Spotting a Majesco model 2

Does anyone know how to tell if a model 2 is a Majesco model without opening it up? I have a theory.

As you may know, Majesco also rereleased some SNES games. These games are identical to the original release in every way except for on the back. The rear label, which says "Do not clean with alcohol, immerse in water, etc.) is molded out of the plastic instead of being on a sticker.

Now, on craigslist, someone said they were selling a Genesis model 2. I asked for pictures, and this is what I got:
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2402/model2l.th.png

A normal model 2 has this kind of bottom:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/845...4mother.th.jpg

Both are 3/4 motherboard units, but there is a clear difference here. Can anyone with a Majesco model confirm this?

I'd love to hear an audio recording of a Majesco model 2. :)

Well, I am going for that sale. If it's a Majesco model I'll make a recording for you.

The model number is different (MK-1451) on Majesco units. The first picture is indeed a Majesco unit.

I'd too like to hear a Majesco Model 2. I wonder if they managed to use a decent mixing circuit?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BetaWolf47

Does anyone know how to tell if a model 2 is a Majesco model without opening it up? I have a theory.

As you may know, Majesco also rereleased some SNES games. These games are identical to the original release in every way except for on the back. The rear label, which says "Do not clean with alcohol, immerse in water, etc.) is molded out of the plastic instead of being on a sticker.

Now, on craigslist, someone said they were selling a Genesis model 2. I asked for pictures, and this is what I got:
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2402/model2l.th.png

A normal model 2 has this kind of bottom:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/845...4mother.th.jpg

Both are 3/4 motherboard units, but there is a clear difference here. Can anyone with a Majesco model confirm this?

---

Wow, that bottom looks a lot different than any Genesis 2 I've ever seen. This COULD VERY WELL BE the super-elusive Majesco Genesis 2. Pick it up and fill us in on its motherboard. I can pretty much predict it's a VA4, as I can see holes on the bottom RF shield. On a VA3, those holes are not there.

Hey, wait a minute, do I see 0.3A as the current rating? Is this a Genesis 3 in a Genesis 2 shell complete with disconnected pins on the cartridge slot and a useless or absent Sega CD slot? BetaWolf, you MUST pick this up. For all I know, this could be an undiscovered motherboard(VA5 or a modified VA4).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BetaWolf47

Well, I am going for that sale. If it's a Majesco model I'll make a recording for you.

---

Thanks ! Really looking forward to hear it in action. :)

I'm 2nding the idea of showing its internals and sound recording :ok:

Will do if he responds to my email!

The VA0 model 2 has that same moulded text on the back, the paper lable is stuck on top of that. Someone partially peeled off the paper so that was exposed. ;)

So, if that's any indication of the majesco models, it would mean they just didn't bother with the label.

That or it's a coincidence and someone has removed the label cleanly.

All Genesis 2 bottom cases have the same molded text on the back. Motherboard revision and region doesn't mater.

One way or another, it's easy to tell that the bottom of that Genesis looks different than others.

Do you have anything to test the compatibility once you get the Majesco unit? (ie virtua racing)

No, nothing that isn't already confirmed, sadly. A user on DP by the name of nebrazca78 posted a pic of the motherboard on a Majesco unit already, and stated that Sega CD and 32X work. There was actually a big discussion on revisions in that thread.
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140351

Made in Japan, MK-1451 model number... that's undoubtedly a Majesco Genesis 2 he's got. It's just a repackaged VA4 Genesis 2 sold by Majesco, by the looks of it.

Finally, a Majesco Model 2.........I've been asking about this one to the boneheads here at Sega-16 for years now but never to any avail! :D

<joke>

I say that this is the rarest Genesis model here in the U.S, even though they're virtually identical to the Sega model 2's. They probably weren't in production for long before Sega put together the Genesis 3 for Majesco and they began selling those. Sega stopped production of model 2's around 1996 I believe. The Majesco 2's were probably left-over stock that they repackaged and represent the last-ever model 2's.

What I want to know is how the box for the Majesco 2's looked like.

I doubt it's rarer than the X'eye or CDX.

I stand corrected.

I'm picking this thing up tomorrow. What game should I use for the sound capture?

Sonic is a good pick...

Thunder Force II (MD) if you can. Any and all faults with a Genesis' sound circuit are very noticeable with that game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ace

Thunder Force II (MD) if you can. Any and all faults with a Genesis' sound circuit are very noticeable with that game.

---

I don't even thin CCAM can make all the speech in that game intelligible though. :p

Thunder Force 4 is the one which makes PSG volume problems obvious, right? (is sonic's jump also PSG? -relating to the problem on some clones, though the PSG noise channel seems loud while sonic's jumps are super quiet)

Streets of Rage 2 - Go Straight (Stage 1-1) and/or Never Return Alive (Boss)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

I don't even thin CCAM can make all the speech in that game intelligible though. :p

Thunder Force 4 is the one which makes PSG volume problems obvious, right? (is sonic's jump also PSG? -relating to the problem on some clones, though the PSG noise channel seems loud while sonic's jumps are super quiet)

---

I can understand it, however, since I played the Sharp X68000 version of Thunder Force II, which has clearer speech than Thunder Force II MD.

And yes, Thunder Force IV makes PSG volume problems obvious as a lot of the music makes use of PSG. Sonic's jump sound is also made by PSG.

Here's Thunder Force 2. I'm loving this audio.
thfo2.ogg - 0.84MB

I'll edit in a Sonic sample later.

<EDIT> Oh yeah, I only have a mono audio cable. Too lazy to wire up the stereo inputs right now :P

So the top of the Majesco Model 2 is identical to the rest, right?

