Analogue Mega Sg Review - Is the Sega GENESIS clone worth $190?!?

[@evertonc1448]

"showing composite is not fair" Bro, I used to play it with RF back in the days, even composite look stunning.

[@livingcorpse5664]

Damn! I didn't even know anyone played RF back in the day, I figured composite was the standard. Here I am being angry composite was the standard in the U.S. learning across the pond they had component as the standard and I learn someone had it worse.

[@riflemanm16a2]

@@livingcorpse5664 I used RF too. In the early 90s, I am pretty sure the only connection our TV had was a male coaxial for an antenna, so only RF would work. Also, the gen 1 Genesis didn't have composite output without some weird cable that looks like a 5 pin DIN plug, but I literally never saw this cable until I bought one about two years ago; as a kid that port was just a mystery. RF was mainly terrible because, without fail, the wire broke as soon as the module was taken out of the box. Even time I played, I had to wiggle the cord until I found the sweet spot that wasn't static, lol. We must have had at least five or six RF switches that were all broken.

[@jameshogan4679]

I think its cool that people are trying to get these games to look as good as possible, but tbh i feel the same. Composite is fine and imo you get better dithering. I play composite on my crt but my master system, jaguar and turbo grafx 16 use RF. Im just happy playing the games.

[@AdamsBrew78]

@@riflemanm16a2 RF was the only gaming I knew back in the NES days. Never bothered me a bit, as it was all I knew at the time.

[@riflemanm16a2]

@@AdamsBrew78 Same here, I didn't know about composite until the N64. The fragility of the RF switches was really annoying though.

[@Staatus_Quo]

Seems like a solid unit. I only wish manufacturers would go "Type C" vs using micro still. It's very inexpensive to jump to a C vs micro.

[@beanwithbacon]

I don't get why most people use a Genesis model 2 for sound comparisons, the original model with the "High Definition Graphics" in white on the top of the circle has the best sound of any Genesis model.

[@ngqp]

i think he might have made a mistake. he has so much knowledge to know he probably missed it.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Depends on the version of model 2. The first revisions were decent. The later ones not so much.

[@FurEngel]

As a FPGA designer/programmer, I can help clarify that the reason you do emulation with a FPGA is to solve timing issues. Games programmed for older consoles (in this case the Motorola 68K) rely not on program timing techniques but expected processor execution times. So each frame of video, so many cycles would go to the game engine, some to the sound chip, some to the video frame buffer etc. When you emulate games on a PC, you are essentially serializing this entire process and trying to do it faster than a static screen refresh rate. Using a FPGA, you can design an entire 68K MCU and have it clocked at exactly 7.6 MHz. I recommend the GameHut channel for more information on how games were coded back in the day.

[@ajax700]

What do you think of this article? (it's very short and straight to the point!): FPGAs Aren't Magic - archive.is/4Umsk

[@hollywood21639]

Saturn or Dreamcast would be awesome to see made.

[@jackodell8497]

How many Sega Genesis clones do we really need? Saturn would be no brainer.

[@RichardHartness]

I love the enthusiasm for the Saturn, but you'd really want to kill this guy for trying. The Saturn is probably one of the most complex of systems to try and model. It's both exceptionally over-engineered and yet feels like a frankenstein system of components that all require tight timing and, to be honest, I'm not even sure all of the components have been completely reversed engineered. Doing the Saturn would make this look like child's play.

[@jackodell8497]

@@RichardHartness I agree. I just dont get why a new Sega clone seems to come out every few months. There's enough already.

[@jadfxfrozeninspirationplay7772]

Pixels ARE NOT PROBLEM, not need to be MORE BLUR "HD", must be SHARP. Best are: RetroN 5 & Pound.

[@VaughnJogVlog]

Quick, raise your hand if you don’t have access to the complete Genesis library and a means to play it already. Oh wait, we all do. There’s no market here. The 50-somethings interested in this device already have them provided from Analogue and their video “reviews” went live this morning. Now for the sad part. When a device like this bombs, it’s used as an excuse to not make anything for the Saturn or Dreamcast. You keep seeing Sega licenses classic systems because that was their biggest hit. Sega won’t make a Saturn classic or Dreamcast classic because those systems were deemed failures. However, I would certainly be more interested in a Saturn or Dreamcast classic.

[@paulpalace6292]

There is something about the Sega Genesis that can never be duplicated. I bought my Sega Genesis when it was first released (and bundled with Altered Beast.) I call it: "The Sega Genesis smell." During gameplay, one could detect a subtle sweet smell of burning plastic. Once the player experienced that smell, one KNEW that one was playing with power...

