Mega Drive unlicensed multi-carts

From Sega Retro

"Super 5 in 1", a typical unlicensed Mega Drive multi-cart.

A common practice amongst video game bootleggers is to combine two or more games into one - in the Sega Mega Drive's case, resulting in unlicensed multi-carts. Such an idea is particularly prominent in Asia and South America - often moreso than the act of releasing bootlegs of individual games.

The process is achieved by using high capacity ROM cartridges - with early games such as Tetris shipping on 256kB ROMs, multiple copies can be placed within a 2MB or 4MB ROM with room to spare. Sometimes a simple menu would be programmed to select between the titles, or a soft reset of the console is required to switch games.

Unlike the Nintendo Famicom, in which multi-cart sizes ballooned during the 1990s and 2000s (to the point where manufacturers would (often erroneously) claim a multi-cart contained hundreds of games), it is more common to see Mega Drive multi-carts contain between two and eight games - typically when a cartridge claims to have more than ten, it is a strong indication that games will be repeated, sometimes with very minor changes. Newer Mega Drive games are rarely seen in multi-carts, not only because of their size, but due to tighter security from developers.

Sega have released multiple officially licensed compilations, which save for an expected layer of polish, offer much the same thing.

Documentation

Thousands of Mega Drive mulit-carts exist, with new ones continuing to be created today. While Sega Retro is attempting to document as many of these cartridges as possible, the volume of releases and the desire for their creators to hide their identities makes this an extremely difficult task.

Simlilar to more traditional bootleg game cartridges, the majority of unlicensed multi-carts originate from the far east, from factories in and around Taiwan, Hong Kong or in more recent years, mainland China. Third-party distributors often design the packaging and are ultimately responsible for selling the product; the same ROM can therefore appear all over the world but in different guises.

Numbered series

A variant of "KE-804", clearly labled.

Many multi-carts make the documentation process easier by having product code numbers on display (which in turn often double up as the cartridge's "name"). From this we can deduce series based on letter, or similar identifiers. In most cases, it is not known what the letters symbolise.

"Groups"

Dozens of multi-carts use this generic design. We can assume they are all related.

Many multi-carts lack unique identifiers, and with no ROM dumps or contextual details, can only be judged on general appearance.

Sega Retro has chosen to refer to these cartridge sets as numbered "groups". This is a temporary measure until more information is found. If a number is missing, it means ths group has been identified.


Others

"Unique" cartridges

Multi-carts in South Korea

Several cartridges were created specifically for the South Korean market, often containing Sega Master System or ported MSX games, and menus in Korean.

Master System compilations

A small subset of multi-carts only contain Sega Master System games.




While most multi-carts do not follow an obvious pattern, some do, allowing for us to group releases together:

"Super XXX in One", standard cartridge design

Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
SuperTwoinOne MD cover MUSHAWB3.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD cartback MUSHAWB3.jpgSuperTwoinOne MD cart MUSHAWB3.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD cover ShadowDancerCoI.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD cart ShadowDancerCoI.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Box TatsujinForgottenWorlds.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart TatsujinForgottenWorlds.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Box.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart Alt.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Box AirWolfVerytex.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart AirWolfVerytex.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart KabukiRunark.jpg
Cart
SuperTwoinOne MD Box SpiderManFantasia.jpg
SuperTwoinOne MD Cart SpiderManFantasia.jpg
Cart
SuperThreeInOne MD Cart.jpg
Cart
SuperFourinOne MD Box.jpg
SuperFourinOne MD Cart.jpg
Cart
SuperFourinOne MD Box SDGAFSAB.jpg
SuperFourinOne MD Cart SDGAFSAB.jpg
Cart
SuperFourinOne MD Box QTTR3AK.jpg
SuperFourinOne MD Cart QTTR3AK.jpg
Cart
SuperSixinOne MD Box Alt.jpg
SuperSixinOne MD Cart Alt.jpg
Cart
SuperSixinOne MD Cart.jpg
Cart
SuperEightinOne MD Cart.jpg
Cart
Super3in1 MD Box MahjongColumnsBlockout.jpg
Super3in1 MD Cart MahjongColumnsBlockout.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart SSASSBK.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD cover SSASSBK 2.jpg

