DDRgame is proud to present the retro newly designed Dual Action 2-in-1 Video Game System that is compatible with both 16-bit graphics Sega Genesis game cartridges and 8-bit graphics NES game cartridges. The Dual Action 2-in-1 Video Game System has separate circuitry and card slots for both hardware 16-bit Sega Genesis and 8-bit NES System, allowing it to play games for both consoles. It features a single-pole, double-throw power switch with open position; the switch can be thrown to 8-Bit (NES) or 16-Bit (GENESIS), or opened to Off. The Dual Action 2-in-1 Video Game System connects through an RCA connector, and can be hooked into a surround sound system. When using stereo and surround output from these systems, NES sounds and music may seem very different from their typical mono output. Using output modes that properly generate mono sound, either through a single center speaker or cloned to multiple speakers, the sound output sounds mostly identical to the original NES. Now you can enjoy both the NES and the Genesis retro games without looking to replace both of your broken gaming systems.
REVIEW
2-in-1 Video Game System/Gen X console Got one of these the other day.
Gamepads are responsive and are similar to the newer genesis 6 button pads.
I can only recommend this system as a affordable genesis/mega drive replacement.
The NES portion seems problematic.
Which unfortunately was the main reason i purchased this.
Just like the original old front loading NES,some games need to be reseated a few times to work.
While others seem to work on the first boot.
I even cleaned my cartridges prior to using the system,to avoid the possibility of dirty contacts.
Also dragon warrior 2 doesn't work,i suspect the same games that don't work on the FC Twin and the YOBO NES may be the case with this one also.
Some other gripes i have with the system
Build quality is cheap.
The small foot print and lightness of the system makes cartridge removal a pain.
You have to pick up the system to remove NES carts.
Gamepad cords could be about 2 feet longer and could be slightly bigger.
NES sound playback has line noise from the power supply.
--------------------------
Additional Editing 8-26-08
--------------------------
After addional play testing
I found some genesis games actually slow down and speed up while playing.
Poor emulation or the processor isnt up to snuff.
Ignore my original 3star rating.
If you can find a used genesis cheap,you may be beter off.
The Sega Genesis Collection is a comprehensive collection of the very best games for the Sega Genesis. All the must-have games from this calssic system have been put together on a single disc. Now you can have all the fun and excitement the Genesis had to offer, anywhere you travel! It includes hits like Golden Axe I-III, the original Sonic The Hedgehog, Phantasy Star II, Shinobi: Return of the Ninja Master, Ecco the Dolphin, and much more. The collection also includes glimpses into next-generation titles yet to come from Sega -- plus bonus content like unlockable arcade titles and interviews with original Sega Genesis developers. Multiplayer action via wireless connectivity on the PSP. Games list includes: Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head Ecco the Dolphin Ecco II - The Tides of Time Ecco Jr. Kid Chameleon Flicky Gain Ground Golden Axe I Golden Axe II Golden Axe III Phantasy Star II Phantasy Star III - Generations of Doom Phantasy Star IV - The End of the Millenium Ristar Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi Shinobi III - Return of the Ninja Master Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Super Thunder Blade Sword of Vermilion Vectorman Vectorman2 Virtua Fighter 2
REVIEW
one of the best compilations you'll ever find. This collection has it all. Platformers, Brawlers, RPGs, Fighting, top down shooters, and some fantastic arcade games you probably never heard of.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - what can be said? its the signature sega franchise, and still a blast to play today.
Super Thunder Blade - early attempt at 3d in the vein of star fox
Sword of Vermilion -classic rpg goodness
VectorMan 1 and 2 - a great platformer/shooter
Alex Kidd - a surprisingly tough platformer
Altered Beast - a brawler where you take the forms of animals
Ecco + Tides of Time and Jr - great platformer/adventure series
Flicky - a fun little arcade game in the vein of Joust
Gain Ground - top down shooter action with rpg elements
Golden Axe 1, 2, and 3 - one of the best brawler series of the 16-bit era
Kid Cameleon - a great platformer with tons of different powers/costumes
Phantasy Star 2, 3, and 4 - great rpg series spanning thousands of years
Ristar - a unige action/platformer
Shadow Dancer- a punishing prequel to Shinobi
Shinobi III- great action/platformer. the best in the series
Virtua Fighter 2- its the genesis version, not the arcade. decent but nothing compared to the arcade version.
