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Sega Saturn News is a News and downloads site
for the Sega Saturn, Sega 32X and Vintage Sega Consoles, We have
all the latest emulators, homebrew and all the downloads on this
site, we also cover commercial gaming and console news. Part of
the DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
Kung Hei Fat Choi! It's Lunar New Year again! Some of you may be wondering what this Lunar or Chinese New Year is about: The Traditional Chinese Calendar is based on Moon cycles and starts a few weeks after the western New Year. This festival is the most important, and joyoys time in Chinese societies. People buy new clothes, sweep their house and children get red pockets.
Every lunar year is represented by an animal. Last year, it was the ox that represents hard work, and this year is the year of the tiger, promising adventures and dynamic. These big cats are natural leaders, we certainly hope that they'll lead everybody to a happy and prosperous year.
To welcome the Tiger, Play-Asia.com will start into the New year with the Roaring Lucky Lunar New Year Sale, with thousands of brilliant bargains and a chance to win awesome prizes.
Look for the goodies left on your Christmas wish list, there's a good chance that they're now available at a lower price. We have carefully reviewed our inventory and the result is a total of around 5,000 in-stock items, we have around 2000 games, 200 console accessories, 400 toys, 200 books, 800 music CDs and around 1000 movies.
We just added, and restocked more bargained items, some of them are real hot actioners such as Left 4 Dead 2, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty. The greatest thing about these products is that they are Asian versions, they are not only cheaper and are region free. We know that some countries censor and cut games and we know that real gamers don't want to settle on a copy with reduced content.
Other goodies, such as Tekken 6 [Collector's Edition] gets another price cut, it falls from US$ 129.00 to $99.00. A real good deal, you get both the official fighting stick and the game in one beautiful package. Another Collector's Edition worth taking a look at is the Batman Arkham Asylum which comes with bonus DVDs and the batarang, the price just fell from US$ 99.00 to US$ 69.00.
For more details on the bargain items, please take a look at our bargains section!
But this is not all! Like we've done with our sales in the past, you will again have the chance to win fantastic prizes such as consoles, games and store credits. So what are you waiting for?
And this is how it works:
Now Tiger will guide you to where the Sales and the Lucky Draw are. The cheerful big cat will stop by the bargained products between February 2nd and February 11th, snap up the goodies and there you go, entered into the Lucky Draw. The more you buy, the more you save and the higher your chances of winning our prizes.
The winners of the 30 main prizes will be announced in this news post during the last week of February 2010 and will also be notified by e-mail.
Yet, be aware. Some products are restocked regularly, so the tiger comes back time and time again, yet for limited versions, such as toys and music, once the tiger leaves (out of stock) he never returns. Set your priorities and plan your shopping strategies.
Prizes:
1st Prize: A: PlayStation3 Slim- Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Bundle (250GB Model Asia version)
2nd Prize: Nintendo Wii™ Console [Black or White] (Japanese Version) + 2 Wii™ Games of your choice*
3rd Prize: A: Nintendo DSi™ LL Console + 2 NDS™ Games of your choice*
OR
B: Sony PSP™ Slim & Lite Console + 2 PSP™ Games of your choice*
4th Prize: GP2X Wiz Game System + Leather Case
5-10th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 50 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
11-30th Prize: A store credit voucher worth US$ 20 each, redeemable for any purchase at Play-Asia.com
You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of retro games. A journey into a wondrous console containing a bunch of old Genesis games and some generic motion-controlled games. That's the signpost up ahead. Your next stop: the Sega Zone.
Pocket Lint has images of a new licensed Sega console called the Sega Zone (or the Zone Sega, according to the box), out in the UK this summer, that contains 15 Genesis classics and 30 new games, 16 of which can be played with the device's two wireless motion controllers.
Essentially a Firecore Classic Console crossed with the "Zone 40," an existing knockoff Wii console, the Sega Zone also features a cartridge slot so you can play your copy of McDonalds' Treasure Land Adventure. It'll sell for £39.95 (about $60) in the UK.
