Genesis console/PAL megadrive games

[neorichieb1971]

I was thinking of picking up Sonic 1 and 2. I can't find the original prints on Genesis for a cost effective sum.

There are quite a few original prints of the PAL megadrive versions in the UK.

If its plug and play I will bite.

So are the PAL versions of Sonic 1 and 2 compatible with a Genesis 2? Size of cart as well?


Thanks,

Richie.

[TransatlanticFoe]

You can check a for region protection in emulators but you should be okay with most games pre-blue Mega Drive/red Genesis stripe on the box.

I don't know how widespread this is but carts can have code for other regions on the cart. Both my Sonic 2 and Thunder Force III Genesis carts run on my PAL Mega Drive, optimised for 50 Hz (i.e. runs with PAL borders but at the correct speed). Twin Cobra Genesis does not (it is definitely a 60 Hz game running at 50 Hz, the music alone is clear as day).

I also don't know how true it is that few games were optimised for 50 Hz, even early titles. So if that is true then you just have the standard 60 Hz code on cart anyway and knock yourself out if there's no region lock. But I would think more games got 50 Hz optimisations so you do risk things going too quick at 60 Hz! I'd imagine all region code sits on most of the non-region locked carts though, even PAL ones. Sonic 1 and 2 are cheap enough to try it out with anyway!!

[neorichieb1971]

So Sonic 2 is optimized?

Thats ok, I will replace that one with the Genesis version, which there are absolutely tons on ebay.com.

Finding an original print part 1 on Genesis isn't so easy.

[TransatlanticFoe]

I recall complaints that the original wasn't optimised so try picking up MD Sonic 1... they're everywhere.

[lordcoxis]

I have a PAL Sonic 1 that runs OK on my Genesis - it's the only PAL cart I have here that runs.