Bonus Games: Astro Blaster, Congo Bongo, Eliminator, Space Fury, and Super Zaxxon. ive only unlocked congo bongo and space fury so far. the first one is like an isometric Donkey Kong, and the other is like a much more colorful asteroids.
other extras include original trailers for certain games as well as developer interviews. overall its one of the best deals on the PSP. any fan of retro games/nostalgia needs to pick this one up immediately.
Sega Genesis 1-Core Unit Only. No attachments are included.
REVIEW
One of the greatest consoles ever... I purchased a Sega Genesis console back in November 1989. My Genesis is still in mint condition and I pull it out once in a while to relive the classics. If you do not own one of these gems, I highly recommend that you pick one up! There are hundreds of titles available, most of which sell for only a few dollars. Some of these titles are among the greatest video games ever created; you must own these if you're a collector.
While playing these games, it's important to consider the limits the game developers were constrained to. Unlike today's consoles - with seemingly unlimited CPU power, bandwidth and memory - the developers were forced to work with a very small amount of storage capacity to hold graphics and sound data. Over time, these developers came up with some very clever techniques to overcome these limitations. I recall being "wowed" by the effects in games such as Gunstar Heroes and Earthworm Jim...effects I had no idea my little old Genesis could do more than five years after owning it! Over time, I came to really appreciate these efforts and continued looking forward to how much further the envelope would be pushed.
Below is a list of must-own games for the Genesis. This is by no means a definitive list; these are just my favorites among those games I have played.
Platformers: Sonic 1, 2 & 3, Chuck Rock 2, Castle of Illusion, Ristar, Alex Kidd, Earthworm Jim, Aladdin, Ecco, Flink*(see bottom) and Shinobi 3.
Fighters/Brawlers: Golden Axe, Streets of Rage 1 & 2, Eternal Champions, Street Fighter II CE and Two Crude Dudes.
Shooters: Gunstar Heroes, Truxton, Sub Terrania, Gaiares, M.U.S.H.A., Ranger X and Raiden.
RPGs: Phantasy Star 2, 3 & 4, Beyond Oasis, Land Stalker, Crusader of Centy and Shining Force II.
Sports: Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, Madden and Tommy Lasorda Baseball.
If you're inclined to pick up the Sega CD add-on, you should also consider the following: Flink, Wonderdog, Final Fight CD, Sonic CD, Earthworm Jim SE, Robo Aleste, Silpheed, AH3 Thunderstrike and Batman Returns.
*The Misadventures of Flink is available on cartridge in the Euro market only; however, it's available domestically on the Sega CD.
A great game system marred only by public opinion Excerps from http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/SATPScompare.htm
Performance "gap"
Another popular theory on why the Saturn failed to capture the masses' interests is that it didn't have comparable 3D performance to the PS1. The Saturn, is significantly more powerful than the PS1 in 2D capabilities, but it is also able to run at higher resolutions (640x224, 704x480), and capable of higher resolution and color count textures with less effort. The Saturn is more capable of these things because it has 66% more Video RAM. On the Saturn, as is true on any hardware, more RAM allows for higher color, higher resolution texture mapping, and higher screen resolution. Combine this with the specs directly from Sega and Sony's web pages, showing that both systems were capable of similar polygon performance, shows clearly that the Saturn was no slouch in the 3D department either.
The catch is that Sega achieved comparable polygonal performance with the Saturn by including more processors in the Saturn, which made development more difficult at first than it would be on the more simple PS1. In addition to having better developer support from Sony than Sega gave for the Saturn, and better more mature development kits, the PS1 also had built in special effects in the form of transparency and gouraud shading. This allowed the PS1 to generate lightsourcing and transparent special effects or polygons with a minimum hit to the system's polygon performance. Since the Saturn had to generate these effects through sheer processing muscle, developers of Saturn games usually had to lower the resolution to 320x224 in order to program effects similar to those on the Playstation. What this all means is that because the PS1 could just "turn on" light sourcing and transparency, the effects were achieved with uniform results across any game that used them, while the same effects on the Saturn were subject to the quality of the code, written by each individual developer, to display it.