Out-of-Print Archive continues the amazing run of quality Official Sega Saturn Magazine releases, with issue 33 from July 1998. Scanned, edited and released by meppi, the magazine can be found at the OSSM 33 page. Along with the release, there are online articles, including Shining Force III (Sega Saturn feature), Phantasy Star Collection (Sega Saturn feature), Daytona USA 2 (arcade feature) and an interview with Sega president Shoichiro Irimajiri about the soon to be released Dreamcast.
The Out-of-Print Archive release this week is issue 32 of the Official Sega Saturn Magazine from June 1998. This release was scanned, edited and released by meppi. As usual, the release comes with a rundown of the issue's details and contents, as well as accompanying online articles: The King of Fighters '97 (Sega Saturn feature), Dynamite Cop 2 (arcade feature), interview with Sega's AM Annex about Sega Rally 2 (arcade) and an interview with Kenji Eno from Warp on D2 (Dreamcast).
Heres a new product just released by Neoflash and for fans of N64 a Dream product.
A Little about the reviewer
Ive been an emulation and homebrew fan for as many years as i can remember (since around 1996 i think) but nothing i repeat nothing is better than playing on the real hardware.
Back in the Megadrive(genesis) and Snes days i owned a Super Wild Card and a Super Double Pro fighter, both cost about 300 pounds and ill admit that it was a great way to play games that i would never have been able to afford or because of stupid region lockouts.
So the day when Neoflash announced they were working on a Flash Cart for the Nintendo 64 called NEO Myth 64, i wanted one so badly, the chance to relive the best of the N64 and to play games ive never played was too much of a thrill to behold.
Now i must point out that being a webmaster of a homebrew site makes me no expert, im just as clueless as most newcomers, i like websites and i like posting news, i like to know that if i need a certain release i should be able to find it on my sites (hopefully :P).
First off Heres some screens of the N64 Flash Cart in and out its Packaging:
Front Side View in Packaging
Back Side view in Packaging
The NEO N64 Myth cart
Neo 2 Flash Cart - Which Holds SD Cards up to 8GB
The Neo n64 Myth Cart and the neo 2 Cart split apart
The USB Lead
You also get a Mini CD with a load of Drivers on for all Neo Products.
Specs of the N64 Flash Cart
Heres what Neoflash claim it does:
* Support the N64 rom size up to 512M
* Support all save type perfectly included the flash save, not need the same save type N64 game cart to work together
* Support 100% N64 games perfectly
* Download games from PC to NEO2 cart directly via USB port
* Upload/overwrite game save to PC via USB directly
* Multi-CIC support, can use any N64 cart to boot Neo Myth on N64 console
* Support Multi games, can download 2 games at the same time and swap the game via switch
* Can select the N64 menu run from Neo2 game cart or N64 inner menu flash (under developing still)
* Upgradeable! Support upgrade the N64 Myth cart CPLD logic core through the NDP upgrade kit
Getting Started
The N64 Flash Cart did come with a Mini CD of drivers but sadly there was no actual drivers for the N64 Flash Cart, so first off you need to head on over to Neoflash Forum to download the latest version of the software, once youve downloaded it (15MB) then click on to install to the directory it wants to, pretty straightforward for anyone.
Clicking on the Neo 2 Ultra Menu Icon (look on your desktop or in new programs) will lead you onto a screen that looks like this:
Now get your Neo Myth N64 Flash Cart and making sure that the cart that says 512M is inserted (or the Neo 2 Card with an SD Card inserted), connect the USB Lead to the Cart and Plugit into your Laptop or PC.
It Should have no problems and automatically find drivers installed when you installed the software above, i had no problems using Windows Vista but with Windows XP Pro SP3 it wouldnt load the drivers properly, i did post a thread at Neoflash and was given instructions on how to fix this. (Try a different USB Lead it may be that)
Adding Roms etc
Ok carrying on from the screenshot above if everything went ok youll be able to start the juicy part, first off i did a quick format of the card, it took around 30 seconds to do, so no real biggy.
