Prologue II: Game console regions

When you're about to buy a console, or game media (CD, Cartridge, DVD, etc) you might wanna be careful on your selection, especially when you buy from overseas.


Always ask the seller and yourself regarding the console's or the game's region. A game or console is usually coded according to the region where it is manufactured, and this prevents it from using other region's media or vice versa. You can still use a console from any region, but only use the SAME REGION'S games.


When I first start retrogaming, I managed to get a PSX, but it only plays NTSC-J games. If I insert games from other regions, it will not be able to read them.


This page is a very simplified information page on what you need to know, but if you want to read the whole story, you can check out:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_lockout


4 regional coding exists for consoles and games, and usually they are written somewhere on the box, manual, or otherwise you need to ask them from the seller.


The regions are:

NTSC-U (North America, South America, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines)
PAL (Europe and Oceania)
NTSC-J (Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan)
NTSC-K (South Korea)


Apart from game medias, the same goes for some extensions and peripherals. Another way you can find them out is by googling the console serial number or look them up in useful pages such as:

1. https://segaretro.org/Main_Page
2. http://www.nintendo.com/

Lastly I would like to share my experience, this is my SEGA 32X which can only run on an NTSC-J Mega Drive. I first tried it on a PAL Mega Drive and it didn't work at all.



That's it from me, hopefully you won't make the same mistake I did. Game Doc just left the building.

SEGA Console: The Master System II

The Master System: SEGA's 3rd generation console to rival the NES/ Famicom. This console was released in 1985 and although lost the battle to dominate the American market, was very successful in Europe and Japan (where Nintendo was not so famous).

I personally feel that the Master System was an equally good console to the NES, and it has better features than the Famicom. Game titles wise is just as good, and I remember playing Operation Wolf using an emulator when I was actively playing PC games.

I only managed to get the Master System II, and a loose/unboxed one. Honestly I prefer the design of the first release, the Master System I, but I hope to be able to buy one (with a reasonable price *cough *cough *cheap) one day.

Well here's the machine: 

It's not as elegant as the Master System I or even the Mark III, but I do think it looks better than the Famicom.

Here's the main console:

The SEGA logo is actually a lid protecting the port where you insert the cartridge. 

But when I use the controller, it feels a bit odd, since it does not have a designated Start or Select button, just an A and B, like in the first picture.

Specifications

• Video/ Audio : RF (Radio Frequency) output
• The original one comes with a cable that you need to screw to an old television set and change to a channel 95, but you can just change to a regular RF cable where you plug into the aerial socket of your TV, and search for the channel

• To search, use manual search instead of auto, the TV will cycle UHF to VHF continuously until it finds the picture

• RF is, however, well known for having background noise even when you get a good picture

• Controllers: 
• 2 Standard detachable controllers connected to the front of the console with a long cable ~ 2 meters each
• Each controller has the buttons 1 (with start) and 2 and a Directional-Pad
• You cannot store the controllers anywhere
• The controller can be replaced with a Light Phaser (the gun)

• Extra controller port: None

• Power supply: 240V AC adaptor

• Media: 8-bit Cartridge
• This console has a built in Alex Kidd game (you can have either Alex Kidd or Sonic the Hedgehog as a built in game)
• The console has a lid which you can close to prevent dust accumulation, with no ejector so it's gonna be a bit hard to yank the cart from its port

• Game Save capabilities: None, but some games provide passwords to save basic achievement like cleared stages

Comparing the Famicom Cartridge (left) and the Master System Cartridge (right)

Controller

Here's a picture of the controller for the Master System II, like I described earlier

The D-pad is very soft and comfortable, which paved the way for a better D-pad in SEGA's Mega Drive/ Genesis later on

Functional Differences compared to Master System I

• Unable to read games in card form, which is another available media for Master System games
• Does not support the 3D glasses

Alright, although I mentioned my preference to Master System I over this version, I still think that this is a good 8-bit gaming console.

