Gooday Gaming Guests - Atari Lynx and SEGA GameGear Cartridge Boot Process

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

You could Play SEGA Master Games on The Handheld with the adapter.

Alright, so this afternoon we're going to do Atari Lynx and we'll do Sega Game Gear, both handhelds. Yesterday I did DS. So the Atari Lynx is a, I have one that's a part that never worked. It was given back to me. The motherboard was too gone. So eventually I'm going to list some parts off of that. So the Atari Lynx was the handheld for Atari, obviously. I don't know how many games it had. We're going to find out. Atari Lynx is powered on. It has a Mickey chip.

The Mickey chip. One of the Lynx custom processors begins executing the system boot ROM. Hardware components is a CPU, a GPU. Sound, video, and input are initialized. The system checks for a valid game cartridge. Cartridge detection and ROM bank switching. The Atari Lynx cartridge contains the ROM chip as most cartridges do. Game code and data. The ComLynx communication line which supports multiplayer conductivity is also checked links memory mapping IO system gives the game the mapping direction the boot ROM scans for valid headers inside the cartridge ROM the header is usually the magic number, specific signature, manufacturer ID, game title, check sum for validation.

The game header is invalid. The system fails to boot. Oh, sorry. A couple more reasons why my thing didn't work. Once it's verified, the bio begins transferring the game code. The code is now executed the game engine so it's graphics via suzy the graphics code process so we have a mickey and a suzy and then we had tom and jerry for our processors which one was tom and jerry on oh i can't remember now i was like oh cool tom and jerry and now we have mickey and suzy pretty neat uh Tom and Jerry. I can't remember which one that was. I'll have to ask again. So graphics

with Susie. So Mickey does the main. Susie does the graphics. Game logic and state audio controls. All stages are saved in EEPROM. Savings. Display and input such as

title screen. System now waits for user input. atari links does not have a traditional bios memory it directly boots into the inserted game no game is inserted the screen may flicker blank or the screen may flicker so it's one of those systems where it's totally cartridge driven so you get no other screen unlike latest systems link does not use an operating system it runs directly from the game debugging some homebrew developers and flash cart users can modify boot sequences sequences links flash cards allow multiple roms and sometimes include boot menus conclusion the atari links boot process is relatively

straightforward mickey chip is responsible for initial hardware which which soup so i got this new computer which is really cool but the keyboard stinks and the screen stinks now that i use it more. It really stinks. But it's. It's so much better though. Which. System. I have to retype.

Uses. Tom and Jerry. Tom and Jerry. But I got it super cheap. That's why. Tom and Jerry chips. I got it super cheap. That's why. Tom and Jerry chips. I don't remember which one that was. It was...

Atari Jaguar. Atari Jaguar is Tom and Jerry. So therefore we're in the same... I didn't realize it was still also. So they call it Tom and Jerry chips on the Jaguar and we call it Mickey and Susie on

the Lynx Tom and Jerry worked in parallel and they also worked with the Motorola 68000 processor alright so what what is the links game library.

I wonder how many games there were for that. This still sounds better. L-Y-N-X. That's why it just is an X. It says Lynx was released in 1989. First handheld console with a color screen. Huh. So it's saying there was 73 licensed games between 1989 and 1994

unreleased prototypes and homebrew games notable ones california games blue lightning rampage road blasters chips challenge shadow the beast impressively graphically impressive side scroller Rampage, Road Blasters, Chips Challenge, Shadow of the Beast, Graphically Impressive Sidescroller, who was like those sidescrollers? Todd Adventure and Slime World, sounds kind of cool. Third Party Games, Xenomorph, Stun Paperboy, Pac-Land,

Sidescrolling Pac-Man Adventure, Side-Scrolling Pac-Man Adventure. Oh, Side-Scrolling Pac-Man Adventure. Aliens and Predators, Batman Returns, Late Rare or Late Releases, Homebrew Games, Lynx. Had a strong mix of arcade,

original title, and puzzle games. Alright, so Rare. Rare Games. Let's get my eBay up here I'll check a look something that catches my eye the one I like so far is that one I just saw battle wheels

super squeak these are all the rare games championship rally Linux Squeak. These are all the rare games. Championship Rally. Linux. I mean, Lynx Casino. Hot Dog.

