What backwards compatible Consoles are there? - Page 2

Antiriad · 13 January 2004, 13:36

Handhelds...I always thought of them as consoles (personally).

And Akira has a point. Does an add-on device count? I was of the mind when I started this thread that true backwards compatibility was built in. It is likely therefore that his list is pretty much the definitive one.

Not to say Im not amused by hearing about these adaptors mind. I only ever knew about the Master System/Mega Drive one before this. I gather that these add-ons contained some or all the hardware from the lesser machine then? - using the advanced machine as a slave?

FromWithins anecdote about the SNES is also fascinating. Between that and the CD debacle, seems Nintendo's development of it wasnt straightforward. Hehe as a side note, I read on a website recently that apparently at one stage the big N considered selling the Famicom under the Atari brand! Is this true? Would be amusing if it was. Just imagine if it had happened eh?

I hadnt included computers as I thought it a lot more prevalent. Perhaps this was a misguided viewpoint though.

Dizzy · 13 January 2004, 14:44

You have to accept add-on. The MD/Genesis is backward campatilbe with mastergames, but the games only fit if you have an add-on. Its a pure fitting problem.

fiath · 13 January 2004, 16:26

Quote:

Originally posted by khephren
ZX81 games on a Speccy 48

Are you sure? I seem to remember having a lot of trouble doing this. Even typing them in by hand didn't work.

Also ZX80 on ZX81 didn't work IIRC.

Bad Mr Frosty · 13 January 2004, 17:02

Jumping on the handheld bandwagon, the Neo Pocket Color plays Neo Pocket games.

Amiga1992 · 13 January 2004, 19:29

Mr Frosty: Thanks! HOW could I forget my favorite handheld console in my list!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by Dizzy
You have to accept add-on. The MD/Genesis is backward campatilbe with mastergames, but the games only fit if you have an add-on. Its a pure fitting problem.

Bollocks, the architechture of an MD is VERY different to that of a Master System. The Adapter is not an adapter as son, it DOES have circuitry in it that makes the games run. I beg you to try and make a straightforward adapter for yoru MS carts to fit in an MD, it will blow up the cart and/or console. Do you reckon the SuperGameboy addon is just an adapter as well? What about the Gamecube's GBA Player?

The only case where an adapter is used, and I could of accept backward compatibility, is the game Gear. The game geaar IS a Master System on acid. So the Mastergear Converter just maps the MS cart pinout to the GG cart pinout.

Other addons are to be ruled out. Only adapters would count.

th4t1guy · 13 January 2004, 19:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Unknown_K
Thats only through software emulation. You dont think a new PC is backward compatible with an amiga do you?

I assumed being able to use the original game media on a newer system with no modifications was the intent of this thread.

Well, Sega released the Sega Smash pack, which handled Genesis and Saturn games flawlessly. Does that still count?

FromWithin · 13 January 2004, 20:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
Bollocks, the architechture of an MD is VERY different to that of a Master System. The Adapter is not an adapter as son, it DOES have circuitry in it that makes the games run. I beg you to try and make a straightforward adapter for yoru MS carts to fit in an MD, it will blow up the cart and/or console. Do you reckon the SuperGameboy addon is just an adapter as well? What about the Gamecube's GBA Player?

I've been trying to find info on this and it looks like the Megadrive was hardware compatible with the Master System. The Master System has a 4MHz Z80 CPU, the same as the Megadrive's sound processor. Both use character-based graphics. I found mention of one version of the Master System Converters being "pass-through" device.

I also found this:

"An example of a pure hardware emulator would be the Sega Genesis/Megadrive's VDP mode 4 - this converts the console into a functional Sega Master System emulator running entirely on its internal hardware, and is activated via a special code received from the console's cartridge port."

Says it all, really.

cv643d · 13 January 2004, 20:30

I think it downloads the SMS bios from the addon and then the Genesis rebots with it.

Antiriad · 13 January 2004, 20:46

Fascinating stuff FromWithin and cv643d!
I guess the SNES/NES thing might have worked on a similiar principle if they had gone any further with the idea.