Uniformity is a good thing, the PS1 had that over the Saturn because of its development kits and simple but effective design. Even though some developers were able to achieve comparable or even unique effects in Saturn games, because other games failed to have comparable effects, and some developers chose to release incomplete, buggy, and unoptimized games, the Saturn gained the reputation of not being as "good at" 3D as the Playstation was.
Perception gap
On a side note, but on the topic of public perception and system performance, the specs listed here for the PS1 are taken directly from the Sony web page. Sony had claimed for 5 years that the PS1 could display 500,000 texture mapped gouraud shaded or 1.5 million flat shaded polygons per second (22 + 23), which was never true. Contrast this with the fact that Sega in particular, while being well known for hyping their systems as the "next level" or having "High definition graphics", or even their games as being "arcade perfect", has never falsified their system specs on any console. This fact didn't stop the media from trying to undermine their marketing by making claims that Sega was exaggerating their specs. The same media zenes never questioned Sony's announced specs for either of their consoles, even though both of Sony's system's pre-launch specs were clearly massively exaggerated(24).
In 1995, Developers were happy to achieve 80-90,000 polygons per second in game (27), and gouraud shading those polygons meant only 16-colors or less on the texture maps. Yet, during the same time period game magazines, and developers like Electronic Arts, were publicizing (28) that the Saturn could only do 60,000 polygons per second while the PS1 could do 360,000. The former number was the actual performance of the launch Saturn title Daytona, the later was a theoretical number that the PS1 never achieved. It is, however, these numbers that are emblazoned on the minds of gamers and magazine editors to this day. It is impossible to say how much this false public perception of the performance differences affected the outcome of the 32-bit system wars, but it is undeniable that it was extremely influential.
"Just a 2D system"
Another possible cause for the idea that the Saturn was primarily a 2D game system with moderate 3D capabilities is that there are quite a few 2D games that were made for it, in comparison to the PS1's library. Sony forced developers to make PS1 games exclusively 3D until some years after the Playstation's release. Combine the library differences with a couple of Industry rumors about the President of Sega of Japan deciding the architecture of the Saturn over a golf game with a buddy from Hitachi, and the same President "scrambling" to revamp the Saturn's 3D capabilities immediately after Sony publicized the PS1's specs (mind you, the 500k/1million specs, not the real ones) and you have a theory run wild with speculation that proponents will defend to their deaths. Because of this, and the fact that 3D gaming caught on and completely replaced 2D gaming in this generation, Sony has been credited as the company to bring gaming into 3D.
Pioneering the next generation...
A similar thing happened with a different type of gaming only a couple of years before. Sega released the Sega CD to allow gamers to experience Laserdisc style FMV adventures in the home at typical console prices. Sega even aided Digital Pictures, a company that had experimented with FMV games using VCRs in the 80's, in porting over most of its titles to the Sega CD. The problem most often cited for why this type of game didn't take off is that it was too early. The Sega CD's color palette caused FMV to look murky or grainy. While higher color video was possible later in its life, when Cinepak and Truvideo were written, it was too late in the public and media's mind. With the Sega CD's and FMV style gaming's lackof success behind them, Sega did choose to make the Saturn the ultimate 2D hardware, and to focus heavily on 2D gaming for the Saturn because of it.
Nobody could have predicted that rudimentary 3D games, with graphics that warp, textures that block up when they approach the screen, and color count per texture comparable to the 8-bit NES's color palette, would have completely replaced 2D games with higher color counts, greater animation, and all around better aesthetic value. It wasn't until the Dreamcast and PS2 that 3D games contained a comparable image quality to this generation's 2D games, and 2D games had been the entire video game market since its conception.
Some of the pioneers of polygonal 3D video games in the arcades and on consoles were Atari, with Stun Runner, Hard Drivin' and Race Drivin', Sega with the first polygonal 3D Fighter, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona, Sega Rally, Virtual On, and Virtua Cop in the arcades and at home, and Namco with their Ridge Racer and Tekken series. In addition to those games, LHX Attack Chopper was released by EA on the Genesis in 1992, and StarFox among lesser3D titles for the SFX chip was released by Nintendo and designed by Argonaught on the SNES in 1993. Sony Imagesoft was the only Sony Videogame department at the time, and they focused primarily on FMV for the Sega CD, and 2D games like Hook.
