449 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
449 lines
24 KiB
Plaintext
ú Subject: subscribe your video game
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Subject: FAQ
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The following is a list of video game recorders and their capabilities.
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They are compiled for your information. I also put in some info
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that I think might be of interests to you.
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New info in this FAQ:
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==============
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New Mega Disk can read other formatted game files.
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SuperMarioCart and Pilotwing cannot be backed-up because of special
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chip/programming routine in the game cart.
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Hey, instead of calling these game copiers, let's call it VGR, as in
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Video Game Recorder.
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MGH now can copy RAMA 1/2 part II and all other copy protect games
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excepte pilot wing and mario kart.
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New copier information: Super wild card, super pro fighter, Doctor SF
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(game boxer).
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SFX chip, DSP chip information.
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Using the golden finger on the MGH.
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What is a video game copier or the so-called "Game Doctor"?
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=======================================================
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Video game copier is a device that can read the ROM on the
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video game cartridges and transfer them onto regular floppy disks.
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After you have the game's ROM data on the floppy, you can play
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that particular game from the floppy without the original
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cartridge. Most of the available devices now has at least 8
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MEGABits of memory build in; thus, allow you to load the
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game data from the floppy to the build-in memory and play
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games. The game data will remain in the game copier's memory
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until you turn off the game copier. Hitting the reset button on the
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game console will reset your game and you don't have to reload.
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"Game Doctor" is the name given to the first generation of
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such device. (I first saw one about five years ago in Hong Kong)
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Originally, it was made for the Nintendo Famicom which has the
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largest market share. But now, as the popularity of video game
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machines shift from the old Nintendo 8 bit to SNES, SEGA and
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NEC, the newest generation of the "Game Doctor" allows you to
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buy different interfaces for different game consoles. IMO,
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the "Multi Game Doctor 2" can let you buy different interfaces
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for all the game consoles in the market, but it's more expensive.
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The other game copiers are specifically designed for one or two
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game systems only, but are less expensive. Since there are more
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companies making these devices now, I think the prices are
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dropping due to competition. One thing that will happen
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eventually is that the Japanese company will do the best they can
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to crackdown these video game copier makers (I read somewhere
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that Japanese companies went to the Korean mafia in order to
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shut down similar illegal operations in Korea), and it will
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be harder to get these devices when they do. One more thing,
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these game copiers are not perfect in copying all the games in
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the market. If there are special save or graphical feature in the
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game, they might not be able to copy these games (like some of
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the earlier EA games for the Genesis).
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The following is a list of all the video game copier currently available
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that I know. I got the information from game magazines published in
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Taiwan and Hong Kong, and from a dealer in Taiwan.. I have tried to
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translate them as accurate as I can, but I take no responsibilities for
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mistakes. But, I welcome anyone sees any mistakes and points them
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out for me so I can make corrections. Also, If you have any info or
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questions, please let me know, I will update this FAQ periodically.
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This is for your info only.
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Name: Mega Disk (Interceptor)
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For: Can directly be used on Sega Mega Drive or Sega Genesis.
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With a special interface, it can be used with SFC/SNES. Also, a new
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Mega Disk designed specifically for SNES/SFC is out.
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Description: A 3.5" HD drive sits on top of the Sega Mega
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Drive or Genesis. The MD version has 8 Megabits of memory (can
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be upgraded to 16 M), the SFC version comes with 16M. There is a
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slot on the top right corner for plugging in a cartridge (A save
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cartridge can be plugged in here to save game in progress). The
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company is working on a software upgrade that allows game
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to be saved on disks other than the save cart. It takes less than
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40 seconds to load an 8 M game. No LCD needed, but it needs a
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special formatted 3.5" disk to back up games. However, people from
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the Usenet has found that CopyIIpc can copy these special formatted
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disks provided you have an IBM available. The Super Famicom
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interface is a rectangular box sitting between the Mega Disk and
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the Super Famicom, it also has a slot on the interface to plug in a
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cartridge. The new Mega Disk for SFC/SNES can format it's own
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disk and can read MGDII and Super Magic formatted disks.
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Pro & Con: The good thing about Mega Disk is simplicity of operation,
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it works perfectly on the MD/Genesis (except copying old EA games),
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no external power supply needed. The old version needs specially
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formatted disks, but by using CopyIIpc, you can make your own disks.
