Newbie to Sega CD games and collecting

[guitarmas]

Hey guys.

 

I've been thinking of starting a collection of Sega CD games. I've got a Sega CD model 2 cib and I just think it would be cool to start collecting more for it.

I just wanted to see what you guys think about the whole Sega CD scene.

I'd like to play import games on my US Sega CD too.

 

Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?

Edited March 10, 2020 by guitarmas
content

[nick3092]

Opinions on games to play/collect will vary depending on who you ask, and nostalgia from people who owned the games, no matter how bad they are. It's easy enough to google "best sega cd games" and get a bunch of different Top xx SegaCD Game lists.

 

If you want to play imports, you'll have to replace the bios chip with a multi region chip. Which is not necessarily a task for novice soldering skills or those who lack the proper tools. If you are really interested in playing imports, get your self a MegaSD. It's a lot easier than messing around with swapping your bios out. 

[guitarmas]

I've only done soldering just a few times. I don't trust my lack of skills with my CD system.

 

I'd love to play all kinds of imports. I might just end up getting someone to do the bios replacement service for me. (When I can afford it of course! ?)

 

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by guitarmas

[nick3092]

For the price of getting your system modded, you'll probably be at least half way (if not more) to the cost of the MegaSD. And the MegaSD won't die on you any time soon like a mechanical CD drive will. Plus it takes up a lot less space and only needs one power brick.

 

But in the end - your money, your call. At least check into before you dive into modding your SegaCD. If your SegaCD is CIB from a collectors standpoint, keeping it stock might keep the value better than if it's modded. But value is a whole other discussion along with how mods affect value. Just my 2c. 

[Austin]

3 hours ago, nick3092 said:

If you want to play imports, you'll have to replace the bios chip with a multi region chip. Which is not necessarily a task for novice soldering skills or those who lack the proper tools. If you are really interested in playing imports, get your self a MegaSD. It's a lot easier than messing around with swapping your bios out. 

A simple $50 Everdrive will do the trick. All you have to do is load up a different BIOS via the flash cart and you're good to go. Not that there are a *ton* of worthwhile imports, anyway, but that's the best way to go about it if one is dead set on playing some of them.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Austin

[Austin]

3 hours ago, guitarmas said:

Hey guys.

 

I've been thinking of starting a collection of Sega CD games. I've got a Sega CD model 2 cib and I just think it would be cool to start collecting more for it.

I just wanted to see what you guys think about the whole Sega CD scene.

I'd like to play import games on my US Sega CD too.

 

Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?

There are a lot of fun Sega CD games, I definitely recommend diving into the library. Buying boxed games however can get pricey, at least for a lot of the best titles on the platform. If you want to dabble (try before you buy), then it reads CDr discs just fine.

 

There have been many threads here over the years with game recommendations. Some of the more recent ones: 

• https://atariage.com/forums/topic/302386-list-of-non-usa-exclusive-mega-cd-games-that-sega-cd-usa-players-can-still-play-or-are-just-cool-to-load-up/?tab=comments#comment-4466480
• https://atariage.com/forums/topic/292594-sega-cd-best-games/?tab=comments#comment-4298567

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by Austin

[Steven Pendleton]

Backup RAM cart may be worth considering. The save battery in my Mega-CD is dead, so I can't store any saves on it. If you leave it plugged in and hit the reset button while in-game, it will take you back to the system menu, where you can rescue saves from the hardware and put them on the backup RAM cart. I imagine the backup RAM cart can probably die as well, but it may be easier to replace the battery in that than in the system itself. I don't bother with either now that I have the MegaSD, but it is something to consider if you plan on playing something with saves.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[derFunkenstein]

The RAM cart is another reason to get the Everdrive, which not only loads an alternative BIOS but also acts as a RAM cart after doing so.

 

A dead internal RAM battery is bad news, though, since many games don't know or care about the cartridge and only save internally. For some games where you might want to track your progress (NBA Jam springs to mind) you'll have to replace a bad battery. That just depends on what game you want to play, though; RPGs don't have that problem, for instance. 

