It’s a Genesis 1 with a 32X with Sonic & Knuckles in the cartridge slot. That game had a flip-top with a cartridge slot under it so other games (specifically Sonic 3) could be plugged into it for additional functionality. The Genesis 1 also had a connector on the side which was used to connect to the Sega CD unit (notably missing from this picture). It’s a 30-pin connector so it fits into the 32-pin cartridge slot. And then plugged into the top Genesis is a copy of Bubsy, one of the worst games released for the system.
As to whether it “works”, at best you would get Sonic & Knuckles booting as long as the Genesis plugged into it doesn’t connect to or short any pins in the cartridge’s slot.
a copy of Bubsy, one of the worst games released for the system.
Leave Bubsy alone, please!
Leave Bubsy alone right now! I mean it.
Anyone that has a problem with him, you deal with me, because he is not well right now.
Leave him alone.
I was working at Babbage’s when Bubsy was released for the SNES and Genesis. Accolade (the publisher) had somehow convinced upper management that it was going to be a huge hit so they shipped us three or four cases of the game for each system. We rarely got cases, usually half-a-dozen loose copies. So we crammed them into our tiny back room and they sat there for months. I’m not going to say we didn’t sell any, but I certainly don’t remember it flying off the shelves. At one point a guy claiming to be an Accolade exec came into my store asking how it was selling. Again, I don’t remember exactly what I said to him but he wouldn’t have been happy. Finally, after a year or so we got orders from HQ to box them up and send them back.
It’s a Genesis 1 with a 32X with Sonic & Knuckles in the cartridge slot. That game had a flip-top with a cartridge slot under it so other games (specifically Sonic 3) could be plugged into it for additional functionality. The Genesis 1 also had a connector on the side which was used to connect to the Sega CD unit (notably missing from this picture). It’s a 30-pin connector so it fits into the 32-pin cartridge slot. And then plugged into the top Genesis is a copy of Bubsy, one of the worst games released for the system.
As to whether it “works”, at best you would get Sonic & Knuckles booting as long as the Genesis plugged into it doesn’t connect to or short any pins in the cartridge’s slot.
Leave Bubsy alone, please!

Leave Bubsy alone right now! I mean it.
Anyone that has a problem with him, you deal with me, because he is not well right now.
Leave him alone.
I was working at Babbage’s when Bubsy was released for the SNES and Genesis. Accolade (the publisher) had somehow convinced upper management that it was going to be a huge hit so they shipped us three or four cases of the game for each system. We rarely got cases, usually half-a-dozen loose copies. So we crammed them into our tiny back room and they sat there for months. I’m not going to say we didn’t sell any, but I certainly don’t remember it flying off the shelves. At one point a guy claiming to be an Accolade exec came into my store asking how it was selling. Again, I don’t remember exactly what I said to him but he wouldn’t have been happy. Finally, after a year or so we got orders from HQ to box them up and send them back.
this guy adapts
I feel dumb, I don’t remember a side slot on my genesis 1. It was quite a while ago, but still.
It was under a removable panel. If you didn’t have a Sega CD, you probably didn’t have a good reason to go looking for it.
It was concealed by a plastic cover which blended in to the rest of the console. It was easy to overlook unless you went looking for it.
The hero we need, but don’t deserve! Thank you!!