Getting my second Sega Console, any reccomendations?

[BoringSupreez]

So I guess Genesis it is. What model should I get? I'm looking at Model 2.

Get a model 1. I love the headphone jack.

[brandman]

Get a model 1. I love the headphone jack.

That's the one thing that should be on more consoles. It is really cool to me, and a pretty good convenience. It's a shame that it's neglected and only available on handhelds. Then again, TV's now a days are farther away from the viewer than back when CRT's were the norm.

Anyways what setup do you have? How far away from the tv are you, what kind of tv, what other consoles do you have, what is your budget, etc. Another member posted a link to a thread that could be of use as well. Be sure to take a look at that as well.

[aaron]

honestly, i have a genesis 3, and it looks and sounds great on an LCD TV, mono be damned.

[Cody_D165]

Don't go for the model 3 if you ever plan on pickup up a Sega CD or 32x, Model 3 won't support either. I like the model 2 but it's all preference.

[Gunstar Green]

Wait, your username and signature are littered with pokemon, a 2nd party franchise for Nintendo, and you want your first pre 6th generation console to be a Sega one?

Why not just get an N64 instead, get some good pokemon spin offs and some of arguably the best games ever made.

Why not? because he's the coolest kid in school obviously. You should reward behavior such as his.

Anyway as to which Genesis to buy the simple rule to follow is that the Genesis got progressively worse with each hardware revision. Some revisions of the Genesis 2 do have slightly cleaner video but at the cost of much worse sound. The Genesis 3 an alright space saver but has a few incompatibilities (No 32X, Power Base converter, Game Genie, Sega CD and even a few games). A lot of people prefer the Genesis 2 if they're looking to get the 32X and Sega CD since the model 1 Sega CD has become pretty hard to find in working order and many people prefer the model 2's aesthetics with all the addons better than the model 1. The 32X to Model 1 video cable can also be difficult to find.

If you're only going to be playing Genesis games though I highly recommend a model 1. Barring that a model 2 is fine if sound isn't a big concern and you want a slightly smaller system. A model 3 is cute and so small it's almost portable but it's the worst of the bunch.

The earliest Genesis 1's with the "High Definition Graphics" written on them are the most desirable and have the best sound (there's also the oldest, hardest to find, ones that don't have copy protection called non-TMSS models but that's probably not going to be terribly important for you). Most of the later post "HD Graphics" Genesis 1's are fine too excepting the final VA7 motherboard revision which has sound that's just as bad, if not worse, than that of the Genesis 2's. Not all model 2's are created equal either with some having better sound and video than others but sound wise they're all inferior to the non-VA7 model 1's.

Below is probably the most comprehensive guide to telling the good Genesis consoles from the bad ones though it's hard to do that if you're shopping online since you have to look at some very minor details.

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread ... m-bad-ones

[samsonlonghair]

Muffin, don't sweat the details. This is simpler than it seems.

Forget the complicated stuff.
Forget "ultimate collections".
Forget revision numbers.
Forget motherboards.
Forget sound cards.
Let's keep it simple.

Step One
Buy a Genesis Model 1. It's pretty hard to go wrong with one of these.

Step Two
Pick up the Sonic games, the Disney Games, the Shinobi games, Earthworm Jim, Street Fighter II, Rocket Knight Adventures, and anything made by Treasure. It's equally hard to go wrong with any of these.

Step Three
Have fun.

Wasn't that easy?

[aaron]

Don't go for the model 3 if you ever plan on pickup up a Sega CD or 32x, Model 3 won't support either. I like the model 2 but it's all preference.

the model 3 actually has the ability to utilize both, but will require some heavy modding. the video and audio encoders are pretty choice, the only downfall i can see is that you don't get stereo sound.

[dunpeal2064]

Iirc, the model 3 also has compatability issues with certain games. Plus, I would consider the need to mod the console for something that both other revisions can do unmodded a disadvantage.

The model 3 can take Mega Drive carts without the need for a Game Genie, which is pretty cool, but I would still take the model 1 personally.

[ElkinFencer10]

Genesis, definitely. You should get a Saturn at some point, but if you're looking for a Sega console, Genesis all the way.

If you're just looking for any pre-6th gen console, though, my recommendation has to be the good ol' Nintendo Entertainment System.

[scarper]

Genesis. /thread