What Consoles/Handhelds are Region-Free?

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Emerald_Warrior

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#1 Emerald_Warrior
Member since 2008 • 6581 Posts

Does anyone know all the consoles and handhelds that are region-free, without having to mod them?

I've heard that Sega Genesis is as long as you have a Game Genie handy. Same with the Saturn when using an Action Replay.

As for handhelds I've heard that the Neo Geo Pocket Color is also region-free.

Since I brought up the Saturn, I was wondering if anyone knows if the U.S. version of the GameShark also works to make the Saturn region-free? It's basically the same thing with a different name slapped on it. It functions the same and the software looks identical on them.

What else is region-free?

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nintendoboy16

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#2 nintendoboy16
Member since 2007 • 41527 Posts
GameCube + Freeloader disc/Action Replay = :D Not entirely Legacy (yet), but the Game Boy systems and early DS and DS Lite are region free too.
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rwallacefan

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#3 rwallacefan
Member since 2005 • 4886 Posts
PSP :)
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thecrypticodor

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#4 thecrypticodor
Member since 2012 • 240 Posts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_importing_in_video_games#Region-free_consoles

Also the NES is provided you have a 60 to 72 pin famicom adapter. Got mine out of a Gyromite cart. :)

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ionusX

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#5 ionusX
Member since 2009 • 25777 Posts

pc has the complete unrestricted libraries of several legacy consoles.. all about your willingness to forgo using a legacy controller

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deactivated-6243ee9902175

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#6 deactivated-6243ee9902175
Member since 2007 • 5847 Posts

pc has the complete unrestricted libraries of several legacy consoles.. all about your willingness to forgo using a legacy controller

ionusX

If someone wanted to use legacy controllers they could just get an adapter to hook the controller up vis USB. The legacy hardware community is so big I'm sure there is a good amount of them.

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nintendoboy16

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#7 nintendoboy16
Member since 2007 • 41527 Posts

pc has the complete unrestricted libraries of several legacy consoles.. all about your willingness to forgo using a legacy controller

ionusX
Most of them in an unofficial matter.
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Spinnerweb

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#8 Spinnerweb
Member since 2009 • 2995 Posts
All of the Sony ones :D
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ionusX

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#9 ionusX
Member since 2009 • 25777 Posts

[QUOTE="ionusX"]

pc has the complete unrestricted libraries of several legacy consoles.. all about your willingness to forgo using a legacy controller

nintendoboy16

Most of them in an unofficial matter.

indeed. this being said their are a few legitimate suprises in the list i own the complete nes - n64 castlevania and contra collection on pc on disc.

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Darkman2007

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#10 Darkman2007
Member since 2007 • 17926 Posts

3DO is for the most part region free, with the exception of some Japanese games which didnt include the Japanese character set on the disc.

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Eikichi-Onizuka

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#11 Eikichi-Onizuka
Member since 2008 • 9205 Posts
All of the Sony ones :DSpinnerweb
Not PS1 or PS2(I could be wrong about PS2 but don't think so, never really looked into imports though), at least not in the US. I remember wanting to play all those DBZ games so bad(could care less now) but didn't want to get my PS1 modded.
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nintendoboy16

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#12 nintendoboy16
Member since 2007 • 41527 Posts
Also, American N64's can play Japanese games through Gameshark (this doesn't work on PAL consoles though).
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Megavideogamer

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#13 Megavideogamer
Member since 2004 • 6554 Posts

All of Nintendo's Handhelds from the original gameboy to the 3DS are region free. (I may be mistaken but nintendo handhelds have no region lock) As for classic consoles, The original Sega Megadrive will work with all Sega Genesis carts up until 1994. Sega then began using lock out chips.

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Spinnerweb

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#14 Spinnerweb
Member since 2009 • 2995 Posts

All of Nintendo's Handhelds from the original gameboy to the 3DS are region free. (I may be mistaken but nintendo handhelds have no region lock) As for classic consoles, The original Sega Megadrive will work with all Sega Genesis carts up until 1994. Sega then began using lock out chips.

Megavideogamer
The 3DS and DSi are region locked.
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gokuofheaven

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#15 gokuofheaven
Member since 2004 • 3452 Posts
[QUOTE="Spinnerweb"]All of the Sony ones :DEikichi-Onizuka
Not PS1 or PS2(I could be wrong about PS2 but don't think so, never really looked into imports though), at least not in the US. I remember wanting to play all those DBZ games so bad(could care less now) but didn't want to get my PS1 modded.

