Transformers A.R.T.S.: Mega Drive Megatron

Nearly 5 years ago two of my favorite hobbies collided...Transformers and video games...specifically the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis in the west). Takara Tomy created a new line of Transformers entitled A.R.T.S. and the first (and only) releases were Megatron and a Sony Playstation themed Optimus Prime.

Even to this day I'm not sure how or why this collaboration happened, but I'm glad it did as it's one of the more interesting versions of Megatron in my collection.

Megatron comes packaged in a beautiful box with some nice artwork. The background has a nice space image with a transitioning G1 style grid in the center. "16-BIT" is very prominent in the center of box, which is an obvious reference to the original Sega Mega Drive video game console.

The back of the box has some nice images of Megatron in both his video game console form as well as his robot form. It also shows off some of the features of the toy such as the reset button on the console, the included controller and even a small Sonic the Hedgehog video game cartridge.

The front of the box is actually a flap that opens up to reveal Megatron in is robot mode. Inside the box flap you can see the classic Japanese Mega Drive logo that Sega once used, above the Mega Drive console. Leave it to Takara Tomy to have a beautiful overall presentation to this release.

Megatron is packaged in a form fitting plastic tray. His "fusion cannon", Sonic cartridge and Mega Drive controller are also packaged beside Megatron. No twisty ties or plastic bands are to be had! I did have fight a little to get him out of his "plastic prison" however.

Megatron's fusion cannon is actually the side of the Mega Drive console. Front the front its not as obvious, but from the year you can see the console's reset button and headphone volume slider switch.

While some liberties were taken with the overall look of Megatron's robot mode, there is no mistake who this is meant to be. Just look at that head sculpt! I don't personally care how the 16-BIT logo looks on the lower portion of Megatron's chest, but overall I do like the look of the robot.

Surprisingly he features all your normal points of articulation in his arms, hips and legs. At first I had a hard time getting him to stand, but I later noticed I didn't have his heel pieces extended.

Where this toy shines in my opinion is in console mode. The detail they were able to cram into this thing is amazing. Granted this came out before the current Sega Mega Drive / Genesis mini video game console, this was the smallest version of the iconic hardware I have seen. All of the features are here...from the raised ring around the cartridge slot, to the blue power button and the headphone volume slider.

Obviously this is a non-working video came console, but I love how it also came with a tiny Sonic the Hedgehog cartridge and a controller that actually plugs into the console! By the way, the cartridge doesn't do anything. It doesn't transform, but it does have a nice re-creation of the original Japanese Mega Drive Sonic label. It can he inserted into Megatron's chest in robot mode...but why would you want to do that?

The included controller is modeled after the original 3 button controller. The d-pad does move as well as the face buttons can be depressed ever so slightly. As you can see from the line down the center of the controller, this does split into halves and can be stored on the back of Megatron in robot mode. I didn't care for this as it made it look like Megatron had wings and just looked silly to me. My other gripe about the controller is the cord is too short. It's a minor complaint as it serves its point and looks great when plugged into the console.

Since the release of both Megatron and Optimus, Takara Tomy has released several other Transformers outside of the current series. We've had transforming pens, cell phones and now I believe a watch is coming out next. I know these type of releases aren't for everyone, but in this case this was a marriage made in heaven for me. Today on the secondary market this version of Megatron may set you back $100-$150. It's a fun piece, but definitely for die hard collectors only.

A "new"addition to my other hobby, video games: Sega Mark III

I'm one of those guys that has more than one hobby.  At times I wish I could just focus on one thing (Transformers), but my interests are varied and I find myself at times needing a "break".  Video games have always been that nice distraction or break.  I often go months without playing a video game, only to play them non-stop a day later.

I tend to call myself a video gamer over a video game collector, but that line often gets blurred when I discover something new.  The new in this case is the Sega Mark III.  What is that you may ask?  Well it's essentially the Japanese version of the Sega Master System.  It's not quite the same as there are some major differences.  When I first read about this in a import magazine I bought at the mall a few months back, I could feel that collecting itch coming on.  After doing a lot of research I decided to keep my eyes open for what I deemed a good deal.  Little did I know that deal would land in my lap only a few weeks later.

If I'm going to import a video game console from overseas, I might as well get one that is complete w/ it's original packaging.  Pretty cool, huh?  I consider myself lucky to have found a complete set up for what I paid, however once the package arrived I had a better idea of why I got it on the cheap end.  The console itself is white...or used to be.  Like a lot of white plastic, it has yellowed overtime.  I kinda thought that would be the case by the pictures the seller had, but I still thought "why not".  While I would have preferred a white console, I wasn't about to drop $300+ that a lot of the better cosmetic looking ones bring.

If you are video game hardware savy you may have noticed Sega took a cue from Nintendo's Famicom system in the fact that the controllers are stored on each side of the console.  Unlike the Famicom however, the controllers are not hardwired into the console itself.  You can also easily see just how yellowed the console as compared to the controllers.

Speaking of the controllers, they are small, but fit comfortably in my large adult hands.  I'd say they are comparable w/ an NES controller, but I prefer the rounded edges.  The controller wire comes out the side of the controller as opposed to the top on most traditional joy pad type controllers.  For the most part this isn't a big issue, however I prefer the cord to be positioned in the top as to not obstruct anything.  The plugs on these controllers feature the same shape and pin configuration as the Sega Master System and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.  These pads unlike the Master System's, feature a small joystick ball that can screw into the center of the directional pad.  I don't care for that feature, but it's a nice option for those that do.

