How do you find a Majesco Game Gear?...

[ataridave]

I'd like to get a Game Gear and the Majesco model is one that I've recently become aware of. But I looked on Ebay, and all I could find were Majesco a Game Gear cartridges, not any actual Game a Gear systems. And from a video that I recently watched, the screen quality of the Majesco models looks a lot better.

[Austin]

You find one that comes in one of these funky looking boxes with "SEGA" written huge in the background. These are the Majesco models:

 

 

Other than that it would probably require looking at serial numbers or something, so it would be hard to find out unless you were able to hold one in person.

[fdurso224]

I'd like to get a Game Gear and the Majesco model is one that I've recently become aware of. But I looked on Ebay, and all I could find were Majesco a Game Gear cartridges, not any actual Game a Gear systems. And from a video that I recently watched, the screen quality of the Majesco models looks a lot better.

 

I remember buying the Majesco Game Gear models in 2003 in the discount section in Toys R Us in the Bronx for $10 dollars! Must have been some left overs that sat in a corner of the basement! I purchase four of them and still in my closet untouched!

 

Anthony...

[BDW]

If I remember correctly, the three colored dots on Sega made Game Gears are white on the Majesco models.

[A Black Falcon]

If I remember correctly, the three colored dots on Sega made Game Gears are white on the Majesco models.

This is correct. That's the easiest way to tell that it's a Majesco system, those three colored ovals are white, instead of red blue and green. Just look for GGs with white ovals!

 

Also, the Majesco GG, and Majesco's game cartridges as well, are made from a dark black plastic. It's a different color from Sega's grey system and carts. This difference can be hard to notice unless you've got both styles next to each other, though.

Edited September 10, 2014 by A Black Falcon

[Tenorman]

If I remember correctly, the three colored dots on Sega made Game Gears are white on the Majesco models.

 

^^^ This correct. Sometimes you can find them sifting through eBay auctions even if they don't say they are Majesco in the description.

An alternative would be to look for a Sega model that has been re-capped, or re-cap it yourself. These should work just like new and last forever.

[Greg2600]

The start button is a more purple shade than the earlier ones which were bluer. The best solution is to replace the LCD screen and the caps in a SEGA model.

[ataridave]

This is correct. That's the easiest way to tell that it's a Majesco system, those three colored ovals are white, instead of red blue and green. Just look for GGs with white ovals!Also, the Majesco GG, and Majesco's game cartridges as well, are made from a dark black plastic. It's a different color from Sega's grey system and carts. This difference can be hard to notice unless you've got both styles next to each other, though.

Excellent! Thanks for that useful information! Speaking of the Game Gear, which games on it are exclusive titles, rather then just Master System ports?

[A Black Falcon]

The start button is a more purple shade than the earlier ones which were bluer.

Oh yeah, I thought I was forgetting something... that's another change. One more that this reminded me of is that on the Sega model, the area around the AC power jack on the top of the system is red, I believe, but on the Majesco system it's the same shade of black as the rest of the shell.

 

The best solution is to replace the LCD screen and the caps in a SEGA model.

Unless you REALLY need a Master System adapter (the Majesco GG may or may not work with these) or (for some crazy reason) now-dead TV Tuner support (the Majesco GG doens't work with the TV Tuner), why? Other than not supporting those two accessories, the Majesco model's better! It's much less likely to have capacitor problems by everything I've heard. Mine certainly hasn't had any (yeah, my GG is a Majesco one, got it in the hopes that it wouldn't go bad like the Sega ones do. SO far so good.).

[Greg2600]

I have both. The SEGA model had a better LCD screen, but the problem is often when you replace the caps, you will still have big nasty vertical bars in the screen because it's gone bad. Some will argue that the Majesco's colors are too washed out. I tend to agree there, and the resulting blurriness often leads me to playing the SEGA model.

[Video]

I got the majesco game gear when it was new, and one of the things I used with it was the master gear converter, I know it worked on mine.

 

Other than being newer and probably not as likely to have bad caps, I'm not sure why to have a majesco one over a sega original. (even the majesco's are over 15 years old at this point)

Edited September 12, 2014 by Video

[CRV]

Other than being newer and probably not as likely to have bad caps, I'm not sure why to have a majesco one over a sega original.

 

Caps seem like a pretty big reason to me.

[+bennybingo]

 

Caps seem like a pretty big reason to me.

I think he was eluding to the fact that the caps are getting very old on both models at this point.

[Greg2600]

I think he was eluding to the fact that the caps are getting very old on both models at this point.

 

That's true, although "supposedly" the Majesco used a better/more durable set. The Sega caps used were part of that infamous BAD early 90's cap run out of Asia which similarly affected the Turbo/PCE Duo.

[CatPix]

We have older console with good caps.

The best I heard about would be an antique radio fan that "reformed" a 70 years old cap on a Philips radio, and succeeded in doing so, keeping his radio with all original chemical caps.

Little piece of advice for keeping your consoles caps working : switch all of your systems at least once a month, for about 15 minutes. It works also for all electronics, BTW.

Edited September 13, 2014 by CatPix

[Osgeld]

nfamous BAD early 90's cap run out of Asia

 

LOL!

fact is there is no magical bad cap era, you are making a consumer product with at best a life span of 5 years, they crap out 15-20 years later and its a conspiracy

 

all systems with electrolytic caps (and to a lesser degree tantalum) will crap out at some point, for a game gear it cost 9 bucks including postage to get some stupid high quality replacements and an evening or two with a beginner solderer and a radio shack iron

 

and with today's technology its almost as cost effective to replace almost all the electrolytic caps in a game gear with solid ceramic1206 or 1210 smt models which will never leak out

 

now electrolytics have had their high and low points, my 1984 apple IIc still runs its stock caps, my 86 mac SE needs a total replacement, mid 2000's had a bad rash of low points effecting a small portion of computers, now we are in a high point, just give it time

Edited September 14, 2014 by Osgeld

[Torr]

Little piece of advice for keeping your consoles caps working : switch all of your systems at least once a month, for about 15 minutes. It works also for all electronics, BTW.

What do you mean "switch" them for 15 minutes?

[CatPix]

Switch them on. Make them working :3 You do'nt need to play a game, just power them and leave them on for 15 minutes.

[jferio]

Other than being newer and probably not as likely to have bad caps, I'm not sure why to have a majesco one over a sega original. (even the majesco's are over 15 years old at this point)

 

Less screen blur on Sonic. It's literally a night and day difference, because of the improvements in LCD tech between the original and the Majesco unit.