List of SD card hack, carts, alternative replacements to CD drive.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok so I bit the bullet and ordered a Everdrive MD off of amazon.  I'm not sure, maybe this thread should be split?  Anyway, since this is one of the knock-off versions, I'll report back in terms of quality and such. 

[thomas_surles]

Ok so I bit the bullet and ordered a Everdrive MD off of amazon.  I'm not sure, maybe this thread should be split?  Anyway, since this is one of the knock-off versions, I'll report back in terms of quality and such.

Maybe we could start a separate thread. But since you got the knockoff and I got the krikzz one. We could do back and forth  comparisons. Like saves and compatibility. If you find a rom not working in can test if it works. oh and a heads up megaman the wily wars needs a patch to work.

[Locke141]

I think this conversation fits here.  The whole idea of the thread is to talk about these carts.


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[Howard_Casto]

Oh btw found another gamegear to master system site:

http://www.smspower.org/Hacks/GameGearToMasterSystem

There are 52 patches on the site and I think around 100 games are game gear exclusives (not master system ports and not available on the genesis or other, more powerful systems).

So I think these might be all the gg games worth playing at home.  Even in this list I see a few that I wonder why they ported them.... like Super Return of the Jedi.... everybody knows the best versions are on the snes....  they even have "super" in the title. 

[thomas_surles]

I think this conversation fits here.  The whole idea of the thread is to talk about these devises.


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*Like button*

[Locke141]

Oh btw found another gamegear to master system site:

http://www.smspower.org/Hacks/GameGearToMasterSystem

There are 52 patches on the site and I think around 100 games are game gear exclusives (not master system ports and not available on the genesis or other, more powerful systems).

So I think these might be all the gg games worth playing at home.  Even in this list I see a few that I wonder why they ported them.... like Super Return of the Jedi.... everybody knows the best versions are on the snes....  they even have "super" in the title. 

Thanks, this is good timing. Just talk to my mom back home and my Mega ever drive (China version) has arrived. I'll be home in a few weeks. Between the upscaler, all the RGB SCART cables, the ever drive, and the Rhea it looks like I am going to have a Super Summer of Sega.

[Howard_Casto]

Ok so I'm trying to research another knock-off cart.  This one is the ed64plus for the N64, which, apparently is not a simple hardware clone and has some fundamental differences.  One version allows you to plug a real cart in the top, similar to a game shark, and it will use any of the on board chips the cart has, so super fx or mode 7 games aren't a problem, in theory at least.  I was about to order it but I ran across another version that doesn't have the ability to plug in carts.  I can't figure out which version is the newer version or which is the "best" version. 

If anyone can find some info let me know.  I'll buy this one as well and give my thoughts once it comes in. 

[Locke141]

Links?

[thomas_surles]

Links?

http://www.nesworld.com/n64-everdrive64plus.php

It is a clone of the ever drive based off of the 1.4 version.
When you buy an everdrive you select which cic you want installed. Pal, ntsc, or both. The ed64 plus doesn't have a cic so it borrows one by placing the correct region game on top.

I assume the other one without the cart slot either comes with a cic or requires you to solder one on from a donor game.
I
The firmware is all everdrive. (Old version)


Edit: read this:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/ed64-plus-my-impressions-any-owners-around-here.343004/

So being based on the version 1 everdrive it will have most of the compatibility.

-banjo Tooie will work but requires a patch. (V2 everdrive and up auto patch this rom when booted)

-No animal crossing/animal forest due to the real time clock
I have a v2 everdrive so I don't have this either.

-No pokemon stadium 2. Only fully working on v3 everdrive.

- DK 64 has unknown save problems on all versions. There are threads on the everdrive forums telling which rom to use and save type to force. (It randomly erases your save after so many hours of play. Some kind of piracy lockout in the game)

-2 Japanese games only work on v3.

Other than that all other games will work. ( keep in mind all the Mario 64 hacks don't work on real hardware)

Also be sure to reset the console before turning it off or you will lose your save ( I did this a couple times by accident. It sucks)

[Howard_Casto]

Sorry about the mode 7 talk... I was tired and got my snes and n64 mixed up (I was researching both at the same time) but the site went down yet again and I couldn't change the post. 