A snowboarding that was never released. Desert Strike. Unreleased prototype. Unreleased prototype. Extremely Limited. Radiant. Arcade vertical shooter. Eye of the Beholder.

Planned classic RPG. The game was unfinished. But builds do exist. Lemmings. Rare homebrew in limited editions. Alpine Games. Zanku. Shooter uh

Wyvern Tales conclusion the rarest games the rarest games the latest releases were the hardest to find the last releases rather so some that are called

let's try this one here Wyvern Tales 2018 hmm So some of the calls, let's try this one here. Wive and Tales, 2018. 2018. So, 2018. No, nowhere found. So I need to find an original, not a homebrewed one. Eye of the Beholder, let's see if that one's out there.

I know that's a movie, Eye of the Beholder let's see if that one's out there I know that's a movie, Eye of the Beholder let's see if it comes out it's unreleased I know it's going to come up as a movie I'm pretty sure Eye of the Beholder the movie and Atari Eye of the Beholder. The movie. And Atari.

Eye of the Beholder. You can get that on Amiga. Eye of the Beholder on Amiga. So that's a vintage Amiga game. 100 bucks. So it looks like some sort of a dungeon and dragon kind of thing we don't see it on Atari though how we say Kate's L by an X oh there's one I the of the Beholder, $102.

Box with manual for the links. So there is one out there. It's actually not that bad. It has a big eye on it. And you can get an Eye of the Beholder eye, like a physical eye thing, for $30, $20. Cool. Alright, let's see what else we got going on here all right so now we're going to go on to let's go on to sega say game gear cartridge i might have done these cartridges but we'll do them anyway

it's around the same time cartridge see game cartridge boot process see we get out of this one so there's a different version of Alien vs. Predator that wasn't different than the one on the entire Jaguar. Sega's Game Gear boots a cartridge game. When the Game Gear is powered, it uses the

Z-Log Z80 CPU. So Z80 was just used in the DS's yesterday, I believe. Addresses four zeros and an H. The system begins basic hardware initialization. Which lost it. So setting up video RAM, VRAM.

YM2413 sound chip if supported by the game. The Game Gear's cartridge slot is mapped around for the Z80 chip. There's a signature, a Sega header signature so most cartridges have some sort of a header which must be what they read first to look for

certain things. Game Gear vs. Master System mode. Game Gear versus Master System mode. Game Gear has a special compatibility mode that allows you to run Sega Master Games. I didn't know that. Huh. If it detects a Sega Master Game on the header, then it will change to that mode. How do you fit a Sega Master Game in a Sega Game Gear?

I don't get that. It's a cartridge. Oh, maybe those cards. Sega Master has those cards. Maybe they slide into the Game Gear. I didn't realize that. That's something new I just learned today. Sega Master can play in a Game Gear.

I have lots of Game Gears. And I think I have a Sega Master game left around here somewhere too. Huh. We'll have to test that theory. I did not know that. Yeah. One of those.

It's called F-16. I put it around here somewhere. And I was going to sell it. But I hadn't. But I don't have any more. Sega Game. Power Master. So.

Maybe I can play it on a Game Gear. That would be earlier then. The Game game gears earlier than the Sega master the cartridge uses a c80 graphics uses a ZDP video display processor audio is sn76489 psg sound chip controls save states if using battery backup SRAM game runs and displays output first visual elements logo game gear does not have a built in BIOS

unlike Genesis there is no on screen so if you have if you don't have it in there you get nothing I got lots of those game gears apart I want to get some sort of a mod screen If you don't have it in there, you get nothing. I got lots of those game gears apart. And I want to get some sort of a mod screen at some point. Oh, and I have a game gear EverDrive, which makes you play all the games. It says, what is the library?

So my eye, if i hit the i sometimes it does two i's 364 official games released for the game gear more than i thought most are in japan north america europe brazil obviously

first party games will be all your sonics one two three four all your sonics 1,2,3,4,5 different sonics columns like a tetris arcade lion king puzzle and adventure games shining force

rare and unreleased games tempo junior rare and expensiveleased games Tempo Junior rare and expensive Game Gear games. Mega Man. $500. I don't know the Mega Man Game Gear. Let's see. Shining Force. What is this shit?

So it's Game Gear's Master System Compatibility. Many Game Gears were modified versions. They took earlier Sega Master Games system compatibility. I mean, the Game Gears were modified versions. Oh, so they took earlier Sega Master Games and they modified them to play as Game Gear.