[guitarmas]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

 

I'd really like to stick with the actual legit copies of the games. It kind of makes it more fun for me.

 

 

[glazball]

Sega CD gets a worse rap than it deserves.  Unfortunately, 2 of the best titles for the platform, Snatcher and Popful Mail, are prohibitively expensive

[+-^CrossBow^-]

1 hour ago, glazball said:

Sega CD gets a worse rap than it deserves.  Unfortunately, 2 of the best titles for the platform, Snatcher and Popful Mail, are prohibitively expensive

Not sure if they still have them, but the local game store near me just got a copy of each of these in last week from another collector getting out of the scene. Their prices are $650 and $350 accordingly for those two titles. And the case on Snatcher even has a small crack across it so it isn't completely mint yet still commands near Panzer Saga prices these days.

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

15 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Backup RAM cart may be worth considering. The save battery in my Mega-CD is dead, so I can't store any saves on it. If you leave it plugged in and hit the reset button while in-game, it will take you back to the system menu, where you can rescue saves from the hardware and put them on the backup RAM cart. I imagine the backup RAM cart can probably die as well, but it may be easier to replace the battery in that than in the system itself. I don't bother with either now that I have the MegaSD, but it is something to consider if you plan on playing something with saves.

If you do nothing else...you need to at least get that battery out if is truly dead. I've serviced a few SegaCD model 2 units that already had leaking coin batteries in them that were still working but needed to come out and be replaced since again..leaking. I replaced the battery in my model 1 unit several years ago, but I've heard those models are worse about battery leaks.

 

[Steven Pendleton]

7 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

If you do nothing else...you need to at least get that battery out if is truly dead. I've serviced a few SegaCD model 2 units that already had leaking coin batteries in them that were still working but needed to come out and be replaced since again..leaking. I replaced the battery in my model 1 unit several years ago, but I've heard those models are worse about battery leaks.

 

Working on it. I have no idea how to solder and have no equipment, but I asked a friend to either do it for me or at least to borrow his equipment so I can learn/do it myself. I also have a feeling my screwdrivers are not long enough to reach the screws, though, which is annoying.

[derFunkenstein]

The good news is that batteries are some of the easiest soldering jobs around. Just get the tip hot enough and you can wick solder away with a little braid, and then the old one pops right out. A new one goes right in just as easily...put the right legs through the right holes and run a dab of solder on. 

 

For a replacement IIRC you need a CR2450, which is kind of a big motha. 

 

I'd recommend getting a couple of cheap carts that have batteries and some CR2032s and practice if you're nervous. It's basically the same process all the way around. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by derFunkenstein

[+Cafeman]

I really love hooking up my Sega CD and playing it on a TV hooked up to a sound system. I have Model 1 Genesis and Model 1 Sega CD (underneath model), and I love to hook up the sounds system using the Genesis' headphones jack and a mixing cable.  Hooking up this way, you have more control over the bg music volume vs game sounds, and there is noticeably more gain to the sound vs using the rear audio hookups alone.    This alone makes the games more interesting than just playing them on a Raspberry PI hooked up to the same TV.   

 

Just give me Silpheed, Batman Returns,  Terminator, Sonic,  Amazing Spider-man, and Jurassic Park and I'm good for a couple nights.  Cliffhanger is great due to its Avalanche levels.   Oh the memories!

[Steven Pendleton]

1 hour ago, derFunkenstein said:

The good news is that batteries are some of the easiest soldering jobs around. Just get the tip hot enough and you can wick solder away with a little braid, and then the old one pops right out. A new one goes right in just as easily...put the right legs through the right holes and run a dab of solder on. 

 

For a replacement IIRC you need a CR2450, which is kind of a big motha. 

 

I'd recommend getting a couple of cheap carts that have batteries and some CR2032s and practice if you're nervous. It's basically the same process all the way around. 

