Here’s another quick demonstration of the Sega TeraDrive, which is becoming one of my favourite strange computers. It’s a 286 running at 10 MHz with Mega Drive hardware integrated into the same machine, and today I’m finally having a proper play with its video output and Sonic the Hedgehog.

My current monitor can’t handle the Mega Drive side’s 15 kHz RGB signal, so I’m using composite video for the game demonstration. The picture isn’t especially pretty, but at least I can see what I’m doing. The TeraDrive also has a switch for choosing between composite and RGB output, which gives me something else to experiment with once I’ve got a suitable display.

Interestingly, the PAL Sonic cartridge works in this Japanese machine, while the Genesis copy of Jurassic Park I tried wouldn’t start. I’m not sure exactly why that particular game refused to cooperate. Region behaviour can vary between games, so I wouldn’t assume every PAL or Genesis cartridge will behave the same way.

The lovely thing is that Sonic runs at 60 Hz here rather than the slower 50 Hz pace I’m used to on a PAL Mega Drive. The difference in the music and gameplay is immediately noticeable. That’s one area where the TeraDrive has an advantage over my Amstrad Mega PC, at least for the games I’m trying.

Switching across to the PC side brings up the built-in Sega menu and file manager. I can navigate using the controller, access the floppy drives, and launch DOS programs such as Scorched Earth. The controller doesn’t behave especially well with everything, but it’s rather entertaining having a Mega Drive pad operating an IBM-compatible computer.

The PC side also works over composite video, although the picture is considerably clearer when I change over to the 31 kHz VGA output. That’s a useful feature of this machine: I can use composite for the Mega Drive demonstration and switch to VGA for the PC without needing the original TeraDrive monitor.

The machine still has plenty of surprises. I haven’t explored all the Sega menu options yet, and the floppy drives are getting quite a workout. For now, though, I’m enjoying Sonic at 60 Hz and having a proper look at what this unusual little IBM and Sega combination can do.

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