Out of all of the classic systems you could mention, the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive feels like it's the one getting the most attention when it comes to new software. We've seen a host of games come to the system in the past few years, with plenty more on the horizon—and, thanks to a new development cart, we could see those games dramatically expanding in scope and complexity.
Brazilian firm GamesCare—the same outfit behind the FPGA-powered GF1 Neptune—is releasing an open-source cartridge which will allow homebrew and indie developers to "create games beyond the power of the console."
In a post on social media, GamesCare's @MichelinFabio said:
In order to encourage the production of new games for MegaDrive / Genesis, the GamesCare team created an open source cartridge to facilitate the sale of physical games. In addition, the cartridge has several features so that the creative minds of indie developers can create games beyond the power of the console.
Here are the specs of the GamesCare Mega Drive MARK I Cartridge:
Memory
- Up to 16 Megabytes of primary ROM
- Up to 16 Megabytes of secondary ROM (serial access, for encrypted data)
- 32 Kilobytes of battery-backed SRAM512 Kilobytes of secondary SRAM (serial or DMA access)
Features
- Sega mapper support
- MegaWifi support
- USB interface
- USB self-programmable
- 2x ARM coprocessors with FPU running at 150 MHz
Uses
- Real-time graphics decompression
- Real-time decompression of compressed VGM files
- Decryption of data in secondary ROM
- Calculations for 3D graphics
- Audio expansion
- Analog audio output. Allows emulation of different audio chips
The reaction to the news has been positive, with some people being shocked at how powerful the cart is. "Well, this is beyond excessive for commercial games," says RealMalachi1695. "It's a damn fine flashcart though, will certainly make use of its feature set when available."
This isn't the only new cart which aims to improve the standard of Mega Drive software—a 4 MEG cart is also in development.