MD/MCD/SCD hardware compatibility ?

[Fudoh]

Can somebody enlighten me which MD/MCD hardware combinations work and which don't ?

Let's assume I have Mega Drive which has a language switch, but no 50/60Hz switch (but runs on 60Hz all the time) and I want to add a MCD/SCD unit to it. Do I have to use a 60Hz machine (jp MCD or SCD) or can I use a 50Hz PAL unit as well ?

The MCD/SCD games are region locked to the bios of the MCD/SCD unit, right ? Without modding the unit I can load up alternative bios files using the Everdrive. I have done this on a MultiMega (CDX) unit before, so I know it works. But would this work with PAL games as well or would I get in conflict with the combo running at 60Hz ?

How does the MD region/refresh rate affect the MCD/SCD unit ? Would a japanese MD prohibit a Pal MCD bios from even loading ? Do the games only check the MCD bios or both the MCD bios and the MD region ?

[Overkill]

I only have an PAL Megadrive with language switch, and 50/60hz switch. And a PAL Mega CD with original bios.

If i start the Megadrive+Mega CD without cartridge, it will immediately boot the Mega CD

With 60hz switch ON - The Mega CD boots a blue screen with letters saying this Mega CD unit can only work with Euro PAL Megadrive

With 50hz switch ON - The Mega CD boots normaly, with black borders, after launching a CD game i can then switch to 60hz and the game will play fine till the end. BUT, sound remains unchanged, so i think all PAL Mega CD games have been allready optimized for 50hz. In some games, like Batman Returns if i change to 60hz the game will have black borders removed, but will have some kind of glitches on top of the screen, i see the same glitches, like white vertical lines in MD games like the Street Fighter 2 SCE.

I think the best is grab an NTSC Mega CD, and play NTSC USA/Jap versions of the games.

[Sixfortyfive]

The MCD/SCD games are region locked to the bios of the MCD/SCD unit, right ? Without modding the unit I can load up alternative bios files using the Everdrive. I have done this on a MultiMega (CDX) unit before, so I know it works. But would this work with PAL games as well or would I get in conflict with the combo running at 60Hz ?

FWIW, I know it's possible to rip an import game to your computer, change the region code on the game, and then burn it to a CD-R and pop it into your console. (The Sega CD has no copy protection.) There are simple tools out there specifically for this, although it's been so long since I've used any that I can't give any more details than that.

[Overkill]

FWIW, I know it's possible to rip an import game to your computer, change the region code on the game, and then burn it to a CD-R and pop it into your console

I can be wrong, but i think thats only possible on the Sega Saturn Games

Ok, im wrong, a quick search show me this:

http://www.emuparadise.me/links-and-dow ... z_3.55/221

"This is the last version of SCDToolz with the latest database. SCDToolz is a program designed for Sega / Mega CD game collector. SCDToolz can do the following : * Retrieve BOOT info from Sega CD image files (RAW,BIN,ISO) * Retrieve BOOT info from archives (ZIP) containing a Sega CD image. * Can ouput a file (SCD_INFO.TXT) containing boot info. * Can output a CUE sheet. This allows the burning and mounting of the image. * Can rename the image, the folder and the MP3 accordingly to the database info. * Can mass rename a whole folder that contains many images or archives. * Can change the region of your Sega CD ISOs"

But this is new for me, when i last burned some Sega/Mega CD Games it wasn't possible at the time, but it was years ago. Meanwhile the Sega Saturn games have a little app like that, i've used it several times to change the region to PAL and avoid the use of action replay cartridge

[Fudoh]

Do you have any NTSC MCD/SCD games that you've run on your combo ? I'd be interested to hear if those run fine on a PAL MCD connected to a 60Hz MD or not.

I'm really just in for a quick fix. In the long run a japanese MCD1 would be nice, but for the moment I'd prefer a simple and cheap pal MCD2 unit, IF it can run the handful of games I want to try (which are all japanese).

[Overkill]

I have some original NTSC Jap Mega CD games, like Final Fight CD, that was censored in USA and Europe, but i can't boot it on my Mega CD II as the bios is PAL, but now i've found that utility to change regions, i will make a iso of the game, try to change the region of the game, and boot it again. The check will be ok, and as soon the game start i change the MD to 60hz.

But probably using the Mega Everdrive you talked about it can just boot my MD in 60hz, and the Mega CD with the Jap bios

[Overkill]

Ok, so i just have successfully done the test:

Final Fight CD NTSC Jap, converted to European using the SCDToolz 3.55 app, from the link above.
Burned the iso into a CDR

Megadrive in 50hz mode+Mega CD II pal, game boots, everything runs ok except for the obvious black borders, change to 60hz and full screen, no issues.

Its a waste of cdr, but for now is my only option.

Someday i will grab an Mega-Everdrive and try to change the bios

[ApolloBoy]

I'd recommend doing a BIOS swap on the MCD/SCD itself as opposed to loading one through the Everdrive. Using the Everdrive works for the most part but I've run into a few games that I couldn't get to work (mainly Ninja Warriors, Night Striker and a few others). Even though I'm in the US I actually have a European Mega CD II, which I have connected to my Japanese MD. I haven't added a 50/60 Hz switch to the Mega Drive so right now using the Everdrive is the only way I can play CD games.

[fagin]

BIOS changes via an EVERDRIVE (to either JAP or US) on a PAL MD & MCD machine with 50/60hz mod, has worked fine for me of US or JAP games.