How to Collect for Sega Genesis - Retro Bird 

How to collect SEGA Genesis games: Go back to 2011 where everything except MUSHA and Crusader of Centy cost $20 complete max

Model 1 for the win! Must be high def graphics marketing!

This channel deserves more attention. Very funny and educational, right up there with AVGN and Jontron.

Buy it that’s how!

Must Have from My personal Collection : Ex-Mutants Generations Lost Phantom 2040 ( A SuperMetroid "clone") soooooooo good

You should do an entire episode on the white dot on your CRT, give the fans what they want!

Between you and Sega lord x, my Sega fix has been satiated on a near weekly basis. Keep em coming!!

I'm surprised this video wasn't an hour long. The genesis / mega drive deserves that much attention.

Here are some other must haves: Golden Axe Series Ranger X Alien Storm

That's going to be my new answer for everything in life "Boom Sega Genesis"😂😂😂

I remember liking a game called Generations Lost, fairly short but pretty interesting action platformer game with a futuristic alien environment that was reminiscent of sci fi comics of the era. Not many people ever talk about it.

Lol @ 1:23 , that is so true. I bet the majority of people with a Genesis back in the day just hooked it up through an RF connection and didn't think twice about it.

I never had a Genesis back in the day so I didn't start collecting the games until much later. I did however play them at my cousin's house and was always partial to the arcade ports. To this day Ghouls 'n Ghosts & Strider hold up as some of my favorite games on the system.

Thanks to you I’ve just bought my first Megadrive.

I had a Nomad late in it’s life. You could still find those at a Game Stop even though the Game Boy Color was fresh, new and readily available. I needed my portable Streets of Rage 2, Samurai Shodown, Super Street Fighter 2, Sonic 3, Gunstar Heroes, Weapon Lord and Strider! Great Stuff, as always!

Great brother. Thank you for putting a smile on my face. keep up the good work

I bought a JVC X eye, I am in Genesis heaven. I always wanted to play Quack shot and its so much fun. Loving your channel. Keep up the great work 🎉🥳🤓

Ive been watching your videos for about a month and I love them! You've been answering every question I've had about retro gaming. Hope your channel blows up soon since you're incredibly underrated! Cheers!

Keep up the great work. By far one of my favorite channels. Another home run with this one.

Stumbled upon your channel by accident and instantly subscribed awsome content keep up the good work my man Cheers and beers from Belgium

Awesome video, man! This is a perfect starting guide for anyone looking to get into collecting for Sega Genesis

Your videos are fantastic, I've been having a blast watching

I've been waiting for this video!

Dude, you make me miss the 90’s. And thanks for making a video about collecting for the Genesis without making it a “hidden gems” video.

I recently obtained a Genesis Model 2, VA4 board. I had the model 2 growing up, the first game I ever beat was Earthworm Jim 2, three days of hell...la fun (my pops almost tossed my whole kit) had to get it back to the rental store. I'm only collecting only a hand full of games, I think I have like 6 or 7 games to go before I have all I want for the system. So much fun...oh and now I want the 6 button arcade stick that I was today years old when I found out it existed.

I had a friend growing up that lived in town and was able to get Sega channel for his Genesis. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, hell I still think that is a cool idea, it was certainly well ahead of its time, at least here in north America

The Sega on the toilet cracked me up, haha.

We need a Sega Genesis cereal 🥣

Excellent video 👍

I grew up on SNES, but I have owned a Genesis off-and-on since 2002 (when I was in Middle School) and I really love the console…Soo many great games across all genres….Some of my favorite games are: Sonic 1-3 and Knuckles Streets of Rage 1 and 2 Mortal Kombat I and II Battletoads and Double Dragon NBA Jam NBA Jam Tournament Edition NBA Hangtime X-Men 2 - Clone Wars Street Fighter II Special Championship Edition Robocop vs The Terminator NFL 94 featuring Joe Montana Madden 92-98 Lakers vs Celtics Comix Zone Sports Talk Baseball World Series Baseball …And many more

Perfect timing. Just added the mega drive to my collection. My mum n dad wouldn't let me have a mega drive so I had the master system 2 growing up. Now I'm in the market for a master system converter so I can get R-Type as soon as possible.

as someone who began game collecting with the N64, just having the cartidge feels right

I got into the Genesis around 2005 and became my fav console ever. First game I got was Streets of Rage 2 so that was a damn good start. Learned a lot via emulation so I think I didn't missed lots of gems. Only a handful of games got recognition back then but now those "hidden gems" are some of the most sought after titles for the console. Love the fact that is more focused on arcade-like games, after all the console is based on an arcade board (specs and all) and the FM sound screams arcade.

