Steven Pendleton Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 So I had a non-TMSS Genesis 2 when I was a kid. I was quite surprised last year when I learned that TMSS exists. Has anyone else ever encountered one of these? I don't mean the PAL/Japan/Asia Mega Drive 2, but the US model specifically. I'm not sure about the other regions. Obviously they implemented TMSS before the hardware got its complete redesign, which is why I am curious as to why mine didn't have it. Obviously it would make sense for all systems manufactured after a certain point to have TMSS, but that is not the case, apparently. As for the system itself, in 2005 it got thrown in the garbage along with my entire collection of games because we were moving across the country and had to save as much space as possible, so my dad threw it away and I obviously don't have it anymore. I was too young to remember a time before we had it and I never saw the box, but I am almost certain this system was one of those Sega Sports Pack things with some football game included. My main reason for this is because we had a football game of some sort, and since my entire family hates football, there is no way that we would have had it if it wasn't the pack-in. I did play this football game maybe once or twice to see what it was like but since I don't understand football I only played it for maybe 3 minutes before I got lost and confused and turned it off. I can't remember what game it was, but I think it was NFL Football '94 Starring Joe Montana since the in-game screenshots of it on the internet look kind of familiar. I'm not sure if this information about this football game maybe being the pack-in game is important, but I figured I should probably include it just in case it is. This has been bothering me for a year now, so if anyone knows anything about this, it would be great. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 I've never heard of a model 2 US Genesis that didn't have TMSS on it. Far as I know, that all started around the VA6 at least of the Model 1 and the Model 2 didn't come out until the VA7 model 1 did and I know that had TMSS on it as well. I could maybe see a Jpn version of a model 2 without TMSS but again I don't believe any such MD/GEN system in a model 2 shell has ever been found that didn't have TMSS on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Pendleton Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 It definitely existed, since I had one. I wouldn't have been so surprised about the TMSS screen if I had known about it existing. I played that damn thing until it had almost completely stopped working, and I definitely don't ever remember seeing it in person until I got my Nomad, and I know all Nomads have it. I think TMSS came around when they stopped making Japanese MDs and switched to the Asia version without the AV INTELLIGENT TERMINAL stuff on it. I think that's the VA5, but I forgot since it's been a while since I looked into it. I'll ask my sister, although I can pretty much count on her not knowing TMSS exists at all. A strange mystery, for sure, although maybe I am just going more insane than I already am and it was there the whole time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derFunkenstein Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 That's wild. I've never heard of a non-TMSS Genesis / MD. Every model 2 I've ever had (going back to November of 1993 when I got a Sonic 2 bundle) had the TMSS screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 On 2/25/2020 at 12:26 PM, Steven Pendleton said: It definitely existed, since I had one. Pics or it didn't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derFunkenstein Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Is it possible to bypass the TMSS? Maybe it was modded? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Pendleton Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 3 hours ago, derFunkenstein said: Is it possible to bypass the TMSS? Maybe it was modded? Yes, TMSS can be removed through a mod. Not recommended on Nomad, as it apparently breaks Master System compatibility, which itself has to be added through a mod on Nomad. Not sure if removing it from a not-Nomad TMSS system has undesirable side effects like this. I am not sure if people knew about removing TMSS in the 90s, but my father probably has the skills to do it, so it is entirely possible that he did it. I guess I could ask him, but since he doesn't seem to approve of video games anymore he'd probably just ask me why the hell I want to know and then say he forgot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 It would have to be a mod of some sort because TMSS was introduced with the VA 4 I think of the model 1. And the model 2 came out just after the VA7 model 1. Heck the model 1 VA7 is basically a model 2 main board slightly redesigned inside it. So my point being, that TMSS had already been around for a bit before the model 2 was even released or introduced. I think TMSS was already on Japanese Model 1 systems as well before the model 2 megardrive came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Pendleton Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 My Japanese VA4 Mega Drive does not have TMSS. It seems that TMSS was implemented upon the release of the Asian Mega Drive, which has the VA5 motherboard. Only other real hardware I have now is my Nomad, and all of those have TMSS, unfortunately. It does seem strange that my old one from the 90s didn't have it as far as I can remember. I am still waiting for my sister to tell me if she remembers the TMSS screen at all. Maybe I forgot and it was there the whole time, but I definitely do not remember knowing it existed until 2019, and I only saw it in person for the first time that I can remember in January when I got my Nomad. Again, maybe I'm wrong, but with all of the time I spent with it, I highly doubt it. This does make me still wonder if the knowledge of removing TMSS was present and widely available online in the mid-90s, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Pendleton Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 My sister has FINALLY told me that she doesn't remember ever seeing the TMSS screen, so maybe I am not going insane. Perhaps the system itself was modified somehow. There is no way to know now, though, unless someone finds it in whatever Alaskan landfill it's been sitting in for the past 15 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonGrafx-16 Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 My Model 1 has it... very weird for a Model 2 to not have it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 On 5/9/2020 at 4:01 PM, DragonGrafx-16 said: My Model 1 has it... very weird for a Model 2 to not have it... As Steven pointed out, I believe the TMSS was added starting with the VA5 version on the model 1 and everything after that. So a model 2 without it would be a very strange thing indeed since TMSS already existed before the model 2 design was being worked on it would seem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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