Yeah, I don't think I will bother replacing it completely since I have the MegaSD, but it is definitely best to at least remove it so it doesn't leak. My screwdriver is too short, so I definitely need to go get a longer screwdriver.

 

Anyway, a warning about Working Designs: I'd play the original Japanese versions of anything that was localized by Working Designs if you can read Japanese. They butchered the scripts in the localization and made unnecessary changes to game balance, typically making games considerably more difficult than intended. I started Popful Mail and so far the Japanese in that is very simple, like elementary school level levels of complexity. I have not gotten very far, though, so that could change.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

27 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Yeah, I don't think I will bother replacing it completely since I have the MegaSD, but it is definitely best to at least remove it so it doesn't leak. My screwdriver is too short, so I definitely need to go get a longer screwdriver.

 

Anyway, a warning about Working Designs: I'd play the original Japanese versions of anything that was localized by Working Designs if you can read Japanese. They butchered the scripts in the localization and made unnecessary changes to game balance, typically making games considerably more difficult than intended. I started Popful Mail and so far the Japanese in that is very simple, like elementary school level levels of complexity. I have not gotten very far, though, so that could change.

Fairly common knowledge in the Sega circles. In fact there is a thread at Sega-16 where someone or someones have actually corrected some of the balance issues in the WD games back to the original Jpn versions. Can't do as much with the translations without going more indepth and time to do it, but at least the gameplay stuff has or is being worked on.

 

[derFunkenstein]

37 minutes ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Yeah, I don't think I will bother replacing it completely since I have the MegaSD, but it is definitely best to at least remove it so it doesn't leak. My screwdriver is too short, so I definitely need to go get a longer screwdriver.

 

Anyway, a warning about Working Designs: I'd play the original Japanese versions of anything that was localized by Working Designs if you can read Japanese. They butchered the scripts in the localization and made unnecessary changes to game balance, typically making games considerably more difficult than intended. I started Popful Mail and so far the Japanese in that is very simple, like elementary school level levels of complexity. I have not gotten very far, though, so that could change.

Since I can't read Japanese, I'm playing the US release of Lunar 2. Fortunately, this guy restored balance to these games (which is what Crossbow was hinting at):

 

http://stargood.org/unworked/index.php

[guitarmas]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I definitely want the real deal. I just get the feeling that it's going to cost me an arm and a leg to go that route.

 

Not sure what to think. ?

[Steven Pendleton]

At least you have the more reliable CD unit so you won't have to spend as much time and money on repairs. You will probably still have to do it at some point, but I only have the original Mega-CD, so I'm not very knowledgeable about the Mega-CD 2 or the stuff on it that can break (which is probably everything). The original looks really awesome, but it's also very fragile and the disc tray likes to stop working correctly and will need to be fixed. You won't have to worry about that, at least.

 

Fortunately for me, mine decided to wait until after I got my MegaSD before its disc tray started acting all weird. I will definitely check the caps and look into fixing the disc tray when I remove the battery. I wonder if the CDX or Wondermega/X'Eye are any more or less reliable. Too bad the Wondermega has no RGB output, but damn does the original RG-M1 look awesome.

 

Also, watch Game Sack if you didn't already

 

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Steven Pendleton
Game Sack

[EddieHitler]

Like you I enjoy real deal games collecting - I’ve just dived feet first into the expensive world of the Jaguar - but with the Sega CD I really thing one of the modern alternative solutions is the way to go. Ageing CD hardware does not hold up as well as cartridge based systems, nor indeed do the CD’s. There is also then the matter of cost - some of the best games on the system (and some of the awful ones) are nearly the price of 2 PS4’s it’s just crazy. 
 

I went the Mega SD route personally and can highly recommend it - I must have played through Snatcher 5 times, there are also some other amazing titles to choose from. My one complaint with the system is it’s a little light on Shmups - Robo Aleste is decent though with some frustrating bits and Keio Flying Squadron (which will cost you a remortgage of the house to get a legit copy of) is fun, though a little cutesy for me. 

