Sega Model 2
| |
| Developer | Sega |
|---|---|
| Type | Arcade system board |
| Release date | 1993 |
| Discontinued | 1998 |
| Predecessor | Model 1 |
| Successor | Model 3 |
| Emulated | ✓ |
The Sega Model 2 is an arcade system board first released in 1993 as a successor to the Sega Model 1 board. Sega Model 2 was the starting point of several popular arcade games and series such as Daytona USA, Dead Or Alive, Sega Rally, House of the Dead and Virtua Cop. It had an Intel i960-KB CPU at 25 MHz with 9776KB of RAM.
Emulators
- Main article: Arcade emulators#Emulators
Comparisons
- Model 2 Emulator (formerly Nebula Model 2)
- Has great compatibility. Most games work without problems, although some configuration may be required for the optimal experience in some titles. It is easy to use and the system requirements are moderate. There is support for increasing the internal resolution, force feedback and GPU hardware acceleration.[1] For a long time it was, and still is for most titles, the only way to play Model 2 games. However; it is Windows only, closed-source and has not been updated since 2014. Although the MAME developers have access to the source code, its use of Win32 assembly and emulation "shortcuts" such as a cached interpreter make it unusable for implementation into MAME.
- Nuexzz has also created a frontend, Sega Model 2 UI, for this emulator.
- MAME
- Is on the verge of overtaking the Model 2 Emulator in terms of compatibility and is currently under active development. Its emulation of the Model 2 was significantly improved in 2025 and 2026. With version 0.196, the first two games became playable: Virtua Fighter 2 and Motor Raid.[2] Version 0.197 followed, with the addition of Rail Chase 2. Versions 0.271, 0.277-0.279, 0.282-0.286, 0.288 and 0.289 introduced bug fixes, previously missing features, and improvements to graphics, physics, controls and audio, as well as new revisions of previously supported games. Almost all games work, but some have minor graphical glitches and the others crash in ‘attract’ mode or simply fail to load in that mode. You will need a fast single-threaded processor for full-speed emulation. A processor with a single-threaded score of around 2700 (this is just a suggestion; it may be much lower) or higher should give you a good experience.
- See MAME driver at GitHub (Also note the to-do lists at top of page).
Games
| Game | Model 2 Emulator | MAME | PSN/XBLA* | Ports** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Walkers | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Behind Enemy Lines | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Cyber Troopers Virtual-On | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Daytona USA | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dead or Alive | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Desert Tank | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dynamite Baseball | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dynamite Baseball 97 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dynamite Cop | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fighting Vipers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gunblade NY | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hanguk Pro Yagu | ✗ | ~ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Indy 500 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Last Bronx | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Manx TT Superbike | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Motor Raid | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Over Rev | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pilot Kids | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Power Sled | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rail Chase 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Royal Ascott 2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sega Rally Championship | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sega Ski Super G | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sega Touring Car Championship | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sega Water Ski | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sky Target | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sonic the Fighters | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Super GT 24H | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| The House of the Dead | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Top Skater | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wave Runner | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Virtua Cop | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtua Cop 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtua Fighter 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtua Striker | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero Gunner | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
This list is updated as of MAME 0.289 and Model 2 Emulator 1.1a.
* PSN/XBLA: Some games were released for PS3 PSN and Xbox 360 XBLA labelled as the "Sega Model 2 Collection". It is a way to buy the games as single purchases on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One (backward compatibility). The games feature excellent improvements over the arcade originals such as higher resolution, widescreen, HD textures, fewer pop-ups, online multiplayer, trophies, etc. Some of these are playable in the RPCS3 emulator.
** Ports: Some games were ported to consoles available when the arcade games where released. Most of them were released on Sega Saturn and PC, with a few appearing on Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. These ports are often downgraded compared to the the arcade originals.
Resources
- Sega Retro
- System-16 (Games & technical specs for several Model 2 versions)
- UVList
- NoGameNoGlory.com
- Graphics comparison table (for Saturn as opposed to PS1, N64, Sega Model 2 arcade hardware and 1995-era PC)
External Links
- Sega Model 2 Emulation (RetroGameForce. Published on Feb 02, 2020.)
- Sega Model 2 Arcade Games A to Z (Dubbloseven. Published on Nov 23, 2016.)
- 66 GAMES - MODEL 2 1.1a EMULATOR TEST (EMURETRO. Published on Apr 7, 2017.)
- Best SEGA MODEL 2 Collection - Arcade Games (TheRadik. Published on Apr 26, 2018. Model 2 emulator.)