Next on the list was to Add Roms to the Cart (Homebrew Roms and Emulators can be found at links Below)
Adding Roms is as easy as clicking the add rom button and going to whereever your roms are, for some strange reason the cart/software at the moment only holds 2 roms but i would think that will change in later versions of the firmware/software.
Once you have added the roms you require then click on N64 Burn, depending on how big your roms are will depend on how long it takes to copy to the cart, give it a few minutes, it also verifies each burn.
Now one thing to take into consideration is that if you have a USA N64, you will need a USA game plugged into the back of the N64 Myth Cart, If you have a Pal N64 youll need a Pal game plugged in.
I have both a USA and UK(Pal) N64 and thankfully the Power supplys/TV Leads are universal so im able to swap at pleasure.
Heres a pic of the Cart plugged into the N64
Now for Homebrew roms you dont need anything else to boot them but say you want to boot one of the games that requires the Expansion Pack
Games that need the Expansion Pack are the likes of Donkey Kong 64 and Zelda--The Majora's Mask and Perfect Dark, it also ups the resolution on many other games too.
Onto the Gaming
Ok youve Burnt your games onto the Flash cart and you have the Flash Cart installed in the N64 with the correct region game in the back, now its time to turn on:
It loads automatically into the game as you can see, if you did burn 2 games theres a little lever on the top of cart that you push over if you want the other rom to load at the start before you turn the console on.
Games ive Tested So Far
Donkey Kong 64 - Perfect
Star Wars Battle for Naboo - Perfect
Diddy Kong Racing - Perfect
GoldenEye 007 - Perfect
Perfect Dark - Perfect
PilotWings 64 - Perfect
Killer Instinct - Perfect
Star Wars Episode I - Racer - Perfect
Stunt Racer 64 - Perfect
Yoshi's Story - Perfect
Over at Neoflash theres a more complete list of whats working and save issues etc.
Conclusion
Today was one of them times when i was took back to the reasons i truly love the homebrew/Emulation scene. The Flash Cart seems easy to use, The adding of roms to the cart is as easy as they come so a big plus factor there, its a shame at this moment in time it only supports 2 roms, hopefully thats one thing that will be updated soon.
Having no drivers and documentation on the CD will make it a little hard for newbies but i would think that most people that are going to buy this are the hardcore N64 fans of old.
On the whole the roms it plays is great and if you have the expansion pack you can play just about every single N64 Game released and all homebrew and emulators too.
The price for the Flash Cart is $199 so it will put a lot of people off but to retro collectors/major emulation fans it will be very worth it, if you owned one of the back up systems for the N64 this will be much more preferable as theirs no moving parts to break. Yes for that price you can buy a heck of a lot of the games but theres some genuine gems that are very hard to trace these days and the homebrew factor makes it worth it for me.
My advice is to those who are tempted is go for it, the flash cart does what you really want it to and thats play Nintendo 64, a big thumbs up for Neoflash on this retro cart.
I suppose like everything it depends how big a fan you are and what finances you have to spend on gadgets, for me it does what i want it to and its also seen the re-emergence of a Homebrew scene for the N64, we have already seen releases of ScummVM for the N64 and theres also Snes, Nes, MSX, Master System/Game gear and Gameboy Emulators for the N64.
This week's Out-of-Print Archive release is the May 1998, issue 31 of the Official Sega Saturn Magazine, scanned and edited by meppi. The online articles to accompany the release include an interview with Sonic Team on Burning Rangers, Burning Rangers review, a Radiant Silvergun special and a Three Wonders preview. The magazine can also be downloaded for free from the link provided at the OSSM 31 page.