I found a video of the newer version.... apparently it's just as you say, the cic chip is pre installed on the newer version.  There is a price difference of around 10 dollars, so nothing significant.  I'm just wondering if there is any benefit to the older version.  There is a ntsc/pal switch on the top of the new version but I noticed that vendors are advertising it as "enhanced ntsc (Japan/US) only".  So maybe you need the older version to bypass the region lockout?

[ChadTower]

Wow... just read through this thread.  I hadn't realized how far behind I am on this stuff.  Some really cool stuff.  Especially the optical drive replacement SD units.  A lot of units with things other than drive failures can be fixed this way.  I bought a Sega CD/Genesis combo off a Facebook group recently that was damaged in shipping.  The door popped open in transit and the mechanism snapped.  Swapping out the old drive with an SD unit would allow the drive switch to be shorted and never bothered with again.

[thomas_surles]

Sorry about the mode 7 talk... I was tired and got my snes and n64 mixed up (I was researching both at the same time) but the site went down yet again and I couldn't change the post. 

I found a video of the newer version.... apparently it's just as you say, the cic chip is pre installed on the newer version.  There is a price difference of around 10 dollars, so nothing significant.  I'm just wondering if there is any benefit to the older version.  There is a ntsc/pal switch on the top of the new version but I noticed that vendors are advertising it as "enhanced ntsc (Japan/US) only".  So maybe you need the older version to bypass the region lockout?

No benefit of the older version. It's actually more work. You have to have a game of each region to piggy back. The newer one just flip the switch to N for us/j and P for Pal.

If it has the switch it will be all regions. If there is no switch it will just be one region.

[Howard_Casto]

Wow... just read through this thread.  I hadn't realized how far behind I am on this stuff.  Some really cool stuff.  Especially the optical drive replacement SD units.  A lot of units with things other than drive failures can be fixed this way.  I bought a Sega CD/Genesis combo off a Facebook group recently that was damaged in shipping.  The door popped open in transit and the mechanism snapped.  Swapping out the old drive with an SD unit would allow the drive switch to be shorted and never bothered with again.

It is, but some of them don't make sense.  Like the psio for the playstation... a 150 dollar sd adaptor for a console that currently retails for around 8 bucks.  With the 138 dollars saved one could probably buy any psx title they ever wanted to play.  A mod chip would also be a more sensible option.  I'm having the same issue with my dreamcast... buy an 80 dollar adaptor or just buy another dreamcast for 30 bucks and burn more cds. 

[Locke141]

It is, but some of them don't make sense.  Like the psio for the playstation... a 150 dollar sd adaptor for a console that currently retails for around 8 bucks.  With the 138 dollars saved one could probably buy any psx title they ever wanted to play.  A mod chip would also be a more sensible option.  I'm having the same issue with my dreamcast... buy an 80 dollar adaptor or just buy another dreamcast for 30 bucks and burn more cds.

I think you could argue that a lot of what we do in the hobby doesn't make sense. Why mod a NES for RGB or buy a ever drive if there is dam near perfect emulation that can be run on a 10 year old PC that will give you both advantages for free?

In regards to the PSIO, I think the PS2 + hard drive is a more compelling as a not needed argument as the ps2 can play the PS1 library natively, (the PS2 cannot play PS one games off the hard drive) but there is a nostalgia factor to having the original hard ware. Could you get a working PS1 today for next to nothing, shoer. But the CD drive will not last forever (PS1 drive death were/are common) and the PSIO would be a one time perches that will give a chunk of your child hood for decades.

I'm not planning to get a PSIO any time soon, but I definitely want one. For me the PS1 has a very special place in my heart. Growing up with dyslexia was not easy. I remember wanting to play FF7 so bad. It was very hard for me as it took me forever to complete do to all the reading (I maxed out the game play timer), My mom says that game & the other RPGs to follow did more to improve my reading the any thing else up to that point.   

Update: I when one eBay and ordered a original scho-1001 play station. I have a working PS1 and a working PS2. This made me want the same model I had growing up, and it was super cheep. Now if, or more likely when, I decide I want a PSIO I won't have any excuses.