[@avenuePad]

haha! I didn't have a Genesis myself growing up (I went with the Turbografx and very happy that I did), but two of my best friends had one and now that you mention it, I kind of know what you're talking about with that smell. I don't know if my mind is playing tricks on me, but I remember that smell with my Turbografx and even my NES.

[@W0lfenstrike]

I noticed that some of the grainy effects are masked by the Composite cables, like the pipes in Sonic 2, the transparency in the pipes looks fairly convincing in Composite, but in the HD version, you can notice the spacing in between the pixels. In fact, the same thing kinda happens in your Earthworm Jim comparison between the Sg and the RGB cables, I guess those can be mitigated by the scanline options in the Analogue Sg, but I wouldn't say it's the be all, end all solution.

[@TotallyGoodatGames]

There is an interpolation option in the Mega Sg that mixes dithered transparencies like those so that they look as they should.

[@jkemp6791]

Just a note: Scanlines look pretty bad at 1080p. 720p is an exact 3x upscale from the original system’s native 240p so if you want authentic looking scanlines, put the resolution at 720p 60fps.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I did not know that! Thanks :)

[@jkemp6791]

No worries, Jason! Great video, as always.

[@b.o.353]

J Kemp thanks for the heads up!

[@emmettturner9452]

Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it than that. :( True 720p displays are almost non-existent, so you are almost always going to get a non-integer scale regardless. Next, you can do 5x (1200p) to get an integer scale at 1080p with only a little bit chopped off at the top and bottom (barely more than your typical CRT overscan back in the day). Unfortunately, most 1080p displays simulate a bit of overscan by default and will still break your integer scale. What’s even worse is that they often hide the relevant settings or do not have them at all! Even the ones that have a setting in the menu call it 10 different things. 1:1, full-pixel, JustScan, etc. Some make you jump through crazy hoops, like manually labeling a particular input “PC” will secretly disable simulated overscan. It’s a mess, but it’s still far easier to get scanlines working right with 1080p and 5x mode, which is why it’s such a shame that Hi-Def NES doesn’t have 5x mode (Nt Mini does). :(

[@bishopwilliams6817]

@@MetalJesusRocks yeah 720p is a scale of 240p. Same as super nt. I use hybrid scanlines in 720p

[@russell5920]

Aaaaaand just like that, every gaming channel has a review for the Mega SG.

[@donkique956]

Russell Harrington yes, but none like John Hancock and Metal Jesus.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

MLiG would like to have a word with you. :P

[@NineteenEightyFive]

And? It's called sending out units for review

[@turtleanton6539]

Sponsor

[@guspaz]

Like most electronic product releases, there was a review embargo.

[@davesrandomgameroom680]

This is very, very cool. I've spent the last few years trying to find solutions to get my old consoles displaying properly on HD TVs but maybe I should have been focusing on Clone systems! Either way its great to see that these classic games and consoles are not being left behind by technology!

[@Drewsefer89]

Wow this really brings a new life to Genesis & MasterSystem games. Visual graphics & sound are all highly improved. Almost like a complete remastering. SO many games I can relive in an all new light. Definitely worth it.

[@caodesignworks2407]

Personally, I like the way the composite output looks. Basically how it looked when I played the genesis as a kid. Though, I'd probably still play with HDMI.

[@Grindhead_Jim]

I think that Analogue needs to go all in and create new Sega CD and 32X add-ons. Granted, that may be cost prohibitive for them, but, it would be a great step in the direction of preservation of the Sega experience.

[@badreality2]

I'm sure that they will have to create a 32X add-on, since the original 32X is incompatible with HDMI compliance, but ALL Sega CD add-ons, work for the Analogue Mega Sg. ...so will they remake the Sega CD add-on? ...no.

[@3rdalbum]

Was there anything worth playing on the 32X that didn't make it to another console?

[@DrBF3000]

I think they need 32x+CD addon to make this complete.

[@Grindhead_Jim]

@@badreality2 If they're going that far, why not go all the way? Working Sega CDs aren't exactly easy to come by.

[@themcfaceman]

@@3rdalbum there are a few gems, some decent ports, some bad ports. It's a small, mixed bag

[@freddychopin]

FPGA is still emulation. Byuu wrote a little screed about it, since he actually collaborated with Analogue on the Super NT only to find out their marketing campaign was basically just making things up like "no emulation". It's just that it's emulation without an OS in the way, hence no input lag. FPGA emulation is no more or less inherently accurate than cycle-accurate software emulators like Higan. Having said that, Analogue's products are awesome, if slightly overpriced and with exorbitant $40 shipping costs.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Yeah, people seem to confuse different clone systems. Like they'll call on a chip clones emulation when they're not. Those are closer to IBM PC clones back in the day, compatible hardware but it's not emulating.

