How does Wily Wars do region protection?

[kamiboy]

I've got a Model 1 Genesis and a PAL copy of Wily Wars.

As you might know the game is region protected. The easy and inelegant way to circumvent the protection is to buy a Genie and punch in a long code every time you want to run the game. Well, while the Genie was in the mail I figured why not try something else.

I figured the region protection of Wily wars must have been related to a check on wither the system is running 50 or 60hz. So I just made that well known but badly documented 50/60hz switch mod hoping to trick the game into running, instead of showing a message by starting the system in 50hz, then switching to 60hz after bypassing the startup test.

No such luck though. The switch seems to work as when I flip it the screen shrinks and music slows down for any game running, but even in 50hz mode Wily Wars throws up the old message.

I thought the Model 1 Genesis and Mega Drive were basically identical in hardware save for the connections between the JP3&4, so I was sure the switch would work.

So how does Wily Wars determine the region? Anyone know for sure?

It seems running Wily Wars via a simple hardware mod is out of the question then, is it?

[ZeroAX]

Since it was released in 1995 it has region lock (games up to 1992 didn't have region lock I think)

[Curlypaul]

This is true, but as I have a switched PAL Mega Drive I can attest that all region locked games that I have, I can fool into running by starting the MD with Hz switch set to the one that matches the game.

I'm intrigued as to why this game is different though.

[ZeroAX]

Maybe it's a reproduction cart?

[kamiboy]

This is true, but as I have a switched PAL Mega Drive I can attest that all region locked games that I have I can fool into running by starting the MD withe Hz switch set to the one that matches the game.

I'm intrigued as to why this game is different though.

I suspect something might be amiss with the system and/or my region modding of it.

First off my motherboard does not resemble what I usually see of Model 1 motherboards. The JP solder points are placed somewhere else and there is a capacitor on JP1.

Also, before doing my mod I noticed that there was continuity between all 4 points on JP3 and JP4.

I scraped away traces and solder like mad to remove all semblance of continuity but in the end a connection remained between two facing points. That baffled me somewhat but as a test I soldered the switch in place anyway and true enough it does seem to switch between 50/60hz.

No dice on Wily Wars running though. Maybe due to existing continuity my mod only half works. I will need to do some further tests later, but I am just about at my wits end.

[ZeroAX]

No dice on Wily Wars running though. Maybe due to existing continuity my mod only half works. I will need to do some further tests later, but I am just about at my wits end.

Buy a PAL Mega Drive?

To be honest seeing that ugly Genesis logo on it is blasphemy to us Sega purists

Look at these beautiful designs:

[Curlypaul]

I suspect something might be amiss with the system and/or my region modding of it.

First off my motherboard does not resemble what I usually see of Model 1 motherboards. The JP solder points are placed somewhere else and there is a capacitor on JP1.

Also, before doing my mod I noticed that there was continuity between all 4 points on JP3 and JP4.

There were loads of revisions to the board, and some of them did place the JP points in different places, and I've also seen some with a capacitor on them. Kind of got in the way of soldering a bit.

Its also normal that all the points have continuity - I believe that its the points that have +5V that tells the video encoder to switch modes.

Sounds like you did the mod fine if you can see the picture changing and the sound slowing down though. Hopefully the Game Genie will work. If not, you'll have to buy one of those lovely PAL models

[kamiboy]

Buying another system for the pleasure of playing whole of two games, albeit two gems of the finest water, is a bit much. Besides I already have a CDX, the most beautiful system SEGA ever made, so there is no topping that.

I'll give Wily Wars up for lost until the genie grants my rockman wishes, but the 50hz mod should come in handy for a potential PAL copy of Alien Soldier at least.

But if anyone is privy to how some Genesis games go about their region locking be sure to share, I am a bit curious.

[ninjainspandex]

lol my genesis only has a us/ jpn region switch

[ApolloBoy]

But if anyone is privy to how some Genesis games go about their region locking be sure to share, I am a bit curious.

The region checking is done entirely in software, the game checks the region settings of the console it's running, and if they don't match up with what the game expects, it'll refuse to play.

Are you sure you did the region switch properly? It's fairly well documented at this point so I'm thinking maybe you may have done it halfway. If you did the switch correctly it should pass the lockout. It's the same exact same thing for jumpers JP1 and JP2 when attempting to play region locked Japanese games on a non-Japanese system.