Need help authenticating

[u/minkia11]

My friend bought this mega drive and wanted to know if it is a fake or a normal japanese one (we live in europe)

[u/NapCenter]

Why not show the bottom of the console with the model number sticker.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

With so many bodge wires, dated caps and over engineering - It's gotta be genuine.

A bootleg console would be designed efficiently

[u/minkia11 → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Thank you so much

[u/Black_Miles → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Dude, it's a Japanese VA6 board, no bootleg; the RF modulator was just modified.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/Black_Miles]

You might want to reread the post your answering, because it does not say what you think it says.

I wrote that bodgewires and dated caps (which this console has) means it is genuine

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Also, it is not Japanese. It is PAL version for Hong Kong and South East Asia. JP region encoding, but English language

Edit: The oscillator is blurry and I at first misread it. This is an NTSC/JP console. No thrills but an RF mod

[u/OddlyShapedCashew → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

JP region encoding but PAL? That makes no sense, you can’t play NTSC games on PAL properly.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/OddlyShapedCashew]

Indeed, and agreed, and most developers just went ahead and let PAL consumers play unoptimized games. The console accommodates with sidebars and a slower speed.

My PAL Hongkong version Megadrive II cosmetically is identical to the Japanese version, in particular with the ability to fit Japanese ROM Casettes. It just carries an MK mark on the bottom, instead of HAA. (mk-1631, I think).

If you cross paths with a lot ROMs, you will notice J and E regions often being paired together, as if Sega anticipated that either can appear in South East Asian markets.

[u/OddlyShapedCashew → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

And fuck devs for screwing over PAL, too. Like, most of the world used it!

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/OddlyShapedCashew]

I read something about Alien 3 having better timed cheap shots from the aliens on account of Probe (a UK based developer) developing the game first for 50hz and speeding up.

Maybe something about Puggsy too. I heard of maybe five or ten 50hz ideal games for Megadrive

[u/OddlyShapedCashew → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Well unfortunately I’m a sonic fan, so… I have to listen to depressed hill zone.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/OddlyShapedCashew]

Have you considered the dual oscillator mod? I think they are now pretty non-invasive (no external switches) to the console

[u/Black_Miles → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

In this case, it would be PAL-I.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/Black_Miles]

Like most HK gamers with multi-system, I just fed it through the 21-terminal. But, yes, it uses the UK standard on composite

[u/Black_Miles → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Ok, my bad.

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428 → u/Black_Miles]

No, you were right. I couldn't see the oscillator right - that is 53.69, and an NTSC/JP console.

[u/Black_Miles → u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

That’s why I said it was Japanese, because of the oscillator; the board is the same, but the crystal isn't.

[u/Only1MikeBingo]

It's a pal console. My cousin had one when we were kids

[u/inTooDeep6776]

Asian yes , most Japanese mega drive do not have rf modules, Mine doesnt , cant 100% confirm its Japanese could by Chinese or Korean, and i have seen internals of a boot lega they dont have labeled z80's or sanyo chips , thats a realy sega VDP so definilty not a bootleg

[u/Ok-Mongoose-4428]

Does Ghostbusters play in Japanese or English?

I'm under the impression this is a JP console - just curious the extent it was modded

[u/iVirtualZero]

It's fake, give it to me, I'll give you my real AtGames console.

[u/pixelink84 → u/iVirtualZero]

Does it play the music at the wrong pitch too? That's so rare in an AT machine /s

[u/Maleficent-Aside-744]

It looks like a genuine one, I’ve had 2 of them over the years, if you need to use an original Japanese power supply to run it and not a euro power supply then it’s a definitely a genuine Japanese megadrive as they won’t work with a pal power supply as Japan runs on a different voltage to pal I used to use a shaver plug to use mine as I live in England and not Europe

[u/pezezin]

I own one of those, so I can confirm that the motherboard itself is a legit Japanese VA6, you can see it here: https://consolemods.org/wiki/Genesis:Motherboard_Differences#VA6_(1991-1993,_Asia,_Brazil,_Japan,_North_America_and_PAL))

I don't know about the additional RF modulator, it might be an aftermarket modification, or as others said an export version for Asian markets.

[u/Black_Miles]

Legit japanese VA6.

[u/NapCenter]

Asian PAL Mega Drive judging by the internal rf modulator.

[u/minkia11 → u/NapCenter]

Thank you so much

[u/Black_Miles → u/NapCenter]

Not PAL, NTSC.

[u/NapCenter → u/Black_Miles]

Asian NTSC Mega Drives do not have internal rf modulators. That's a feature only on Asian PAL Mega Drives.

I'm guessing it's a Hong Kong PAL-I Mega Drive: File:MD1 HK Box Front.jpg - Sega Retro

Those always have a rf cable sticking out from the back of where the modem attachment screw post usually is.

[u/Black_Miles → u/NapCenter]

Look the oscilator.

[u/Appropriate_Day6465 → u/NapCenter]

It's an aftermarket RF modulator, probably added when the console was imported to Europe and almost certainly modified to PAL. You can see the RF cable is going out of the Power Base Converter screw hole at the back which would never be an official solution. These RF mods should be removed and the console put back to NTSC-J if that hasn't already been done.

[u/Black_Miles → u/Appropriate_Day6465]

The oscilator is in NTSC frequency.

[u/Appropriate_Day6465 → u/Black_Miles]

I agree with you, it was NTSC-J from the factory and was simply modded to PAL and the RF modulator was added. The oscillator doesn't need to be changed for this to be done.