Hi there, I'm looking for mint Japanese Mega Drive consoles (the 1st-run and the 2nd-run box versions), and of the 2nd run I found 2 variations: http://japamart.com/auctoolitem.php...e4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d134180191 and http://japamart.com/auctoolitem.php...e9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k151493980 The only difference seems to be the small text on the top-left front corner, saying "for use only in Japan, Taiwan and Philipines" (or something along the lines) in one of them. Do you guys know the difference? Is it one a "true" Japanese model while the other is Asian? Is it just that there was two different runs of that packaging? Any insight on the story of these will be appreciated! Thanks!
take a look at my site and read the text. Japanese ONLY Mega Drive - http://www.segagagadomain.com/hardware-mega/megadrive-jpn.htm Asian (including Japan) Mega Drive - http://www.segagagadomain.com/hardware-mega/megadrive-asian.htm Yakumo
I believe that the MD1 had a first run with the box of your 1st link (the one with the handle), and after there was a second run with a new package, like the one in your second link. There was even a "+1" packaging of the console and Sonic The Hedgehog bundled with it. Check out this link: http://japamart.com/auctoolitem.php...e9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k151493980 The console here is like the Asian one from your website, but does not have the "for use in japan, taiwan and Philippines" text. I have actually found both versions (2nd run, with and without the text) on Yahoo Auctions, which made me think that both versions were distributed in Japan...
EVERY Mega Drive after the first package version (the one with the handle) is an Asian Mega Drive. The reason being because the Mega Drive was released in other countries by then so Sega made a new generic box for all regions. Being an Asian Mega Drive doesn't mean it's not Japanese because these consoles were also sold in Japan. The only Mega Drive to be sold ONLY in Japan is the first box version. It's true that some of the second style boxes don't have "for sale and use......" on them but they were still sold in other parts of Asia. Sega also sold pure Japanese Mega Drive cartridges in parts of Asia at first. There are so many box variations that it's hard to keep track but as a rule, if you want a Mega Drive that was made only with Japan in mind then you need one in the original box. Also like Lum said, Japanese Mega Drives don't have a RF port but some Asian Mega Drives didn't either. The PAL Asian Mega Drives do have RF ports. As for telling a console from the control pad, well, again this isn't very reliable because Sega ended up mixing the pads between Asian and Japanese models of console. So it is possible to buy an Asian Mega Drive with the same pad that was sold with the Japanese only Mega Drive in the first box. It's a total mess to be honest.
The one youtoo posted is the version I have, is it true those are region free? I was told when I bought it that the system would play anything.
No, they are not. Asian PAL will play european and asian PAL games, asian NTSC will play japanese games. And all will play games with no region protection, which in Mega Drive are the vast majority of the games I've tried.
Yeah consensus is that japanese+PAL region setting didn't see official use. Some emulators support the mode anyway. Others don't.
Thanks Yakumo for the extra details. In that case I guess I'll go after a 1st run box (a real Jap-only console as you say) and a 2nd-run box without the text, which doesn't really make a difference as you say, but it is still a Japanese release and I wanna have the two stylings in my collection. Thanks!