Years ago, I was intrigued by this model because I had heard that Sega CD/32X compatibility had been removed. Apparently not.

A few things:
The finish on the top shell feels different than normal units. It might just be less worn than my other units, however.

Also, it came with the MK-1479 power adapter. Too tired to open up the console right now, but since it does work with the Sega CD, I don't think it's the same as a model 3 power adapter.

Pics plz? :D

Sorry I'm late. To make up for my lateness, I've made a library of pics. I think I missed one of the IC's close up though, but here. It's just a VA4.
gen2maj.zip - 3.55MB

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ace

Thunder Force II (MD) if you can. Any and all faults with a Genesis' sound circuit are very noticeable with that game.

---

The game uses 4KHz audio, plus extremely poor PCM playback code... I ripped the speech data out, and its not really improved when played through a PC soundcard....... anynixunin nadna gud nak.... looool

This is what the introductory speech sample says: "This is Exceliza; roger, good luck."
It's actually shortened from the original release on the Sharp X68000, which is this: "This is Exceliza, I will deploy now. Roger, good luck."

By the way, BetaWolf, I can't download anything from zSHARE. Every time I try, I can never download anything. Could you upload it to a place like MegaUpload(NOT RAPIDSHARE! That sucks)?

Alrighty

Hardware photos
Thunder Force II music

Oh and TmEE, Sonic's jumping sounds just as it should. This isn't a clone system, after all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ace

And yes, Thunder Force IV makes PSG volume problems obvious as a lot of the music makes use of PSG. Sonic's jump sound is also made by PSG.

---

Interesting... that would seem to imply that the PSG is too quiet for the square channels (or at least some) and loud for the noise. (the loud sfx in TFIV)

BTW, is the VA2 MD2's problem with too loud or quiet PSG? (or both, like clones)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BetaWolf47

Oh and TmEE, Sonic's jumping sounds just as it should. This isn't a clone system, after all.

---

Yes, but the VA2 model 2 has wrong sounding PSG sounds too. (interesting that that model uses a discrete YM2612 like the VA0-6 MD1)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ace

This is what the introductory speech sample says: "This is Exceliza; roger, good luck."
It's actually shortened from the original release on the Sharp X68000, which is this: "This is Exceliza, I will deploy now. Roger, good luck."

---

Hmm, still sounds like "en-eh-H-2, ladder, good, luck" to me in spite of knowing what it really says. :lol:

Some fo the power-ups samples are pretty unintelligible as well.

The VA4 uses ASIC for mixing sounds as VA3 and Nomad and CDX do, so the sound levels should all be right. VA3 and VA4 should have similiar crispness too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

BTW, is the VA2 MD2's problem with too loud or quiet PSG? (or both, like clones)

---

The VA2 Genesis 2 has PSG that's too quiet, but here's the thing: on the PSG sound chip, there are 4 sound channels - 3 square waves and one white noise. The white noise sounds fine, but 2 of the square waves are too silent, and one is so loud it comes out distorted(this is obvious when playing R-Type for the Master System). Could someone replicate the Mono audio amp from the pre-VA7 Genesis 1s to see if the PSG sounds better with a different sound circuit on the VA2 Genesis 2?

EDIT: Thanks for the images and recording, BetaWolf. Seems like Majesco Genesis 2s are nothing more than VA4 Genesis 2s with a cheaper-looking 7805 and a different power switch. And listening to that recording of Thunder Force II MD, it sounds just like my Sega VA4 Genesis 2. It seems like the 315-5960 ASIC outputs quieter PSG than the VA3, as the FM volume is the same, but the PSG between the VA3 and VA4 is different. The VA4 has quieter PSG, and I can tell when I play a Master System game on both my VA3 and VA4: I have to turn up the volume on my TV when playing a Master System game on my VA4 Genesis 2.

Man, you guys are a lot more technical than me. However, I did do some recon on my own. Observations:

-Video is identical to my VA3 models, minus the vertical bar noise. Something tells me that my TV just sucks.
-The top half of the case does indeed use a different, matte finish. This, combined with the different labeling on the bottom, make it really easy to distinguish next to a Sega model 2.
-All pinouts are correct. I was worried about the audio being like a VA2 model 3. Luckily, such is not the case.

I noticed that our Sanyo flat screen SDTV has far less visible luma artifacts (edge pixelization/bars), though there still there.
However, even after playing around with the contrast/brightness/color settings a bunch, the immage still didn't look as good overall compared to my old Zenith, things looked blurrier (which could explain the less visible bars) and the colors seemed too dark (not just saturated), a bit like comparing the VA0 M2 with the CXA1145 on my Zenith. (or perhaps more like the fujitsu encoder)

I'd take the added sharpness+artifacting over blurriness for sure: again on the Zenith I've still got the option to blur it out with sharpness control and/or the "filter" option. S-Video should remedy this though, for those not

I still need to take some pictures. :p

One question I have: where is the manufacture date on this? I'm dying to know when this system was made!

My TV?
The Zenith Advanced System 3 is a high-end 25" 1988 set. (SVHS Y/C port)

The sanyo I'm not sure about, but it's from around 2004/5. There's also a 17" LCD phillips (SDTV) that handels old consoles pretty well. I think thats from ~2006.
Weird thing about that Sany is it works with the sound through RF for one Genesis which doesn't on any other TV. (loud static and very weak sound on other sets, or nothing at all)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

My TV?

---

He means his model 2, not your TV.

Anyway BetaWolf, what you want to look for are datecodes on the main chips. These are usually 4 digit numbers like "9623" (which in this case means the chip was made on the 23rd week of 1996). Looking solely at the datecodes won't tell you exactly when the system was made, but it should give you a good idea of around what time the console was manufactured.