Relevant Facts and Background
In 1995, Sega was the darling of the Industry and the company most scrutinized by politicians and the media. By Summer of 1998 Sega's winning streak was officially over. In three short years, Sega had turned over its American office's management, which had been present since 1990 and responsible for the success of the Sega Genesis. Sega of America had been placed under direct management by its Japanese office, and given a new figurehead, Bernie Stolar. Bernie Stolar proceeded to aggravate what few loyal developers Sega had in the West, losing Working Designs over a simple Entertainment Expo booth dispute. He was also responsible for the slowing the flow of Japanese RPGs and other localizations to a trickle, and eventually canceling the system over a year before Sega's launch of the Dreamcast in September of 1999. Stolar has also gone on record stating his opinionof the Saturn and its library in a simple but familiar phrase, "it did not have very good games" (1, 5). With a friend like that, the Saturn didn't need any enemies.
Meanwhile, also in 1995 a new company was about to join the fray of game console manufacturers in the United States. This company had worked closely with the former management of Sega of America, with whom they had developed "criteria for what the next optical platform ought to be" (2). When this occurred, prior to 1992, this company had no hardware division for video games and had only one small publishing house responsible for multiplatform ports and FMV titles on the Sega CD like Sewer Shark. When Sega of Japan rejected their plans, they began work on a CD-ROM upgrade for the Super Nintendo (3). Nintendo unceremoniously dumped them at a major Entertainment Expo, announcing that Phillips would instead develop their add-on. Months later this company announced a stand alone system with 3D specs that shocked the Industry, although they were bloated in comparison to the system's actual capabilities (4). This system became the Playstation, and Sony, it's manufacturer, dominated the worldwide markets for over a decade. More can be said on how and why this happened, but the reason was not because of the Playstation's absolute superiority in hardware or software.
Conclusions
Popular opinions and media generated "history" have omitted relevant facts in regard to this generation. The Saturn and Playstation were released within a few months of one another, were at the same price as one another by the time both consoles were on the market, and had similar software release numbers and quality. Both systems were designed and finalized by themiddle of 1993, and had similar technical problems to overcome in creating a fully 3D system as a consumer level product. When they launched in Japan by Christmas of 1994, they were both considered cutting edge, and both sold relatively well in relation to one another for several years. As is true in all generations, owning one and not the other meant excluding oneself from many of the best titles of the generation, because most of the best titles each generation are console exclusive.
Sega Genesis Collection lets players experience celebrated Sega Genesis titles, including mega hits like Sonic The Hedgehog and Golden Axe, on their PS2! It also has glimpses into next-generation titles yet to come from Sega, plus bonus content like unlockable arcade titles and interviews with original Sega Genesis developers. This collection is a comprehensive look at the massively successful Sega Genesis era -- and a must-have for gamers today. Games include: Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head Ecco the Dolphin Ecco II - The Tides of Time Ecco Jr. Kid Chameleon Flicky Gain Ground Golden Axe I Golden Axe II Golden Axe III Phantasy Star II Phantasy Star III - Generations of Doom Phantasy Star IV - The End of the Millenium Ristar Shadow Dancer - The Secret of Shinobi Shinobi III - Return of the Ninja Master Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Super Thunder Blade Sword of Vermilion Vectorman Vectorman 2 Virtua Fighter 2
REVIEW
great game this is a great game because it has vectorman 1 and 2; it played as great when it was in its sega days.
Amazon.com ReviewThe Dreamcast system is, in a word, awesome. Fire up Soul Calibur, and instantly you'll appreciate that the graphics and gameplay are even better than in the arcade version. And Sonic Adventure, withits light-speed gameplay, is sure to wow even the most jaded gamer.
It's amazing that such a small machine (it's about the size of your mouse pad) can deliver such incredible performance. Chalk it up to superior engineering. Dreamcast's only downside is that it comes with only one controller and a demo disc. In order to truly take advantage of Dreamcast's capabilities, we recommend outfitting the controller with a Jump Pack and a Visual Memory Unit. Getting one or more extra controllers is also a good idea, because some of the best Dreamcast games support up to four players at once.
