Master System:Game Gear on Master System Patches
There was never a "Super Game Boy" style adapter for the Game Gear, as the GG produced more colors than the SMS' palette could handle. If you have the ability to load ROMs, such as from a flash cart on real hardware or via emulation, you can try community-made GG2SMS patches that change the color palette and map the Start button. There is currently a thread on the SMSPower Forums dedicated to the creation of these patches, so please check it out and contribute if interested. You may also want to visit Chris Covell's site and Hacking Diary for the technical details.
As an FYI, many Game Gear games are simply direct-ports of Master System games, so playing those would be a better big-screen experience. Here's a handy list of all [[Game Gear:Games Only on Game Gear].
Patching ROMs
- Rename your ROM file from
.ggto.sms. - Download the relevant ROM patch from SMSPower.org.
- Use Lunar IPS to apply the patches to your ROM.
There are sometimes disadvantages, such as palette issues, screen artifacts, or glitches, but if you already own a rom cart (or can flash your own cartridges), it's an excellent way to experience those games on a big screen!
Screen Size Benefit
Game Gear games can be played on a TV using a TV-out mod, however it will be either stretched or windowed due to the GG's native resolution of 160x144 versus the Master System's 256x192 resolution.
The biggest advantage of patching Game Gear games for use on an SMS/Genesis is that they can fill much more of the screen. They don't always output the full 256x192 resolution that the SMS is capable of displaying, but they do fill much more of the screen than a Game Gear modded for RGB by 'reframing' the game's perspective to display a wider area:
