Mega SD Review - Sega CD, Genesis, SMS and 32X Flash Cart | Cannot be Tamed

Today I'm reviewing the Mega SD from Terra Onion. This is a flash cart which can emulate Sega Master System, Genesis, Sega CD and 32X games. It is the first Sega CD FPGA Optical Disc Emulator.
You can find the Mega SD here: stoneagegamer.com/megasd.html... along with a whole bunch of cool retro accessories, games and hardware.
*This is an affiliate link, if you purchase anything using this link, I will make a small commission.
This product was provided to me for free from Stone Age Gamer, for purposes of review.
#MegaSD #StoneAgeGamer #SegaEmulation
00:00 Intro
01:12 Setting up the SD card
02:59 Interface
04:09 Performance and Features
06:01 Load time comparison to real Sega CD disc
06:50 Final Thoughts
08:48 Where to get it (and some other products I recommend)
Want to see me on other social media?
Twitter - / jasyla_
Instagram - / cannot_be_tamed
Patreon - / pamd
My makeup channel (Cosmetic DLC) - / @cosmeticdlc
Intro artwork, logo and banner by: @theMagdalenRose
Background music is from Ecco the Dolphin.
"Cantina Blues" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@Cannotbetamed1]

You can get a Mega SD (and other retro games, peripherals and accessories) here: stoneagegamer.com/megasd.html?afmc=Pam **affiliate link**

[@greenkoopa]

😦 these things cost as much as the sega cd itself Pam

[@Cannotbetamed1]

And its full library of games?

[@theultimateninja]

@@Cannotbetamed1 You do have a point ha

[@Coolremac]

I had the mega sd until I sold that and bought the mega everdrive pro which it’s cheaper.

[@mirumotsuyasuke8327]

When it's time to purchase, I will use your link.😎

[@Larry]

The Mega SD is super impressive, especially considering the Sega CD had a bunch of extra chips for it's mode 7 type stuff in games.

[@Deathtank75]

Hi Larry!

[@Ze_Chevalier]

Sup Larry

[@goukigod]

I’ve been torn between getting this and the everdrive alternative. This might win just for UI though

[@jallard5764]

I love that how you added Echo the Dolphin soundtrack for the background music! Great video thanks for sharing cheers from Ottawa.

[@anthonywheeler2082]

This was such an entertaining and informative video. I think I'll look into the Mega SD now. Thanks Pam.

[@Rafdog101]

Great video! Really glad you're uploading more videos lately! Keep up the great work!

[@daveb0t82]

Nice relaxing review of the MegaSD, thanks!

[@eezys]

The song for the review was excellent, gave it a really calming mood, the whole thing was really good to listen to. Thanks Pam!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

My pleasure!

[@TheMultiGunMan]

Thank you for reviewing this. I've been planning on getting this for awhile and your video helps a lot.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

No problem, glad to hear it was helpful.

[@winterburden]

That's so cool Pam, thanks for sharing with us! 🙆‍♀️

[@NPettinato14]

I love that these devices exist to keep alive my favorite games from when I was a kid. Thanks for the review!

[@battlepants5818]

Good review! Hope you had a nice easter weekend!

[@IcePakOG]

I love the chill music from ECCO in the background of this vid. You've inspired me to go back and listen to the soundtrack again. It's so beautiful. Great review of the Mega SD too. I'll probably have to get one when they become available again.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

The Ecco soundtrack does make for very good background music. The Mega SD is available: stoneagegamer.com/megasd.html?afmc=Pam

[@IcePakOG]

@@Cannotbetamed1 thanks. Guess I got it confused with another piece of kit I was looking to buy. I've been comparing the Mega SD with the Everdrive Pro, which seems to offer the same functionality for much less cost. Have you played with that?

[@jaysea5804]

Thanks for introducing me to something i was not aware of i'm a huge sega cd fan and the save to card feature seems pretty nice. If i buy i'll def use your link. Love your vids and thanks for this one especially

[@MetalMan378]

I have been looking to get one of these for a bit. Great video!

[@mateoincognito8004]

A mega SD has been on my radar for a while now. Definitely will be one of my next purchases

[@ihaveallthecoins2785]

Great review. A Mega SD combined with some HD Retrovision cables makes for a pretty amazing way to enjoy Sega's complete 16 bit library without mortgaging the house again.

[@marceltuin1546]

This was a very clear and honest explanation about the product. I have seen some other videos about the terra union, but there was way too much info while explaining it on a high speed. So thank you for this review

[@Cannotbetamed1]

You’re welcome!

[@MidnightsEdge]

This was a fantastic review, as well as guide. Thank you!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@emotionz3]

I love that you actually used Sega CD game music as the background for the entire video. Some of the best video game soundtracks of all time were on Sega CD: Terminator, Ecco, Sol Feace, Sonic CD, which were all exclusives you couldn’t play on Turbo CD.

[@VeryEvilAsh]

Nice review. I might have missed it but I didn’t notice a mention of one of the best features of this cart, the MD+ function for running CD enhanced Genesis and Mega Drive games. There are a handful of custom soundtracks out there to download to take advantage of this feature.

[@nasman7492]

This was the clearest most helpful review thanks :D

[@sebastianflesjandersen939]

Love your videos Pam. I'm rocking a MegaSg-MegaSD combo - it's sublime 🤘😎💥🔥

[@Cannotbetamed1]

That sounds great.

[@IIAdnan93II]

Great video Pam loving the Retro love...love the background these music too!!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks so much

[@jeffroberts9693]

This is an excellent product! I used it quite a bit until I got MiSTer. Nice overview video!

[@ghostrender-]

Such an awesome video. I love my original megadrive I love my Road Rash II & I really like this youtuber

[@FranticJosh]

Very well done and informative video, I find this type of tech endlessly interesting.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thank you!

[@Goto10Gaming]

Great video full of info, thanks Pam 💪🏽👾

[@Venoix]

Game preservation is important, as is accessibility to games amidst a time when older consoles are easily damaged or break because of their age, or are reliant on online services to function. Thanks for sharing the business that provided the Mega SD for you to review. I'll definitely be checking out their stock.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

They have a lot of cool stuff.

[@Seirzaku]

Thanks for this, I'll be picking one up now!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Awesome, enjoy it!

[@crithon]

Oh wow that's so neat. Great review.

[@baronvoncrask9412]

Such an awesome review and dope channel!!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Much appreciated!

[@cannatastico]

"Pricey boy" made me chuckle.

[@Wolfanoz]

Exactly how I play mine now as well. Great product!

[@doughankins3996]

Great video. Interesting product. Thanks!

[@mtshark7]

Awesome review Pam!

[@qqq1701]

Disc games run from any kind of faster drive are so nice. I recall years ago setting up HDLoader on my PS2 using the network/hard drive adapter. It made the PS2 amazing.

[@JoeDouglas]

Great video! So refreshing to hear a retro gamer admit to using save states. People can go on about "get gud" but I don't have the time/patience or (now I'm older) reflexes to go through each level a dozen times. 😅

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I don't have the time or patience to play games without save states when the option is available to me.

[@blodguizer]

Its good to know that there will always be a way to play these games. I know cd's can and will eventually decay but as someone who has been using them since they were first introduced as a medium I have music cd's from 1983 that still look and sound like new minus a few minor scratches. As far as my Sega CD collection goes, my original copy of Snatcher that I bought new in the store many years ago still looks and plays like new. My model one system did break down but my two is still working great.

[@JohnnyParrotJoe]

Awesome! If only I had one to play Sega Cd when I was a child... 💔 (Greetings from Venezuela. I love your channel since day one).

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thank you 😊

[@BPMusic06]

Love the Sega CD. I remember “renting” it back in the day from Blockbuster when they allowed console rentals for a short time. Will have to check this out!

[@jeffm5056]

I love your retro reviews.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@tjentertainmentstudio]

love the music and necklace

[@buzzyduder3531]

this is sick. i need one of these

[@socrates0603]

Great review, Pam. Last Black Friday, I bought the Everdrive X5 for the Genesis from Stoneage Gamer to give the console a try. I bought a few cartridges but have no desire to start collecting physicals for another consoles due to space. I still haven’t played anything on the Genesis (I have 15), but if I ended up a Sega fan, I’ll definitely move up to something like the MegaSD.

[@twoheadedjohn1206]

Great video, Pam! Just ordered my Everdrive Pro, which seems similar to this. I just went with lower price point.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Cool! They do seem very similar.

[@skijumpnose]

Seems like an awesome thing to have! And nice to see Psycho Fox on the Master System, Great game.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Getting that small piece of footage took so long. That game is slippery and I kept sliding right into the very first enemy 💀

[@lonesquiff6551]

Thanks for the honest review Pam. I've been on the fence about getting this myself. I'll be sure to use your link when I do! Real shame it can't playy Sega CD while connected. I feel bad breaking up my model 2 Genesis and Sega CD model 2. They've been together for decades and make such a stylish couple! 😆

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Haha, it also hurt me a bit to not use my x’eye.

