Any love for the 32X ?

[Ziggy]

Given the history and lack of official support for it, I'm not surprised that there isn't much talk on this forum about it. But is anyone here a fan? Any 32X games that are favorites of yours?

I briefly owned a 32X some years back. I got a good deal for a CIB 32X from someone here. It included everything that came with it new. I messed around with it for a while, but didn't care much for any of the 32X library (at least, not at the time). It sat for a while on my BST thread here. I ended up selling it to someone here for very little. Some like $30-40. Fast forward some years, and now I have a Mega Everdrive flash cart that can play any 32X game, but I no longer have a 32X. And since my tastes in games have widened over the years, I was curious to re-investigate the 32X. But like so many other things, the price of them really jumped. Now I regret letting that CIB copy go for such little money.

I ended up checking out a local retro gaming store today. I took a box of games down to sell/trade. Stuff that isn't worth a whole lot individually, so I didn't care to take the time to try and sell here. Long story short, I got $200 for the lot. I spotted a 32X in the store for $150, so I decided to get it!





The price seems so high to me, but not a bad deal judging from the current going rates on eBay. This is how this store packages consoles, they shrink wrap them with cables/controllers. I noticed it had a Sega brand power adapter, which I'm always happy to see. But the clerk explained to me that it comes with a newly manufactured AV patch cable that carries the power, so you don't need the power adapter. I'll have to double check that this is safe, but it's pretty neat if so.

Any recent mods or homebrew stuff for the 32X to check out?

[pierrot]

I've had a CIB 32X since some time after joining these forums, but I don't remember where I got it from. I actually haven't used it in quite a long time, so I always kind of hope it's still in working order when I think about it (that and the model 2 Sega CD I have).

I remember back in the day there was some discussion on the forums about the quality of the 32X library being very high when looked at as a ratio of the overall size of the library. The only games I've ever owned for it are Chaotix, Mortal Kombat II, Shadow Squadron, Star Wars Arcade, Tempo and Virtua Racing. I got rid of Star Wars Arcade recently, and I was planning on getting rid of Mortal Kombat II, also, mainly because I too have an everdrive. The only one of those games I've actually played through was Chaotix. It gets a lot of shade in some circles, but I really like it. Partly because the music is divine, but it's also pretty fun to just whip through stages. Virtua Racing also has some killer music on the 32X; That's really the only reason I wanted to keep it. That, and it's a Yu Suzuki game. I've played a little bit of Tempo before, and while it seems decent, I've never really been that compelled to stick with it.

Probably the only other game on the console that ever particularly interested me was Kolibri, but I've never really bothered to play it much with the everdrive. Virtua Fighter is also probably best on the 32X, if you actually want to play the original and not Remix. After Burner and Space Harrier are also supposed to be very close to the arcade on 32X, but you can get a flight stick for the Saturn versions, so--.


It's kind of hard to see from the way it's bundled, but it did have the AV pass-through cable with it, right? I sort of remember that being a pain to get if it's missing.

But the clerk explained to me that it comes with a newly manufactured AV patch cable that carries the power, so you don't need the power adapter. I'll have to double check that this is safe, but it's pretty neat if so.

That doesn't sound like something I'd be willing to trust at all--. These days I tend to like just getting a Triad brick with compatible output specs, even though I have original power supplies for almost all of my consoles. I've also had one of the 3-in-1 bricks for powering the entire tower of power for some time, but the couple times I used it that thing got so blazing fucking hot I decided to just go back to using three bricks instead.

[Ziggy]

It's kind of hard to see from the way it's bundled, but it did have the AV pass-through cable with it, right? I sort of remember that being a pain to get if it's missing.

That doesn't sound like something I'd be willing to trust at all--

Yes, it included a new pass through cable, that's the patch cable I refereed to. It's the model 2 style cable. The Genesis multi AV out provides +5v, and normally the 32X pass through / patch cable would NOT carry +5v. But someone got the idea to power the 32X this way, and the clerk told me that I would not need the adapter. But yeah, the more I think about this, the less good it sounds. I did a quick search and didn't find much, I might have to try different terms though. But yeah, the entire 32X would be powered through a tiny pin on the mini-DIN socket (the AV input) and that doesn't sound right. Personally, I have no issue using the multiple wall wart power adapters.

The 32X patch cable provided has molded ends, but I would take some small needle nose pliers and simply break off the +5v pin from the socket, that would make it just like a 32X patch cable should be and then I can use the power adapter like you're suppose to.

I was planning on getting rid of Mortal Kombat II

PM me if you decide to!

In fact, if anyone wants to dump any 32X carts, feel free to PM me.


Back when I (briefly) owned a 32X, the carts were still cheap. I picked up DOOM and Star Wars Arcade. I would have liked to pick up Star Wars Arcade again, but it was like $22 in the store. They also had MKII, but it was $50, and cart only! No way.