Group 4

2 in 1
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
Poland PL: 720000zł720000 (≥ 199x)
[1]
Poland PL: 650000zł650000 (≥ 199x)
[2]
2in1 MD Box SRBAB.jpg
2in1 MD Cart SRBAB.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Box RISMGP Alt.jpg
2in1 MD Cart RISMGP Alt.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD cover ShadowDancerMagicalHat.jpg
2in1 MD cart ShadowDancerMagicalHat.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD cover CoISpiderMan.jpg
2in1 MD cart CoISpiderMan.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD cover MysticDefenderColumns.jpg
2in1 MD cart MysticDefenderColumns.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Box DaimakimuraSVB.jpg
2in1 MD Box TCFGHidingBall.jpg
2in1 MD cover FireMustangAeroBlaster.jpg
2in1 MD cart FireMustangAeroBlaster.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Cart AlesteDangerousSeed.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Cart CoIQuackshot.jpg
Cart
3 in 1
3in1 MD Box THCSVB.jpg
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
3in1 MD Box WC92MsPacManSS.jpg
3in1 MD Cart WC92MsPacManSS.jpg
Cart
633
3in1 MD Cart THCSVB.jpg
Cart
4 in 1
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
4in1 MD Box BKFMSSAB 2.jpg
4in1 MD cart BKFMSSAB 2.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD cart BKFMSSAB 3.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box BareKnuckleGoldenAxeIIStreetSmartAlienStorm.jpg
4in1 MD Cart BareKnuckleGoldenAxeIIStreetSmartAlienStorm.jpg
Cart
1625
4in1 MD Cart 1625 Alt.jpg
Cart
1625
4in1 MD Box SonicTokiCoIQuackShot.jpg
4in1 MD Cart SonicTokiCoIQuackShot.jpg
Cart
1626
4in1 MD Box DickTracyVerytexYochiSuperAirWolf.jpg
4in1 MD Cart DickTracyVerytexYochiSuperAirWolf.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box MoonwalkerTF3BatmanSSS.jpg
4in1 MD Cart MoonwalkerTF3BatmanSSS.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box RISRBSMGPAB.jpg
4in1 MD Cart RISRBSMGPAB.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart RISRBSMGPAB Alt.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD box MMSMJMMoW.jpg
4in1 MD Cart MMSMJMMoW.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box CoIQSTMTT.jpg
4in1 MD Cart CoIQSTMTT.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart GRABSEM.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart GRABSEM Alt 2.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box GRABSEM Alt.jpg
4in1 MD Cart GRABSEM Alt.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box SonicASSSWW.jpg
4in1 MD Cart SonicASSSWW.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart SonicASSSWW Alt.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box FBCPCBSM.jpg
4in1 MD Cart FBCPCBSM.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart FBCPCBSM Alt.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box AB2ADGAAB.jpg
4in1 MD Box MFDCRQ.jpg
4in1 MD Cart QSRMFDC.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart MMDDSDMTK.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart FMDAGAGA2.jpg
Cart
5 in 1
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
5in1 MD Box TFWKoPMPH.jpg
5in1 MD Cart TFWKoPMPH.jpg
Cart
5in1 MD Box TFWKoPMPH 2.jpg
5in1 MD Cartback TFWKoPMPH 2.jpg5in1 MD Cart TFWKoPMPH 2.jpg
Cart
8 in 1
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
8in1 MD Box TCKoPR3AKSVBSTT.jpg
8in1 MD Cart TCKoPR3AKSVBSTT.jpg
Cart

"Two in One"

Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
TwoinOne MD Box DSSD.jpg
TwoinOne MD Cart DSSD.jpg
Cart
A-071
TwoinOne MD Cart CoIAB.jpg
Cart
TwoInOne MD Box EMGA.jpg
TwoInOne MD Cart EMGA.jpg
Cart
TwoInOne MD Cart HURoS.jpg
Cart
TwoInOne MD cover NorthernKenTFIII.jpg
TwoInOne MD cart NorthernKenTFIII.jpg
Cart
TwoInOne MD Cart RamboIIITetris.jpg
Cart

White background, red text

2in1 MD cover MoonwalkerWardner.jpg
Box scans Content scans Name Code Distributor Date & price Comments
2in1 MD Box HeavyUnitGynoug.jpg
2in1 MD Cart HeavyUnitGynoug.jpg
Cart
K-0816 2005
2in1 MD Box back DDukeAeroB.jpg2in1 MD Box spine DDukeAeroB.jpg2in1 MD Box front DDukeAeroB.jpg
2in1 MD cart back DDukeAeroB.jpg2in1 MD cart DDukeAeroB.jpg
Cart
K-0816 2006
2in1 MD Box KagekiSoccer.jpg
2in1 MD cart up KagekiSoccer.jpg
2in1 MD cart back KagekiSoccer.jpg2in1 MD cart KagekiSoccer.jpg
Cart
K-0816 2010
2in1 MD cart back MoonwalkerWardner.jpg2in1 MD cart MoonwalkerWardner.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Cart BareKnuckleStreetSmart.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Cart FireMustangBonanzaBros.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Cart TwinHawkFireShark.jpg
Cart
2in1 MD Box MagicalHatWB3.jpg
2in1 MD Cart MagicalHatWB3.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box WB3MHHYG.jpg
4in1 MD Cart WB3MHHYG.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Box TetrisKlaxMegapanelZoom.jpg
4in1 MD Cart TetrisKlaxMegapanelZoom.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart TetrisKlaxMegapanelZoom Alt.jpg
Cart
4in1 MD Cart StreetSmartFantasiaSoRMysticalFighter.jpg
Cart
8-in-1 MD Box.jpg
8-in-1 MD Cart Back.jpg8-in-1 MD Cart.jpg
Cart

References