Nix McRetro
A first look at the features of the Japanese Sega Channel adapter! I’ve got two of these rather interesting devices to investigate, and eventually I’d like to dump their BIOS chips so we can find out a little more about what’s hiding inside.
Sega Channel allowed Mega Drive owners to download games through a cable television connection. Unfortunately, I don’t have one of those connections available, but that doesn’t stop us from having a look at what the adapters do when powered on.
The first unit brings up a rather angry-looking screen with a maroon background and some Japanese text. There’s a catchy little tune playing too, so at least we’re getting something entertaining out of it!
The adapter itself is enormous. It almost looks like a Master System Converter, except it’s even bigger! There’s a separate power input on the side, using a centre-positive connection similar to the Mega Drive 2, along with the cable connection and a serial number on the back.
The second adapter looks almost identical, although its serial number is quite different and the startup behaviour isn’t quite the same. This one seems a little quieter. I’ll need to spend some more time with both units to work out what’s going on.
For now, that’s our first look at Sega Channel Japan. There are plenty more interesting discoveries to come!