SB-16C
From Sega Retro
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SB-16C | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Manufacturer: Subor | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distributor: Songa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The SB-16C called also KW-502 is an unlicensed Sega Mega Drive console clone believed to have been manfactured by the Chinese firm, Subor in the early 1990s. The SB-16C is one of the few Mega Drive clones with an entirely unique shell, loosely based off the original Mega Drive design, and has appeared in various guises across parts of Asia and South America.
Hardware
The SB-16C is based on the design of the original Mega Drive, complete with volume switch and claimed support for the Sega Mega-CD. By default it appears to have shipped with its own six button controllers, however some distributors appeared to favour designs closer to official Sega products.
As with the majority of cloned hardware, the SB-16C lacks the same level of build quality seen with a standard Mega Drive, being physically weaker and more prone to overheating or breaking. The video signal is also thought to be of a lesser quality than those produced by real Mega Drives.
Earlier SB-16Cs were locked to a specific television standard, while later models became region free.
Distribution
Having seen success with its earlier Famiclones, Subor were able to distribute the SB-16C themselves both in China and Russia.
In Argentina, Kunase Amusements distributed the console as the Songa or Magic 2 (presumably the first of a small handful of Songa consoles) starting around 1994. The console is relatively common in this region of South America as a result, with some spilling over to Brazil and Uruguay. It has also been spotted in this region being marketed as the Saba (successor of KW-501), however Tec Toy is expected to have limited sales on the grounds that it held the official Sega license in this area.
Gallery
Promotional material
also published in:
- Action Games (AR) #29: "Octubre 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[1]
also published in:
- Action Games (AR) #31: "Diciembre 1994" (199x-xx-xx)[2]
Physical scans
References