[@shehzaanaabdulla3047]

One day all our old hardware will die. The CRTs we use will die, too. When that happens will need an alternate to works with the digital displays we use now. I for one am glad that Analogue has provided that for the SNES and Mega Drive. Form what I can tell the Mega SG provides a more authentic experience than even Sega’s own Mega Drive 2.

[@sumdude4]

Would love to see them tackle the N64. Also that pound cable vs the Mega Sg looked pretty darn good to me so both are pretty good competitors. The audio though, the Megs Sg sounded more brighter to me. But it did sound clearer.

[@MrSlowestD16]

I doubt that'll ever happen. Most N64 emulators use HLE, which makes them not suitable for FPGA's. Also, the N64 had that custom chip, emulation of which....varies.... So I don't think we'll see them ever do an N64 project - MAYBE if we see some new FPGA's hit the market? IDK, But not with what we currently have. With Analogue's quality I'd absolutely love that too.

[@SlyBeast]

Analogue: The world desperately needs you to engineer a TurboGrafx-16 FPGA clone. Don't forget SuperGrafx!

[@low_e_music]

This x1000!

[@BurritoKingdom]

Analogue PC-16😁

[@mfdumile]

TurboGrafx/Pc Engine and Supergrafx are already done in FPGA on the MiSTer already. With Pc Engine/Turbo CD support soon to come. You should check out the MiSTer FPGA project.

[@SlyBeast]

@@mfdumile I will absolutely do that! Haven't heard of that one. Thanks!

[@emmettturner9452]

Maybe we don’t need it as badly as you think. ;) Check out the UpperGrafx/UperGrafx UGX-02. It replicates the graphics hardware in FPGA exactly like the original Analogue Nt except this one is plug and play with the original consoles! That means perfect digital video over DVI/HDMI (no analog conversion). It’s also able to play CD and card games from SD card. In short, we already have perfect digital video and all the benefit of an Analogue jailbreak in a plug and play device for TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine. It works with original games too.

[@jbake5022]

Looks like im done shopping for a new genesis. This is perfect. Hdmi, master system, and sega cd support, and wireless controllers. Thanks for the upload metaljesus, very well done.

[@robertsnow5484]

Would have liked to see Virtua Racing, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Super Street Fighter 2 and a few others that have problems playing on clone systems tested.

[@worldgate989]

watch one of the 50 reviews by everyone who got sent a copy for free to review.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

Spoiler: they all work fine.

[@TNVGAMING]

Analog should partner with SEGA to release a full-sized replica of either the Mark 1 or Mark 2 *GENESIS* with Analog's hardware on the inside. *I would buy that in a heartbeat.* Forget all these "mini consoles" I want a full-sized re-release of the system with cartridge support!

[@stevetb7777]

No doubt some modder will take this device and make it work inside a full-size chassis. =D

[@turnaround2]

great idea. Really besides cost the only downside is it will never look like an original

[@Kabelkerl]

exellent video especially the comparison with the Retron 5 I missed somewhere else , congratulations !!

[@hardkoregamer1981]

I'd love to see anlogue tackle the neo geo brand and make an all in one neo geo console that plays all the neo geo formats, platforms and accessories.

[@horroRomantic444]

I think the MSRP of Sega Genesis was $189.99 when it was first released.

[@deanthompson88]

Wow, that Mega SG looks pretty amazing to be fair but i cant help feeling a little bit sad that there'll be no going back to original hardware once you get used to that crystal clear sound and picture.

[@Renk1]

Great review, very informative and thorough. Thanks! Can't wait to get my Mega Sg, it's already in the mail...

[@chadpike5770]

I want them to go turbo graphics 16

[@ItsEpicWesley]

Same!!!!

[@Natterforme]

You're in luck!

[@ianwood6438]

Love to play Spellcaster and kenseiden again on the master system

[@CardboardSliver]

I found a copy of Spellcaster. It's such a fun game!

[@JONNYSORENSEN_AU]

Thanks so much for in depth review and comparisons. I've never bothered trying to play my old machines on new TVs as it's too costly, too many compromises and far easier just to use a PC with emulation and avoid 99% of known issues. However, this hardware based mega drive / genesis has me eventually being able to play my old carts on my modern TV and I can now collect stuff from foreign regions without usual horrid PAL hz slow-down here in OZ. THANK YOU!

[@ToxcynTV]

the issue with the 32X is that the unit had you running video bypass cables from the genesis to the 32x. You cant really do that now with HDMI. SEGA CD working is good enough for me.

[@chrisglover4360]

Great review. I just got mine yesterday & ultra core was not on the system. I upgraded it to the latest firmware 4.2 (i was on 4.1) & Ultra Core is now on the system. I hope this helps someone.