Knuckles Chaotix was one of the games that I didn't care about back then, but am curious to try now. It goes for stupid money, so I wont be getting a real cart for it. Kolibri didn't interest me back then either, but seems like something I would enjoy now. But it also goes for stupid money. Really, I wouldn't have cared to get a 32X again if I didn't already own an Everdrive.

That said... Is the 32X worth buying to collect for at today's prices? Figure $150 for the hardware (or more), the common games are no longer cheap and then the better games are expensive.




edit: Just tested my 32X. It can indeed be powered by the patch cable alone, and just about everything seems fine. Except that my 6-button controllers were acting wacky. I'll have to retest with the power adapter. edit: My 6-button controller was working fine. MK2 on 32X strangely defaults to 3-button and you have to switch to 6-button. And Star Wars Arcade has a weird button layout IMO.

Yep, I just Googled it a bit, and there's a few Redit posts of people recommended to break that pin off.

https://www.reddit.com/r/retrogaming/co ... s_have_an/

edit: So I did break that pin off of my patch cable, and powered it with the adapter instead. By all accounts, it seemed to have worked fine when being powered by the patch cable, but I really don't think it's a good idea.

[MrPopo]

The 32x has the best hummingbird-based shooter on the 32x, so that's something in its favor.

[Ziggy]

I see a lot of DOOM improvement hacks, that I mostly ignored until now. Where's Jag? I need a rundown on which DOOM 32X hack to check out!

[Ziggy]

Is it just me, or does the 32X look better on the model 2 Genesis and just doesn't look right on the model 1 Genesis?




It's like the curves and general aesthetics of the 32X were made to go with the model 2 Genesis. Not only does it not match the model 1 as well, but it looks weird since it has the off center cartridge slot.

So here's my retro gaming dilemma, now that I have a 32X again...

My model 2 Genesis is hooked up to my model 2 Sega CD, but that's not what I've been using. My model 1 Genesis is what I have hooked up to my main retro gaming setup right now. I have a Mega Everdrive Pro, and I use it to play SMS and Sega CD games. Now the problem is how to introduce the 32X to my setup. I don't like the way it looks on the model 1 Genesis. So I could swap my model 2 Genesis in. But then the model 1 Genesis looks stupid connected to the model 2 Sega CD.

Another thing... The Everdrive Pro can play SMS and Sega CD games when connected directly to the Genesis. But if you plug it into a 32X, it cannot play SMS or CD games. So I would have to plug in my 32X to play 32X games, then disconnect it any time I want to play SMS or Sega CD games. I don't want to fiddle around with the AV cables to swap the 32X in and out. Aside from putting wear and tear on the AV jacks (they're not meant to be constantly plugged/unplugged and will lose strength) I'm much too lazy to be doing that. I'm at the point where I just want things set up and ready to go.

So that said, I think I need to have two Genesis setups going forward. A model 2 for my 32X to be permanently attached to, and my model 1 so I can continue to use it for SMS and CD games.

What do you guys do? Does anyone here have two Genesis set up? Maybe one for a 32X and another with a Power Base Converter?

[o.pwuaioc]

Honestly, it doesn't look good with either, but it definitely looks better with the model 2.

I haven't changed my opinion of the 32X in ten years, but I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I won't say much more about it than that. I do still have my Doom PC discs. I should bust that out again. It's been since COVID.

Speaking of which, it's been half a decade since COVID.

I do not like that.

[pierrot]

Yes, it included a new pass through cable, that's the patch cable I refereed to. It's the model 2 style cable. The Genesis multi AV out provides +5v, and normally the 32X pass through / patch cable would NOT carry +5v. But someone got the idea to power the 32X this way, and the clerk told me that I would not need the adapter. But yeah, the more I think about this, the less good it sounds. I did a quick search and didn't find much, I might have to try different terms though. But yeah, the entire 32X would be powered through a tiny pin on the mini-DIN socket (the AV input) and that doesn't sound right. Personally, I have no issue using the multiple wall wart power adapters.

The 32X patch cable provided has molded ends, but I would take some small needle nose pliers and simply break off the +5v pin from the socket, that would make it just like a 32X patch cable should be and then I can use the power adapter like you're suppose to.

Oh, I see what you were getting at now. In that case, I definitely wouldn't do that with an original power supply. I don't know what the exact load profiles are for the consoles, but it probably technically 'works' because they would've most likely been designed to tolerate 2x full-load conditions. The Triad switch mode adapters are easily gotten with 2A output spec, but I'd still probably have to look at the 5V supply spec and the bus on the 32X before I felt much comfort with it.

I was planning on getting rid of Mortal Kombat II

PM me if you decide to!

Oh, I am in fact intending to, but it's CIB. I don't know if that's really what your were looking for, but I can PM pics of it.