Why it's so cool:
Ultramodern components: Custom-made video, audio, and processor technology blows away the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation and puts Dreamcast in the same league as PS2 and XBox.
Integrated modem: In another video-game first, Dreamcast comes with a 56K modem. Use your regular Internet service provider and the separately sold keyboard to access e-mail, shopping, and the World Wide Web. Not only can you upload high scores, participate in chat discussions, and download updates and enhancements for yourgames, but, through a membership to the SegaNet Internet service provider, you can play Quake III Arena, NFL 2K1, and other games against Dreamcast owners over the Internet.
The Visual Memory Unit (VMU): More than just a memory card, the VMU is a miniature portable game system that fits inside a controller--so its LCD screen is easily seen by you but hidden from your opponent.
All-in-one entertainment: It plays games. It plays audio CDs. It connects to the Internet and lets you browse the Web or e-mail friends. Our note to the cost-conscious: If you have a Dreamcast system, you just don't need a separate CD player or a separate computer. Dreamcast does it all, and does it well.
--Mike Fehlauer
REVIEW
ahead of it's time, but overshadowed by the PS2. In short, the good:
great selection of quality games not found on competing game consoles of the period.
first game console to go online, and first to have broadband and internet access.
well built, mostly problem free. Sega offered support and repairservices on it until late 2007!
revolutionary
The bad:
Awkward controllers. Solid, but strange feel with only one analog stick.
Weird memory units (VMU's) with lcd screens that can play mini games, but not very practical and limited storage.
Most of the online games were dial up only, with some bad lag.
Web browser was severely limited with no flash support. Broadband adapter was only sold online and only 2/3 games supported it.
Sega's online service (Seganet) was ridiculously expensive, and required a monthly fee
The Ps2's announcement and arrival was what is recognized to have destroyed the Dreamcast. Many people held off buying one, and waited for Ps2 instead. Sega couldn't fend off the dark cloud of Sony.
It's full potential was never explored, or reached.
Sega ran out of money to support it. It had the shortest life of any game console in the U.S. , from 9/9/1999 to 01/31/01.
Excellent system!! I began video gaming on this platform at the age of 50. I am now 63yrs old and still going strong on video games.I love this platform because it is sleek and the controller was the first to be ergonimically designed.The games are VERY enjoyable and I go back to them regularly. They had some very unique ones such as Boogerman, Zombie ate my neighbors, Toejam & Earl on the planet Funketron.It alsohad the BEST pinball games EVER to be released to date. Dragon's Revenge and Dragon's Fury.I recently purchased Phantasy Star IV on this platform and am enjoying it very much! I also liked the RPG Sword Of Vermillion a very underated game BUT a good one!This system had superb graphics for the time. Was very far ahead. I go back and play the Sega games since most games today are just clones of clones :) Sega was way ahead of it's time in platforms too bad they did not know how to run a business or they would have given Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox some HEAVY competition. You will not be disappointed with this platform that began a lot of fine things.
Sonic's Greatest Masterpiece Of all the Sonic games,this is the one that will always be my favorite.While this one kept the elements of Sonic the Hedgehog,it also improved on it.Of course,it also introduced everyone's favorite flying fox,Miles Prower AKA Tails.The story is fun.Dr.Robotnik is kidnapping animals again,while on a search for the Chaos Emeralds sohe can activate his ultimate weapon,the Death Egg!Sonic is on a quest to stop him,accompanied by his new friend Tails.The zones are BIG!My definate favorite is Metropolis Zone.The music is great,definately better than the first Sonic game.The best new addition is the Spin Dash.You should definately get this game for your Genesis!You will love it.
Trish Gates does work I ordered a Genesis 16 BIT video system. I did NOT receive that. I received the first Genesis video system which does not play all the games that I have for it.
In fact, thank you for the reminder I need to get my money back or send it back to seller. My old 16 bit system says 16 bit right across the top of it. The one I received from seller does not - it's the older version. I needed the wires from it, not the unit itself, however, the wires from the 16 bit system are different the the OLD sega system. I will get my money back - let me know how to do that. Does work with 16 bit games