[@jarekfranczyk880]

8:22 ... and I like the picture quality of the composite output. Real retro, as it used to be on CRT monitors. All this beautiful image quality only reveals the pixelation and angularity of the characters. Composite blurs it out.

[@wcrcp24]

N64!, Now that would be a day one purchase! Great video mj

[@GamerMastodon]

Yeah buddy. That or an Analogue Atari 2600.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

PSone is fine too

[@wotusmokin1]

Be good if it came with a wireless controller similar to the old hori or do a deal with the brawler controller

[@themcfaceman]

that's what I'm waiting for. Otherwise, I'm buying an UltraHD modded N64 eventually

[@happyspaceinvader508]

themcfaceman Do it... same price as Analogue’s console and no worries about accuracy.

[@sideswipe1261]

Brother, that t-shirt rocks! (I haven’t started the review yet, but came to your channel first! You’re intelligent, eloquent, informative: you cover the details fans need, fun, and seem like a genuinely good person. Thanks for so many hours of education!

[@barc0deblankblank]

I think that comparing the audio to the original Model 1 would be a more apt comparison between the two.

[@emefcue]

anyone else enjoy the composite audio more? its just so nostalgic ^__^

[@RoninVargaz]

Its awesome to see a system like this, especially as emulation is threatened now. The quality of this seems so great and its legit since its a recreation of the hardware. I would like to see all the old Nintendo systems recreated from this company much love

[@AlanThompsonRegularNintendo]

Mine is in the mail as we speak! I cant wait to start playing my genesis games on it! Would live to see a turbo grafix 16 version from them

[@cheeseburger7889]

ha

[@8bits5]

Personally I prefer the pound image, it is less pixelated

[@RascalKyng]

Great choice using Sonic 2 Level 2. Such a nice song. Thanks for doing the scanline demo. Scanlines add the original pixel definition the 90s developers intended. More depth and less flat. Thanks!

[@larson0014]

You game sack and MVG all released the same review on the same day. I liked how you and MVG both used the intro to bloodlines

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

So did Colin aka This Does Not Compute

[@larson0014]

@Chris Taber they sent them the unit, I doubt they are paid

[@arcademaster1]

The reason why the card adapter works is because all card games are 32k in size - which is just straight through addressing of the address and data lines. The game gear games (bigger than 32k) have to have a mapper chip to work.

[@bobbyelter4617]

thank you!! this was awesome!! answered all my question!!!!

[@dustinbrunzlick1023]

Great review!! thank you for doing this literally just order one of these bad boys. Would be dope to see an Analogue N64 Next!!!

[@buxtech]

Analogue N64 would be next level!

[@hugofernandes8559]

Better than AT games :v Mega SG is amazing. I need one.

[@robd9921]

AT games would advertise the system as containing arcade ROMs, but then when you buy it it's just genesis ROMs.

[@rebelfriend5172]

HuezinXD get the super retro trio

[@nintendo1889x]

@@rebelfriend5172 Eww, why? They stole open source emulator code.

[@AspieGamer1986]

I want it so i can have a spare to use. My current Sega Genesis works fine, but it'd be nice to have a spare.

[@danerd8978]

Ive got the Mega Retron it works good enough, its a cheaper price too.

[@Kisai_Yuki]

It cost $190, plus $50USD to ship and anyone outside the US also had to pay another 40$ or so on customs/duties/taxes. Also make sure to update the firmware, because Master System support and that Ultracore game not are on the shipped firmware.

[@BadGlitch]

Kisai Yuki I really appreciate this info! :D

[@LeoA2600]

I enjoyed the review, but don't particularly agree about your opinion of fpga based hardware. Analogue's products are so great because they have a programmer/engineer in Kevin Horton that is extremely knowledgeable and talented, not because they're running on fpga hardware. Software emulation can also be extremely high quality and just like how fpga offers advantages over emulation such as a live cartridge bus to directly interact with carts, software emulation offers its own set of advantages such as native save state support. And just like how software emulation can be poor or a system-on-a-chip design on a single integrated circuit can stink, a fpga can have the software implemented on its reprogrammable integrated circuit be poorly realized. We could easily be here today complaining that these ~$200 systems from Analogue are full of flaws, had they recruited a less talented individual to design them. Kevtris himself is the game changer here, not the hardware under the hood.

[@robmoye7373]

Someone always says this when mentioning FPGA stuff, and while core quality is dependent on the programmer, I still think FPGA based stuff still has the potential to be superior to software emulation. The MiSTer project gets better and better all the time for instance, and there is no reason other people as talented as Kevtris won't step up to program these cores. Software emulation can be good too, but requires alot of horsepower to be as accurate as FPGA (potentially). Just my opinion, not trying to argue.

