Emmanuel "ElBarto" Vadot's Homepage

Update of Understanding SEGA serial 101 – MegaDrive

ElBarto — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:46:20 +0000

After looking at the games with serials G-5XXX on the sega archive website, I’ve noted that all thoses games use backup ram for saves. I’ve also noted that some games with saves have for serial G-45XX.

I’ve come to the conclusion that all SEGA published games which uses backup ram have for serial either G-5XXX or G- 45XX.
The only thing I’m not sure for now is why there is two serial schemes for sram games (but I think that games who have two ROMs are the G-5XXX ones and games who uses only one ROM the G-45XX, I’ll confirm that or not this weekend probably).

Recent addition in my collection

ElBarto — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:34:23 +0000

It has to be at a non-working day that I receive packages at work … but it’s not really a problen as I live on the same street
I just got a french Sega Pico with the box and a lot of games (I had most of them but loose or without the manual). Now I got all the released french titles complete in box except for Wiinie the Pooh (don’t know if it exists as it was bundle with the console).

I also got my package from japan with four MegaCD, one complete in box and the others three in loose.
I’ve bought them to help me repair my development unit.

Understanding Sega serials 102 – Japanese Third-Party published games

ElBarto — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:49:39 +0000

SEGA published all the software for the pre-MegaDrive era in Japan.

For MegaDrive and next systems SEGA attributed a prefix code to each publisher for their games serial. This code start by T- and is followed by two or three digits.

After that there is the game unique identifier, which is two digits then the console code (digit or letter).

Console code
MegaDrive	3
MegaCD	4
Game Gear	7
32X	A
MegaCD-32X	F
Saturn	G
Dreamcast	M
Pico	0

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts was authorized to build their own cartridges/boxes and thus have their own serials.

They all start by EM200 and they are followed by a two digits unique game identifier.

Victor / JVC

Victor released with their WonderMega (serial RG M1 and RG M2) the “Wonder Library”. The software has a special serial : RG-ED1.

Third Party Publisher Code

I’ve managed to build a list of all (or at least almost) the third party publisher with their code.

Some codes are used by different publisher, and some publisher use different codes don’t ask me why

Sega Third Party Publisher Code

Understanding Sega serials 101 – Japanese SEGA published games

ElBarto — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 04:10:35 +0000

For the 101 I’ve took the easiest part. It’s the easiest because SEGA published all their game serial (see http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/) and all games follows “almost” strict rules.

Part 1 – SG1000/SC3000

Game cartridges serial is G-10XX. G means Game and XX is the software unique identifier.

Card game serial is C- XX. C means Cart and XX is the software unique identifier

Educational cartridges serial is E-1XX. E means Educational and XX is the software unique identifier (the only two software that don’t have serials are 物理(運動と力編) and 物理(エネルギー編)

Basic cartridge serial is B-XX. B means Basic and XX is the software unique identifier.

Part 2 – MarkIII/SMS

Gold cartridges serial is G-13XX.

Silver cartridges serial is S-00X (only two are known).

Card game serial is C-5XX.

Part 3 – Game Gear

Game cartridge serial is G-3XXX.

Part 4 – MegaDrive

Here comes the only tricky part of the serials system, most of the games have a serial in the form of G-4XXX (130 to be exact), but a small amount of games have an G-5XXX serial (37) and Virtua Racing have for serial G-7001 (which can be understandable considering that it’s the only game with Sega SVP chip).

There is no clear relation between those games so I really don’t know why they don’t have an G-4XXX serial.

Part 5 – MegaCD

Game serial is G-6XXX, nothing fancy.

Part 6 – 32X

Game serial is GM- 40XX, except for Virtua Racing Deluxe, Golf Magazine Presents 36 Great Holes Staring Fred Couples and Chaotix which have GM-500X serials.

I assume that the M is for Mars (code name of the 32X). Again no clear relation between game who have G-500X serials, maybe it’s the same for MegaDrive games ?

Part 7 – Saturn

Almost all games have serial GS-9XXX. The S is for Saturn I think.

SegaNet title serial is GS-71XX

Part 8 – Dreamcast

Dreamcast is easy too, all games have for serial HDR-XXXX.

For the 102 we will explore the world of third party publisher, and it is a mess