of my
Genesis titles and he lets me borrow quite a few of his SMS titles. Good
deal, and you know I went for it. Can't really remember what all I
borrowed off of him, other than Wonder Boy III, but I know I loved the
general majority of the games. At that time I only had my PBC and
Rastan...and I played the fuck out of both of them, but that's all I
had. Anyway, that's my limited SMS experience...over the past few years
I've amassed around a dozen SMS titles, but this is all a bit secondhand
as I know the advancement in gaming has me looking down at the system in
a dated bit of light. Though not a lot of what I've seen so far has done
a lot for me, these recent titles really rocked my world...

Golvellius - In a word: Fuckthisgameisgreat! I remember playing this
briefly a long while back, as I was just sort of testing out titles(via
emulation) that I may want to look in to further, cart-wise...but I
don't remember it being this good. Side scrolling, top scrolling,
Zelda-like overworld, classic Compile-cartoon-friendly graphics, what's
not to love? I am thoroughly impressed.

Hang On(also has Safari Hunt on the cart) - You know, I never really
thought I'd enjoy this game...especially on an 8-bit system, but lately
I've been enjoying a lot of stuff that I never would have guessed I
had(ThunderBlade on Genesis is a prime example. For a near-launch game
that shit kicks ass!). Anyway, I need to check this out via MAME or the
Genesis at some point...but back to it: This is amazing! The scrolling,
the smooth-ass landscape, I've gotta say that I am just blown back.
Isn't this the game that came with the SMS!?

Gangster Town - Again, I'm a huge Light-Gun-Game-Fan and my faint
memories of Freedom Force and Duck Hunt on the NES were somewhat
favorable, so I had high hopes for my SMS "Light Phaser" experience. The
slick-ass "Phaser" does not disappoint(again) and this game has some
amazing bit of depth. First you shoot the gangster and this dumb-ass
angel(complete with wings) flies out of him. Didn't think much of it at
first, but then on the second, Dick Tracy(Genesis)-like stage I notice
that you can be the hammer of God and shoot those motherfuckers down
before they make it to Heaven. ;) It adds a very Virtua Cop-like feel to
the game, and I love it.

Rambo III - You know what's odd(or maybe not so odd, by "new Sega"
standards), this game is a LOT like Sega's new "Rambo" game currently in
some arcades. I love it, as you'd imagine. I don't like the constant,
mandatory hits...but perhaps there's a way around it, I just need to put
some more time in to the game. Anyway, it's good, I like it. Hard, like
Star Wars Arcade on 32X, but good.

Astro Warrior - I swear this is "Halley Wars" on the Game Gear...but at
any rate, it's damn good. Feels a lot like this old shooter I used to
play on the NES(I think it was by Tecmo)...I can't quite remember it
right now, but it was good. I likes it, I likes me shooters.

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"You fuck with me one more time...I'm gonna fill a tube sock with
oranges. I'm gonna beat you 'till I juice'em. Then I'm gonna drink that
juice in front of you."
- Captain Rogers, Reno 911: Miami
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130166 is a reply to message #130165] Tue, 26 May 2009 03:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Kendrick Kerwin Chua is currently offline  Kendrick Kerwin Chua
Messages: 41
Registered: January 2007
Karma: 0
Member
In article <gvg3eh$9lh$1@news.eternal-september.org>,
BelPowerslave <bel@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
> (it's almost 1am, I've had a few drinks...let's get this started)
> Wang just recently picked up an SMS lot off Craig's List and I am
<snip>
> 1. Two of the games I want to buy are "3D"...and I've gotta say that the
> thought of 3D glasses *that you plug in to the system* has me fucking
> hyped to no end. Problem is...I don't have'em. Looking over ebay, I see
> quite a few options...but haven't determined what the common going price
> is. What should I expect to pay for just the glasses and the little
> thing you use to plug them in to? These will work with the
> PBC...right?(please say yes)

Yeah, the 3D glasses are fully compatible with the PBC. You might be
disappointed though, because the SMS unit is shutter-based instead of
polarization-baseed. That means that every other frame is sent to one eye
or the other by darkening the opposite lens, so you get an effective 15
FPS. I think a fair price to pay is $40, but be wary of broken arms on the
glasses. These things were made for kid heads and not big fat adult heads.

> 2. Six of the games I want to buy are for the Light Phaser. The lot
> didn't come with one, but I did find a one over at Play N Trade for
> $4.99. Now, you know me, I am a fucking LIGHT-GUN-GAME-FREAK! I LOVE the
> Light Phaser...this thing is just awesome. I don't know why it's better
> than the NES' Zapper...but it's black, it's slick and I love it. Anyway,
> I could get all the games to work with it except one: Rescue Mission. I
> can get the game to start, I can get the game to acknowledge that I have
> picked(shot) a difficulty level...but once the game starts, I pull the
> trigger, the screen flashes but there are not bullet marks on the screen
> and no one ever gets hit. *Every other games works perfectly*. What gives?