[@furrynick]

Turbo Graphics 16 should be next. That console had countless games and so many great ones. Just to name a few of those A+ games in this console 1. Super Star Soldier 2. Gates of Thunder 3. Ninja Spirit 4. Neutopia 5. Blazing Lazers 6. Dungeon Explorer 2 7. Dragon's Curse 8. Lords of Thunder 9. Bomberman '93 10. The Legendary Axe 11. Ys Book 1 &2 12. Bonk's Adventure 13. Neutopia 2 14. Devil's Crush 15. Splatterhouse 16. Bonk's Revenge 17. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood 18. R-Type 19. Air Zonk 20. Blazing Lazers

[@ZefTillDeath8878]

Great comparison video, but I'll take composite video output on a good CRT TV over HDMI on any HDTV. Composite looks much better than shown in this video on CRT.

[@hualni]

Back in the day, my sister and I used to play Spy vs Spy all the time. We loved it. We had so much fun getting killed. We wouldn't play to win. We would play to prank each other. It was so much fun!!!

[@28Pluto]

You didn't mention the farting noise it makes when you touch the power button. (or was that a Game Sack exclusive DLC?)

[@shabazz18]

An affordable fpga Neo Geo would make heads explode.

[@JimiJamma]

shabazz18 I was going to say something on the lines of your comment. But figured I should read through all the comments to make sure I’m not repeating what someone has already said. So, yes make a Neo•Geo version and I’ll be right there next to you in line waiting for the store to open. Oh, it better have a PCMCIA slot for saved game progress too! I know I still have that memory card somewhere lying around. Used it to save my progress mainly on Magician Lord at the local Pizza Hut arcade room during my teenage years, man I miss those days!

[@shabazz18]

@@JimiJamma would also need to be compatible with AES and MVS.

[@ChronikSpartan]

These clones are cool but, for me a huge part of the enjoyment is the original hardware.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

It was pretty cool attaching a real Sega CD to the Analogue and just having it work with glorious 1080p output!

[@ChronikSpartan]

@@MetalJesusRocks that is pretty awesome to be fair! No messing about with up scalers and all that stuff!

[@emmettturner9452]

The option to enable CD audio is actually the option that enables analog audio from cartridges or CD. It’s not something that needs to be “fixed” in future firmware. It’s turned off by default for a reason. Half the point of an FPGA recreation is to have perfect digital audio and video instead of digitizing lossy analog signals with a scaler/converter box. The only way to get external audio from the Sega CD or special cartridges is to grab the analog audio and digitize it. This needlessly introduces analog noise for games that don’t use CD audio or special cartridge audio. That’s why it was off by default for the Super Nt as well (used for stuff like SD2SNES MSU-1 and Super Game Boy). Game Sack was wrong to tell users to enable it and leave it that way. They didn’t seem to realize that it caused the noise issue they were hearing on silent parts... which they complained about earlier in their video.

[@wdy8425]

Nice to see robocop vs the terminator getting some love

[@TheCoolDave]

Cool game back in the day... think I still have my copy of it..

[@LuisAFigueroa]

Wow the Mega SG sounds exactly like the Genesis Model 1, which was the best sounding Genesis of them all. Impressive, well done Analoge!

[@Whiteshell204]

*Still got my G1 Genesis...maybe its time to attempt some Eternal Champions Fatalities!*

[@MeatPopsycle]

The sound that comes out of the Analogue unit is clear as hell. The fact that these new system for old games exists is an amazing thing. Imagine if we could get companies to re-release some of the more popular games for these older systems?? I'll probably have to keep dreaming for that one.

[@Chosen1_of.the.NONexistent_God]

I already got the Super NT. I wish they would make a N64.

[@bishopwilliams6817]

Not currently feasable

[@steveothehulk]

I emailed them this about an n64and they just said any news will be released on our page 🤨

[@bishopwilliams6817]

@@steveothehulk kevgris already stated there doesn't exist an FPGA big enough. The max currently is psone

[@FJNLLC]

n64 doesnt hold up well today homie... Saturn on the other hand... :O

[@happyspaceinvader508]

Why not just buy an N64 (about $40 on eBay) and get it modded with Ultra HDMI ? Then you’ve got actual hardware rather than emulation for a similar price to Analogue’s consoles.

[@retrogamerfan123]

Nice to see Jim get some footage never gets enough love

[@MetalJesusRocks]

That's a good cartridge to use for comparison footage because it has those demo levels that run when you turn it on, so everything matches across systems and the audio/music is so iconic.

[@RetroGamingDev]

Great video! The Pound cable is pretty nice, though obviously better off with the Mega SG (if you can afford it).

