RF Generation Message Board

So, as some of you may know, Genesis is one of my target systems right now. However, in searching for games, I've noticed... oddities. I was wondering if these could be explained.

ODDITY 1: I've noticed that some cartridges are slightly thinner and longer than normal carts, and also have a yellow box (band?) in the top-left corner. What are these carts?

ODDITY 2: I used to think that all Genesis games came in hard plastic cases, but I've seen a lot of games in cardboard boxes. What's up with that?

Thanks to whoever can supply the infos.

These are EA games. Don't know why they made their carts that way. Accolade/Ballistic also made bigger carts like EA but they did have the yellow band on them.


Well the games by Sega in cardboard boxes are late releases or released games that they used cardboard to save money. The early EA games came in cardboard boxes as well. Accolade/Ballistic games also came in cardboard boxes.

Alright, thanks! Now I won't be confused next time I see cardboard.

(post 100 ftw)

In the begining some of the card board boxes were nice and heavy, like Winter Challenge. Then at the end they got thin and cheap.

Winter Challenge is one of the Accolade/Ballistic type boxes. Those wear always good cardboard boxes.

From the way I understand it, Accolade/Ballistic/Tengen/EA got into a huge tussle with Sega over licensing issues, So they started making their own carts/packaging, and were NOT officially licensed by Sega, so Sega in turn made lock out chips, and had them manufactured on their newer model consoles, which is why some of these games won't play on a newer original model, model 2 or, model 3. EA was the only company to breakdown, and later settled on licensing agreement with Sega, but since they were already manufacturing their own cartridges/cases, just went ahead and kept doing so.

The cardboard cases were indeed a way to save money. Sega took a huge risk, and spent and lost alot of money investing in hardware (Sega CD, 32X, and the Saturn). Regretfully, it hurt the packaging, and the software they put out. Some games, like Castlevania: Bloodlines, came in both cardboard and hard plastic sleeves...   I've seen a list of these as well as all of the cardboard titles compiled somewhere, but can't recall where it was...  it may have been here, or on the DP forums.

I think we have a list of the cardboards ones here on the site.

Yup, it was started by Atari_Wizard, here's the link http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=2609.0

Sweet, I should use that guide. Thanks.