[@jafrytvasia9609]

Could not focus with that entrancing BGM lol. Nice choker btw

[@PositronPlays]

That load time comparison is great, huge difference!

[@watcherdev]

I just ordered one this weekend from Stone Age. I can’t wait to mess with this thing after seeing this video.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

That’s awesome, I’ve been playing mine a lot since I made this review.

[@LordHorst]

Today's technology is awesome. I am all for SD card based solutions on original hardware, this is awesome!

[@Bloodyshinta1]

So many good games on the Sega CD. Its hard to overstate how impressive it was at the time to hear the fully voiced lines in Lunar and Magical Potful Mail. The music in games took a huge leap forward too, even though its not a great game the soundtrack for Hook sounded just like the movies. Hope you have fun with it!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yes, I think it’s a great library to explore. Popful Mail is a lot of fun.

[@AFriendRemembers]

Oooh, impressive to get the CD games running on old hardware. This actually looks interestiing!

[@RyanLeCocq]

I see these all the time at my local game store, had no idea they had emulated Sega CD chips inside. I have to recap my CD like every 2 years and sure enough it’s out of commission right now. Just gonna buy one of these, fix it one last time and stop playing it so much. Thanks for the review!

[@Apanblod]

What does it mean to recap a SEGA CD? I'm not very familiar with console repair terminology.

[@RyanLeCocq]

@@Apanblod Sorry, I used jargon and I specifically try not to do that. Replace capacitors. The Sega CD is notorious for leaking capacitors on the main board. I'm exaggerating how bad it is if you just replace all of them at once. All the capacitors involved are only about $10 US. It just takes a lot of soldering so it's easy to get lazy and just do the ones that are bad. You can tell visibly when old capacitors leak. They look like over-nuked burritos. If you have intermittent sound/picture loss or the power flickers or won't turn on, this is probably the issue.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

No problem! I am always worried about my x’eye breaking in some way.

[@RyanLeCocq]

@@Cannotbetamed1 I think X’eyes must be fairly durable? A friend of mine (the guy that owns the game store with all the cool stuff) has one and it also still works. The door sticks a bit sometimes, but other than that all functions still seem to work.

[@willroberts2071]

Love the Ecco theme track!

[@TheShinyShow]

Genesis was my first console (well my friend owned it, I didn't get a console until PS One). We only had sonic games and streets of rage mostly, but I loved it.

[@muddyduck64]

The Sega CD was completely underrated. Looking back, there were soo many games that were so good on the system it's a wonder more people don't mention it. BRING BACK WORKING DESIGNS

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yes!

[@PixelGameSquad]

Ohhhh I actually have been itching to know more about these. Thank you!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

No problem, hope it was helpful.

[@NefariousWes]

Okay, I NEED this thing! Guess I'll also need a HD Genesis clone console to capture footage from as well.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Either that or some kind of upscaler, that’s what I do for capture.

[@NefariousWes]

@@Cannotbetamed1 Upscalers seem to be expensive. But I'd be willing to do it for the right price.

[@DeadlyGamingLV]

The Mega SD also supports MD+ and MSU-MD which adds CD audio to Genesis games. There are nearly 50 of them now and more being worked on currently.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yeah, I need to track those down.

[@slopesgameroom]

I also have this device it is a little pricey but well worth the money for the hardcore Sega CD fan I highly suggest it great video

[@Tom_Van_Zandt]

It might be a little pricey when you first look at it, but then when you start considering the disgustingly prohibitive prices of Sega CD games it pretty much pays for itself

[@Tom_Van_Zandt]

This is f'ing awesome to the max! I'll take 2 of em incase I want to play it more than once!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks! I'm really enjoying it, I've used it so much since I got it.

[@locke103]

certainly an enticing piece of hardware :0

[@skald4587]

great review!!, i agree with the annoyance of not being able to read CD games while the CD unit is attached, but if you go with the mega everdrive pro, you can actually still use it by turning off the warning, there's only 1 game known to have issues in that way, and the developer confirmed theres no risk in damaging your console

[@robmoye7373]

Should sell my small collection of Sega CD games and get one of these. Want a SD2SNES more though. Grateful for all the amazing gadgets for retro gamers these days. Thanks for the review!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I'm considering getting a flash cart for SNES now too.

[@SuperTiso]

Actually didn't realize there was a USA retailer for it and grabbed it thanks to the video.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Awesome, enjoy!

[@ThatBoyRo]

new here def got my like. i will be staying tuned

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Welcome!

[@ThatBoyRo]

@@Cannotbetamed1 glad to be here

[@marcioreisreal]

Obrigado pela dica, tenho uma coleção de videogames e justamente ficou difícil de conseguir jogar por falta de jogos antigos pra compra, esse periférico ajuda bastante quem gosta de jogar no console original.