Check the instructions, if you can find them? I think Rescue Mission is a
combo controller game, where you want a standard pad in port 1 and the gun
in port 2. That's why the game will start (because the trigger is equal to
button 1) but it expects gun input from port 2.

> 3. The SMS lot came with two SMS controllers, and I saw another one at
> Play N Trade for $4.99...but, really, what's the point? What I mean to
> ask is: Is there any real reason to buy an SMS controller when I have
> both six and three button Genesis controllers? Is there any
> incompatibility that I am missing? I still have the PBC manual(sadly,
> over the years, I lost my box for the PBC...if anyone is selling one,
> LET ME KNOW), but just don't have it handy.

If I remember correctly, thre are like two games that don't like the
3-button Genesis input for some crazy reason. Also, for collectibility's
sake there are several different variants of the SMS pad. There are SMS 1
pads, SMS 2 pads, and some have a little port in the middle of the D-pad
for you to insert a stick. There's also the trackball sports controller, a
full-on joystick, and a couple of specialized controllers.

Hope that helps you out. Have fun.

-KKC, up too early.
--
-- "Very long easy right, | kendrick @ |
baby!" | io . com | http://www.io.com/~kkc
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130193 is a reply to message #130166] Tue, 26 May 2009 13:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Scott H is currently offline  Scott H
Messages: 60
Registered: November 2006
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Member
Kendrick Kerwin Chua wrote:

> Check the instructions, if you can find them? I think Rescue Mission is a
> combo controller game, where you want a standard pad in port 1 and the gun
> in port 2. That's why the game will start (because the trigger is equal to
> button 1) but it expects gun input from port 2.

I just checked the manual and it only mentions the Light Phaser. I
don't see any mention of a calibration screen either.


--
Scott

http://www.gamepilgrimage.com
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130194 is a reply to message #130166] Wed, 27 May 2009 00:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> Yeah, the 3D glasses are fully compatible with the PBC. You might be
disappointed though, because the SMS unit is shutter-based instead of
polarization-baseed. That means that every other frame is sent to one
eye or the other by darkening the opposite lens, so you get an effective
15 FPS. I think a fair price to pay is $40, but be wary of broken arms
on the glasses. These things were made for kid heads and not big fat
adult heads.

Hmmmmm, that's discouraging, but I'd still like to try them out. I think
I may try to see if I can get a "bargain" pair as opposed to the whole
"complete in box" setups that go for $50+. I still don't understand why
more people didn't attempt this method...it sounds so solid. I think
there's this one set of DVDs that comes with something like this, but
you have to have a certain player. I'll see if I can dig that up, just
for kicks and conversation's sake.

> Check the instructions, if you can find them? I think Rescue Mission
is a combo controller game, where you want a standard pad in port 1 and
the gun in port 2. That's why the game will start (because the trigger
is equal to button 1) but it expects gun input from port 2.

See, that's what I thought as well, but putting the gun in to port 2
won't even register it(at least with that game). It's just odd. Makes me
wonder if it's an undocumented incompatibility to do with the PBC. Like
I said, it let's me start the game with the gun, it let's me choose the
difficulty with the gun, it just doesn't allow me to do anything else
past that.

> If I remember correctly, thre are like two games that don't like the
3-button Genesis input for some crazy reason. Also, for collectibility's
sake there are several different variants of the SMS pad. There are SMS
1 pads, SMS 2 pads, and some have a little port in the middle of the
D-pad for you to insert a stick. There's also the trackball sports
controller, a full-on joystick, and a couple of specialized controllers.

I have seen/used the SMS 1 pads...they are alright...just a little small
for my big-ass hands. I have seen pics of the SMS 2 pad...those look
really hip, but like everything associated with the SMS
2(hardware-wise), I can imagine them being pretty expensive. I think
I'll pick up that $5 SMS 1 controller I talked about earlier, just to
have one...and Scott mentions, on WAG Forums, there are 5 or 6 quality
games that require you to use it.

> Hope that helps you out. Have fun.

It does indeed, I really appreciate the info(as always). :)

> -KKC, up too early.

Indeed you were, I read this before *I* went to bed this morning. ;)

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"Taste fear as your soul burns away!"
- Alicia, BulletWitch
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130195 is a reply to message #130193] Wed, 27 May 2009 00:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rob.ocelot@gmail.com is currently offline  rob.ocelot@gmail.com
Messages: 13
Registered: April 2007
Karma: 0
Junior Member
There's at least one game that needs an SMS controller to work on the
PBC -- Montezuma's Revenge.