*UPDATE* - 1/29/2010
You try and do something good and a company ruins it. Due to unforseen circumstances, PayPal has put a limit on my account because I am accepting donations to send the Red Cross. In order for this limitation to be removed, I must provide documentation with proof and other required information. I have contacted American Red Cross and awaiting paperwork. In the mean time, I have ended receiving donations and refunded all donations even though I submitted a donation of $41 to the American Red Cross. With donations being refunded, there will be no contest for the XCM HDMI Blaster. I try to do something good but there is so much legal problems and do not want to risk closing my PayPal. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you to all those who contributed.
I dont often reach out to the gaming community for help but this is something where the gaming community needs to band together and help humanity. As you all should know by now, Haiti was hit with a major earthquake that leveled the entire country turning hospitals, homes, schools, building into rubble. With shelters demolished, survivors are left on the street in the blistering 90° heat with little to no shelter, scavenging for food and even water. Some officials have calculated 45,000-50,000 are dead. With the lack of water for hydration from the heat, analyst are expecting many more to die if help is not provided.
Haiti Relief and Development
On January 12, a series of earthquakes measuring 6.5 to 7.3 on the Richter scale devastated Haiti. The American Red Cross is working with its partners in the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, including the Haitian Red Cross, and other partners to assist those affected by this disaster.
Your gift to the American Red Cross will support emergency relief and recovery efforts to help those people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Assistance provided by the American Red Cross may include sending relief supplies, mobilizing relief workers and providing financial resources and recovery.
FOR US & INTERNATIONAL: I have setup a donation section on the left side of DCEmu Reviews' homepage. Many musicians, actors/actresses have donated thousands and even millions of dollar each. Granted, we are not rich like them but any amount is appreciated whether it be a couple of cents, a dollar or even a few dollars. All donations will be made via PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can pay with your credit card. All transactions are secure. I DO NOT see your PayPal account, bank information, credit card number or any personal information.. The only thing I see is your email address and the amount you donated via PayPal. Once we have met our deadline, I will send all donations to American Red Cross on behalf of DCEmu (proof of donation will be documented with screenshots). If you don't feel comfortable using our method of donation, PLEASE go to American Red Cross and donate yourself.
FOR US ONLY: (with this option, you do not qualify for raffle) Another option is to use your cellphone and send a text message (donation amount will show up on your cellphone bill).
via the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/), please text “Haiti” to 90999 (to donate $10) or
via Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation (http://www.yele.org/), please text “Yele” to 501501 (to donate $5).
So why spend money on games and accessories, when there are people in greater needs and is trying to stay alive. Many families are living on the street next to their crumbled home. Many kids are left on the street looking for food and water and may even have lost their family.
*UPDATE - 1/26/2010 - We have made our first donation to the American Red Cross
Click to enlarge image. Image also attached to post.
For those who do contribute and donate on the homepage (it keeps track of who contributed), I will have a raffle and give away a XCM HDMI Blaster Converter (MSRP $99.99USD) to one (1) lucky winner!!!
Winner will be chosen randomly from qualified donations and contacted via PM on the DCEmu forums and E-mail. If a winner does not respond within a week a new winner will be picked at random from the other entrants. No purchase necessary. One online entry per person (one e-mail address per person/address). Entry constitutes agreement by winners to be publicized and permission to use each winner's name for the purposes of promotion of the Contest without further compensation. Contest void where prohibited. Odds of winning dependent on number of entrants. No alternative prize will be offered. We reserve the right to issue an alternative prize of the same value should the prize no longer be available.
Changes from v2.1.0.1 -> v2.1.0.3STABLE:
[1]Added "silent mode" ( new constant argument "-q "$value$"". Eg,pass : -q "1" ).
Silent mode fully disables warnings and all messages
[2]Extended recognition for new SuperMD plug host and "sync" command
[3]Added guard-code
[4]Added the beta version of SuperMD plughost NEO2 SD edition ( what's left to do : Safe-preloader for
bad dumps)