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The new Mega Disk can format it's own disks. I would recommend
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Mega Disk over Super Magicom or drive because there is no need for
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external power supply, easy to use and the company is much more
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friendlier when you got problems.
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NEW information on the mega disk:
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The old version of mega disk is now not forsale in Taiwan or HK.
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Only 16M version are forsale on the market. The mega disk can
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read all other copiers files. No need for extra memorie pack to
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keep your RPG games data. Now has built in battery memorie.
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This company also makes a different copier for the SNES/SFC only. Its
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call the super disk. This super disk copier will play all copy
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protected games, include RAMA 1/2 II and Final Fantasy V. No exteranl
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power supply needed. Easy to function and can read all other SNES/SFC
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copiers files. One thing that is bad about this copier is that its own
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file can not be use on any other copiers.
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Company: Taiwan Sang Ting Co. Ltd.
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Products: Mega Disk for Genesis/MD.
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Mega Disk for SFC/SNES.
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Save cartridge
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Super Famicom interface
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8M to 16M upgrade
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Super disk intercepter (SNES/SFC only)
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Name: Super Magic Drive, Super Magicom, Super Com Pro (HK)
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For: Super Magic Drive is for Sega Mega Drive or
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Genesis only, and Super Magicom is for SFC/SNES. Each
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version can only be used with the designated system. The
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company also makes other versions for NEC PC-Engine.
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Description: SMD works much the same way as the 'Mega Disk',
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it also sits on top of the Mega Drive, but has a built in 256K (SRAM)
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save cart, and can have unlimited saves by writing it to disk. It
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can have a maximum of 16 Megabits of memory. The main unit is
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separated from the disk drive, connected by a cable. The games
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are written in DOS format, so games can be stored into your IBM
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hard drive. If you know how to crack a program, you can
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construct your own game like making a super invincible character
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or unlimited lives, etc. The new Super Magic Drive according to
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Lawrence Kwan, does not need specially formatted disks. Also, the
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new version of Super Magicom will format it's own disk. Furthermore,
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there is a new version of Super Magicom out in Hong Kong only (this
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info is from lawrence.kwan@canrem.com) which is called Super Com
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Pro #. This Super Com is a little bit smaller than SMC and it does not
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require specially formatted disks, you can use DOS formatted 720K,
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1.44M and 1.6M disks (like the MGH).
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Pro & Con: You have the option to buy an interface for SMD that will
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work for the SNES. Disk drive and the main unit is separated from each
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other, and the disk drive needs an external power supply. Bulky if you
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use the interface. It has a computer port so you can use a parallel cable
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to connect it to an IBM computer to modify data. Old Super
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Magic Drive needs special disks for back-up. To make your own
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special formatted disk, you need an IBM copy program that will copy
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up to track 81 on a HD disk (VGAcopy will do it). My friend who has
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the 16M SMD with the SMC interface reported that it won't save
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SFII on disk, maybe a new ROM is needed. Over all, a pretty good
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game copier.
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NEW information:
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The super magic drive 16M older version will need a new DOS to
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copy 16M games. Same thing with the 16M super magicom. You
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will need to load up the new DOS first and then load the 16M
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games. Else your 16M copier will not run the 16M games.
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Super magicom is now out of the market. DO NOT BUY THEM
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ANYMORE. If you can buy one cheap, that means the person is
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just trying to get rid of there stock. The second generation of
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Super magicom is out, its call the super wild card. The super
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wild card has a built in internal disk drive. It does not need
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a exteranl power supply. The new opion of this copier, its that
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it has a Golden finger burn in, which it doesn't do anything.
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Bewere of the power problem. It may frie your game system. It
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has already happen before. If you want to plug the Super wild
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card to the computer, you must modify the cable first. Because
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if you don't it will frie your serial port on the computer. I
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do not recommend anyone buying this copier. Its too risky.
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Plus Front Far East (the company makes them) is very unreliable.
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They do not take responsibility on any damage that you may done
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to your machine.
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Company: Front Fareast industrial corp.
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Products: Super Magic Drive
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Super Magicom
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Super Com Pro (available in HK only, I think it's just a name
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change)
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Super Magic Drive to Super Famicom interface
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8M to 16M upgrade (upgradable to 32M)
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Super wild card 16M
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Name: Super Gun
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Use: Special game console for playing Arcade games.
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Description: A box that has a slot for plugging in the video
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arcade game board. It can use different arcade style joysticks
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that either has six buttons or has a special panel for playing
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Mahjong type games. It's basically a home system which plays an
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arcade board. Games costs as much as the arcade game, but you
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get the real thing.