As for the SMS glasses, the good thing about them is that they are
standard 3D LCD shutter glasses that have a 1/8" jack on them. A pair
of these is easy to find -- they used to give them away with some PC
video cards in the late 90's. The Sega ones are pretty garbage
quality (the arms are about on par in plastic durability as a CD case,
which is to say shitty) if you just want to play the games dont go the
expensive route and buy them.

The real problem is finding the cart slot adaptor that the glasses
plug into. I have a feeling that these turn up on ebay by themselves
often because the flimsy goggles break and people don't know any
better that there's a common replacement for them.

Failing finding one of the interfaces, it's probably quite easy to rig
them up to the PBC itself with some soldering. The glasses have two
connections -- one is gnd and the other is for a squarewave pulse to
signal the LCD shutters to close. The card slot adaptor likely doesnt
have any electronics other than something to pass the square wave
signal through. Find out which pin on the card slot are the pulse
and gnd and connect a small 1/8" headphone socket somewhere upstream
from the card slot. If you take the case off a PBC youll see that
there's really not much too it. The boards themselves are quite small
as it's mostly a passthrough to the Megadrive/Genesis. Most of the
SMS compatability is resident in the Megadrive itself. It should be
easy to run a wire out of the PBC for the headphone socket.
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130198 is a reply to message #130193] Wed, 27 May 2009 17:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
>> Check the instructions, if you can find them? I think Rescue Mission
>> is a combo controller game, where you want a standard pad in port 1
>> and the gun in port 2. That's why the game will start (because the
>> trigger is equal to button 1) but it expects gun input from port 2.
>
> I just checked the manual and it only mentions the Light Phaser. I
> don't see any mention of a calibration screen either.

I'm not sure what the deal could be, I have tried it on both the PBC and
the original SMS hardware, both exhibit the same problem. I'm guessing
it has to be the gun...there's no way the cart could be screwing this
up, right?

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"The sun's down, time to make some new friends"
- Blade
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130199 is a reply to message #130195] Wed, 27 May 2009 17:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
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Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> There's at least one game that needs an SMS controller to work on the
> PBC -- Montezuma's Revenge.

I keep hearing about this game...I don't know that I've played it just
yet. I am going to go ahead and grab that cheap SMS 1 controller though,
so we should be good. Using one of the two that came with the SMS lot, I
have to say that I *do not* like that controller and will probably only
use it if a game requires me to.

> As for the SMS glasses, the good thing about them is that they are
> standard 3D LCD shutter glasses that have a 1/8" jack on them. A pair
> of these is easy to find -- they used to give them away with some PC
> video cards in the late 90's. The Sega ones are pretty garbage
> quality (the arms are about on par in plastic durability as a CD case,
> which is to say shitty) if you just want to play the games dont go the
> expensive route and buy them.

I keep hear that. Not ever actually seeing a pair of them, I have no
idea what I'm in store for. Scott mentions, over at WAG Forums, that he
actually put a different pair of arms on his...which sounds pretty nice.

> The real problem is finding the cart slot adaptor that the glasses
> plug into. I have a feeling that these turn up on ebay by themselves
> often because the flimsy goggles break and people don't know any
> better that there's a common replacement for them.

Yeah, I'd imagine it's a lot like trying to find that Genesis 1
conversion cable for the 32X...

> Failing finding one of the interfaces, it's probably quite easy to rig
> them up to the PBC itself with some soldering. The glasses have two
> connections -- one is gnd and the other is for a squarewave pulse to
> signal the LCD shutters to close. The card slot adaptor likely doesnt
> have any electronics other than something to pass the square wave
> signal through. Find out which pin on the card slot are the pulse
> and gnd and connect a small 1/8" headphone socket somewhere upstream
> from the card slot. If you take the case off a PBC youll see that
> there's really not much too it. The boards themselves are quite small
> as it's mostly a passthrough to the Megadrive/Genesis. Most of the
> SMS compatability is resident in the Megadrive itself. It should be
> easy to run a wire out of the PBC for the headphone socket.

Interesting. Do you have any links for glasses that would work with the
SMS, assuming I had the card dongle? I'm not really opposed to getting a
non-Sega brand as long as they work just the same.

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"It's time to be a king among men"
- Duke in Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130233 is a reply to message #130199] Thu, 11 June 2009 01:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
I was just thinking about this the other day, probably because I was
playing Alex Kidd in Miracle World and it requires you to get, walk to
the fucking PBC/SMS, hit Pause, choose your power up, then hit Pause
again and return to the couch...but, where are we on the Pause Button
Mod project...anyone?