I now hate this thread as it is coasting me a lot of money in small $20-$40 increments

[Howard_Casto]

Don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of what other people do in this hobby doesn't make sense, not me.    I'm far too practical to spend a lot on a console that isn't particularly valuable.  I refuse to rgb mod a NES, for example... it's just too costly.  There is something to be said for running things on the original hardware, which is why I mentioned other, more practical, methods of playing games on a psx instead of just using a ps2.  It's not necessarily a nostalgia thing.  Many consoles are emulated well in terms of playability, but still have issues.  8 bit stuff is pretty well covered, 16 bit consoles sometimes have minor differences and anything beyond that ...well... it really depends. 

You will notice that the flash carts I've been interested in have been on the lower end of the cost spectrum.... it isn't so much a  cheapness thing but rather a practicality thing.  I can make/buy usb adaptors for genesis gamepads for around 20 bucks (for two) and deal with having to have a pc in the living room or just spend another 20 to get a cart that plays genesis, master system, 32x and some game gear.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  N64 carts as well since the cost of games has sky-rocketed and n64 emulation still has issues even after all of these years. 

My only point was to think before you buy and not get swept away in a nostalgia wave.  Sometimes you can get more gaming for your money doing things the old fashioned way.  (Just buying individual games.)

Personally I want to try and get an example of every major game console, but since budget is always a concern I'm going about it carefully.  Right now Sony and Sega stuff is really cheap so it's a good time to buy.  Odd-ball stuff like the tg16, vectrex, ect is at an all time high, so it's best to wait on those.

I hear you though, a sub 20 dollar psx purchase certainly isn't a big deal even if you use it as a wall hanger.  Been thinking of picking one up myself and maybe the updated psone so I can finally have a use for all of those psone lcds. 

[Locke141]

Agreed,

I'll probably never RGB a NES for simpler reasons.

I payed $32 with shipping but it's a 1001 (they seem to go for a bit more do to better sound), it came with two games, 3 remotes, and it also happens to be the model I had as a kid.

[ChadTower]

Console stuff is so inflated right now.  It's crazy.  The stuff we used to give away free after swap meets because nobody wanted it is the super expensive stuff now. 

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah it's annoying.  If I had only known I would have bought this stuff up as places like blockbuster and kb toys went out of business. 

I *think* it's the same deal with flash carts and optical replacements.  Demand is at an all time high so it could be that the prices of these things go down as the hipsters get tired of their new toys. 

I suppose it depends upon the person though.  I could see someone spending 200+ getting a particular console up and running the way they want if they really really like it and it's the only one they ever cared about.  For me though it's less about the console and more about the games.  I never really stopped gaming my entire life, save a couple of years in college so the console is more like a vcr to me... it just plays the games.  I still have all my old consoles though, so maybe I'm just kidding myself.

[opt2not]

Don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of what other people do in this hobby doesn't make sense, not me.    I'm far too practical to spend a lot on a console that isn't particularly valuable.  I refuse to rgb mod a NES, for example... it's just too costly.  There is something to be said for running things on the original hardware, which is why I mentioned other, more practical, methods of playing games on a psx instead of just using a ps2.  It's not necessarily a nostalgia thing.  Many consoles are emulated well in terms of playability, but still have issues.  8 bit stuff is pretty well covered, 16 bit consoles sometimes have minor differences and anything beyond that ...well... it really depends. 

Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I'll ever agree with your POV, Howard. Too narrow-minded, always self-centered.
What you may think isn't valuable may be valuable to others.  I don't get into the hobby of gaming for monetary gains, I'm in it to play games, in the most comfortable way I can. Adding an RGB-out to an NES for example just helps those who care about connecting it to a nice CRT like a PVM/BVM. Or using an upscaler for recording clean footage of your play-throughs...yeah yeah, people can upscale to connect to their modern TVs too, if you're into that.

You will notice that the flash carts I've been interested in have been on the lower end of the cost spectrum.... it isn't so much a  cheapness thing but rather a practicality thing.  I can make/buy usb adaptors for genesis gamepads for around 20 bucks (for two) and deal with having to have a pc in the living room or just spend another 20 to get a cart that plays genesis, master system, 32x and some game gear.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  N64 carts as well since the cost of games has sky-rocketed and n64 emulation still has issues even after all of these years. 

My only point was to think before you buy and not get swept away in a nostalgia wave.  Sometimes you can get more gaming for your money doing things the old fashioned way.  (Just buying individual games.)