[@somebaker2613]

Love your content

[@MysticGargoyle]

I like your channel, the content you create is very good. You have a very calm and nice voice, so it's easy to follow. Keep up the good work Pam

[@Cannotbetamed1]

😊

[@Dongled]

Now THIS is how you do an affiliate video! Well done job, Pam. Thank you for being transparent with your audience about this sort of stuff. A lot of people don't and it's really not fair to them as a consumer. This thing seems like a bargain despite the high price point because, as you said, you can get it for like half the cost of a CIB Snatcher lol Well worth it! I actually just ordered the Castlemania Games Power Base FM which does allow pausing on SMS games unlike this, but that only handles one system whereas this is the whole enchilada. Nice work!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks so much! I like to be upfront about what I review and where they came from, I think it’s important.

[@JayRCela]

Very well done video / thank you :_)

[@JoePants]

It took me a good while to find many of the Sega CD games in the required format, but the Sega CD games are simple to set up compared to the MD+ games. Worth it for Moonwalker with real music though. I didn't even attempt to figure out the meta data thing, I'd rather be able to get rid of the little TV in the corner, honestly. I did buy it from Stone Age Gamer, sorry it was before your promo, Pam.

[@thegrasshopperliesheavy]

Great video Pam! A few review requests, since you got a Mega SD: 1. Wonder Boy 3 for Master System. The game I claim as the grand-daddy of the Metroidvania genre (well, besides Metroid). 2. Popful Mail for SCD. One of my favorite childhood games. A wildly underrated, fantastic side scrolling Action RPG with a little sprinkle of Metroidvania. It's insanely expensive nowadays, but I got it in the clearance bin at Toys 'R Us as a kid.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I have played a bit of Popful Mail, it’s really cool. I planned to review it years ago and got stuck on a boss. I’ll have to try it again.

[@thegrasshopperliesheavy]

I scanned and uploaded my copy of the official strategy guide and put it on archive dot org, it was nowhere on the internet. could help!

[@roryoconnor8959]

Have you ever given voice acting a shot? Your voice is very unique!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

No, but I'd like to if I ever had the chance.

[@user-zv6ns2ki3u]

Super cool😊

[@HikaruMassiro]

I recently started watching your videos). You do it very well. I look with pleasure. although I do not know English very well. hello from Russia = ^.^ =

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Hello! And thank you.

[@stephenthomas9256]

Cool as hell!

[@javiervillanueva5868]

Excellent 😎🎮

[@nensondubois]

i always wanted a Mega SD. I forgot to buy one and was sidetracked. I guess I'll have to look at one in a few months.

[@youtibbles2546]

ahh, very nice! i have a SD2SNES (now called a FXpakPro) that i got from stoneagegamer a while back. imo, FPGA is the future of retro gaming, and i would really urge you check out the MiSTer. the MiSTer is probably the coolest piece of electronics ive bought in quite a while. it is an FPGA "console" system that has dual output (analog and HDMI at the same time), and hardware clones all of the retro systems in upscaled-integer scaled goodness. exactly how that genesis flash cart clones a real cartridge, the MiSTer clones all of the retro systems (its like a DIY analogue console, but clones all of the retro consoles instead of just one system). it is also a little pricey to get everything (~$300) but is 100% worth the money for the amount of systems it can hardware emulate.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

The MiSTer looks cool but also too complicated, I actually don't like fiddling with technology at all. I just want something I can plug and play, or drop a bunch of files onto and play. I'm actually thinking of getting a SD2SNES soon... just ordered the Super Analogue.

[@youtibbles2546]

i hear ya, there is some fiddling around to get everything setup in the beginning. the mister also hardware emulates old computer systems (amiga, zx spectrum, ao486, DOS, acorn, c64, x68000, PC-98, atari st) and a bunch of 70s, 80s, & 90s arcade games. but YES, analogue makes exactly what youre wanting. the super NT with a SD2SNES is as good as it can get for retro SNES. and imo SNES is one of the top 3 greatest retro systems

[@CristianHernandez-hj6jc]

I appreciate you very much for sharing your time and video I purchased this mega sd to . your video help me a lot and by way you look so beautiful God Bless you

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

SAG is great! Also, a comparison to the Mega Everdrive Pro wouldnt be a bad idea. Compare/contrast and all that. I def want one at some point soon - tho I also want either a TurboED or SSDS3 lol... And more haha

[@pesmerga4862]

well if it isn't the artist currently known as Pam. I must say, that intro to Sonic CD is the Feels.

