Holy Shit!

Dr. D'nar · Mar 2, 2006

Some random guy still using Win98SE and DOS (good assembly programmer though) comes in, and I start talking to him. Some time later, this pops up:

<iceman150m> what I really wanna get my hands on is a x68000 system
<iceman150m> x68000 is a japanese computer with twin 3.5" floppy that's actually based on the megadrive hardware and has a cartridge slot too
<iceman150m> comes with desktop, basic, word processor and plays all mega drive games
<DrDnar> Oh nice!
<DrDnar> Wow!
<iceman150m> has game development system that's the best I've ever seen
<DrDnar> This is gold!
<iceman150m> yeah very rare
<iceman150m> the game dev system was the same that was actually used to create 99% of the megadrive carts
<iceman150m> cool stuff
<iceman150m> I really want one
<iceman150m> and its black !
<DrDnar> Me too!
<iceman150m> looks like a ps2
<iceman150m> way way cool
<iceman150m> seen one on ebay once for about $500 pah
<DrDnar> There's a large group of people who like to hack with the Sonic the hedgehgo games.
<DrDnar> They've made some NICE hacks too.
<iceman150m> hehe I've seen some good hacks and some really bad ones too :P
<iceman150m> I love assembly
<iceman150m> I can to 68000 cpu too
Click to expand...

Can some one get their hands on one? Specs

LocalH · Mar 2, 2006

I know of the X68k, but I've never heard that it was based on the MD hardware. It certainly well surpasses the MD in most ways, and the only thing that I can see it shares is the CPU on the base X68k model, and even then the X68k is clocked faster.

Here is a Wikipedia article on the X68k.

Qjimbo · Mar 2, 2006

Yeah what he's describing sounds more like the Teradrive/MegaPC than that, but who knows.

Rosiero · Mar 2, 2006

All I know of that system is that there's a Castlevania game on it. Go figure =P

ICEknight · Mar 2, 2006

The only thing I can think of that relates this computer to the MegaDrive is that Yuzo Koshiro used to compose his music on the x68000.

Dioxaz · Mar 2, 2006

The machine iceman150m is describing IS the Tera Drive from 1991.

Keep in mind that the x68000 and the Sega Tera Drive are two different machines:

- One as released in 1987 by Sharp and the other in 1991 by Sega
- One is a simple computer not even PC-compatible (MSX-compatible only) where the other is a PC-compatible capable of running MD/Genesis cartridges (like the Amstrad MegaPC from 1992)
- One seems to output proprietary video RGB signals where the other outputs VGA or TV (15 KHz RGB) signals (I'm sure the x68000 monitor doesn't even have that standart 15-pin VGA connector)
- One has an YM2151* FM sound-chip where the other uses YM2612 (and is only available in MD mode, not PC)

Well there could be more differences, but there could be similarities, who knows? Even if I doubt. :P

*the same that is used in many arcade games but also some Yamaha DX synths (the DX27 and 100 come to mind).

chaosruins · Mar 7, 2006

The Aiwa CSD-G1M Mega Drive/Mega CD unit (basically a MegaDrive and Mega CD integrated into a Aiwa CD player) looks interesting. Various variations of the MegaDrive here with info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadrive

Sintendo · Mar 7, 2006

The x68000 has the same kind of processor the MegaDrive/Genesis uses, but that's about all they have in common.

However, there are MegaDrive compatible computers out there. Here are some:
http://assembler.roarvgm.com/Amstrad_megad...computer_1.html
http://assembler.roarvgm.com/teradrive/teradrive.html

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