The Blog

Cross Products SNASM Mega-CD Development Unit Disassembly

Nix McRetro // 11th February 2013 // Categories: Devkit, Sega

The Cross Products SNASM Mega-CD development unit, serial MCD01/0174, is our next target for disassembly and photography. This is one beefy devkit! I’ve spent a bit of time experimenting with the software side of the system, and now it’s time to see what’s actually inside. The SNASM Mega-CD was built... Continue reading

Cross Products SNASM Mega-CD Development Unit Power-Up

Nix McRetro // 10th February 2013 // Categories: Devkit, Sega, YouTube

I finally found enough bench space to power up the Cross Products SNASM Mega-CD development unit. It’s not like I have a degree in programming games or the time at the moment to learn, but I’d certainly like to see whether all this hardware I’ve acquired can communicate with a... Continue reading

Name That Tune: The Mystery Tune of Mystery

Nix McRetro // 10th February 2013 // Categories: music, YouTube

Here’s the faster version of a little musical mystery that I still haven’t managed to solve. I first uploaded the tune in August 2012, then wondered in February 2013 whether it might sound different if it came from an old game running at PAL 50Hz or NTSC 60Hz. Some older... Continue reading

Sophia Systems Sega Saturn Programming Box Reassembly

Nix McRetro // 8th February 2013 // Categories: Devkit, Repairs, Sega

Here’s a brief video of Sophia going back together. Well, halfway. The mainboard is back in, but the RAM board is still out because I need to photograph it properly first. Sophia has been sitting in pieces for months while I’ve been documenting the internals, cleaning the boards, and working... Continue reading

Tefal ActiFry Potato Chip Cooker Demonstration

Nix McRetro // 31st January 2013 // Categories: YouTube

Now I could spend this evening soldering another tantalum capacitor onto that troublesome Seagate hard drive, or I could do something completely different and make dinner. Dinner wins! Today we’re having a look at the Tefal ActiFry, which promises to cook a rather substantial quantity of potato chips using only... Continue reading