 

Whatever way you choose to do it, I hope you have fun! 

[guitarmas]

14 minutes ago, EddieHitler said:

Like you I enjoy real deal games collecting - I’ve just dived feet first into the expensive world of the Jaguar - but with the Sega CD I really thing one of the modern alternative solutions is the way to go. Ageing CD hardware does not hold up as well as cartridge based systems, nor indeed do the CD’s. There is also then the matter of cost - some of the best games on the system (and some of the awful ones) are nearly the price of 2 PS4’s it’s just crazy. 
 

I went the Mega SD route personally and can highly recommend it - I must have played through Snatcher 5 times, there are also some other amazing titles to choose from. My one complaint with the system is it’s a little light on Shmups - Robo Aleste is decent though with some frustrating bits and Keio Flying Squadron (which will cost you a remortgage of the house to get a legit copy of) is fun, though a little cutesy for me. 

 

Whatever way you choose to do it, I hope you have fun! 

I was in the Jaguar collecting scene many years ago. I had quite a few. I thought about jumping back into it. If I get compelled to do it again, I will probably just save up a bit and blow it on some nice CIB's on Ebay. I like the Sega CD. Now I'm concerned about the lifespan of CD games. I came into favoriting shmups after playing a few on the TG-16. With that in mind, I just might start with some genesis shmups. Any suggestions?

[EddieHitler]

23 minutes ago, guitarmas said:

I was in the Jaguar collecting scene many years ago. I had quite a few. I thought about jumping back into it. If I get compelled to do it again, I will probably just save up a bit and blow it on some nice CIB's on Ebay. I like the Sega CD. Now I'm concerned about the lifespan of CD games. I came into favoriting shmups after playing a few on the TG-16. With that in mind, I just might start with some genesis shmups. Any suggestions?

Funny enough I’ve done just that, sold off a load of SNES and NES carts on eBay (I’ve had my Everdrives a long time now and they were just collecting dust on the shelf, time to let em go). Got myself a Jag system with A vs P and 3 other CIB titles to get the collection started, with change to spare. I’ve emulated the Jag in the past but nothing like the real system. 
 

Yeah I would think twice before jumping down that Sega CD rabbit hole - those things are a good few years older than the PS1 and Saturn, many of them are scratched to hell and at a premium price. Touch wood I’ve never had a case of disk rot in my collection, but it is a real thing - one year after purchase you could find them unusable. 
 

There are a lot of great Shmups on the Genesis - Fire Shark is a personal favourite and it’s not too hard, the Genesis version of Raiden is passable though if you have played Jag, PC engine or arcade version it probably won’t seem great. Truxton, Steel Empire and MUSHA are all worth a go too, particularly MUSHA, though not everyone likes it - and you’ll want to be using an Everdrive for that one ?

Edited March 15, 2020 by EddieHitler
Typo

[Austin]

Lords of Thunder is the best shmup on Sega CD. Rockin' soundtrack, great gameplay, least amount of downtime (there are very few spots with dead air), great visuals, and it's not too long. ?

 

For Megadrive shmups, may as well make a new thread for that.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Austin

[Steven Pendleton]

42 minutes ago, Austin said:

Lords of Thunder is the best shmup on Sega CD. Rockin' soundtrack, great gameplay, least amount of downtime (there are very few spots with dead air), great visuals, and it's not too long. ?

 

For Megadrive shmups, may as well make a new thread for that.

Bari-Arm is pretty good as well, but I've not had time to play either of them very much. I've heard Lords of Thunder isn't as good as the PC Engine version, but I've been focusing on Fire Emblem and Death Stranding and haven't had time to play much else.

 

I think there is a shooter thread already, but nobody's touched it for 3 months and it's pretty much just Thunder Force. I was tempted to make a thread specifically for non-Thunder Force shooters a while ago since those are the only ones anyone ever talks about, but then I got lazy and didn't.