Personally I want to try and get an example of every major game console, but since budget is always a concern I'm going about it carefully.  Right now Sony and Sega stuff is really cheap so it's a good time to buy.  Odd-ball stuff like the tg16, vectrex, ect is at an all time high, so it's best to wait on those.

I hear you though, a sub 20 dollar psx purchase certainly isn't a big deal even if you use it as a wall hanger.  Been thinking of picking one up myself and maybe the updated psone so I can finally have a use for all of those psone lcds. 

Again, these are such personal points that it doesn't fit everyone. I don't understand why you feel the need to come into this LIST thread and ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on people's intents.  It's a thread to list out the options, not spout off why you think it's unnecessary. Go start your own thread for that.

Good for you, you can make your own controller adapters and whatnot.  Not everyone has the technical expertise. So how does this point help others?

Another point, buying actual game carts is fine if you're into the pedestrian titles. But if you are looking for the more rare games, the cost is not practical.

Also, there have been many translation rom hack projects for games not released in North America, and these flash devices are great for playing games that we weren't privy to back then. Not forgetting some hack projects fix bugs some games shipped with, or improved on the gameplay a bit, or reverted the stupid censoring North America had BITD.

All in all, these devices are great, but if they don't suit you that's fine. There's no point in coming in and pooping on the party when it doesn't fit your needs. Just carry on, do you, and let the rest of us have our fun.

[Howard_Casto]

I suggest you go back and actually read what I wrote.  Nobody in this thread had a problem with it, just you, so you, are in fact the self-centered one and you, are, in fact the one that just ruined this thread. 

Go back and read how you replied... it doesn't even make sense.  I mentioned having to buy/make adaptors as a CON and yet you threw it back like I was listing it as a pro.  You are acting like I have a problem with upscalers and yet, in this very forum I was in a thread talking about different upscalers we could try.  I even made another reply about how it probably varies from person to person and how I could see a person spending a lot depending upon their circumstances.

I'm not sure, maybe you are drunk/high or maybe you've had a bad day or something, but you are putting words into my mouth, accusing me of saying things I didn't say or even allude to, not comprehending the things I did write.

Please apologize and delete your post so and I'll be glad to delete this response. 

 

[pbj]

Don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of what other people do in this hobby doesn't make sense, not me.    I'm far too practical to spend a lot on a console that isn't particularly valuable.  I refuse to rgb mod a NES, for example... it's just too costly.  There is something to be said for running things on the original hardware, which is why I mentioned other, more practical, methods of playing games on a psx instead of just using a ps2.  It's not necessarily a nostalgia thing.  Many consoles are emulated well in terms of playability, but still have issues.  8 bit stuff is pretty well covered, 16 bit consoles sometimes have minor differences and anything beyond that ...well... it really depends. 

Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I'll ever agree with your POV, Howard. Too narrow-minded, always self-centered.
What you may think isn't valuable may be valuable to others.  I don't get into the hobby of gaming for monetary gains, I'm in it to play games, in the most comfortable way I can. Adding an RGB-out to an NES for example just helps those who care about connecting it to a nice CRT like a PVM/BVM. Or using an upscaler for recording clean footage of your play-throughs...yeah yeah, people can upscale to connect to their modern TVs too, if you're into that.

You will notice that the flash carts I've been interested in have been on the lower end of the cost spectrum.... it isn't so much a  cheapness thing but rather a practicality thing.  I can make/buy usb adaptors for genesis gamepads for around 20 bucks (for two) and deal with having to have a pc in the living room or just spend another 20 to get a cart that plays genesis, master system, 32x and some game gear.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  N64 carts as well since the cost of games has sky-rocketed and n64 emulation still has issues even after all of these years. 

My only point was to think before you buy and not get swept away in a nostalgia wave.  Sometimes you can get more gaming for your money doing things the old fashioned way.  (Just buying individual games.)

Personally I want to try and get an example of every major game console, but since budget is always a concern I'm going about it carefully.  Right now Sony and Sega stuff is really cheap so it's a good time to buy.  Odd-ball stuff like the tg16, vectrex, ect is at an all time high, so it's best to wait on those.

I hear you though, a sub 20 dollar psx purchase certainly isn't a big deal even if you use it as a wall hanger.  Been thinking of picking one up myself and maybe the updated psone so I can finally have a use for all of those psone lcds. 