You are tempting me!!!

10:14 more respect than my brother catching me take a shit

very good video on the genesis. I'm glad I collected when the prices werent super high as they are now and wasn't looked after as much as the snes. Also the fact I don't really see alot of genesis in my retro game stores as much as the nes or snes which is a shame as it's an amazing system for sure!

My local game store had a loose Sonic 2 cart for $19.99; and then a boxed one with manual in perfect condition for $22.99. I had to go with the boxes one at that point lol.

that retro bird song is hot fire

Great video Retro Bird. As collecting for the Genesis can be pricey, the Genesis Mini is a great option for those getting started. My favorite of the mini consoles, it’s a neat collectible, it gives such value looking at price per game, includes so many of the best games, is easily hacked if you’re into that and unlike the nes, snes and turbo 16 is easily available and never shot up in price.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the cardboard cases that came out later in the life of the Genesis. I have them for some games, but I been planning on getting most of those expensive games cart+manual only and then buying an aftermarket case/artwork.

I loved my SEGA channel. Try before you buy at home

For another rabbit-hole to fall into, grab a Power Base Converter and get into the madness of the Master System library.

Best console of all time

Had a very hefty sega genesis collection growing up....was my very first system but since I've moved to hawaii I started a new Collection leaving my original collection with my brother

A loose cart is the way to go for collecting if you just want to play the games at an affordable price. Model 1 FTW! Prices are rising but still a lot more affordable than SNES overall.

I love all genesis/mega drive stuff this is my fave system of all time. When I was a kid I had mega drive 2. As for a model 2 bad sound I kinda like it... it reminds me a distortion pedal for guitars. So in my opinion model 2 sounds more metal

I'd go with the Power Base Converter. This was a strong selling point back in the day. Not that a lot of people had a SMS, but backwards compatibility even through an add on is great. I remember a newscast back then where parents refused to buy a SNES because they figured their kids already had an NES and several games. And SMS carts, especially loose, are extremely durable and generally very cheap, or at least they were. And there were many good titles that were in some ways better than classic NES titles, based on who you ask. A must is Phantasy Star.

I had both a SNES and Genesis back in the early 90's. Nintendo was easy to find good game for. If it was Nintendo Square Capcom or Konami you knew chances are it was going to be a good game. I had a hard time finding good Genesis games. I was weary about spending my hard earned money on Contra for the Genesis. I thought it may have been a cash grab title. I didn't know about Gunstar Heroes or a lot of good Genesis games until RU-vid. Back around 2008 is when I started buying up Genesis games. I have close to 50 of them now. I missed out on a lot of good games when I was a teen. Most recent genesis game I bought was Judge Dredd.

I'm a big fan of you retro bird.

Believe it or not, I just started collecting Sega Genesis. I buy loose carts because I only want to play these games with a nice collection to choose from. I look for cheap hidden gems which can be found like "Jewel." Being a Nintendo collection all my life I was happy to discover some great titles on the Genesis.

honestly I would love to collect for the genesis, but going online makes it tough to get a good price and all the second hand stores around me only have a couple sports games, and that's it. At least it makes it all the more exciting when i do find something nice once in a while ;)

Great vid, I'm a little biased but more Sega content is always a good thing. At first I thought you were going give the Genesis collecting keys away, then I realized like everyone else that best way to collect for the Genesis is to find a Tardis 😅. I've been down w/the Genesis since '89, it's shame I got back into collecting for it right when prices jumped. Is what it is I guess, I still grab stuff when I...though I can't bring myself to go cart only. Anyways, I've rambled enough 😅. Far as Genesis hardware goes, the Teradrive was a real oddity as is the Laseractive MD/Genesis module.

