Arcade Portable
From Sega Retro
| Arcade Portable |
|---|
| System(s): TV Game |
| Publisher: Tectoy, AtGames, Blaze |
| Developer: Tectoy, AtGames, Blaze |
| Genre: compiliation |
The Mega Drive Portable Video Game Player is a Mega Drive handheld game console which was distributed by TecToy in Brazil, and also had a AtGames version sold through PlayAsia.com. Later, a version by Blaze was also produced but with a different selection of games.
It has a built in lcd screen and also built in tv output features so that games can be played on a television. The games are emulated through "Mega Drive on a chip" technology. It is not known if the ROMS could actually be swapped for others and still be playable.
Contents
Problems with the Unit
PSG sound
It seems that the PSG chip in the unit is tuned incorrectly, and all sound produced by the PSG is 7 semitones too low. While this isn't noticable on most music in games, it does occasionally become obvious, such as Knuckles' theme in Sonic and Knuckles.
TV Output
While TV output for the Hong Kong device works fine, on the UK device they made a fatal error. It has been adjusted to run at 50hz, but it still outputs an NTSC composite signal, causing it to be black and white on UK TVs that do not support the hybrid NTSC-50 standard.
TecToy and AtGames Versions Games
- Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle
- Alien Storm
- Altered Beast
- Arrow Flash
- Columns III
- Crack Down
- Decap Attack
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- E-Swat: City Under Siege
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Ecco Jr.
- Flicky
- Gain Ground
- Golden Axe
- Jewel Master
- Kid Chameleon
- Ristar
- Shadow Dancer
- Sonic & Knuckles
- The Revenge of Shinobi II
Blaze Version Games
- Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle
- Alien Storm
- Altered Beast
- Arrow Flash
- Columns III
- Crack Down
- Decap Attack
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- E-Swat: City Under Siege
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Ecco Jr.
- Shinobi III
- Flicky
- Gain Ground
- Golden Axe
- Jewel Master
- Kid Chameleon
- Sonic Spinball
- Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
- Sonic & Knuckles
Disassembly Guide
Qjimbo put together this short guide on how to take the device apart, to get a look at the components inside.
Step 1: Remove the batteries and every screw on the back. 5 screws in total, the battery panel screw and a screw on each corner.
Step 2: Prize open the the case. I found that around the volume control is a good place.
Step 3: Work your way around the edges. There are 2 clips on each side.
Step 4: Once you have undone all the clips, pull apart the case. The area around the battery compatment is stuck with sticky pads, but it is fairly easy to still pull it apart.
Step 5: Remove the 2 small screws each side of the main circuit board. There are actually 4 screw holes so some people may have 4 screws to remove.
Step 6: This part is fiddly, but carefully pull the circuit board out of the case. Again, around the volume control seems a good place.
Step 7: You're done!
Inside there are two chips. The large one with a separate PCB is the ROM chip, and the one under the black blob is the CPU.
Packaging
- Sega MegaDrive Portable Video Game Player2.jpg
Atgames Version packaging
Blaze Version packaging
Atgames version packaging
External Links