I remember reading something, somewhere about it...some was talking
about how it could be done, or why it couldn't be done(routing the
pause button to the Genesis controller's Start button). KKC, was that
you?

Bel
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130234 is a reply to message #130233] Thu, 11 June 2009 02:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
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Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
Another thing I've been kind of questioning:

(from the Mega Drive wiki...I know, I know, I don't take anything I read
in there without more than a few grains of salt, but I've heard this
elsewhere as well)

"As the cartridge slot was of a different shape, Sega released the Power
Base Converter, a separate device that sat between an SMS cartridge and
the Mega Drive's cartridge slot. The Power Base Converter did not
contain any SMS components, instead functioning as a pass-through
device. The converter contained a top slot for cartridge based games
along with a front slot for card based games. Once an 8-bit game was
inserted, the system put the Z80 in control, leaving the 68000 idle."

Has anyone actually ever opened a PBC? Now, granted, once you remove the
shell you're left with what looks like a skeleton of a Game Genie or
something...but are they really saying that *all* that stuff is just for
cart pass through!? I don't get it...it looks like there's way more than
just some pin re-assigning going on with that chunk of technology.

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"Oh good, the suns have gone down, now I can finally switch to hard liquor."
- Bender, Futurama
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130235 is a reply to message #130234] Thu, 11 June 2009 03:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
nathanallan is currently offline  nathanallan
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I've taken mine apart, and though its been a while I think I remember
there being a rom chip in there, telling the rest of the machine what
to do. It's more than a simple pass through device, though. That's
just the way it is perceived, but it has a few chips in there.

Nathan

On Jun 11, 12:00 am, BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
> Has anyone actually ever opened a PBC? Now, granted, once you remove the
> shell you're left with what looks like a skeleton of a Game Genie or
> something...but are they really saying that *all* that stuff is just for
> cart pass through!? I don't get it...it looks like there's way more than
> just some pin re-assigning going on with that chunk of technology.
>
> Bel
> --
> Whip Ass Gaming:http://www.whipassgaming.com/
>
> "Oh good, the suns have gone down, now I can finally switch to hard liquor."
> - Bender, Futurama
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130236 is a reply to message #130235] Thu, 11 June 2009 07:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Kendrick Kerwin Chua is currently offline  Kendrick Kerwin Chua
Messages: 41
Registered: January 2007
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Member
In article <9f80d8bb-34cc-4f37-8de2-e49987a41a97@a5g2000pre.googlegroups.com>,
nathanallan <nathan.dkassandra4@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 11, 12:00?am, BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>> Has anyone actually ever opened a PBC? Now, granted, once you remove the
>> shell you're left with what looks like a skeleton of a Game Genie or
>> something...but are they really saying that *all* that stuff is just for
>> cart pass through!? I don't get it...it looks like there's way more than
>> just some pin re-assigning going on with that chunk of technology.
>
> I've taken mine apart, and though its been a while I think I remember
> there being a rom chip in there, telling the rest of the machine what
> to do. It's more than a simple pass through device, though. That's
> just the way it is perceived, but it has a few chips in there.

The chip is generally there to buffer the pause switch input, and doesn't
do anything else. If you look at the third party SMS adapters, they're
just straight-through connectors with no buffering or additional ICs.
Those chips aren't strictly necessary, but it wouldn't be Sega hardware if
it weren't over-engineered.

Oh, and don't top-post.

-KKC, order wrong the in they're when words read to hard it's.
--
-- "Very long easy right, | kendrick @ |
baby!" | io . com | http://www.io.com/~kkc
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130273 is a reply to message #130236] Mon, 22 June 2009 18:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> The chip is generally there to buffer the pause switch input, and doesn't
> do anything else. If you look at the third party SMS adapters, they're
> just straight-through connectors with no buffering or additional ICs.
> Those chips aren't strictly necessary, but it wouldn't be Sega hardware if
> it weren't over-engineered.

Oh yeah, I have seen a few third part SMS adapters...and they looked
like Game Genies, for the most part. Maybe all that stuff on the PBC is
just simply for the card adapter?

