new EverDrive MD with megakey

I'll test on my Genesis model 1 to make sure.

 

Can I ask why megakey function wont work through 32X? Just curious if there is any way to avoid removing 32X, since it might get a bit tedious having to disconnect/reconnect each time!

 

because cart can't set region data on data bus when cpu trying to read region register. 32x will control when cart can set data or when can't

 

Ok, quick update on my situation with my 2.4 Everdrive.

Genesis Model 1 (US)
When I set the Region Free option to ON, it properly switch to Megakey ON in the device info. When I try to play Alien Soldier (J or E) it just doesn't work. I still the message that the game is not design for my system. But, ThundeForce IV (J) does pass when it's set to ON and doesn't work when it's set to OFF. So, looks like it's working, but not on every game.

CDX (US)
On the CDX, it NEVER shows that it's ON in the device info, even when not passing it through the 32x. But, I get the same behaviour as the model 1 Gen when trying to play TFIV. It plays fine when Region Free is ON and doesn't when it's OFF. So, the device info might not be accurate with the CDX, but it looks like it's working.

Note that with the CDX with a non megakey compatible everdrive (bought a couple of months ago), TFIV just never loads. No matter what I set for Region Free.

Can anyone with a US Genesis and an everdrive 2.4 confirm whether Alien Soldier (J or E) loads properly?

 

i confirm that alien soldier does not work on my us genesis.
here is problem because OS can't correct recognize rom region, os just thinking that it is multi region rom and even not trying to use megakey.
i will fix it problem in future os update, also i will implement manual region setup

by the way you can se result of region detection in flashing screen. os will try to use megakey onlt if rom not multiregion and region not same as your system region

 

Ah, ok. My cart is working fine then. It's odd that it still works on the CDX but Megakey remains at OFF in the device info.

Thanks for the feedback. Can't wait for the next OS update

 

Right now I have Tototek cart but using EPP port and reflashing everytime I need to change games is very anoying. Since your cart now has megakey I think i'll try it but It seems that most web shops (all?) does not have new version of this cart. Can I buy this cart straight from you?

 

i have no them in stock right now. on this moment you can buy only by stoneagegamer (by back order) it will be new v2.4

 

Can I wait, most important is price for planned Super Everdrive (without DPS1 but with case) and MD Everdrive (with case).

 

ok, megakey should work fine for alien soldier in new OS v23

 

I have a question about what kind of flash rom the Everdrive uses and what the life estimation of this flash memory is.

I had an argument with someone about a similar product I also purchased before Everdrive came out (not Tototek). The argument was about the flash rom, the fact is that the product I'm reffering to seems to have really bad quality flash because it failed really soon and on more than one products.
I told him that I flashed the Everdrive countless times and no problems arised...
He said that flash roms are very prone to bad sectors and they are all doomed to fail at some point. Ofcourse everything breaks down eventually but this isn't an excuse for something breaking down within the first month of purchase.

So krikzz since you certainly know a lot on this subject, please shed some light on the matter. Is there really a "bad quality flash" that is more prone to going bad?

 

i use M29W640 NOR flash
minimum 100 000 rewrite cycles, so you can rewrite 5 times per day for 55 years. flash chip will be stay a live more time than cart owner can be stay a live
M29W640 chip could die fast only if chip is defective.
you can read your flash chip rewrite reserve in datasheet, but i not think that some flash can die so fast, even old crappy flash can be rewrited about 10 000 times. by the way, which flash used on your device?

 

No idea KRIKzz, like there is any support on the Neo products... but many people complain on their product's flash going bad...

Thank you so much for your reply, as always you've been very helpful

 

I think the Neo products are just cheap and poorly designed to begin with. That doesn't really have anything to do with a flash chip's write cycle lifetime.

 

Question.

How would this affect the JVC X'eye? Doesn't the X'Eye use a custom bios?

 

Poorly designed I'm not sure. But poor quality flash chips, certainly.
I have a 512M add-on flash, I will disect it and see what kind of flash it has.
No documentation for the products and poor support too. Also they need software to be flashed which is VERY buggy and rarely updated.

Nothing like the Everdrive which is practicaly "copy and forget".

Krikzz you're a genius man. I love your products and probably I'm going to get all of them for which I have a console for. I pray one day you'll make one for my beloved PCEngine too :love2:

 

fwiw Megakey does not appear to function on a nomad, my cart reports Megakey: Off regardless of region patching being on or off.

also Golden Axe III (japan) is failing to region patch when played on my Nomad with an Everdrive 2.4, os v23

edit: Golden Axe III (japan) does not work on my model 1 Genesis either (megakey reports itself as ON)

double edit: Mickey Mania (japan) is also failing to bypass region protection. Could there be something wrong with my device?

 

ypur device is ok

 

yeah most games are working, seems there are still some problem games though, I will slowly work my way through them, hope the info helps

 

I think the problem is that Megakey function only relies on the region field in the ROM header, which unfortunately does not always hold valid informations.

For those games specifically, in the region field of the ROM header:
- Golden Axe III indicates "JE" ;

- Mickey Mania indicates "1"; this is new style region code that was put in later games: bit 0 ("1") of the value indicates compatibility for japan, bit 2 ("4") for usa, bit 3 ("8") for europe, so for example "5" means it's only compatible on NTSC systems (japan or usa), while "D" or "F" means it's worlsdwide compatible.

Also, some games might indicate JUE in their header but still be region specific.

I dont know how Mega Key function selects the region but maybe Everdrive detects incorrect region with those specific values.

The best way to handle it would be having megakey option which let you force the region (for example: OFF, AUTO, JAPAN, USA, EUR), but I don't know if that's possible.

You could also modify the ROM header yourself since it's generally not included in the checksum, so that Everdrive pick a correct region code.