Exo

Now I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of references I don't understand.

Supposedly lasers come with an anti static solder joint that prevents operation. My replacement arrived unbridged.

I thought this would be a quick fix—swap the laser—but these things never are. I'd prefer to fix the drive but if I don't get any new suggestions I'll have to order a refurb drive.

I can't seem to find many good suggestions online other than "clean the lens," which never works, and "replace the laser," which also didn't work.

For reference, I did a continuity check on thefuses, the ribbon cables and the motor wires. I can hear the laser assembly moving. The disc spins.

I'm trying to get my family's original Wii to read discs again.

I go through all the trouble of replacing the laser assembly and appropriately retightening the screws on the spindle motor assembly and the damn thing still won't read any discs.

Not to accuse anyone of lying, but can you forward your source? I need something concrete to show Ethan.

That's what Ethan did. He's telling me his console or cables are dual mono. I found it hard to believe, so I'm out here verifying. I don't have an unmodded Model 2 to test on myself.

I'm asking if said stereo cables output real stereo to begin with or if both the red and white cables are just outputting the same mono signal meaning there's no stereophony. Because Ethan says that's what his unmodded Model 2 is doing.

But do they output duplicated mono if you use stereo cables?

I haven't interacted with Paul since he deleted his Discord. I can't share many thoughts because a lot of our conversations were private and in confidence. I can say that him stating that he's become more religious and wishes to distance himself from gaming is not surprising to me.

The only way this makes sense is if the cables are outputting duplicated mono, either on the console end or because the cables wire both plugs to the mono pin.

But why would the console have left, right, and mono pins if everything was going to be mono? Alternately, why wire a dual mono cable?

My friend is telling me he can't get audio over composite cables with red and white audio jacks on a bypassed Model 2 but can get it with the same cables from a stock Model 2. Yet RGB SCART cables on the bypassed console delivers true stereo sound.

And apparently Triple Bypass doesn't offer mono.

I started a new degree program and have not had the excess od free time necessary to work on reviews. The edit for a review alone takes me a full month of working on nothing but the edit. The short answer is I do not know. The soonest I could work on the Donkey Kong 64 review again is the summer.

Alternately, does there exist a set of composite cables for Genesis Model 2 that appears to be a stereo cable with both red and white plugs but which wires both channels to the mono pin thus outputting duplicated mono?

I can't seem to find solid confirmation anywhere, so I need to defer to the internet.

Does there exist a revision(s) of the Sega Genesis Model 2 that when unmodded (no Triple Bypass) will output duplicated mono audio over the stereo pins in the multi out?

There are maybe 20 TVs and each is tuned to a different channel. That seems to be the standard for every gym I've ever been to. I've never seen a gym where the TVs are all off or where gym goers can change the channel. Though I have seen cardio machines with integrated TV that you can change.

I post this and all the sudden a Raisin Bran commercial starring William Shatner comes on. You can't escape Star Track.

Every time I go to the gym I see Scott Bakula in some kind of NCIS show on the TVs. I guess that's what he's been doing since Star Trek Enterprise wrapped.

Aside from the DKC trilogy containing three legitimately great games, the more I learn about 2000's gaming journalism the more I'm glad I was too young to engage with it at the time. Between the casual misogyny of this review and what I've seen of G4, the 2000's come off blatantly toxic and edgy.

Like Spyro 3, I'll even go to bat for the new gameplay styles. They're passable at worst and generally a fun permutation on the core design pillars of collecting fruit, breaking boxes, and dodging obstacles (plane excepted).

Warped just felt like a next step in quality from the word go.

Unlike Crash 2, they were smart enough not to overcomplicate the plot and then underdeliver. The really obscure secrets are gone with the exception of the two hidden stages. Occasional backtracking is still present but not as bad as last time.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998) (R)

This is the best one yet. The visuals have some much appreciated extra variety, which in turn is reflected in the best soundtrack so far. While the game is generally easier any%, that's more than made up for with the relics, which are a worthwhile addition.

8/10

There is some interesting info in this, thanks.

I was certainly curious to know more about Sega of Japan's reasoning for why it made certain decisions, but with the language barrier and regional differences in corporate culture it seems there are some things we may never know for sure.

It's fair to say that if it weren't for SOA, the industry might look very different today. All the insights into how game distribution and retail used to work was also interesting. Apparently Sonic 2 helped pioneer the idea of a pre-established street date; a novelty back then, but a standard now.

Given I was born in 1994 and am too young to have experienced the 16-bit era at the time, it gave me a better appreciation of what Sega of America accomplished. In the early 90's, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the US market, enforced by rigid licensing agreements with developers and retailers.

Nintendo and Sony's Japanese parents don't come off any better. After a groundbreaking first year for the PlayStation in North America, Sony corporate let go several top executives at SCEA and replaced them with Japanese executives. The reason? Only Sony knows for sure.
www.afr.com/companies/gr...

The SOJ CEO, Hayao Nakayama, insisted on launching the 32X over the SOA CEO's protests that releasing intermediary hardware didn't make any sense, then shuffled the global marketing responsibity onto SOA. Nakayama also insisted on launching the Saturn in the US at E3, before enough units were ready.

If the book is to be believed, Sega's American and Japanese branches had a contentious relationship for the entire period the book covers. The SOA CEO got Sony in talks to design a 32-bit console with Sega after Nintendo went behind their back with Philips, but SOJ declined to work with Sony.

The reason Tails's real name is technically Miles Prower. Why Nintendo went with Philips over Sony. The lead up to the violence in video games congressional hearings in the 90's. Why the Saturn suddenly dropped at E3 1995. Meanwhile, Sony's efforts to debut PlayStation is building in the background.

There's still a lot of interesting stuff in it to make it worth reading: Sega of America begging Japan to remove the fangs, spiked collar, and "Madonna" from Sonic's original design. The origins of the "welcome to the next level" campaign. Why Yuji Naka moved from Japan to Sega Technical Institute.

I just listened to an audio narration of Console Wars, a book about the 16-bit war told primarily from Sega of America's perspective. It's a mixed bag in that the author wrote it in the style of a novelization rather than straight up nonfiction. The embellished dialogue strains its crediblity.