[@dingdongism]

She used to be known as Pam. She still is, but she used to be, too.

[@Zontar82]

I have it and i confirm that is indeed is awesome

[@sneakyskunk1]

That thing would be worth owning just for ease of access to Snatcher alone. Everything else would just be icing on the cake.

[@RazireKVD]

It is always good to see when products come out that help bring older games back in terms of availability. It would be a shame to just let all those games rot in the past, especially with how hard or pricey it can be to get them, so seeing a product like this is a good thing. Now if only they'd make something like that that would let me play old arcade light gun shooters on my tv...

[@MrSadface]

I have the Mega Everdrive Pro but you can't go wrong with either one. Also, did you choose your shirt because the color is close to that of the Sega logo? Great overview!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yes I did.

[@boblowes]

Love a bit of Sega CD/Mega CD. Very underrated system, imo. I just wish Sega had made better use of it sometimes. Stuff like Batman Returns, Dune, The Terminator are all good examples of what you could do with the Mega CD. Really wish EA had finished that Desert Strike/Jungle Strike/Urban Strike trilogy on CD.

[@VVhistory]

Hi. I recommend my favorite genesis game: Ghostbusters. If you want to start collecting or just trying genesis games, that's a perfect start. You won't regret it. Great vid, thanks... I will probably get it too

[@DaddyGamerDiaries]

What music was playing? It was so soothing! I love Sega CD so I'm glad this is out there for people to get a chance to play some of those games without going bankrupt.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Ecco the Dolphin

[@magog123]

Great video!!! Quick question what was the shooting game playing at the 8:45 mark.

[@tiger8559]

Keio Flying Squadron. It costs a fortune.

[@MauricioBelmonte]

Hello! Came early for the First time! 😆

[@devvynully]

I'm glad your channel is being discovered by vendors. IMHO. You thoroughly deserve any revenue you make through those types of channels. You have been underappreciated for far too long. And considering how much time, effort and research you have put into your channel since it started and the consistent high quality of your output, you deserve all the rewards you get.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thank you so much. I do get offers for products or sponsorships somewhat regularly, but I only take them when it's something I am really interested in.

[@GradyKallenbach]

Nice review! I've got this book that's pretty good: Classic Home Video Games 1989-1990 by Brett Weiss. He's got reviews of every Genesis game that came out in the U.S. in there. The book also has reviews of all U.S. Neo Geo and TurboGrafx-16 games. There's also very basic info on Sega CD, 32x, Lynx, gameboy, etc, but the 3 main systems libraries and reviews are the real value here. Even better is this book, NES Anthology from Geeks Line. I guess it's mostly written by Math Manent, and translated into English. You'd like the Felix review! It gets a heart, and pretty high praise. I was disappointed in the Gun Nac review, but opinions can vary! The Guerrilla War review is great because he points out how SNK took out all references to Ernesto Guevara, Fidel Castro, and dictator Batista. But probably the most awesome thing about this book is that it reviews ALL NES games. I love seeing screenshots of Parodius, Famicom Wars, and other games that didn't come out in the U.S. (or Canada). (I've also acquired the Geeks Line Gamecube Anthology and it is equally awesome, reviewing all Japanese, North America, and European Gamecube releases)

[@LAK253]

Hi Pam!!

[@Feenix102]

Cool. I've used a genesis/megadrive on my PC called Gens a few times, and Ive tried to get PS2 stuff working, but Ive had a few peripheral conflicts (the PS2 emulation is fine, but setting up the controller takes a bit of work if you don't have an PS2 one with an adapter). I might look on the website you mention in the future to see if they do PS2 controllers at a reasonable price. :o)

[@Feenix102]

@Judah Jack The issue I had was with a PS3 one. The emulator I was using specifically uses a PS2 controller natively - you have to download a bunch of 3rd party stuff to get it to work with anything later than that, and its not particularly reliable. Half the buttons ended up working while the rest did not. I don't know about PS4 ones specifically, I suppose it might be worth a try, but I would expect a similar issue, unfortunately.

[@brewman6218]

The Ecco the Dolphin Sega CD soundtrack is so magical. Pam, Since you like Ecco OSTs, I suggest you check out the Ecco the Dolphin tribute album that's on KZbin.

[@lostboy626]

Just ordered mine. Also got the MSDEXP so I won’t need to disconnect my 32X and also have access to the 6 32X CD games, if I wanted.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Nice!

[@axelguzman8432]

Saludos cordiales desde Michoacán México viva sega siempre

[@SalZam150]

Nice shirt, Sega power!