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Pro & Con: So you can play arcade games (the real thing), but it's
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very expensive (of course, you can argue that it's cheaper than
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buying the stand up Arcade and I would agree with you). What I
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mean by expensive is the game board itself, the price of Super Gun
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itself is pretty reasonable. It's all up to you and how rich or additive
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you are. Someone advertised that you can get a Super Gun with SFII
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for less than a thousand dollars, but why bother? SFII on the SNES
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is the same thing and it's cheaper, but if you are getting a SFII-CE, then
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that's a whole different story (IMHO).
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Company: Games Group Corp
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Products: Super Gun
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Street Fighter II CE board
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Name: Multi Game Doctor 2
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Use: Can be used on every system that is available as
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long as you buy the correct interface.
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Description: Two piece type. The main unit includes a disk drive
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and is connected to your game system by a cable or stand-along. There
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is a special cable with software that you can buy that allows you to
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use the MGD2 unit on you IBM. The main unit has a LCD display.
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The SRAM cart uses a lithium battery and it will last 2-6 months
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depended on the size of the RAM. Also, it advertises that MGD2
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uses SONY's 1M SRAM, so it's more reliable. It has interfaces for
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Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, NEO GEO, PC-
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Engine, NEC Super Grafx, and Game Boy. Also, it might be coming
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out with an interface for Lynx (a rumor so far). The new NEO GEO
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interface will use two 32 DRAM pack (I heard it's the size of a
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credit card) to load games. I also assume that you can use an IBM
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hard drive to save these huge NEO GEO games; otherwise, you might
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need 7 to 8 HD disk to save one game (BTW, this is pretty expensive,
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all I can say is you can spend the cost of an IBM computer for the
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whole setup). I just confirmed recently that the DRAM 16M pack
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does work for the SNES. On the SFC interface for MGD2, there is a
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power cord that connects to the SFC. Since the power supply connector
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is different between SFC and SNES, this power cord doesn't work for
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SNES; however, using the SNES power supply, this Rampack works.
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So now with this Rampack, users can save two 8M games or one 16M
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game on the single rampck.
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P.S. There are now two different memory cart for MGD2: SRAM
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and DRAM. Here is how they were used.
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SRAM (1M, 2M, 4M and 8M) pack: copy games from disk to SRAM
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pack. SRAM pack will hold games until the battery dies. Very
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portable with different game console interfaces. Interfaces available
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for SNES/SFC, MD/Genesis, PC-Engine, Game Boy and Game Gear.
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DRAM (8M, 16M & 32M) pack: plug into DRAM interface, it hold
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the game until you turn off the game console with the interface
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plug in. There are interfaces for SFC, MD/Genesis, PC-Engine & NEO GEO.
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Pro & Con: The most flexible game copier in the market. It has
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the most incredible support from the manufacturer to produce
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interfaces for every game systems that is and will be available.
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More procedure involved to play a game, but it works perfectly
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without a single problem. More expensive if you only want to use
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it for one game system. However, the more game system you have,
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the better the price. It has the programs and interfaces for linking
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into an IBM computer. It even has a computer board that you can
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put into the computer slot that will do the same thing as MGD 2.
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A very nice and versatile game copier for the dedicated video game
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player.
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NEW information:
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The multi game doctor 2 NEO-GEO interface is out, but its also
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out of production. The interface and the DRAM (Total of 132M)
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will run up to $1300. Sure, its nice to copy a $200 game, but I
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am not willing to spend $1300 for a stupid interface. Also, I
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have seen this thing, it takes 4-6 minutes to load up one game.
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That is too long for me to wait. They lynx interface is just a
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rumor, ignore it. The new MGD II interface will play all copy
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protect games. The DRAM is a very nice thing to have.
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Company: Makko Toys Co., Ltd.