I always held out to get the 6 button controller and joystick. The price where I am is $60 + for a 6 button joystick. I got lucky and got them both for $40 as a set. If you wait long enough you will find a deal, my advice.

I guess the sound things can be complex, my genesis model 2 sounded fantastic, but it still did that weird thing where Hellfire’s music played slow

Finally, someone who understands the D-pad on the Genesis. I think the Sega Genesis D-pad is my favorite D-pad. And it only got better on the 6 button controller. If you gave me a choice between Street Fighter 2 on the SNES or Genesis with the 3 button controller, I would still choose the Genesis version because of the D-pad. Ryu and Ken's hadouken and dragon punch were so much easier to pull off on the Genesis. But regardless of the game, the smoothness of the D-pad was a big advantage Sega had over Nintendo in the console war showdown. Although, I feel like that's the minority opinion. I just never understood why so many people loved the SNES d-pad over the Genesis.

Best. Console. EVER!!!

The only Megadrive/Genesis add on I think people should really go after is the Master System Converter two good libraries 1 console.

The bad-sounding model 1 is the VA7 which can't be case-swapped with the earlier revisions as the port layout is different. The "high definition graphics" marking is one way to tell the earlier revs. Other way to tell is the port layout--the earlier revs will either actually have the EXT port, or a blank spot where it would have been. They also have the power jack almost all the way to the edge while the VA7 is a bit inboard. The very late revision model 2s also have good sound, but they're far less common on the second-hand market and unless you're shopping in person you're very likely to end up with the VA0-VA1.8 which have bad sound. The good-sounding model 2s are the ones with the 3/4 width mainboard--which you can tell by looking through the vents on the bottom. If the RF shield completely covers the vents, it's the full-width mainboard. If it's only partially covering the vents, it's a 3/4. The VA0-VA1.8 model 2s, however, are the ones with the best mod support, and have fairly clear RGB output from the factory, so if you *are* willing to mod your genesis, they're actually the best choice. The genesis 3 also has good sound, but mono-only, and has a lot of drawbacks that would probably make it not a good choice unless you're willing to mod (and don't care about the sega CD). The 32X won't work on a stock genesis 3, and only some revisions of it can be modded. Virtua Racing also doesn't work, and it lacks the expansion slot that's required to use a sega CD.

I enjoyed this episode 👍 My Sega model 1 HD currently not working right, it has graphic and sound issues. I'm hoping someday to find someone who can take a look at it and maybe fix it. Since my Sega model 1 HD is out of commission, I bought Sega model 2 that's been playing like a champ.

I just purchased a Mega Drive 2 weeks ago after all this time. Being a Nintendo kid back in the day closed my young impressionable mind to all things Sega. Now all I need is to take out a huge loan to buy a Pal Sega Saturn and I'll be a complete Sega console owner ha ha

The tower of power will always be cool for no reason besides the title

It's really important to get a quality regulated power supply for your Genesis. While any console is susceptible to video noise caused by dirty power, my experience has been the Genesis is even more sensitive. There are some cheap knockoff Genesis supplies floating around... don't waste your time, you'll probably end up with snow streaks in your picture. Feed it clean power, and you'll get amazingly crisp video... Assuming you don't have other issues like dry capacitors or loose cable connections.

I think most RENOVATION Products games on the GENESIS are quite interesting but too obscure, my fav game of them it's GRANADA

I have a model 2, but I also want to add a model 1 and a Nomad to my collection! I like the aesthetics and design of model 1 the best. But I want to attach a 32x to my model 2, since I think it makes it look uglier, and I would rather do that to a model 2 that I think doesn’t look as nice anyway. So I’ll keep my model 2 for that purpose.

I personally prefer buying the Sega Mini for the games, and playing them on the Mega SG through the SD card slot, or the Everdrive in the cartridge slot.

Personally I love collecting for my Sega genesis & it's add ons the Sega cd & 32x. Most of the games on the Sega cd & 32x were perhaps underwhelming in their time but nowadays I don't think that stuff matters anymore. To answer the question of the video I think the Sega Channel is to me the most fascinating accessory for the Sega genesis. I prefer physical games but I do think it's pretty cool back in the early 90s Sega had an online subscription service that allowed gamers to play games like other gaming services. I guess some things haven't changed, have they? Lol.

