
                        NextLEVEL Emulator
                             v0.0023b
                   Programmed by Christian Fowler

Release:10-20-97

           NOTE : THIS ALPHA VERSION DOES NOT PLAY ANY GAMES AT ALL!
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                        **************************
                                CONTENTS
                        **************************

                          * About NextLEVEL Emulator
                          * Requirements
                          * Getting Started!
                          * Getting Around
                          * FAQ
                          * Thanks!
                          * Disclaimer

                        **************************
                         ABOUT NEXTLEVEL EMULATOR
                        **************************
NextLEVEL Emulator is a Sega multi system emulator for MS-DOS compatible
computers.
The software contained in this package is freeware and may not be:
 sold, distributed with a game  or  modified.
NextLEVEL Emulator is programmed entirely by Christian Fowler primarily as
an experiment to emulate the Sega / Mega CD system.
NextLEVEL Emulator is programmed in 32-bit assembler with the exception of the
GUI part of the emulator, which is done in 32-bit C++.

                        **************************
                              REQUIREMENTS
                        **************************

 NextLEVEL Emulator requires the following setup as a minimum:

                        - Mouse installed!
                        - 486DX or above CPU
                        - 8MB RAM , 12MB RAM (Sega CD emulation)
                        - 2MB free disk space
                        - VGA video card
                        - MPC2 Level CD-ROM drive (Sega CD emulation)

 The following setup is recommended for best performance:

                        - Mouse installed!
                        - P100 or above CPU
                        - 16MB RAM
                        - VESA 2.0 compatible video
                        - MPC2 Level CD-ROM drive (Sega CD emulation)

                        **************************
                             GETTING STARTED!
                        **************************

Now that you've finally got your hands on the very first version of my
NextLEVEL Emulator, I bet you can't wait to play your favourite Sega CD games.
Well, I hate to make your day miserable, or anything, but this version is
really a beta release, and currently does NOT play any Sega CD games. This
version simply writes out a log file when you try playing your game. What
I ask of you, is that you simple send these files back to me so I can study
them. The log files will only contain data about the directories and files
on you Sega CD.

* WRITING OUT A LOG FILE

Here's how you write out a log file :
1. Put a Sega CD in your CD-ROM drive
2. Go to the directory where you installed NextLEVEL
3. Type "next -logcd" on the command line
4. NextLEVEL will find your CD-ROM drive and write out the data to a file
   named LOGFILE.DAT
5. Repeat steps 1-4 till you've tried all your Sega CDs
6. Send the LOGFILE.DAT file to Christian Fowler at : cfowler27@hotmail.com

* USING THE SEGA CD BIOS IMAGES

 Future versions of NextLEVEL will require at least one Sega CD BIOS image.
It currently supports Mega CD and Sega CD images.
Here's how you set up the images for NextLEVEL:
1. Go to the directory where you have installed NextLEVEL
2. Type : "md bios" to make a new sub directory called "bios"
3. Copy one or both of the BIOS images in to this new sub directory.
4. Make sure they are named "SCDBIOS1.BIN" for Sega CD BIOS and "SCDBIOS2.BIN"
   for Mega CD BIOS!
5. Now NextLEVEL should find the BIOS image, and load it in to memory!


                        **************************
                             GETTING AROUND
                        **************************

 Once you start up the emulator, it's quite simple to get around. Just click
on the buttons, and see where they take you! Click on the image of the system
you want to start up, and off you go!
I have disabled a lot of functions in this alpha version, so there's not much
more I would have to explain!

                        **************************
                                   FAQ
                        **************************

Q : "Why can't I play any games on this emulator?"
A : I wish you could, but as I have mentioned about a thousand times : this
    is just an alpha release. The next public release will have Master System
    and Game Gear emulation, and hopefully Genesis emulation.

Q : "This version hardly does anything! Why did you release it?"
A : Because I need as much help as possible. This version will provide me
    with information on the different Sega CDs. This version is vital to the
    Sega CD emulation. A lot of functions are built in to this version, but
    aren't available to public testers. Wait for the next public release.

Q : "When will Sega CD games be playable?"
A : I have no idea! Maybe just after Christmas.

Q : "Is there any way I can play my Sega CD games off the hard disk?"
A : No. You might be able to use Soft CD, or something, but I have never
    tried. Anyway, what's the point in playing a Sega CD game off the hd, when
    you have a CD-ROM drive?

Q : "Where can I get the Sega CD BIOS images?"
A : The early alpha versions do not require a BIOS image. I won't tell you
    where you can get them, but if you use some common sense and browse around
    a bit, you might find them. Remember : it is illegal to own these images
    if you don't own a Sega CD unit yourself!

Q : "Since this is an all-in-one Sega emulator, will it emulate 32X?"
A : I don't have a 32X, myself, so it would be a bit hard for me to try and
    emulate it. I have, however, added a group of programmers to do the 32X
    part of the emulator. So sometime in the future, NextLEVEL might include
    the 32X.

Q : "Since this is an all-in-one Sega emulator, will it emulate Sega Saturn?
A : I don't have a Saturn console, either. For some strange reason they
    haven't taken off that well here in Scandinavia! All the shops have to
    import them directly from UK, which raises the price, making it less
    attractive than the PSX and N64. If anyone wishes to do a Saturn part for
    NextLEVEL, then go ahead!


                        **************************
                                 THANKS!
                        **************************

A very special thanks goes out to the following people. This couldn't be done
without them :

- Sean Fowler : for lending me his Sega Mega Drive and Mega CD unit!
- Christian Schiller : for sending me the BIOS ROM images!
- Placebo (+ many others) : for the Genesis SDK
- Zophar : for the 32X example code
- Peter Quering
- All the people who sent me the Sega.DOC and Sega2.DOCs
- All the people who sent me the Genesis C compiler, Genesis assembler,
  Genesis hardware docs etc.
- and last, but not least, for all the e-mail I've received!

Special greetings to:
- Rhomey of the 32X emulator project
- Jim at EMU News Service
- The Fox at Emulators Unlimited

                        **************************
                               DISCLAIMER
                        **************************
NextLEVEL Copyright 1997 Christian Fowler

Sega, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Mega CD, Sega Master System, Sega Gamegear,
Sega 32x (Mars) , Sega Saturn are all trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

Christian Fowler is not affiliated with Sega, nor does he advocate the piracy
of any games produced for the above mentioned Sega systems.

NextLEVEL is FREEWARE and may be distributed freely as long as none of the
files in the package are modified, and no ROM images are distributed with
the program.

When you use NextLEVEL Emulator, you use it at your own risk. Christian Fowler
is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from the use or misuse
of this software.

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS THEN DELETE THIS SOFTWARE NOW!