Really, I wouldn't have cared to get a 32X again if I didn't already own an Everdrive.

That said... Is the 32X worth buying to collect for at today's prices? Figure $150 for the hardware (or more), the common games are no longer cheap and then the better games are expensive.

I would say "no," personally. Just for the hardware, if one already has an everdrive for the games, then sure, maybe; It's a pretty neat novelty with some fun to be had, but otherwise the costs of the software aren't really justified outside of scarcity, I guess.

I haven't changed my opinion of the 32X in ten years, but I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I won't say much more about it than that.

Mmm, yeah, pretty much. I do actually like Chaotix quite a bit, though; Probably more than Tempo.

Speaking of which, it's been half a decade since COVID.

I do not like that.

Half a decade since the start of COVID. (That thing f-ed with all time and reality, though.)

[o.pwuaioc]

I haven't changed my opinion of the 32X in ten years, but I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I won't say much more about it than that.

Mmm, yeah, pretty much. I do actually like Chaotix quite a bit, though; Probably more than Tempo.

Maybe it's because I was expecting another Sonic game, and it wasn't the same at all. That might be why I didn't take to it.

Speaking of which, it's been half a decade since COVID.

I do not like that.

Half a decade since the start of COVID. (That thing f-ed with all time and reality, though.)

Ugh, tell me about it. Shots, tests, shots, tests... Not only has it not gone away, but it really has altered time. So much changed during that time personally, and of course internationally, so that the beginning of COVID really feels like just yesterday.

Or maybe I'm just old now...

[Ziggy]

Oh, I see what you were getting at now. In that case, I definitely wouldn't do that with an original power supply. I don't know what the exact load profiles are for the consoles, but it probably technically 'works' because they would've most likely been designed to tolerate 2x full-load conditions. The Triad switch mode adapters are easily gotten with 2A output spec, but I'd still probably have to look at the 5V supply spec and the bus on the 32X before I felt much comfort with it.

It's not that you can't power the 32X that way. I wouldn't be worried about straining the Genesis AC/DC adapter, but possibly the +5V Genesis power rail. But my real concern is that the entire 32X is being powered by a single mini-DIN pin. So you would want to check that the entire load of the 32X does exceed the current rating of a mini-DIN pin. Also, the patch cable itself, that conductor would have to be a large enough gauge to carry that load. Which I'm sure the cheap Chinese cable has very thin conductors. I would also want to double check that the load of the 32X doesn't exceed what the Genesis can handle, but I'm more concerned about the patch cable and mini-DIN socket.

That said, I'm not even gonna bother checking those things. I have official Sega power bricks, and I really don't mind using them.

But just on that note... Years ago someone came up with the idea to power the Sega CD off of the Genesis, so that you just need the one power adapter for the Genesis. The Sega CD gets powered by the expansion slot. People have said there should be zero issue doing this. But again, I have no issue using multiple adapters.

Oh, I am in fact intending to, but it's CIB. I don't know if that's really what your were looking for, but I can PM pics of it.

Hmm... It's a cardboard box, right? I guess PM me and we can figure it out.

Maybe it's because I was expecting another Sonic game, and it wasn't the same at all. That might be why I didn't take to it.

I think I felt the same way. My brain wanted Sonic 4 and my reaction was "what is this shit?"

But I've been able to appreciate more as I get older. Maybe I'm less stubborn or something. Instead of looking at Knuckles Chaotix for what it isn't, I can now look at it for what it is and try and appreciate that. I guess you can say I'll look at it in a new light.

Take Star Wars Arcade, for example. Back when I briefly owned a 32X, I played this game for just a minute and thought "Pffft, this game sucks" and never played it again. But now I look at it and think it's pretty neat, at least for what it is.

I haven't changed my opinion of the 32X in ten years, but I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I won't say much more about it than that.

I'm not going to lie, owning the 32X is mostly a novelty for me. It's mostly due to the fact that I now have a flash cart that can play every 32X game. But since the prices went up on the hardware, I wasn't about to get one again. The only reason I got one is because it was in trade, so I sorta feel like I got it for free. But yeah, I'm a bit of a hardware nut. I like collecting hardware, and not just games.

Honestly, it doesn't look good with either, but it definitely looks better with the model 2.

It's so true!

Or maybe I'm just old now...

5 years, yeah that just seems crazy. The fork in the road that it caused me really messed my brain up, and subconsciously I've sorta been stuck in 2020. Like, my brain understood the year but not really how much time has past since my pre-COVID life. It's only just now that I'm starting to wrap my head around being sorta frozen in time. But it is crazy to think how much time has passed.

So much changed during that time personally, and of course internationally

Yeah. I realized recently that often in conversation I refer to things or events as "pre-COVID" and "post-COVID."