Hey KKC, have you ever seen a mod that allows you to use the Genesis
controller's Start button as the PBC/SMS "pause" button? I find that I
tend to stay away from SMS titles that have any use of the Pause menu,
because I just simply don't want to get up off the couch and hit it
every 2 minutes. :(

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"I remember when I took that job, thinking I could fight the good fight
from the inside and you telling me about all the problems. That color
thing: Too black for the uniform, too blue for the brothers. About how
justice gets tangled up in the red tape or just bought off by the green.
You were right, fuck that job." - John Shaft, Shaft
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130274 is a reply to message #130273] Mon, 22 June 2009 19:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Kendrick Kerwin Chua is currently offline  Kendrick Kerwin Chua
Messages: 41
Registered: January 2007
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Member
In article <h1ovec$9u2$3@news.eternal-september.org>,
BelPowerslave <bel@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>
> Hey KKC, have you ever seen a mod that allows you to use the Genesis
> controller's Start button as the PBC/SMS "pause" button? I find that I
> tend to stay away from SMS titles that have any use of the Pause menu,
> because I just simply don't want to get up off the couch and hit it
> every 2 minutes. :(

The start button on the Genesis doesn't correspond to button three on the
SMS input, which is also the start button on the Game Gear. Any mod that
remapped that function would have to occur in software as well as
hardware, in that it would have to intercept the input from the controller
first. A hard mod would just run new wires and ruin the controller for
other uses, plus add an extra ugly port to the PBC.

Put simply, outside of emulation you're screwed. If it were me, I'd play
all my SMS games on a Game Gear with the Master Adapter, if having the
pause function close at hand was important to me.

-KKC, unlocking things in the PSP version of the Genesis collection.
--
-- "Very long easy right, | kendrick @ |
baby!" | io . com | http://www.io.com/~kkc
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130275 is a reply to message #130274] Tue, 23 June 2009 02:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> The start button on the Genesis doesn't correspond to button three on the
> SMS input, which is also the start button on the Game Gear. Any mod that
> remapped that function would have to occur in software as well as
> hardware, in that it would have to intercept the input from the controller
> first. A hard mod would just run new wires and ruin the controller for
> other uses, plus add an extra ugly port to the PBC.

Honestly, I'd almost put up with it if they could find a way to do it.

> Put simply, outside of emulation you're screwed. If it were me, I'd play
> all my SMS games on a Game Gear with the Master Adapter, if having the
> pause function close at hand was important to me.

I used to play quite a few SMS games via the GG...but I just get so
tired of the small-ass screen. Maybe emulation really is the way to go
when it comes to SMS games. I know I had a blast playing them via SMEG
on the DC...

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"Today I fly over Eu-Mei. Tomorrow... I'll kick over Wudan Mountain!"
- Jen, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130278 is a reply to message #130275] Fri, 26 June 2009 20:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dos-Man 64 is currently offline  Dos-Man 64
Messages: 33
Registered: June 2009
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On Jun 23, 1:42 am, BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>> The start button on the Genesis doesn't correspond to button three on the
>> SMS input, which is also the start button on the Game Gear. Any mod that
>> remapped that function would have to occur in software as well as
>> hardware, in that it would have to intercept the input from the controller
>> first. A hard mod would just run new wires and ruin the controller for
>> other uses, plus add an extra ugly port to the PBC.
>
> Honestly, I'd almost put up with it if they could find a way to do it.

I haven't been able to find an actual SMS controller since I got my
own SMS like a year and a half ago. They always seem to draw crowds on
Ebay, which is one of the reasons I am not using ebay anymore: you
basically end up battling over old junk that nobody should really
want. Anyway, I have the sneaking suspicion that I would end up using
the Genesis controller even if I did get one.

>
>> Put simply, outside of emulation you're screwed. If it were me, I'd play
>> all my SMS games on a Game Gear with the Master Adapter, if having the
>> pause function close at hand was important to me.
>
> I used to play quite a few SMS games via the GG...but I just get so
> tired of the small-ass screen. Maybe emulation really is the way to go
> when it comes to SMS games. I know I had a blast playing them via SMEG
> on the DC...
>
> Bel
> --
> Whip Ass Gaming:http://www.whipassgaming.com/
>
> "Today I fly over Eu-Mei. Tomorrow... I'll kick over Wudan Mountain!"
>   - Jen, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I definitely consider emulation the way to go with SMS stuff. The
emulation to me seems just about perfect, but I guess it depends on
which game you are playing. Oddly enough, I've found SMS+ for the
dreamcast to be *THE BOMB* for SMS emulation. It's far better than
what is available on the soft-modded xbox, and possibly better than
any of the PC emulators.