 

Located on the back of the console you'll find the power switch, AC Adapter outlet and A/V cord input.  I find out odd Sega put the power switch on the rear of the console, especially with so much room available on the front.  The other input is for the FM Sound Adapter.  The system does not have an FM sound chip inside, but an adapter was sold separately to take advantage of certain games' extra sound chip.  There was also a wireless adapter accessory sold to hook up the console to your TV.  I find that very impressive for 1980's technology!

The Mark III accepts cartridges and Sega Cards.  The pin configuration for the cartridges is sadly NOT the same as the U.S. Master System.  However I believe the U.S. card based games are compatible, though I have not tried that myself.  The Mark III is backwards compatible with earlier versions of the 8-bit Sega hardware, such as the Sega SG-3000.

On the top of the console you'll find a small black door that covers the cartridge port and a yellow pause button.  Beside the pause button is a red LED power light.  See, there is plenty of room here for a on/off switch!

The Mark III cartridges remind me of Atari cartridges, just on steroids.  They are large and hang out the top of the console a good bit.

  

Games come in two varieties.  The Mark III / SG-3000 games come in white cardboard boxes and the cartridges feature an off white plastic shell.  The Mark III / Master System games come in gold boxes and feature a black plastic shell.

This game is called Akai Koudan Triformation, or Zillion II in the U.S..  It's plays a lot like Metroid in my opinion.  If you notice in the bottom left corner of the box, you'll see a blue FM logo.  This is to signify that the game takes advantage of the FM sound chip for improved audio...if you have the adapter.  The Japanese version of the Master System however has the FM sound chip pre-installed.  Had I known that I might have held out for a JPN Master System instead.

The cartridge does have a top label.  This comes in handy for all those loose carts you may have on your shelves.  Unlike the Master System games, at least you can see what game you have without having to pull it out and off your shelf.

My favorite aspect of these carts are the big, bright and colorful labels.  I'm a huge fan of the artwork a lot of these games feature and was a huge selling point for me.  The included instructions are printed in a monochrome red ink.

Above are some good comparison shots of a U.S. Master System case and game along w/ the Mark III game.  While I love the clam shell cases U.S. SMS games come in, I prefer the smaller size of the Mark III boxes and of course the cartridge labels.

At this point in time I only have a few games, but I have made a wish list of titles for the future.  There are several exclusive games for the console, however many are the same titles that were released in the West.  I said earlier I was riding the fence between gamer and collector here and I think w/ the Mark III, this is definitely more for the collector.  That's not to say this won't be played.  Oh no, it's already hooked up and sitting next to my model 1 Sega Genesis.  In fact I'm waiting for another game to come from Japan as we speak.

Part of the draw for me w/ this system is simple.  I snubbed Sega in those early years.  I was a Nintendo fanboy.  It wasn't until I was introduced to the Dreamcast did I really become a fan of Sega.  Ever since I've been looking backwards at all the cool stuff I missed out on.  Just when I thought I knew everything there was about Sega, I discovered the SMS pre-cursor hardware and software.  I doubt I'll go back any further, but I do look forward to expanding my Mark III library at some point in the near future.

Golden Axe - WonderSwan Color

Today we'll look at one of my favorite gaming franchises on a handheld system that many may not be familiar with - Bandai's WonderSwan.  Designed by a former Nintendo developer & Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi this little handheld never caught much steam outside of it's native Japan.  Just like the Game Boy, the WonderSwan started off as a simple black & white console before getting a color upgrade model and lastly the Swan Crystal version.  I was able to track down both a B&W model as well as a color system for relatively cheap years ago, but English friendly games are hard to come by no matter what model system you have.  I remember finding out years ago that one of my favorite gaming franchises was ported over to the WonderSwan Color and I had to track it down.  It took me awhile before I was finally able to do so (and afford the game), but I'm happy to share a few thoughts now that I've had a chance to hold the game in my hands and play it.

First off let me say how much I love the artwork for the packaging.  I already own the first Golden Axe game in several varieties and I don't think I have seen this art before purchasing this game.  All 3 characters are drawn very well and have that edgy look.  The back of the box features some very iconic artwork of the game's villain Death Adder along with some standard fare screen shots.

So what does this game look like on a tiny handheld system you may wonder?  Take a look at the video below I found on YouTube of the actual gameplay.

I do have to say that the graphics are better than what is shown in the video.  I'd say the graphics are on par with your average Game Boy Advance game.  I was playing the game on my WonderSwan Color handheld and the colors are very vibrant.  What surprised me when playing the game was the sound quality.  The system features one small speaker on the upper right hand corner, but it just belted out the iconic Golden Axe theme music when the titled rolled onto the screen.  The controls are also pretty good on this system.  It's a little odd getting used to using 4 buttons in the layout of a plus when most of us are used to having a solid plus shaped piece of plastic for movement of the characters and such.  The jump and attack buttons are also a tad on the small side, but they were very responsive none the less.

If you love Golden Axe then you should love this port of the game as it stays very faithful to the arcade version.  The game can be hard to track down and a tad pricey at times, but it is a great addition to anyone's handheld library.