The PSone you can easily play imports as long as you had the GameShark CD. Load the Gameshark CD, take out the disc, put in the import and hit "start game without codes." Good to go. Also i'm pretty sure Gameboy Color, GBA, GBA-Micro, DS Lite are region free.
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Spinnerweb

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#16 Spinnerweb
Member since 2009 • 2995 Posts
Same goes for Action Replay (I think) for PS2. Doesn't require modding.
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nintendoboy16

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#17 nintendoboy16
Member since 2007 • 41527 Posts
Same goes for Action Replay (I think) for PS2. Doesn't require modding.Spinnerweb
I think that was for DVD films, like if I were to watch my PAL Region 2 Police Story (Jackie Chan film) DVD on my North American PS2.
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Emerald_Warrior

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#18 Emerald_Warrior
Member since 2008 • 6581 Posts

[QUOTE="Eikichi-Onizuka"][QUOTE="Spinnerweb"]All of the Sony ones :Dgokuofheaven
Not PS1 or PS2(I could be wrong about PS2 but don't think so, never really looked into imports though), at least not in the US. I remember wanting to play all those DBZ games so bad(could care less now) but didn't want to get my PS1 modded.

The PSone you can easily play imports as long as you had the GameShark CD. Load the Gameshark CD, take out the disc, put in the import and hit "start game without codes." Good to go. Also i'm pretty sure Gameboy Color, GBA, GBA-Micro, DS Lite are region free.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the PS2? My PS1 GameShark doesn't use a CD, it hooks in via the parallel port in the back of the system. My PS2 GameShark uses a disc, however. Or was this some really later released GameShark for PS1 that escaped my attention? Mine goes as far as Gran Turismo and RE3, IIRC.

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Articuno76

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#19 Articuno76
Member since 2004 • 19799 Posts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_importing_in_video_games#Region-free_consoles

Also the NES is provided you have a 60 to 72 pin famicom adapter. Got mine out of a Gyromite cart. :)

thecrypticodor
The DS XL is conspicuously absent from that list. I think Nintendo's official word on it is that it is region-protected, but I know from personal experience that this isn't the case.
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nintendoboy16

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#20 nintendoboy16
Member since 2007 • 41527 Posts
[QUOTE="thecrypticodor"]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_importing_in_video_games#Region-free_consoles

Also the NES is provided you have a 60 to 72 pin famicom adapter. Got mine out of a Gyromite cart. :)

Articuno76
The DS XL is conspicuously absent from that list. I think Nintendo's official word on it is that it is region-protected, but I know from personal experience that this isn't the case.

What about on DSi specific carts? I know they'll work on all kinds of DS Lites.
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Articuno76

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#21 Articuno76
Member since 2004 • 19799 Posts
[QUOTE="Articuno76"][QUOTE="thecrypticodor"]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_importing_in_video_games#Region-free_consoles

Also the NES is provided you have a 60 to 72 pin famicom adapter. Got mine out of a Gyromite cart. :)

nintendoboy16
The DS XL is conspicuously absent from that list. I think Nintendo's official word on it is that it is region-protected, but I know from personal experience that this isn't the case.

What about on DSi specific carts? I know they'll work on all kinds of DS Lites.

I don't own any DSi feature games so unfortunately I can't make that call.
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#22 DeafNYCPlayer
Member since 2004 • 2314 Posts
Nintendo- Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite SNES- Remove the tabs Neo Geo, not sure Turbo CD, not sure. My friend claimed that Dracula X did work with his Turbo Duo. Dreamcast, it needs to play any import with boot disk, same as PS2. PSP
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#23 GaussRiemann
Member since 2012 • 249 Posts
The Game Gear is region free, and, as far as I know, all Nintendo handhelds. Earlier Genesis& Mega Drive games are region-free, later ones (I'm not sure when protection startet, somewhere between '92 and '94) not. Japanese cartridges, furthermore, have a different shape and do not fit into a non-Japanese console. You need to stick an Action replay in between, or file out the cartridge slot. The Master System is region-free, but the Japanese cartriges have a different form and a different number of pins, so they don't fit. The Saturn has region protection. There are several modules to place in the cartridge slot available to make the console play import games. However, at least with most these you'll have a problem when your game requires a 1MByte or 4MByte RAM extension. The Dreamcast has got protection, but you'll only need a boot disc. The SNES has region protection, and and American cartridges have a different form than PAL and Japanese cartridges. You can play many game by using an adaptor. Hoever, quite a few games have built-in chip that prevents the game from working with most adaptors (Super Mario RPG is a prominent example). The N64 has protection, but there adaptors. But not every game works with every adaptor. The Gamecube has protection, but you only need a boot disc. The TurboGrafx CD has no region protection, as far as I know.
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