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Sega Card
The Sega Card, known in Japan as Sega My Card, is a memory card format used as game storage for the SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Mark III / Master System. Produced from 1985 to 1987 by Mitsubishi Plastics, the cards are plugged into onboard cardslots or into compatible adapters. Several versions of the format were created, including a rewritable one that allows new titles to be downloaded to a card. While substantially cheaper to produce than cartridges, the storage limitations of the format resulted in Sega exclusively distributing games on cartridges. Despite the failure of the Sega Card, NEC found more success with its own memory card format, the HuCard, which was the primary storage medium for its PC Engine game console.
The format was originally released to the Japanese market in 1985 under the name My Card. Initially it was for use with the SC-3000 and the SG-1000 series of consoles via the Card Catcher accessory. Later, the Sega Mark III and the original Master System had built-in card slots. The intention of the format was to provide cheaper distribution means than the more conventional game cartridges. The Sega Card product required less material and has smaller packaging. While cheaper than cartridges, they had significantly smaller maximum storage capacities than cartridges of the time (4 to 32 KB of ROM versus 16 to 512 KB of ROM.) As games became larger, card releases gradually ceased. The final release was Woody Pop, released on 15 March 1987 in Japan.
Sega published only a dozen games in the format for the Mark III/Master System (in 1986–1987) before returning solely to game cartridges. The Master System II, a revised model of the console, has no Sega Card support, and all Sega Card games released in Europe were eventually re-released in cartridge format.
Similar but incompatible formats, also manufactured by Mitsubishi Plastics, were used by other computers and consoles: the Bee Card on the MSX, and the HuCard on the NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx.
There are four versions of the card. The original My Card was released for Sega's SG-1000 console (SG-1000 and SG-1000 II) and SC-3000 series (SC-3000 and SC-3000H). The cards are also compatible with the Tsukuda Original Othello Multivision, a licensed SG-1000 console and the SG-1000-compatible Pioneer SD-G5 peripheral.
The second version of the card was for the Sega's Japan-only Mark III. The Mark III is also backward compatible with SG-1000 My Cards. The third version of the card, called the "Sega Card" was released for the Master System, the international version of the Mark III. The Power Base Converter has a card slot allowing for use of the cards on the Mega Drive/Genesis.
The final version of the format was the My Card EP, a rewritable version that was test marketed only in Japan.
The Card Catcher peripheral allows for use of the cards with the SG-1000. A limited edition version of the Card Catcher was bundled with two games, Zoom 909 and Dragon Wang. The games were also sold separately from the Card Catcher and allowed players to send away for a free adapter at the time.
Hub AI
Sega Card AI simulator
(@Sega Card_simulator)
Sega Card
The Sega Card, known in Japan as Sega My Card, is a memory card format used as game storage for the SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Mark III / Master System. Produced from 1985 to 1987 by Mitsubishi Plastics, the cards are plugged into onboard cardslots or into compatible adapters. Several versions of the format were created, including a rewritable one that allows new titles to be downloaded to a card. While substantially cheaper to produce than cartridges, the storage limitations of the format resulted in Sega exclusively distributing games on cartridges. Despite the failure of the Sega Card, NEC found more success with its own memory card format, the HuCard, which was the primary storage medium for its PC Engine game console.
The format was originally released to the Japanese market in 1985 under the name My Card. Initially it was for use with the SC-3000 and the SG-1000 series of consoles via the Card Catcher accessory. Later, the Sega Mark III and the original Master System had built-in card slots. The intention of the format was to provide cheaper distribution means than the more conventional game cartridges. The Sega Card product required less material and has smaller packaging. While cheaper than cartridges, they had significantly smaller maximum storage capacities than cartridges of the time (4 to 32 KB of ROM versus 16 to 512 KB of ROM.) As games became larger, card releases gradually ceased. The final release was Woody Pop, released on 15 March 1987 in Japan.
Sega published only a dozen games in the format for the Mark III/Master System (in 1986–1987) before returning solely to game cartridges. The Master System II, a revised model of the console, has no Sega Card support, and all Sega Card games released in Europe were eventually re-released in cartridge format.
Similar but incompatible formats, also manufactured by Mitsubishi Plastics, were used by other computers and consoles: the Bee Card on the MSX, and the HuCard on the NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx.
There are four versions of the card. The original My Card was released for Sega's SG-1000 console (SG-1000 and SG-1000 II) and SC-3000 series (SC-3000 and SC-3000H). The cards are also compatible with the Tsukuda Original Othello Multivision, a licensed SG-1000 console and the SG-1000-compatible Pioneer SD-G5 peripheral.
The second version of the card was for the Sega's Japan-only Mark III. The Mark III is also backward compatible with SG-1000 My Cards. The third version of the card, called the "Sega Card" was released for the Master System, the international version of the Mark III. The Power Base Converter has a card slot allowing for use of the cards on the Mega Drive/Genesis.
The final version of the format was the My Card EP, a rewritable version that was test marketed only in Japan.
The Card Catcher peripheral allows for use of the cards with the SG-1000. A limited edition version of the Card Catcher was bundled with two games, Zoom 909 and Dragon Wang. The games were also sold separately from the Card Catcher and allowed players to send away for a free adapter at the time.