Author Topic: New Mini Sega Power Base Converter - Play SMS Games on Your Genesis/Mega Drive  (Read 5435 times)

burningdoom

PRO Supporter

New Mini Sega Power Base Converter - Play SMS Games on Your Genesis/Mega Drive

Thought some of you guys might be interested since the original one has gone up a bit in price.

It retails for $39.99 brand-new. For sale at StoneAgeGamer.com

http://www.stoneagegamer.com/powerbase-mini.html

Here's a review by Gamester81:




Am I the only one having trouble with the YouTube tags?
« Last Edit: August 01, 2014, 12:05:52 pm by burningdoom »

dashv

PRO Supporter

I have this. Bought it December 2013. I've only used it to play Double Dragon but it works great in my Genesis model 1, model 2, and Retron 5.

bobster

The youtube tags don't work right if you use the https version of the url. Just remove the s (making it http) and it should work.
Currently Playing: The Witcher

burningdoom

PRO Supporter

The youtube tags don't work right if you use the https version of the url. Just remove the s (making it http) and it should work.

Thanks!  :)



Just wanted to point out: The original is still your better bet, if you can get one. It can play the Sega Master System Sega Cards, and it can use the 3D Glasses accessory, where this new one can't because it has no card slot.

I didn't know the original went up... I got mine boxed cheaper than that. It would be worth checking out though, the original seems to have problems with a couple games


burningdoom

PRO Supporter

I didn't know the original went up... I got mine boxed cheaper than that. It would be worth checking out though, the original seems to have problems with a couple games

Which ones, out of curiosity? I haven't run into any problems with mine, yet. I'll know which games not to get.

dashv

PRO Supporter

This one also went up. When I got my mini in December it was $25.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2014, 01:07:08 pm by dashv »

burningdoom

PRO Supporter

I got my original Power Base Converter for $25 at a used movie shop here in town, but that was nearly a decade ago.

I didn't know the original went up... I got mine boxed cheaper than that. It would be worth checking out though, the original seems to have problems with a couple games

Which ones, out of curiosity? I haven't run into any problems with mine, yet. I'll know which games not to get.

Mine has an issue mostly with rampage, and Golden axe warrior they'll start sometimes and then crap out... Could be my converter is a little screwy though too, everything else is fine though


burningdoom

PRO Supporter

Must be. I don't have Golden Axe: Warrior (wish I did), but I do have Rampage and it works fine for me.

dashv

PRO Supporter

I didn't know the original went up... I got mine boxed cheaper than that. It would be worth checking out though, the original seems to have problems with a couple games

Which ones, out of curiosity? I haven't run into any problems with mine, yet. I'll know which games not to get.

Mine has an issue mostly with rampage, and Golden axe warrior they'll start sometimes and then crap out... Could be my converter is a little screwy though too, everything else is fine though

The capacitors might be going bad. The original power base converters are notorious for the caps drying out. When I read that I decided to go with a brand new mini instead.

burningdoom

PRO Supporter

^ I didn't know that. Mine works like a champ. That's how I play my SMS games, I don't own the actual console.

dashv

PRO Supporter

^ I didn't know that. Mine works like a champ. That's how I play my SMS games, I don't own the actual console.

The problem most people have is they put it in a box and leave it in a hot dry attic or garage for 15 years so the caps dry out. Then they drag it out and "wtf it doesn't work!?".

Game Gears have the exact same problem. That's why most Game Gears today have faded washed out colors. If you see one like that on ebay or at a flea market it's a good way to haggle for a low price.

Replacing caps is really easy (just tedious and time consuming). By easy I mean I can do it and I don't consider myself to be a soldering iron/electronics wizard or anything even close.
« Last Edit: August 02, 2014, 05:31:17 pm by dashv »

Replacing caps is really easy (just tedious and time consuming). By easy I mean I can do it and I don't consider myself to be a soldering iron/electronics wizard or anything even close.

Does look easy enough. I've seen it done before. Never tried it myself. But how easy is it to identify, and locate the spare capacitors? I would imagine with the age of some of them it could be hard.

sin2beta

I didn't know the original went up... I got mine boxed cheaper than that. It would be worth checking out though, the original seems to have problems with a couple games

Which ones, out of curiosity? I haven't run into any problems with mine, yet. I'll know which games not to get.

The only one that won't work is F-16 Fighting Falcon. This is a result of it actually running in the legacy SG-1000 video mode. Due largely, to the game being an MSX game. The architecture allowed for a direct port to the SG-1000 minus some RAM and memory limitations. However, it could be run on the SMS's more powerful architecture using the video processor for the SG-1000. Made for a very quick and accurate port from the MSX. As a consequence, it is not able to run on the Mega Drive/Genesis. The system is unable to read SG-1000 code at all.
UPDATED 01/22/2016 New Ages of SEGA "Space Slalom" is now on....
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