If you love Genesis or really want to take it up a notch people should check out the Analogue Mega SG. Play Genesis games in HD without the emulation.

I didn't know this for a long time but the adapter MK 2103 will work with the cdx, but is not intended to use with it. The MK 4122 is the correct one but...its usually veryyyyy expensive. Even though I own a cdx, the model 1 is hooked up to my Trinitron. 😋. And yes I do like the sound of the sound chip of my model 1. It sounds great with Streets of Rage 2!

I only owned a Model 2 Genesis as a kid, but most of my childhood friends owned the Model 1. I had no idea the Model 1 had superior sound. I guess I just never noticed it when I played my Model 2. Though, I have heard that you just want to steer clear of the Model 3 Genesis as Sega cut a lot of corners with its build quality.

Sega Genesis is my favorite

ToeJam and Earl is a game for two players that the Genesis has that SNES doesn't, similar to how SNES has Capcom's Goof Troop that Genesis doesn't have. Both are great Co-op games that provide hours of fun, even if Goof Troop is a little short. Both consoles got TMNT but in it's own form, and both got Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Got a Genesis? Then Streets of Rage trilogy is for you. What about SNES? Well the first Final Fight isn't two players, but the sequels are. Honestly, you're good either way and it's even better when you have both. Just be sure to have two 6 button controllers for Genesis so your partner doesn't accuse you of using the "good controller".

Best advice, collect loose castigues!

The first game I ever played was sonic on sega genesis in the 90s

I always found it weird that people complain about the TMSS 4-second wait, when a modern sleeping game console starts up in 10 seconds. Also, you should mention that people can bypass any sound limitation of each model of the Sega Genesis, when a Sega Triple Bypass is installed/soldered.

That would have to be the Megatron that transforms into a Sega Genesis.

I think the bad rap that Mega Drive/Genesis sound gets was due to the GEMS sound system. GEMS was a popular sound engine that some developers chose to use for its ease of use compared to the usual way of getting music and sound out of the Mega Drive. However, this also meant that alot of less talented indiviuals were able to fart out something with little effort. This usually sounded horrible because the GEMS sound enginge was known for very harsh, shill sound and limited variety of sounds. Some devs were able to get good sound out of gems Comix Zone is one that come's to mind. People with a good brain for music and programming were better off not using gems and eeking oujt the true power of the Yamaha YM2612.

Ms. Pac Man by Tengen requires you to hold that mode button on the controller when you turn it on if you are using a 6 button one. Otherwise the D-pad will not work properly. I have no idea why since most games that came out in the 3 button era work fine on it with a 6 button controller. There's also games that benefit from a 6 button controller, not just fighters either.

Very comprehensive. I was waiting to jump in with an "uhmm actually" but I think you nailed it RB. I just open up my HD model to confirm it but I also have like 9 genesis consoles sitting around not even hooked up incase my main one dies. Also...... I got the model 1 in addition to the super sound revision that it fits the power base converter.

You see what he did . No one on earth was thinking of the difference in models . Now models like that will go up now . But a course what did I do right.

First thing, I have no idea what the Power Base Converter does or why you'd want one. Second thing, I got a sweet 4 player adapter for my SG and I even have a game to use it with: Mutant League Hockey. If only I had 3 friends that had any interest in playing it. Third thing, Sega Genesis is the easiest Sega console to collect for. Widest variety of games and largest number produced. I'd say for most collectors to just forget about the 32x and the Sega CD because the Genesis typically had better games that are easier to come by and for cheaper. Why spend $900 on Spider-Man Web Of Fire for 32x when you can get 5 other Spider-Man games for the Genesis at a combined total of less than a fifth the cost? When it comes to "retro game collecting" it really is hard to beat the SG.

I have the 6-button arcade stick but the stick itself broke a couple of years ago so I'm stuck playing on the 6-button pad.

I've got no interest in amassing a huge games collection just for the sake of it. The only games I would like to get my hands on to have are the ones that actually mean something to me, that I either owned or played and enjoyed and have good memories of - that's probably around 20 games at the most.