But could be playing Game Gear without an adapter. Huh. Interesting. Let's see. Yeah. So, let's look at the back over here. Rear Games. Let's go for the back over here rare games let's go for the rare games again

rare games let's do the rare games on kind of gave me some already but let's see if it pops out a couple more rare and expensive game limited production so Mega Man Capcom

Shining Force. Garden. Final Conflict. It's a series. Temple Jr. Spin-off of the Sega 32x Tempo. Tails Adventure. Best Original Game Gear.

Tails Sky Patrol. Let's see what else we got here. Ryan Stile. Oh, The Lost World. Jurassic Park 1997. One of the last games made. Legends of Illusions starring Mickey Mouse.

Ninja Garden. Coca-Cola Kid. Honorable mentions. Rare but not as expensive. Baku Baku Animal. Game Gators are mostly late versions. So they were just low printed. So let's go back to these.

I want to go back to... What was that one? Not The Lost World. It was Rhinestar. Rhinestar. Much smaller print run. For the version. Tail.

Tail Adventure. Let's see what that one is. Can't really see any fun ones like Poopslinger it's my best one ever PS4 Poopslinger type it in on eBay it's $10,000

that's crazy only 84 were ever made uh Tales Adventure 1990 uh 95

$84 $79 so you can get a manual for $50. It looks like it's a copy of it. So. Oh, this one. $749.

Game Gear. In the retail box and everything. 20 Watchers. I don't really want it. I was collecting stuff for a while. I can't really get into it. I end up reselling everything I collected. Except for my.

Tandy computers. Let's try Shining. Forest Garden. Final Conflict. Japan only. Let's check that one. I need one for my. Image. I haven't quite figured out which one I'm going to put yet. I need one for my image.

I haven't quite figured out which one I'm going to put yet. I might do a Tales of Adventure. $80. Shining Force Conflict. $110 with the box. Shining Force. A lot of three. So you can get all three of them.

For $170. That's pretty neat. What else we got here? lot of three so you can get all three of them for 170 bucks that's pretty once we got here so so you so you mean Sega Master Cards fit in Game Gear? Game Gear and not a cartridge?

Question mark. You mean the Sega Master cards? No, Sega Master cards do not fit in the Game Gear because the Game Gear uses cartridges. While Sega system cards were specifically designed for Sega Master slots, however, Sega

Master cards can be played on a game using an adapter. We need an adapter. Okay, there we go. Okay. Sega Master cards. Small, thin plastic card. Cartridge is standard. The card only holds 32

kilobytes. The cartridge is 512 kilobytes. Slot uses a separate slot on the system. Game Gear slot. Compatibility. One only works without modifications.

So, the Game Gear. Let's see if we can find that. Game Gear. Oh, wait. so we go. Sega Game Gear Master

Adapter. Adapter. Ad A P T R So there's some sort of an adapter.

Oh wait, here we go. I think I see it. Sager adapter for Game Gear. Oh, there it is. Hyperkin has it for $71. Adapter for Game Gear, Mega System, Mega Adapter.

An original one, parts only. Gearmaster. It's called a GearMaster? GearMaster. That's what it's called. So Sega Game Gear Master. Place Sega Masters on your game gear. So we'll use that as my

photo tag. It's called a GearMaster. You can get one on the Hyperkin has one for 3-in-1. You can play 3 different games on it. So I learned something new today. you can get one on the Hyperkin has one for 3 in 1 you can play 3 different games on it so I learned something new today it says it's actually an adapter

and it plays the regular cartridges because you're going backwards the game most of the Sega Master games were older and they were really like sidewinders really like 2d sidewinders so therefore you could play them on Sega Master I mean Sega Game Gear

rather and there's an adapter here model G2 I don't know what that is yep I see in one side. So one side it slides in locks in and then the other side is where you put the cartridge in. $34. Pretty cool. I don't really want to do anything like that. I don't think I have any more of those games left.

But you can see Master System Adapter for Sega. Doesn't say you need a power adapter, but you might. Alright, so that's my little thing for today. We did the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear.

I'm glad you can play Sega Master on those if you have the adapter. So that's pretty cool. Learn something new today. I always like learning something new. You guys have a good afternoon and I'll see you tomorrow. Alright, bye.