Titles like Alex Kidd, Operation Wolf, Black Belt and many more great memorable games can be played. A list of its games can be viewed here:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Master_System_games

2. http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?29198-Official-List-of-Sega-Master-System-games-by-Region (this is a forum by avid fans)

As usual, my blog is not really meant to give a complete historical and technical account on these consoles, but rather my views and opinions. If you want to know more, you can go to these sites:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_System

2. http://segaretro.org/Sega_Master_System

If you want to help me out obtain the Master System I, or you want me to help you out to obtain the Master System II, or cartridges, or have anything to comment on my reviews, leave a comment below.

That's it for now from the Game Doc

Prologue: Console Generations

Ok gamers, we all know that new game consoles are developed after every few years.

There was the NES, the SNES, and then N64, Gamecube and Wii... so on and so forth. Game development is not random. Because of the fierce competition between video game companies, new video games usually come out in batches.

The tycoons: Nintendo, SEGA, Microsoft and Sony compete with each other that when one company produces a new console, others will too.

This has been going on since this first video game console was marketed. So many companies have competed, and so many have lost in the race, even when they were so successful when they started. Such examples would be Atari who once dominated the console industry with its 2600 model, and SEGA with its Mega Drive / Genesis model, a powerful rival to the Nintendo, now no longer producing any consoles... lost in the console war.

I present to you the table of each generation and time period, with the companies involved and their respective model. I got it from Wikipedia, and I find it really useful if you want to understand roughly about video game history.

(Click on the image for a larger version)

Just to be clear, the timeline of each generation is as follow, (rough estimate):

1st Generation: 1972 -1975

2nd Generation: 1976 - 1983 (ended with the historic video game crash of 1983)

3rd Generation: 1983 - 1989

4th Generation: 1990 - 1993

5th Generation: 1994 - 1997

6th Generation: 1998 - 2006

7th Generation: 2007 - 2009

8th Generation: 2010 - 2016 (Ended with the birth of Nintendo Switch)

For better understanding of all the companies and consoles involved in each generation, here's a useful link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_console

So after this, when people say 3rd Generation or 4th Generation, you have an idea which consoles are involved. If you look into the table above, you'll notice SEGA stopped producing console after the Dreamcast, and ATARI much earlier than that (retro reproduction doesn't count).

It's sad that SEGA and ATARI dropped out because I honestly think they are really good manufacturers, and the SEGA Dreamcast and the ATARI Jaguar are really good consoles. 

I hope one day, they can rise from the ashes of defeat, and come up with consoles to rival the others.

Game Doc, signing out.

Nintendo Console: The FAMICOM (Family Computer/ FC)

 As I said in my introduction post, I started off knowing video games with a Famiclone. As the name implies, the famiclone is actually a clone of an original Nintendo console: the Family Computer or also known as the FAMICOM. This is a console which plays 8-bit video games and was released by Nintendo in 1983.

In the video game console history, this is a part of the 3rd generation of consoles. This console is purely marketed in Japan. In southeast Asia it is marketed by other distributing companies as clones such as Micro Genius, Mastergame, Goodboy etc.

But this is the original thing. Here is the boxed version of Nintendo Famicom that I managed to buy from a local dealer. It costs me RM200 (approximately USD 40) since it is a boxed set.

Here is what it looks like unboxed. A pure beauty.

Here are pointers regarding this console:

• Although it is the Japanese version of the NES marketed in the US, it plays the 60-pin cartridge instead of the 72-pin cartridge, but the game titles are mostly the same for both consoles
• You can also buy a converter to allow Famicom (FC) games to be played on the NES, and a different converter to do vice versa

Specifications

• Video/ Audio : RF (Radio Frequency) output
• The original one comes with a cable that you need to screw to an old television set and change to a channel 95, but you can just change to a regular RF cable where you plug into the aerial socket of your TV, and search for the channel

• To search, use manual search instead of auto, the TV will cycle UHF to VHF continuously until it finds the picture

• RF is however, well known for background noise even when you get a good picture

• Controllers: 
• 2 Standard non-detachable controllers connected to the back of the console with a short cable ~ 1 meter each
• Each controller has an A, B, Start, Select and a Directional-Pad
• You can store the controllers at the side of the console