[@masejoer]

I'd say the Pound cable is the best of the bunch. Not staring at blocky hard edges is the best way to play these older games. The others are more accurate to the original content, but the Pound cable wins it imo for the experience. There's no way these old games will actually look good at higher resolution - letting the conversions blur the image up a bit helps the hard aliasing. Same issue I had with the UltraHLE emulator when it came out - too many jaggies for N64 games. The experience was better on a scanline CRT.

[@RetroGamingDev]

@@masejoer I can see your point, but I personally appreciate the crisp pixels on sprites on 2D games. 3D is a different story, like you said N64 (for example) needs some help masking things.

[@mrnicktwist]

So funny that we never realized how "softened" the images were originally. The crisp pixels are beautiful!

[@souljastation5463]

So, you like pixellated stuff. I don't get it, games on PC have the antialising filter to not make look diagonal lines jagged, but apparently people like jagged lines in 2d games. I don't like jagged lines in PC games just as I don't like pixellated stuff on old console games, if you watch the Castlevania comparison without prejudice you'll realize that the pound cable is actually the best looking one.

[@xChris_Kentx]

After that Sonic 2 demo I'm sold!

[@zadixfiction]

Keep in mind the model 2 genesis had the worst sound chip of all the models, he was also showing it using composite, the worst fidelity cables. A model 1 genesis/mega drive on a crt is the best way to play.

[@MetalGearKelan]

Looks awesome, but the price is a put off for me and will be for many. Would like to see a comparison video with the MegaRetroN HD.

[@VashNL]

Oh sweet! Skeleton Krew! Loved that game on the MegaDrive. Both that one and The Haunting Starring Polterguy are my favs. :)

[@The_Ferbguy]

The audio... It sounds so clean! It's driving me nuts

[@elmentado9231]

Your review, My Life In Gamings review , Rerez review of Mega SG are the best

[@Johnnygrafx]

it's amazing how muffled the audio is on a regular composite signal compared to this. I never would have known I wanted more clarity out of the audio had this not existed.

[@MaidenHell1977]

Best review of this system so far. Thanks dude!

[@stimorolication9480]

Great review and good selection of games! I have a model 1 Mega Drive with rgb scart, and it looks alright. Can't really see myself plugging this sleek new hardware into an old MegaCD/SegaCD. Ideally it would have 32X and CD support built in, but as both of those had their own CPU I guess that would make it too expensive.

[@stimorolication9480]

@Brett Bates That much huh. I guess we should just be thankful that someone is making such quality product. Thanks for your answer.

[@turnaround2]

They make a cart that can plug into the console to play 32x / sega cd. One of them is the megaSD,, cost is 250 but there is more than one. Think the everdrive people make one too around same price.

[@MurrayNJ08]

Bought one of these for my game room and gave two away on stream. It’s a nice machine to have.

[@YaiMb18]

I would love to see analogue work on a N64 analogue console next

[@gterry180]

Kevin says no. :(

[@Mental_Health_Matters]

This is one of three review videos that showed up on my homepage on KZbin...hmm...lol

[@ninjamaster3453]

I got 6 all at 11am you're slacking yo.

[@Mental_Health_Matters]

:P @@ninjamaster3453

[@NineteenEightyFive]

What's your point? There's nothing shady going on.

[@ElcanaldeEspetero]

It would have been fairer to make the comparison with megadrive 1, using its rgb output and its yamaha sound chip. Even so, I liked the review to find out about this device. Cheers from Spain.

[@MudSluggerBP]

Original hardware on a CRT is best. Playing on a HD screen will never look as good, as the games were programmed to take advantage of the lower resolution and softer image of old TV screens.

[@jasonblalock4429]

YES! This. So many old Genesis games, in particular, look awful in super-sharp pixel perfect modes because you weren't supposed to see the pixel dithering! The artwork was *intended* to blur and smear together. In some games, super-sharp rendering even harms visual effects, like the faux-transparency lighting effects in Streets Of Rage 2. That's the point of CRT simulation modes in these sorts of retroboxes and emulators. *That* is the closest you can get to seeing the game as it was originally intended to be seen, without og hardware on a real CRT.

[@ryzmaker11]

@@jasonblalock4429 Just to say, pixels in dithering patterns were NOT necessarily meant to be blended together BUT they could be, it's just a matter of preference. In other words, you can play in RGB or composite, it will looks great in both. The only thing that mattters is to get scanlines and a slight blur to recreate CRT rendering. btw it's not just the Mega Drive that uses dithering in some games but basically every systems up to the N64, even the Neo Geo, the Saturn, etc.

[@jasonblalock4429]

@@ryzmaker11 Oh yeah, dithering definitely shows up a lot. It just seems like the MegaDrive relied on it more than even other consoles, since artists were having to compensate for the MD's relatively low onscreen color count. Plus better artists would also use pixel-based trickery to do things like fake transparency. Which adds up to, at least in my opinion, the MegaDrive often looking worst out of all the classic consoles when played in a "pixel accurate" format. It really needs CRT smearing for the proper visual effect.