Im not a klepto by any means But id have to jack the sega megajet if i had it on a flight Somebody had to have. I bet he/she was happy

Rgb scart on genesis looks great

I never had a Sega Genesis. But I did play it at friends houses and I remember just hating the controller. You had really large buttons and you had to move your thumb around to get to all three and I frequently had to look down at the buttons. And I hated the D-pad. I didn't like how it was round vs. just a cross, and I just didn't like how you could rock the thing in 360*. As I couldn't be precise with it and I found it hard to quickly go left to right, etc. because the d-pad would go off at an angle and thus I'm going upward instead of just to the left. I really liked it when I could play some Genesis games on the Nintendo virtual console or emulating through the computer. As I could use a regular d-pad. And when emulating on the computer, I use my SNES controller. And if you are playing a game that requires the use of the C button, you can just map that to the upper right shoulder button depending on if you don't have to do a lot of button smashing with it.

How to collect genesis. Go to eBay. But then cheap. I find genesis extremely rare to find in the wild over snes

The weirdest doodad for the Genesis that I have is probably a boxed Japanese Sega Mega Modem. One US game works with it (Cyberball) if you happen to have two players with their own Genesis, modem, copy of Cyberball, and non-broadband dial-up... but I had to give my brother a Jaguar and a copy of Doom just so we could JagLink. I'm not buying him a Mega Modem setup and changing phone service just to see if Cyberball will work. Maybe if I was gonna do the Saturn Netlink with Virtual on... no. Not buying a second setup of that either. I ended up with the modem when I bought someone's entire Mega Drive collection for an absurdly low price many, many years ago. I'm not sure why I keep it. I doubt I'll ever use it.

While prices of Genesis games have gone up since the pandemic, they haven’t exploded like NES and SNES. I’m guessing that Genesis games won’t prove to be financial “investments” like Nintendo games (some gamers do look at their collections partly that way), but you can get the top games in the Sega library for WAY less than the most collectible SNES games. Another factor to consider if you look at Genesis games as collectibles in addition to playables: the carts feature the flimsiest labels of the era. You’ll pay a premium for a mint/near mint cartridge because they are relatively rare. I’ve seen online offerings where half or more of the listings for a game have badly worn or ripped labels. Often the mangled ones are insanely cheap.

My uncle gave me his Sega Genesis and Sega CD. Both are model 1 and work without problems. I've got another Model 1 that won't open its tray.

Step 1: Buy a Genesis. Step 2: Buy Mega Everdrive Pro. Step 3: Load Mega Everdrive Pro with roms. Step 4: Enjoy playing every Genesis game ever made, 32X games, Sega CD games, Master System, and NES games all on real hardware with a real cartridge. Alternate option: easily mod one of the mini consoles (NES, SNES, Genesis) to play everything from the 90s and prior.

I love the SEGA Geniuses

Recently, I got a copy of Forgotten Worlds for Sega Genesis and it kept glitching. I changed the controller from a 6-button to a 3-button and it stopped glitching. Ever run into this incompatibility?

You sound like Owen Wilson more than once in this video. Wow.

I think the sega channel was a great little device that was way ahead of it's time for the genesis. Still have the sega now its just completely useless in 2021

lol I was playing a model 1 non TMSS forever and I thought all genesis were the same. I honestly don't think I've ever played any of the other models.

I have a Mega Everdrive Pro but it doesn't work on my atgames portable Genesis so that gives me an excuse to still get Genesis games if I want to play them on the go.

Wow, I didn’t know about the sound quality difference on a model 1. I’ve always played my genesis games on either my CDX or my genesis model 3. How do those two compare to the original?

Great video for a Great System. The only problem is I'm selfish and it was for a long time the best kept secret in retro gaming but given the increase prices it seems people are discovering it more and more frequently. So thanks for nothing! Just kidding keep up the great work.

The Sega cases were genius, they stand the test of time and look awesome. Sega got to big for themselves instead of doing their own thing they competed against Nintendo. It’s a shame the Saturn and Dreamcast are also epic consoles.

Sega cd games in the original cases