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Products: Multi Game Doctor 2
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1M, 2M, 4M & 8M SRAM pack
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8M, 16M & 32M DRAM pack
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Interfaces for PC-Engine and Super-Grafx
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Interface for Game Boy and Game Gear
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Interface for MD/Genesis and SFC/SNES
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Interface for NEO GEO
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Future release:
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Interface for LYNX
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Doctor Battery (Lithium battery for SRAM pack)
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Doctor Link (connect interfaces to MGD2) for SRAM
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Doctor Link II (connect interfaces to MGD2) for DRAM
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Golden Finger II (Like a game genie)
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PC Link (connect IBM computer to MGD2) for SRAM
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PC Link II (connect IBM computer to MGD2) for DRAM
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Name: Multi Game Hunter
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Use: MD/Genesis AND SNES/Super Famicom
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Description: A game copier that can be used on both
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the Genesis/MD and SNES/SFC. It has a detachable HD disk drive
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on the right of the main unit and has slots on the left for the
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MD and SFC cartridge. MGH boots from ROM like the Super Magic
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Com/Drive, and it has a graphical menu displayed on TV. Its disk
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format is IBM compatible: 720K, 1.4M and 1.6M. It has a built in
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memory of 16 M. You can get a memory upgrade up to 24M.
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A 256K Save RAM is build in. One of the special surprise of MGH is
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that it can read all MGDII and Super Magic formatted disks.
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This gives MGH a big advantage to new buyers, since they can use
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competitor's disks. It could be linked up to an IBM computer for game
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modifications, but the cable for doing this is not out yet.
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Pro & Con: MGH needs a SFC/SNES convertor in order to play American
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games, it needs an external power supply of 7.8V-10V, 1A. Just one MGH,
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(no need for a big interface) you can play games on SNES or Genesis,
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it's simple to use and it allows users to copy SAVED game from cart
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to it's memory or to disk. Without the need of special formatted disks
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it's one of the best game copiers around. Also, IMO, the MGH is better
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constructed than SMC. The new NEO GEO interface that they
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are working on will use the Genesis cart slot. There will be two lines
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coming out from the interface, one goes to a DRAM of at least 45M and
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the other line will connect to the NEO GEO itself. Price unknown for this
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interface. When using the MGH on the Genesis, there are more options
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to choose from, but many of the options (like toolbox) are not available
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yet. However, it still does all the things you basically need.
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Company: The maker of MGH.is Venus Computer Co. Ltd. But it's
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being distributed/co-developed with Makko Toys Co. the MGDII
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maker.
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NEW information:
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MGH NEO-GEO interface is not in production. Cost too much and
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the market is too small. MGH now has a new interface to allow
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people to play copy protected games. The interface will only
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work on copy protected games only. If you want to run some old
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games, you must put the old interface back on. The MGH golden
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finger will increase your DOS version upto 2.0, but that is all.
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It will not allow you to copy mario kart or pilot wing. There
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is a lot of bad copy of Golden finger out there, if you install
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yours and it doesn't work. Then hold L & down on your control
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pad to eerase the golded finger. The real time save care is
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also avaible now.
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Product: Multi-Game Hunter
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NEW copiers:
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Doctor SF (Game boxer) 16M, SNES/SFC only
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The best single copier on the market now. It has all the function a
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play need. The real time save feture is a big plus. A cheap and
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reliable copier. Will need a exteranl power supply. The disk drive is
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built in. Usese DRAM, that means if you load the game up once, you can
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keep the game in the copier as long as you want. The real time save
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allows you to save right at that spot and recall it later any time you
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want. Golden finger also included. Slow motion. And it will show the
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name of the game in English after load up. A neat little copier.
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Can be upgrade to 32M, that means you can keep 4 8M games at once and
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choese to play anyone of them as you wish.
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Maker: MAKKO Co.
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=========================
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Frequent asked questions:
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=========================
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Where are these game copiers made?
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All of these devices are made from either Hong Kong or
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Taiwan. And most likely, they are the only place that you can get
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these devices. If you have friends going to Asia, maybe you can
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ask them to got one for you. These copiers are sold at many video
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game stores in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Except now Taiwan is enforcing
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the 301 Copyright law, many video game stores stopped selling these
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copiers, you might have to look pretty hard to find what you want.
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Also, SMC/SMD is under investigation in UK, it's harder to export
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them now.
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Which copier is more popular?
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This question is very important. If these copiers are
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popular, buyers are more likely to get support from the
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manufacturers in the future. A few years back, Game Doctor is
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very popular. Now with all the new devices out, Super
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Magicom/Super MagicDrive are popular, following by Mega
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Disk due to its simplest operation. Of course, MGD2 is still
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popular because it can be used with all the game systems that is
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and will be available. As long you are playing the MGDII with more
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than one game system, the high price is off set by how many
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game systems that you own. Finally, with the introduction of MGH,
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it is taking a large share of the market away from the other copiers
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(especially the market of Super Magicom/Super Magic Drive). Starting
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this month, September, Nintendo is helping the UK coustoms cracking
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down SMC/SMD imports into the United Kingdom, if all the operation
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is successful (meaning Nintendo gets to go to court with sellers), they
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might expand it to Canada and U.S.