Having said all that, that's no reason not to collect SMS stuff. I
have miracle warriors, rastan, and one or two others. I'm always
hoping to get phantasy star I, but it's another of those "drawing a
crowd" ebay items ;P

Dos-Man
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130281 is a reply to message #130278] Sat, 27 June 2009 02:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rob.ocelot@gmail.com is currently offline  rob.ocelot@gmail.com
Messages: 13
Registered: April 2007
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Junior Member
On Jun 26, 8:14 pm, Dos-Man 64 <ChairS...@mail.com> wrote:
> I'm always
> hoping to get phantasy star I, but it's another of those "drawing a
> crowd" ebay items ;P
>
> Dos-Man

Really? I thought SMS Phantasy Star's price had dipped a little,
seeing as they keep rereleasing it and remaking it (PS2, GBA, even the
Saturn got a portulation of it). Back in the day it was the 'wanna
play it' factor moreso than the 'it's an RPG and therefore rare'
factor that drove the price up. What really surprises me is that the
Mark III version and it's Megadrive rerelease (which is really the
Mark III version running natively) don't seem to command too much of a
price in relation to its US counterpart. The Megadrive rerelease was
mooted to be quite rare at one point, someone offered me $800 for it
in the late 90's -- I'd be lucky to get $8 for it now :-)

As an aside to what it was like back in the day for Phantasy Star
fans, Saturn Panzer Dragoon Saga is in it's 'wanna play it' phase
right now. With no real good Saturn emulation at the moment (if
ever?) it's still quite the hot game on ebay. Same for Panzer Dragoon
Zwei.
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130288 is a reply to message #130281] Sat, 27 June 2009 13:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dos-Man 64 is currently offline  Dos-Man 64
Messages: 33
Registered: June 2009
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Member
On Jun 27, 1:13 am, "rob.oce...@gmail.com" <rob.oce...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> On Jun 26, 8:14 pm, Dos-Man 64 <ChairS...@mail.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm always
>> hoping to get phantasy star I, but it's another of those "drawing a
>> crowd" ebay items ;P
>
>> Dos-Man
>
> Really?  I thought SMS Phantasy Star's price had dipped a little,
> seeing as they keep rereleasing it and remaking it (PS2, GBA, even the
> Saturn got a portulation of it).

Probably has, but that doesn't mean you can actually get one on ePay.
Too many people right now all bunched up in one place. There can't be
more than 500 hardcore SMS collectors on the planet I would estimate,
but they all are on ePay. We need more auctions sites to spread things
out a little bit.

 Back in the day it was the 'wanna
> play it' factor moreso than the 'it's an RPG and therefore rare'
> factor that drove the price up.  What really surprises me is that the
> Mark III version and it's Megadrive rerelease (which is really the
> Mark III version running natively) don't seem to command too much of a
> price in relation to its US counterpart.  The Megadrive rerelease was
> mooted to be quite rare at one point, someone offered me $800 for it
> in the late 90's -- I'd be lucky to get $8 for it now :-)
>
> As an aside to what it was like back in the day for Phantasy Star
> fans, Saturn Panzer Dragoon Saga is in it's 'wanna play it' phase
> right now.  With no real good Saturn emulation at the moment (if
> ever?) it's still quite the hot game on ebay.  Same for Panzer Dragoon
> Zwei.

Yeah, I looked into getting panzer, but it was drawing big crowds. I
reckon, I Won't be getting one any time soon. It's ok, I might not
like it even if I did manage to get a copy of it. Hard to say.

Actually, I've just been trying to get a copy of ps1 gauntlet legends
on ebay for quite a while now. Just wanted to check out the musical
scores. I seem to recall a different composition that wasn't on the
other ports. Can't seem to get a copy of it now. Every game stop on
the planet used to have like 5 copies of it, yet now on ePay you can't
seem to get one without coughing up $15. Yeah, I'm definitely done
with ePay I think. There isn't much left :(
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130290 is a reply to message #130278] Mon, 29 June 2009 13:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
Karma: 0
Senior Member
> I haven't been able to find an actual SMS controller since I got my
> own SMS like a year and a half ago. They always seem to draw crowds on
> Ebay, which is one of the reasons I am not using ebay anymore: you
> basically end up battling over old junk that nobody should really
> want. Anyway, I have the sneaking suspicion that I would end up using
> the Genesis controller even if I did get one.

I don't much care for the original SMS controllers...the pad just seems
off. I've never had an issue with one, but I much prefer the Genesis
controller to it.

> I definitely consider emulation the way to go with SMS stuff. The
> emulation to me seems just about perfect, but I guess it depends on
> which game you are playing. Oddly enough, I've found SMS+ for the
> dreamcast to be *THE BOMB* for SMS emulation. It's far better than
> what is available on the soft-modded xbox, and possibly better than
> any of the PC emulators.

I doubt that, just simply because the DC SMS emulator is based off a PC
SMS emulator. ;) Still, I know what you're saying, the DC SMS emulators
I had tried were *really* solid.