Dizzy · 13 January 2004, 20:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
Mr Frosty: Thanks! HOW could I forget my favorite handheld console in my list!!!

Bollocks, the architechture of an MD is VERY different to that of a Master System. The Adapter is not an adapter as son, it DOES have circuitry in it that makes the games run. I beg you to try and make a straightforward adapter for yoru MS carts to fit in an MD, it will blow up the cart and/or console. Do you reckon the SuperGameboy addon is just an adapter as well? What about the Gamecube's GBA Player?

The only case where an adapter is used, and I could of accept backward compatibility, is the game Gear. The game geaar IS a Master System on acid. So the Mastergear Converter just maps the MS cart pinout to the GG cart pinout.

Other addons are to be ruled out. Only adapters would count.

Thx for the nice reply

but I got the same info as FromWithin. I think you could find these info on many Sega site.

Amiga1992 · 13 January 2004, 23:59

Guess I'm a fucktard, as S.Campbell would like to say :P

That's some bloody strange thing going on in there. That means the Megadrive has to be added, but NOT just any adapter. My example on SuperGameboy still remains, and there's also some addons for the PSX to play GB games and others.

There IS a NES to SNES addon, do you reckon it would work in a similar way to the Genesis thing?

adolescent · 14 January 2004, 03:17

No, the NES adapters for the SNES and N64 are complete systems that just pass the power and audio/video through to the host console. I have a Tri-Star which lets you play NES/Famicom on the SNES. There was also the Tri-Star 64 which allowed SNES and NES/Famicom games to be played on the N64. The SuperGameboy and GameboyPlayer work the same way.

On the Genesis/Megadrive all of the components of the SMS/Mark3 are there (except maybe the FM synth or something as I recall). The GameGear is esentially Master System hardware so there is no circuit at all, just grounding a set of pins changes it into SMS mode.

Fred the Fop · 14 January 2004, 03:20

I think there was an add on for the SNES, that could play monochrome Gameboy games in color!

Amiga1992 · 14 January 2004, 05:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Frederic
I think there was an add on for the SNES, that could play monochrome Gameboy games in color!

I mentioned above, the Super Gameboy. And the Super Gameboy 2 supports GBC games.

Antiriad · 14 January 2004, 11:06

In what way did the Super Gameboy recolour the monochrome GB games then? Similiar to the way the GBC/GBA does?

And how small were the Tri-Star and Tri-Star 64? Pics anyone? (sorry for being lazy)

Amiga1992 · 14 January 2004, 16:46

The monochrome GB games could be recolored to your pleasure, or you could choose some default palette like in the GBC/A

Alternatively there were those specially enhanced superGB games, which brought their own coloring data in the cart,and also a border with graphics. Only game I remember like this is Donkey Kong.

The Tristar is as big as the SNES AFAIK, and the Tristar64 is a bit smaller. But my memory could bewrong.

spiff · 22 January 2004, 21:58

Sega naomi II is compatible with naomi 1.. it's an arcade game.. but depending on your setup (supergun) it might as well be a console.

SabreGolly · 24 January 2004, 13:43

Quote:

Originally posted by fiath
Are you sure? I seem to remember having a lot of trouble doing this. Even typing them in by hand didn't work.

Also ZX80 on ZX81 didn't work IIRC.

Spectrum -> ZX81 Certainly not backwardly compatable

ZX81 -> ZX80 were compatable, if you bought the 8K ROM and replaced the old 4K rom in your ZX80. Sinclair did sell them for this purpose. But ZX80 only worked in good old 'fast' mode (if anyone remembers that little 'quirk' of the ZX81!) - so most games which involved animation were a waste of time. Could play the adventures though...

Did hear of someone who put the old ZX80 rom into a ZX81 (from a kit) and it worked fine. Pointless, but fine.

Oh the days...

adolescent · 25 January 2004, 01:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
I mentioned above, the Super Gameboy. And the Super Gameboy 2 supports GBC games.

