gn twin - yobo brand gen & nes *now with pics*

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:33 am

Is it just me or did TecToy supply the chip for the Genesis side(I make out "TECTOY" on the chip)? If so, this is probably a re-engineered TecToy Mega Drive(and they're still in production)! I expect this to work with anything and everything you throw at it(except the Sega CD, of course). As for the 32X, if I'm to buy a Gen-X or GN Twin, I'll try to de-solder the 9-pin mini-DIN jack from my dead Model 2 Genesis, wire everything up(RGB, composite, audio, etc.) and test, although I don't even have a 32X.
As for Virtua Racing, if it's some sounds that play too loud or too quiet or have minor changes, I don't mind.
By the way, you happen to own Gradius on the NES? Certain clones would butcher the audio when Gradius is playing(and I can't stand any major irregularities in a Gradius game. Yes, I'm a Gradius fanboy).

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:51 pm

Ace_1 wrote:Is it just me or did TecToy supply the chip for the Genesis side(I make out "TECTOY" on the chip)?
As for Virtua Racing, if it's some sounds that play too loud or too quiet or have minor changes, I don't mind.
By the way, you happen to own Gradius on the NES?

why, yes, that chip does say tectoy!

yeah, virtua racing just has a few minor sound differences. some of the effects just sound louder or something. but it isn't really major.

i do not own gradius... sorry...

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:26 pm

Wow... that's the equivalent of original Sega hardware(TecToy is like Sega's Brazilian division, at least I think so). If the Gen-X uses this same chip, screw the Genesis 3, I'm getting the Gen-X(it's cheaper, too and can do more). Slight volume problems are not a big deal in my book, so I can handle Virtua Racing on this system.
I will put on my tech-savvy hat, though, and take a soldering iron to the system when I get a Sega 32X. My goal is to take the A/V port from my dead Genesis 2 and stick it in the Gen-X with all outputs, composite, stereo audio, RGB, composite sync, whatever. Then we'll see if the Gen-X(or any other Genesis/NES 2-in-1s for that matter) can handle the 32X. This is gonna be interesting.
Oh, and please take a picture of Virtua Racing running on all these Genesis/NES 2-in-1s.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:04 pm

Hey, is that Gen-X test gonna come one day? I'm starting to get impatient here.

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:12 pm

Ace_1 wrote:Hey, is that Gen-X test gonna come one day? I'm starting to get impatient here.

well, you're gonna have to wait until i get it.

i can't help that the postal services are not always quick...

i am still not doing very well health wise and just haven't had much time to do much testing of stuff. i know i haven't fully tested the gn twin. don't worry, i will take pics of virtua racing playing on all 3 genesis/nes combo units as soon as i get all three. so far, the gn twin is the only one that has arrived.

patience is a virtue.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:24 pm

I thought the postal service was to blame. Man, I hate it when they take too long.

EDIT MARCH 9: Chev, please don't tell me that the Gen-X hasn't arrived yet. Something's wrong if it takes this long to arrive.

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:45 pm

Ace_1 wrote:I thought the postal service was to blame. Man, I hate it when they take too long.

EDIT MARCH 9: Chev, please don't tell me that the Gen-X hasn't arrived yet. Something's wrong if it takes this long to arrive.

yeah, i finally looked into it today... and apparently, according to fedex, they delivered it to me on the 26th. yeah... i never got it. so now i'm in the process of trying to figure out what to do with the site i bought it from. i gotten the sg/fc dual station tho... it looks cosmetically just like the gen-x. but i haven't had time to fully test it yet. the boards are different then the gn twin. sorry, but it's hard for me to find time lately with the two jobs i have. maybe on wednesday i'll be able to reveiw the gn twin completely and start on the sg/fc dual station.

and as soon as all of this gets resolved and i get my gen-x, i will make sure to do the review asap for it.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:00 pm

All right. As long as the SG/FC and/or the Gen-X work with Virtua Racing, it's good enough for me to ignore the Genesis 3 all together since it looks the same and works better if Virtua Racing works on it. Only problem is that they can't accept original Genesis accessories, which I honestly don't mind too much, since they're 6-button controllers that look like those Majesco included with the Genesis 3, so I'm fine with those.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:39 pm

So, Chev, how are your SG/FC tests coming along? Got to Virtua Racing yet?

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:18 pm

Ace_1 wrote:So, Chev, how are your SG/FC tests coming along? Got to Virtua Racing yet?

i just finished testing the gn twin. i'll have the testing for the sg/fc done by tonight. as in sometime after i get of work at 11 tonight.

lovablechevy · Post by **lovablechevy** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:08 am

Ace_1 wrote:I thought the postal service was to blame. Man, I hate it when they take too long.