[@ryzmaker11]

@@jasonblalock4429 >"pixel accurate" format I'd rather say "raw rendering" >It really needs CRT smearing I'd rather say "CRT smoothing" :3 anyway there are quite many Mega Drive games that use dithering, yes, but some other systems relied even more on dithering such as the NEC PC-88/98, the Atari ST or the Commodore Amiga. also there are much more SNES games that use dithering than what some people might think. but if used well, dithering is nice since it's a handy way to create gradients or to fake transparency and it's meant to be smoothed out via CRT rendering (or emulation/HD TV with scanlines + slight blur) so color restriction is a much better limitation to end with compared to things such as a weak CPU or limited resolution (and in case of the SNES we could even say *flawed* resolution since it's not even 4:3 shaped) meaning that Sega more wisely designed their console which has the most timeless specs of its time.

[@duncanrathband5492]

Yeah. I'm one of those idiots that thinks composite looks better than the 1080p crispness.

[@darrellgardner4561]

The pound cable seems to be for the "Its designed for a crt, you aren't supposed to be able to see every pixel" people. Much higher quality than composite, but still blurry enough to give the pixels the round edges youd get on a crt.

[@mistermatix8241]

Fit a 3.5mm headphone jack, but not a hardwired volume control slider/knob? (facepalm)!

[@RemindMeToSmile01]

@Steve Fox consumer headsets yes, but not on pro studio headsets or older headsets. You'd need a mixer to get the volume control.

[@KTDFox]

In general Master System converters are just adapters that map the card/cart pins to the correct ones on the Genesis. They might need to update the system to get Game Gear games to work, since the real VDP didn't support the Game Gear's special video modes or expanded color pallette. Maybe they can implement that along with Master System FM support at some point. As a 32X owner I can absolutely see why the 32X is unsupported. The final picture was produced by mixing the Genesis' RGB video output with the 32X's video and then that image is what is put out by the 32X. Even supporting the original 32X would require some extra hardware to take over the video mixing tasks that the 32X handled. Not impossible but a PITA. Implementing the 32X in FPGA alongside the rest of the Genesis hardware would have meant implementing two more CPUs, another VDP, sound chip and RAM as well, and who knows if the FPGA they chose could handle all of that extra stuff. Definitely possible but would probably drive up the price just to support about 40 games. :(

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

Great video hopefully they can release an adapter for 32x in the future and ideally there own CD Drive!

[@rezyc]

I think it is only worth it if you have a mega CD to play it in hd. The rest of it is not really a seller for me at that price.

[@awill891]

Nice vid. I just missed a chance to local buy a JVC Sega Cd system in box for $100! I was checking Offer Up daily in the last month for Dreamcast or Sega Cd/32x gear and the one day I was sick and sleeping this rare fucking gem pops up. It's worth at least $600, I'm gutted. But I also wanted to say I play Genesis on the Wii through component on my new PVM and the quality is fucking insane. I've been gaming since SNES and had no clue 240p could be so amazing cuz I used RF adapter back then. I adore the SNES classic and the HD quality is stunning but I gotta say a PVM in 240p with scan lines is even better, it has to be seen in person.

[@GroundControl2MT]

Sega genesis model II had a poorer quality audio chip then the early early model 1's

[@jedimaster12100]

I figured that was the case. I had an original Genesis and was wondering if sound was a concession they made for a cheaper price point. I wonder if it's the same for the CDX

[@retrosoul8770]

MJR should have used a Model 1 in the comparison imo

[@paianis]

But the Model 1's stereo audio comes out the front which is a pita.

[@inputfunny]

The early model 2 Genesis had bad audio, but there are later va3 and va4 models with audio that is close to or on par with the early model 1's.

[@Darkmetamorphosis1]

Analogue mini enginegraphx ... that sounds like a good name for a pcengine/turbografx which is what we all want

[@Brylant1980]

WOOOOW this is next level of retro gaming :)

[@nextlevelgamez9243]

Agreed!

[@XundeadlichX]

TG16 with CD support would be awesome, id definitely buy it for sure

[@lumberjackbear2492]

MetalJesusRocks Do you have a buying guide for the SEGA Genesis? If so, I can’t find it. If not, it would be awesome if you made one!

[@petergaming3748]

MJR - Please review the built in game! Rare opportunity to review a NEW Mega Drive game! -- Keep up the amazing work. Love your videos!

[@RickyMcSpanish]

Has to be Turbografx next

[@AcousticNRG]

nah m8 , n64

[@paxhumana2015]

@@AcousticNRG the N64 can wait, let the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx 16 have a chance.