> Having said all that, that's no reason not to collect SMS stuff. I
> have miracle warriors, rastan, and one or two others. I'm always
> hoping to get phantasy star I, but it's another of those "drawing a
> crowd" ebay items ;P

Like Rob mentions, it's gone down quite a bit due to all the
re-releasing of the game. You can usually get a complete copy for around
$40 nowadays. Not great...but for that game, I'd pay it(shit, the first
time I owned it, I paid $70, so $40 is a steal imo). ;)

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"It's super effective!"
- Pokemon Blue
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130291 is a reply to message #130281] Mon, 29 June 2009 13:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
Karma: 0
Senior Member
> Really? I thought SMS Phantasy Star's price had dipped a little,
> seeing as they keep rereleasing it and remaking it (PS2, GBA, even the
> Saturn got a portulation of it).

It has.

> Back in the day it was the 'wanna
> play it' factor moreso than the 'it's an RPG and therefore rare'
> factor that drove the price up.

Agreed. Like I was telling Dos-Man, I paid $70 for my first copy of it.
Played all the way through it then sold it off for what I paid for it.
Would love to grab it again at some point...and now that it's dropped so
much, I eventually will.

> What really surprises me is that the
> Mark III version and it's Megadrive rerelease (which is really the
> Mark III version running natively) don't seem to command too much of a
> price in relation to its US counterpart.

It's because both are in Japanese. Look at Panzer Dragoon Saga: The
ABSOLUTE MOST EXPENSIVE SATURN GAME ON THE MARKET....the Japanese
version goes for $20 most times...because noone can read anything in it,
thus it's virtually unplayable.

> The Megadrive rerelease was
> mooted to be quite rare at one point, someone offered me $800 for it
> in the late 90's -- I'd be lucky to get $8 for it now :-)

Agreed.

> As an aside to what it was like back in the day for Phantasy Star
> fans, Saturn Panzer Dragoon Saga is in it's 'wanna play it' phase
> right now. With no real good Saturn emulation at the moment (if
> ever?) it's still quite the hot game on ebay. Same for Panzer Dragoon
> Zwei.

PDS has always been one of those $200+ Saturn titles, a lot of it is due
to that fact that SOA printed exactly 13 copies of it for the entire US.
Pisses me off, as I'll never be able to afford to play it...

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"Who wants to play the Wii version of LEGO Star Wars. I'd rather eat glass"
- Shia LaBeouf
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130292 is a reply to message #130288] Mon, 29 June 2009 13:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> Probably has, but that doesn't mean you can actually get one on ePay.

You can, it's not as hard as you're thinking it is:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313& amp;_nkw=phantasy+star%2C+sega+master+system&_sacat=See- All-Categories

$18.00 to $49.98, most BiN pricing. Not that bad...just don't pull that
"I refuse to buy anything that's not complete" crap(that so many do) and
you'll be alright. ;)

> Too many people right now all bunched up in one place. There can't be
> more than 500 hardcore SMS collectors on the planet I would estimate,
> but they all are on ePay. We need more auctions sites to spread things
> out a little bit.

There's that "Chase the Chuckwagon"...but that's about it:

http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com/

I've never attempted it...but it looks interesting. You can also hit
places like Half.com or Amazon as well.

> Yeah, I looked into getting panzer, but it was drawing big crowds. I
> reckon, I Won't be getting one any time soon. It's ok, I might not
> like it even if I did manage to get a copy of it. Hard to say.

The problem is, *everyone* who plays it will tell you it's the best RPG
ever made(even those bullshit FF7 fanboys), which...of course, drives
the bidders crazy and has them taking out fucking loans at the bank just
to I love you out of getting it at a decent price.

> Actually, I've just been trying to get a copy of ps1 gauntlet legends
> on ebay for quite a while now. Just wanted to check out the musical
> scores. I seem to recall a different composition that wasn't on the
> other ports. Can't seem to get a copy of it now. Every game stop on
> the planet used to have like 5 copies of it, yet now on ePay you can't
> seem to get one without coughing up $15. Yeah, I'm definitely done
> with ePay I think. There isn't much left :(

You could always just look for the soundtrack, I guess. I managed to
pick up GL on the DC a while back, and am loving it.

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"Time to rub your face in it...with my ass. I'm so much better than you."
- Trixie, Outlaw Volleyball
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130362 is a reply to message #130292] Tue, 30 June 2009 10:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dos-Man 64 is currently offline  Dos-Man 64
Messages: 33
Registered: June 2009
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Member
On Jun 29, 12:38 pm, BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>> Probably has, but that doesn't mean you can actually get one on ePay.
>
> You can, it's not as hard as you're thinking it is:
>
> http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313& amp;_nkw=phantasy...
>
> $18.00 to $49.98, most BiN pricing. Not that bad...just don't pull that
> "I refuse to buy anything that's not complete" crap(that so many do) and
> you'll be alright. ;)
>

No, I'm not a hardcore SMS collector. I don't have any manuals or
boxes or anything like that. That's ok. I don't need them.