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Can these game copiers copy 16 M games or CD games?
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Well, these game copiers CANNOT copy CD games due to the
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large amount of audio/video info on them. However, 16 meg
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games like SF II for SNES can be copied as long as you have the
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memory upgrade on the copier you own. Currently, Mega Disk,
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Super Magicom/Super MagicDrive, MGD2 all have the option to do
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so. MGH is equipped with 16M. BTW, just to remind the readers
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that copying copyrighted work is illegal anywhere in this world.
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How much do these copiers cost?
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If you want prices, please email me. If the price you find
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are higher than the prices I found, you are being rip-off. And of
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course you will find a cheaper price if you look very hard
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or get a friend to buy them for you directly from Taiwan or Hong
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Kong. Remember, it would cost you about US$1000 to fly round trip
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to these two countries.
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Where can I buy these copiers?
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There might be game stores that sell these devices in
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New York or LA, but in the Usenet world there are some people
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who are willing to help people get stuff from Hong Kong or Taiwan.
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I know a dealer who can get stuff for people directly from Taiwan
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After receiving your payment, it will take less than 1 week to mail
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stuff to you depends on availability. If you want more information,
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please email me.
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DSP chip, SFX chip???????
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The DSP chip is in the mario kart and pilot wing. And these two
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game are not that populer in the overseas. So the companys are
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not even thinking about hacking it. The SFX chip is not even
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out yet, people should stop whining about it. Because there is
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no information about the SFX chip will affect the copiers. It
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took the company 2 days to hack RAMA 1/2 II and Final Fantasy V,
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how hard could it be to hack others. I think people is just
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worry about it toooooooooo much. Your dealers should stand
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behind there product 100%, they should help you to upgrade or
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answer any question you have. If they are not, you are risking
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your own money.
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|
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SFC is Super Famicom, the Japanese SNES.
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MD is Mega Drive, the Japanese Genesis.
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|
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|
=======================END OF FILE=====================
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Well, that's all I have for now. I know these devices might not
|
|
be legal in the United States, but I think people has the right to
|
|
know about them. I buy cartridge game that I think the
|
|
game play, game quality and the over-all package are excellent,
|
|
for example, the Japanese version of Sonic. I rent games to see if the
|
|
games are worth my money (Fantasia is so bad, I am still angry), and
|
|
some of them I just want to keep forever. I won't trust the unreliable
|
|
media of floppy disks. I think the above information is all you
|
|
need to know about these devices, but if I miss anything that you
|
|
want to know, email me. I will get back to you ASAP.
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|
wong@lisa.cs.widener.edu
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|
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
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|
From: jarnis@mits.mdata.fi (Jarno Kokko)
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|
Subject: Re: Super Mario Kart + MGH/SMC
|
|
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 09:55:58 GMT
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|
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|
In article <BvFA5z.Ao9@acsu.buffalo.edu> v089l3s3@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Jeremy B Horwitz) writes:
|
|
>Well, does anyone know what the deal is with Super Mario Kart
|
|
>and the SMC / MGH systems? It seems like it has some odd
|
|
>performance chips coupled with either new security or just
|
|
>the performance chip mod'd to code...
|
|
>
|
|
>-> Jer
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|
|
|
This is a first really protected cart. There is the DSP chip, like
|
|
in Pilotwings, but that could be worked around by plugging a pilotwings
|
|
cart on the top of the Magicom/MGH. There is also another protection:
|
|
ROM is differently configured than in ANY other SNES game - usually
|
|
the game ROM is in blocks (32K empty, 32K rom) but this is in 64K rom,
|
|
64K rom, 64K rom etc.etc... and no known copier can copy this kind
|
|
of game. There is also a little code protection - It just verifies
|
|
that you have 4K of battery backed ram(as in the orig.cart) and not
|
|
32K as in all copier systems. This can be hacked away.
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|
|
|
Conclusion:You can't copy Mario Kart on current copiers. It might
|
|
be possible if copier manufacturers make an update to their systems
|
|
to allow you to copy this game, but I doubt that this happens until
|
|
there is multiple carts with similar 'copy protection'
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|