The Blog

Sega Game Gear LED Backlight Mod

Nix McRetro // 17th April 2012 // Hacks, Repairs, Sega

One of my Game Gears had bad capacitors, so I replaced them. Then I discovered that the original fluorescent backlight tube was another part of the problem, so I decided to try the LED backlight mod. Then I found yet another problem: the DC-in socket was loose. At that point... Continue reading

New Purchases: 9 April 2012

Nix McRetro // 9th April 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

Dialled things back a little while waiting for all of last week’s purchases to arrive. Yet there are still some awesome things on the way. First up we have the Sega Genesis Nomad. Essentially a handheld Mega Drive. I’ve also ordered a battery pack to go with it. Sega’s original... Continue reading

Sega Saturn External PSU - Proof of Concept

Nix McRetro // 7th April 2012 // Hacks, Repairs, Sega

Success! It sure does taste sweet. Finally a proof of concept showing that this early Saturn PSU arrangement can be powered from an external DC supply feeding suitable DC-DC converters. This is very good news as it paves the way for me to spend some cash and invest in some... Continue reading

New Purchases Inbound: Sega Saturns and Game Gears

Nix McRetro // 1st April 2012 // Sega

I’ve got four Sega Saturns from two owners on the way: three functional and one broken. Broken in what way? Even the seller didn’t know. Should be very interesting. Three of them are Model 1s and one is a Model 2. I already have two functional Model 2 Saturns, but... Continue reading

Sega Game Gear Before Repair: No Video, Quiet Audio

Nix McRetro // 30th March 2012 // Repairs, Sega

Here’s the little Game Gear before repair. As you can see above, it has very quiet sound and no usable video, although the inside of the unit is in reasonably good condition. Failing electrolytic capacitors are a common cause of low audio and display problems in ageing Game Gears, so... Continue reading