EDIT MARCH 9: Chev, please don't tell me that the Gen-X hasn't arrived yet. Something's wrong if it takes this long to arrive.

well, i finally gave up on fed-ex and me getting another shipped to me or me having my money returned... *sigh...*

i just ordered another one off ebay. having it shipped to where i work.

so, as soon as the gen-x gets in, i'll do a write-up on it.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:08 pm

Perfect. I just hope it doesn't act like the SG/FC Dual Action.

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:30 pm

I just got the GN Twin today after my Gen-X took a trip to the dumpster(it broke after I tried to solder a new sound circuit on it). I'd like to add to the compatibility list:

Genesis:

Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II: works, but with serious controller problems(see note 1)
Brett Hull Hockey '95: works
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine: works
Formula One(Domark): loads, but has game-breaking problems(see note 2)
MIG-29 Fighter Pilot: works
Road Rash II: works
Rolling Thunder 3: works
Sonic Spinball: works
Sonic 3D Blast: works
Space Harrier II: works
Steel Talons: works
Super Hang-On: works
Super Thunder Blade: works
Super Monaco GP: works, but with serious controller problems(see note 1)
Thunder Force II: works
Thunder Force IV(Lightening Force): works
Top Gear 2: works

NOTE 1: These games have excessive lag in their controls that render the games unplayable(menu navigation is possible, however, but in-game, don't bother, the controls lag too much)

NOTE 2: This game also suffers from the Super Monaco GP games' control lag, but to a much worse extent. It's so bad that just pressing Start will cause the game to keep registering a Start button input, and crash to a black screen when loading a race.

NES

110-in-1: works
1943: works
31-in-1: works
After Burner(Tengen cart): INCOMPATIBLE - garbage on screen
Al Unser Jr. Turbo Racing: works, but displays graphical garbage during gameplay
Formula 1 Built to Win: works
Gradius(Famicom cart): works
Gradius II(Famicom cart): works
Hogan's Alley: works, but can't use a light gun... yet. I will try to work something out to get a light gun working on the GN Twin(its controllers are modified NES controllers anyways)
Image Fight: works
Jackal: works
Life Force(Salamander): works
MegaMan 2: works
Mike Tyson's PUNCH-OUT!!!: works
Ninja Gaiden: works
Popeye(Famicom cart): works
Rad Racer: works
Rad Racer II: POWER LIGHT GOES CRAZY!(see note)
Soccer: works
Spy Hunter: works
Stealth ATF: works
Super Mario Bros. 2: works
Super Mario Bros. 3: works
Super Sprint(Tengen cart): works
Tetris(Nintendo version): works
Tetris 2: works
The Hunt for Red October: works
The Immortal: works
The Legend of Zelda: works
Tiger-Heli: works
Top Gun: works
Top Gun The Second Mission: works
Vindicators(Tengen cart): works
Zanac: works

NOTE: When you stick Rad Racer II into the NES slot, the LED will struggle to remain illuminated(the hardware is experiencing a complete freakout). I had the impression I was gonna kill my GN Twin just by putting that game in it.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:15 pm

Do they play Genesis / MegaDrive PAL carts or only NTSC?

Ace_1 · Post by **Ace_1** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:43 am

As long as the PAL carts don't check that the console is running in PAL or NTSC, they'll work. You have to rig another switch after the unit to make it alter between PAL and NTSC modes(which I have no idea how to do).

As a side note, the Genesis side can output RGB straight off the TecToy-580G chip used, but I'm lost as to how to pull it off the unit. And if you figure out where RGB comes from and wire it to a Genesis 2/3 A/V output plug(the 9-pin Mini-DIN), you can in turn mix the GN Twin's video layer with that of the 32X(the 32X is compatible with this unit, but its PWM-based audio is absent and the RGB video signal is hiding somewhere on the TecToy-580G).

If there's one thing that really gets to me about the unit is that the sound amplifying/mixing circuit used in the GN Twin is absolute crap, causing the unit to have silent PSG, and FM that's sometimes too loud or strains(speech, a couple of sound channels; look here to see what I mean(the games are running of the Gen-X, but it sounds very similar on the GN Twin): http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=OySLgeOG4fs ). Replacing that garbage with an LM324-based sound circuit like that of the Genesis 3 is the way to get the cleanest/most accurate audio out of the GN Twin and Gen-X(and in turn properly mix in the 32X audio). I just have to draw out a schematic based off the Genesis 3's sound circuitry.

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gn twin - yobo brand gen & nes now with pics