[@Darkagent69]

What’s the benefits of turbografx compared to this

[@scotchamadeaus5124]

Just an FYI. Mega SG is Def. the best choice over all the Sega MG/G systems. The built in Game Genie works with multi-carts and YES this system plays the 218 and 198 built in game multi-carts with no issues thus far.

[@Xilefian]

Take a shot every time he says hardware emulation via FPGA implementation "is not emulation".

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

💉💉💉💉💉💉💉💉

[@neonknight821]

Castlevania: Bloodlines looks great on the Mega Sg! I never had a Sega Genesis growing up so I'm not nostalgic for or care for scanlines so this would be ideal for me.

[@connorstephens7467]

Can you instant save or so anything like that on the console?

[@AspieGamer1986]

how about an FPGA Sega Saturn.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

^^ THIS ^^

[@gregorydougherty]

MJR, please understand that this IS emulation. It is hardware emulation which is very different than software emulation typically used in other clone consoles and on PC. Hardware emulation just provides a much more almost 100% accurate experience especially with the talent that the analogue programmers have in understanding the intricate functions of the various Genesis models.

[@Darkagent69]

I have a question would it not be the same as the software version of the classic Sega Genesis or would the playability and gaming of this emulation feel similar if not better that’s my question.

[@adamx9987]

I purchased a mega sg this holiday season based on your review. Purchased butt loads of classic genesis games i grew up on for my son and I to play together. Thanks metal Jesus!

[@indrachaudhari7874]

what?? other channels also have uploaded their videos on this same topic at the same time...

[@StCerberusEngel]

I noticed that too. Oh well, they're all covering various different details, so, i'm good with it.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Greeneyez2475 - What didn't you like about my video? I'm always looking for constructive feedback.

[@StCerberusEngel]

@@MetalJesusRocks Wondered that myself.

[@nicholasmolitor8347]

How much do you get PAID to do these advertisements and why isn't the fact this is a paid advertisement disclosed? Maybe the paid youtube reviewers need to be reported to the federal trade commision?

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Nicholas Molitor - I was sent the review unit, but NOT paid for the production of the video and nobody reviewed what I said in the video. All the comments about the console were my own. There is no affiliate agreement either. Just a regular review. There is a disclaimer in the video description.

[@SuperHydroThunder]

Mine ought to be here in a couple of days, so excited! In addition to that, I have to say...having watched TONS of the review videos of the MegaSG, MJR, yours is easily the very best. MLIG's is THOROUGH and very detailed (42 minutes long as well), but yours with the direct comparisons to Composite, that crazy Pound Cable, and the Retron5, REALLY are just fantastic journalism, really useful and extremely well edited with the side by sides. The effort it had to take to get all the EWJ actions so exact on multiple playthroughs, just amazing. You're not just funny and real, you're an absolute pro at making videos. Hoping the Pound cable comes through; I would love this if it works for 32X as an option since the MegaSg isn't going to do any 32X. Thank you for all that you do MJR!!!

[@Ghetto187Murda]

17:55 MJR “very hard, but very satisfying” yeah, that’s what she said lol 😂

[@td19589]

I am glad these guys are out here doing this. But I am just one of those weirdos with a sony CRT expensive RGB cables and a model 1 genesis. I will have these things until they die/become to expensive to replace and when that happens I hope analogue is still around. I don't see much of a reason to switch over from my current set up though, it's pure bliss.

[@killerbee1974]

Hey metal J. What game had the most impact on your life?

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Definitely H.E.R.O. would be on that list! LOL

[@michaeldemers2716]

Retroad from Ali-Express has a MD that accepts power base mini and flash carts for around 80$ that rocks. Just get version 2. It has two new chips working together for the first time. I can't wait for the Analogue pocket and the dock though. Great build quality. The Retroad doesn't work with the 8 bitdo adapter but the gen Brawler works fine.

[@x3nomat]

I'm in Germany and i don't have Ultracore included. Also, none of my Master System Games are working (i've cleaned them all)... :| OK.. had to update the firmware. Neeeeveeeermiiiiiind xD

[@hypnotize107]

x3nomat hey hast du dir eine Konsole von denen bestellt? Wenn ja wie lange hat der Versand gedauert und hast du sie direkt von der website?

[@x3nomat]

@@hypnotize107 Hatte direkt bei Analogue vorbestellt. Versand ging ziemlich schnell mit FedEx Express, Freitag abgeschickt und Montag war es bei mir. Ich hab auch das Super Nt, kann beide nur empfehlen. :)

[@hypnotize107]

x3nomat kann man zufällig mit paypal zahlen?

[@yllib2012]

The Mega Sg was worth every penny in 2019 and still the top of the heap in 2021. Love it!!! Come on Analogue, PLEASE release the Duo soon.