> I've never attempted it...but it looks interesting. You can also hit
> places like Half.com or Amazon as well.
>

I have been using half.com a lot lately. Very good for out of print
books, among other things. Has never really been a great place to
score old games, but sometimes you get lucky.


>> Yeah, I looked into getting panzer, but it was drawing big crowds. I
>> reckon, I Won't be getting one any time soon. It's ok, I might not
>> like it even if I did manage to get a copy of it. Hard to say.
>
> The problem is, *everyone* who plays it will tell you it's the best RPG
> ever made(even those bullshit FF7 fanboys), which...of course, drives
> the bidders crazy and has them taking out fucking loans at the bank just
> to I love you out of getting it at a decent price.
>

:D

>> Actually, I've just been trying to get a copy of ps1 gauntlet legends
>> on ebay for quite a while now. Just wanted to check out the musical
>> scores. I seem to recall a different composition that wasn't on the
>> other ports. Can't seem to get a copy of it now. Every game stop on
>> the planet used to have like 5 copies of it, yet now on ePay you can't
>> seem to get one without coughing up $15. Yeah, I'm definitely done
>> with ePay I think. There isn't much left :(
>
> You could always just look for the soundtrack, I guess. I managed to
> pick up GL on the DC a while back, and am loving it.
>

Yeah, I downloaded it and burned it onto a CD-R. Shockingly good. It
really does blow away the other GL ports.
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130363 is a reply to message #130362] Tue, 30 June 2009 16:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> No, I'm not a hardcore SMS collector. I don't have any manuals or
> boxes or anything like that. That's ok. I don't need them.

I've never really been one for hunting down the complete title and
forsaking all other versions. To me, I'm going to look at the box and
manual exactly *once* and then put the box in the closet and the manual
with the others...and that's it. With that said, for me it's all about
pricing. I don't mind cart-only games...but fuckers better not be
charging $10+ for them.

> I have been using half.com a lot lately. Very good for out of print
> books, among other things. Has never really been a great place to
> score old games, but sometimes you get lucky.

I've not really dealt with them a whole lot, I've just heard things(both
good and bad).

> Yeah, I downloaded it and burned it onto a CD-R. Shockingly good. It
> really does blow away the other GL ports.

It's due to the fact that the DC hardware is so close to the arcade's.
You'll find that the DC has the market cornered when it came to a lot of
Midway arcade ports, for the most part.

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com

"Everybody steals in commerce and industry. I've stolen a lot myself,
but I know how to steal."
- Thomas Edison
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130366 is a reply to message #130363] Sat, 04 July 2009 13:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dos-Man 64 is currently offline  Dos-Man 64
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Member
On Jun 30, 3:38 pm, BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>> No, I'm not a hardcore SMS collector. I don't have any manuals or
>> boxes or anything like that. That's ok. I don't need them.
>
> I've never really been one for hunting down the complete title and
> forsaking all other versions. To me, I'm going to look at the box and
> manual exactly *once* and then put the box in the closet and the manual
> with the others...and that's it. With that said, for me it's all about
> pricing. I don't mind cart-only games...but fuckers better not be
> charging $10+ for them.


It just depends on the system with me. I'm far more inclined to go
after manuals and boxes for Nintendo stuff than for sega.

>> Yeah, I downloaded it and burned it onto a CD-R.  Shockingly good. It
>> really does blow away the other GL ports.
>
> It's due to the fact that the DC hardware is so close to the arcade's.
> You'll find that the DC has the market cornered when it came to a lot of
> Midway arcade ports, for the most part.
>
> Bel
> --
> Whip Ass Gaming:http://www.whipassgaming.com
>

I think it was the N64 version that had some pretty neat additions to
the game play. You could sell items that you picked up. Additionally,
completed dungeons got harder and harder, so you couldn't just keep
going through one over and over to mass up experience points.
Re: Bel needs SMS advice *badly*! (Imagine it in that Gauntlet guy's voice) [message #130367 is a reply to message #130366] Mon, 06 July 2009 17:24 Go to previous message
BelPowerslave is currently offline  BelPowerslave
Messages: 264
Registered: November 2006
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Senior Member
> I think it was the N64 version that had some pretty neat additions to
> the game play. You could sell items that you picked up. Additionally,
> completed dungeons got harder and harder, so you couldn't just keep
> going through one over and over to mass up experience points.

Yeah, I'm not sure if the DC version offers any of that. I know it has
some secret characters from the second arcade game and things like that,
but past that...

Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/

"I loves me kitty"
- Karen Walker, Will & Grace
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