MegaDrive EverDrive Questions.

[Gouldin]

Few questions as I'm a curious fellow and realised that a flash cart is probably cheaper than obtaining a copy of Knuckles Chaotix :dry:

Is the Everdrive the best flash cart? If not, what else is comparable?

Any recommended retailers to get one from? As a lot of dodgy sites appear when searching to buy backup carts.

Any compatibility issues with games from them?#


And last but not least. How does it work? Is it similar in use to say a DS Flash Cart with just a nice big list of roms? Or do you have to select a single file to be put into memory and change it each time?

As you can tell, never gone near a flash cart for the home consoles. :help:

 

[scrappysphinx]

Here's some specs that might help.

http://krikzz.com/everdrive-md.html

 

[BrooksterMax]

I have said device and run it with a similar setup to you from your signature (MCDII,MDII and 32x) and will try and shed some light for you! Although I may be using the device in the wrong way for the last question I only really starting using it this weekend.

Is the Everdrive the best flash cart? If not, what else is comparable?

Have not tried any others, I like the Everdrive MD because it takes SD cards, so easy to bung teh r0ms on it no idea if others behave better or what else is available.

Any recommended retailers to get one from? As a lot of dodgy sites appear when searching to buy backup carts.

Got mine from a group buy, not sure how that was acheived. I have seen it for sale on Stone Age Gamer which where I almost ordered mine before the group buy. The one I have is naked, so you need to case it.

Watch out for clones - having spoken to zeets and r0jaws I understand that clones from China are appearing.

Any compatibility issues with games from them?

On my setup (PAL only, no mods - yet) everything I have thrown at it plays. I understand Virtua Racing is no a go (presumbably because of the SVP chip). However 32x games, Jap, EU and US r0ms on it work

And last but not least. How does it work?

SD card gets loaded up with teh r0Ms on your PC, bear in mind FAT32(I think 32 or 16) limitations so only so many files can go in a directory. So split folders like A-C and 32x games.

Stick SD card in Everdrive and plug into MD.

Switch on MD, select game from folder and game gets loaded into RAM.

Pressing reset button on MD only reset games and does not bring you back to the Everdrive game select menu.

Overall - top item and I have not tried the MCD bios thing yet - I love my original MCD games and have not got any imports yet to test.

Good luck with it all, hope some of that helps.

 

[Gouldin]

Hmmm, sounds very tempting indeed, not fussed about Virtua Racing, got a proper 32x cart of that anyways. So really, other than buying a crappy game off of ebay and gutting, there's no downsides. Cool stuff, gonna have a browse around later tonight and see if anywhere has stock (Not likely, but one can hope)

Glad it works with nicely with an identical setup to mine. (I'm used to going and buying things, only to then be told "You bought the wrong one, you wanted this one instead for your retro needs")

 

[slk486]

Have been using the Everdrive for a while now and have nothing but praise for it. Can't compare to any others, but I feel the general consensus is, it's the best.

Got mine from http://warnersretrocorner.com/ in the uk. Very reliable in my experience.

Region free Mega-CD FTW

There's a new version in the works, so you may want to wait a bit.

 

[Gouldin]

Any news on what would be different? How long would the wait be? If everyones already with the current one, my patience may give in to desire to own one

 

[-Acid-]

I bought mine direct from Krikzz in the Ukraine (interesting stamps). It indeed uses SD cards, you simply format it fat32 and put as many roms on as you like (I've got them all on a 2gb card). When you put the cart in and switch on you get a file browser to select the game you want, if it's different from the last game you played it will flash the roms in about 20 seconds then start as if it's the real cart. If you just press start to go past the menu it loads up the game you previously flashed in instantly.

I would recommend buying from Krizz that way you are not dealing with a middle man and more importantly you get the lastest versions of the board/firmware etc and it wont be a cheap Chinese knockoff.

I've not used another flash cart (cept in the DS) but would recommend them to anyone, I have the snes and n64 versions too.

Oh yes it play's 32x rom (assuming you have a 32x) and it also plays master system roms I think.

Buy it from here: http://shop.retrogate.com/Everdrive-MD-EDMD.htm

 

[slk486]

I'll look up a link when I get to a pc. Afair it should be out in the first quarter. Bigger flash capacity i believe is one thing, dont remember the rest If you just want the bare pcb then get it from krizz by all means. If you want a cover, cart, and labels, you'll have to shop elsewhere.


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[-Acid-]

If you just want the bare pcb then get it from krizz by all means. If you want a cover, cart, and labels, you'll have to shop elsewhere.

Ye i forgot to mention that, he only supplies pcb's but does do shells for snes and n64 (which is why I forgot).

 

[Gouldin]

I already have a Gamebit screwdriver (Needle nose pliers ) and a dremel, so modding a cartridge shouldn't be much of a hassle.

Bigger flash... If it already plays 99% of games, I presume that this would be just to help with some 32x games?

 

[moggsie]

Have been using the Everdrive for a while now and have nothing but praise for it. Can't compare to any others, but I feel the general consensus is, it's the best.

Got mine from http://warnersretrocorner.com/ in the uk. Very reliable in my experience.

Region free Mega-CD FTW

There's a new version in the works, so you may want to wait a bit.

I would not recommend this seller as I bought an Everdrive from this "company" and it never turned up. When I informed the seller of this they weren't interested in helping and just kept fobbing me off with lame excuses. Absolutely crap.

 

[-Acid-]

His newer versions seem to focus on using differnent ram to flash the games much faster etc. He details what he is doing over on this forum:

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=89

 

[Gouldin]

Cool, will check the forum out at work tomorrow.

I noticed gp2x.de sell them. I'll be buying from there I think, bought a few consoles from there before and they're awesome. (Did me a favour of loading an SD card up with roms when I ordered as my hard drive with roms died after I ordered it)

 

[slk486]

Theres always someone whos had a bad experience. Just see aero yeah faster flash ram, that was one

Afair I read about it on stoneage forums.


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[jimbob005]

Don't work on the genesis 3 with out modding it and master system games don't work if it's pluged in to the 32x this is the only 2 things iv found with my one

 

[Gouldin]

Thankfully I'm rocking a MD2 and not interested in the Master System games tbh, 8bit games just don't seem to hold my attention for long these days whereas I can still play 16bit for ages and get really immersed in them still.

 

[Powerpie5000]

Will this work with MD clones such as the Retron 3 or Blaze Mega Drive etc..?

 

[slk486]

Will this work with MD clones such as the Retron 3 or Blaze Mega Drive etc..?

It should, since it's "just another MD cart", but I can't back that up with experience. The timing can be off on the clones (and the MD3), so use the MD3 setting on the everdrive.