No, the SGB2 only supports GB and SGB games, but has a link port.

14 January 2004, 03:20	#33
Fred the Fop flaming faggot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Versailles Age: 55 Posts: 2,808	I think there was an add on for the SNES, that could play monochrome Gameboy games in color! Last edited by Fred the Fop; 14 January 2004 at 03:37.

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13 January 2004, 13:36	#21
Antiriad The Sacred Armour Of Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sussex, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,141	Handhelds...I always thought of them as consoles (personally). And Akira has a point. Does an add-on device count? I was of the mind when I started this thread that true backwards compatibility was built in. It is likely therefore that his list is pretty much the definitive one. Not to say Im not amused by hearing about these adaptors mind. I only ever knew about the Master System/Mega Drive one before this. I gather that these add-ons contained some or all the hardware from the lesser machine then? - using the advanced machine as a slave? FromWithins anecdote about the SNES is also fascinating. Between that and the CD debacle, seems Nintendo's development of it wasnt straightforward. Hehe as a side note, I read on a website recently that apparently at one stage the big N considered selling the Famicom under the Atari brand! Is this true? Would be amusing if it was. Just imagine if it had happened eh? I hadnt included computers as I thought it a lot more prevalent. Perhaps this was a misguided viewpoint though.

13 January 2004, 14:44	#22
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	You have to accept add-on. The MD/Genesis is backward campatilbe with mastergames, but the games only fit if you have an add-on. Its a pure fitting problem.

13 January 2004, 17:02	#24
Bad Mr Frosty Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Praha / Ceska Republika Age: 45 Posts: 107	Jumping on the handheld bandwagon, the Neo Pocket Color plays Neo Pocket games.

13 January 2004, 20:30	#28
cv643d Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 762	I think it downloads the SMS bios from the addon and then the Genesis rebots with it.

13 January 2004, 20:46	#29
Antiriad The Sacred Armour Of Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sussex, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,141	Fascinating stuff FromWithin and cv643d! I guess the SNES/NES thing might have worked on a similiar principle if they had gone any further with the idea.

13 January 2004, 23:59	#31
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Guess I'm a fucktard, as S.Campbell would like to say :P That's some bloody strange thing going on in there. That means the Megadrive has to be added, but NOT just any adapter. My example on SuperGameboy still remains, and there's also some addons for the PSX to play GB games and others. There IS a NES to SNES addon, do you reckon it would work in a similar way to the Genesis thing?

14 January 2004, 03:17	#32
adolescent Powered by Motorola Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Age: 52 Posts: 1,065	No, the NES adapters for the SNES and N64 are complete systems that just pass the power and audio/video through to the host console. I have a Tri-Star which lets you play NES/Famicom on the SNES. There was also the Tri-Star 64 which allowed SNES and NES/Famicom games to be played on the N64. The SuperGameboy and GameboyPlayer work the same way. On the Genesis/Megadrive all of the components of the SMS/Mark3 are there (except maybe the FM synth or something as I recall). The GameGear is esentially Master System hardware so there is no circuit at all, just grounding a set of pins changes it into SMS mode.

14 January 2004, 11:06	#35
Antiriad The Sacred Armour Of Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sussex, UK Age: 44 Posts: 1,141	In what way did the Super Gameboy recolour the monochrome GB games then? Similiar to the way the GBC/GBA does? And how small were the Tri-Star and Tri-Star 64? Pics anyone? (sorry for being lazy)

14 January 2004, 16:46	#36
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	The monochrome GB games could be recolored to your pleasure, or you could choose some default palette like in the GBC/A Alternatively there were those specially enhanced superGB games, which brought their own coloring data in the cart,and also a border with graphics. Only game I remember like this is Donkey Kong. The Tristar is as big as the SNES AFAIK, and the Tristar64 is a bit smaller. But my memory could bewrong.

22 January 2004, 21:58	#37
spiff Oh noes! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Neverland Posts: 766	Sega naomi II is compatible with naomi 1.. it's an arcade game.. but depending on your setup (supergun) it might as well be a console.

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