• Extra controller port: 1 extra port at the front of the console for a zapper/ light gun (refer above picture)
• Remember, the light gun can only be used on a CRT TV (old fat TV)

• Power supply: 100V AC adaptor

• Media: 8-bit 60-pin Cartridge
• The console has a lid which you can close to prevent dust accumulation, and an ejector to remove the cartridge

• Game Save capabilities: None, but some games provide passwords to save basic achievement like cleared stages

Controller

Here's a picture of the controller for the Famicom, like I described earlier

Game Media

The difference between an 72-pin NES cartridge (left) and a 60-pin Famicom Cartridge (right). My apologies for the bootleg display, hehe.

I don't think I need to enlighten you regarding the cool games both the NES and FC has. Enough to say the 8-bit era was started with these 2 giants. Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, Contra, Castlevania and a lot of good games were created for these 2 platforms. 

If I'm not mistaken the FC contains around 2000+ titles, but here is the best list I can find in the net
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Family_Computer_games

If you wanna know the History, time of release and all the necessary information regarding the Famicom, here are a few websites I recommend:

1. http://famicomworld.com/

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System

Please comment below if you wanna know more, or think I should improve on my blog, or even if you want me to help you find a Famicom.

If you wanna know how does 8-bit games of the Famicom looks like, these are YouTube videos from my favorite sites. I may come up with one of my own videos one of these days, but for now, I'll just share with you my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhyCDBOY7vw (MetalJesusRocks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DePjIH1ips (Lord Karnage)
https://www.youtube.com/user/FamicomDojo (Famicom Dojo)

Introduction: My journey as a retrogamer starts...

I was sitting there playing my PS3...

Then I realised how complex games are these days. Sometimes so complex you don't even feel like you're playing a video game anymore. You spend so many hours completing side quests, hunting small-time "unique monsters", exploring side-characters' stories and collecting so much cash that you start to spend too much time on a game, knowing there are more games to play.

There were simpler times, where you could finish an entire adventure in 3-5 hours. I remember such times...

I remember growing up playing a famiclone at the age of 7. It was my first ever console.

My father bought me one after achieving a good exam result. I don't really have a picture of it but I managed to get a picture of a similar machine from the internet.

This costs my father around RM300 (around 60USD), considered costly in the 90's.

I didn't know at the time the concept of famiclone, Nintendo, Sega, Japanese or US versions. An 8 year-old don't really care for such things. All that I know at the time was I can plug in a cartridge (locally called "tapes") and play games.

Then you start to be busy with life. School, studies, then work, family and other more important stuffs. My Famiclone also aged and disappeared in the storage room. My father was a government servant, so we moved a number of times that the famiclone was eventually lost.

I restarted again playing PC games when I was 15. In between the age of 8 to 15 I played consoles at a local game store where you pay RM4 (roughly a dollar) per hour to play Saturn or Playstation games, depending on the time. I didn't have enough money to keep on buying consoles at the time.

(This is a picture of a current generation game shop - Gamesbond where you play and pay per hour, the last time when I was growing up, the game shop I went to looked like a shabby Chinese Mahjong shop where the chairs are just old plastic ones and almost all the controllers are worn out)

Then there was PS2 and PS3 when I was much older, already working...

I managed to be a medical doctor, and the hours are horrible.

But I always remember how playing video games made me feel. It somewhat takes me on adventures, and tell me stories. I remembered the consoles I didn't manage to play, and the games they had...

So I started again.

I searched back for whatever I had: A PS2 and a PS3. I read regarding generations of consoles, the good and the bad, the legendary games and all that I have missed throughout the years.

That's when I started my journey, and the journey continues, until I reclaim all that I have lost. The benefit of going retro is that you can decide on an end-point. The target is achievable, and my target for the time being is 3rd generation onward. 

It would be very difficult to go down to Pong or anything within 1st and 2nd generation, especially when you need a functioning old-school television to go along. 

I'll stop when I reached where I started, an 8 year-old kid with a famiclone.

A long journey it has been to reach this point. My current collection: Project Dream. The journey is yet to end.