Difference between revisions of "Action Replay (Mega Drive)"

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Revision as of 10:11, 17 December 2016

  • Accessory
  • Program
ActionReplay MD.jpg

ActionReplay MD title.png

Action Replay
Made for: Sega Mega Drive
Manufacturer: Datel
Release Date RRP Code

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The Action Replay is a cheat device created for the Sega Mega Drive. It was originally released by Datel in the United Kingdom in late 1991, and was the latest in a line of cheat devices which continue to this day.

The Mega Drive Action Replay was the first cheat device to be released for the console, pre-dating the Game Genie by the best part of a year. Unlike the Game Genie, however, no Action Replay cartridges were ever licensed or endorsed by Sega, though unlike rivals Nintendo, the company did not actively seek to prevent such devices from being sold.

Hardware

Several versions of the Mega Drive Action Replay exist and many more packaging variants were created, however the core functionality of the cartridge remains the same. In addition to the standard Action Replay cartridge, Datel released the Pro Version Action Replay (which introduced a cheat finding feature), Pro Action Replay and Pro Action Replay 2 (the latter sometimes dropping the "2", but otherwise includes some "built-in" cheats for popular games).

All versions of the Action Replay act as a pass-through device between the Mega Drive console and a game cartridge, intercepting signals and adjusting how the game runs depending on what codes have been added by the player. As a side-effect of this design, Action Replays also act as region converters, allowing Japanese games to be played on Western systems (likely a key part of its success in Europe). In addition, Datel provided regularly cheat books containing game codes.

Unlike its Game Gear and Master System counterparts the Mega Drive Action Replay was released in North America, though was unable to find the same level of success as the Game Genie.

Gallery

Magazine articles

Main article: Action Replay (Mega Drive)/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in GamePro (US) #31: "February 1992" (199x-xx-xx)
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Print advert in GamePro (US) #34: "May 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Print advert in GamePro (US) #37: "August 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
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Print advert in MegaTech (UK) #1: "Xmas 1991" (1991-12-06)
also published in:
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Print advert in MegaTech (UK) #6: "June 1992" (1992-05-20)
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Print advert in Mega (UK) #1: "October 1992" (1992-09-17)
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Print advert in Sega Force Mega (UK) #2: "September 1993" (1993-07-22)
also published in:
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Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #146: "January 1994" (1993-12-15)
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Print advert in Mega (UK) #16: "January 1994" (1993-12-16)
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Print advert in Sega Pro (UK) #29: "March 1994" (1994-01-27)
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Print advert in Mega (UK) #21: "June 1994" (1994-05-19)
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Print advert in Sega Pro (DE) #1: "November 1992" (1992-xx-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Pro (DE) #2: "Dezember 1992" (1992-11-27)
also published in:
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Print advert in Sega Magazin (DE) #2: "November/Dezember 1993" (1993-11-03)
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Print advert in Sega Pro (DE) #7: "Mai 1993" (1993-04-xx)
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Print advert in Sega Pro (DE) #10: "August 1993" (1993-07-23)
also published in:
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Print advert in Game Power (IT) #1: "Dicembre 1991" (1991-1x-xx)
also published in:
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Print advert in Bestial! (PT) #3: "xxxx xxxx" (1993-xx-xx)
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
75 №26, p65
Sega Mega Drive
75
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
MegaTech (UK)
87
[13]
Sega Power (UK)
75
[14]
Sega Mega Drive
81
Based on
2 reviews

Action Replay (Mega Drive)

Mega Drive, US
ActionReplay MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, US (Pro Version)
ProVersionActionReplay MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK
ActionReplay EU MD box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK (Pro Version)
ProVersionActionReplayPro MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK (Pro)
ProActionReplay MD UK Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK (Pro Version) (alt)
ProVersionActionReplay MD UK Box Alt.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK (Pro) (alt)
ProActionReplay MD UK Box Alt.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, UK (Pro 2)
ProActionReplay2 MD EU boxfront.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, DE (Pro)
ProActionReplay MD DE Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, DE (Pro 2)
ProActionReplay2 MD DE Box.jpg
Cover
Mega Drive, ES (Pro)
ProActionReplay MD ES Box.jpg
Cover

References


Sega Mega Drive cheat code devices
(Pro) Action Replay | Game Genie | Game Wizard | Genipak | Magicard | Vzlomshchik Kodov
Sega Mega Drive
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise | Cartridges | TradeMark Security System
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