Again, these are such personal points that it doesn't fit everyone. I don't understand why you feel the need to come into this LIST thread and ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on people's intents.  It's a thread to list out the options, not spout off why you think it's unnecessary. Go start your own thread for that.

Good for you, you can make your own controller adapters and whatnot.  Not everyone has the technical expertise. So how does this point help others?

Another point, buying actual game carts is fine if you're into the pedestrian titles. But if you are looking for the more rare games, the cost is not practical.

Also, there have been many translation rom hack projects for games not released in North America, and these flash devices are great for playing games that we weren't privy to back then. Not forgetting some hack projects fix bugs some games shipped with, or improved on the gameplay a bit, or reverted the stupid censoring North America had BITD.

All in all, these devices are great, but if they don't suit you that's fine. There's no point in coming in and pooping on the party when it doesn't fit your needs. Just carry on, do you, and let the rest of us have our fun.

I suggest you go back and actually read what I wrote.  Nobody in this thread had a problem with it, just you, so you, are in fact the self-centered one and you, are, in fact the one that just ruined this thread. 

Go back and read how you replied... it doesn't even make sense.  I mentioned having to buy/make adaptors as a CON and yet you threw it back like I was listing it as a pro.  You are acting like I have a problem with upscalers and yet, in this very forum I was in a thread talking about different upscalers we could try.  I even made another reply about how it probably varies from person to person and how I could see a person spending a lot depending upon their circumstances.

I'm not sure, maybe you are drunk/high or maybe you've had a bad day or something, but you are putting words into my mouth, accusing me of saying things I didn't say or even allude to, not comprehending the things I did write.

Please apologize and delete your post so and I'll be glad to delete this response. 

[opt2not]

I apologize for the adapter comment. I read it wrong, that's my bad, I have no problem admitting I was rash/wrong. For posterity's sake I'll just leave my post there. I'm not one to go back on what I put out in the world.

But I stand by my other point, this thread is for identifying the different options for flash devices, and optical drive alternative.  It's not a thread made for personal views on what people do in this hobby, or why someone would pay x amount of money for something. 
The NES RGB comment hit close to home, because I do value it as one of the best consoles ever made. Adding a proper video output for it just makes the console that much better, and if you have a need for using RGB, then the cost is nothing compared to the "nostalgia wave" you'll be surfing after installing this mod. It really breathed a lot of life back into my old NES. Yes, NES games are well emulated, but you cannot emulate the feeling of popping in a cartridge hitting the power button and playing a game within 10 secs on original hardware.

Everyone has a different situation, different incomes, and different dedications to their interests.  I'm happy to pay for a product if was high quality. I won't pay for another China-cheapy piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- hardware ever again. Most of the products listed here are of high quality, save for maybe a couple (like the EZ-Flash, which will be obsolete soon once the new GBA Everdrive is released). 

[Howard_Casto]

Actually if you were someone who was actually participating in the thread instead of butting in, you would realize that I asked about that a couple of days back and the response from the others was that this was the place to discuss such things.  You see I was concerned of bogging the thread down with discussions others wouldn't appreciate, so I asked.  We are all trying to figure out what is worth buying and what isn't.  Cost obviously is going to come into the discussion.

See the problem is you are accusing me of forcing my views on others and yet, you are forcing your view, that cost doesn't matter, on to me.  You even interrupted the discussion with a tie-raid to make your point.

What in the world are you so upset about?!?  I gave the advice to (gasp!) think before you buy and to (double gasp!) be financially conservative.  Oh dear god what reckless advice did I give!  Someone alert the KGB!!!

[Locke141]

For people that come into the tread late, I think Howard comet on talking about upscaler in this thread was actually about {url=http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,150683.0.html]this thread[/url].

opt2not I did not even consider what would be needed to upscaling a NES properly. That may change thing for me down the road.

Could we agree to all take a step back and say what ever. I think both of you made good points.

Here's a good question, what retro systems, accessories, or SD devises do you guys think are a good deal right now? 

[opt2not]

Actually if you were someone who was actually participating in the thread instead of butting in, you would realize that I asked about that a couple of days back and the response from the others was that this was the place to discuss such things.  You see I was concerned of bogging the thread down with discussions others wouldn't appreciate, so I asked.  We are all trying to figure out what is worth buying and what isn't.  Cost obviously is going to come into the discussion.

Excuse me?  I am someone who is and has been participating in this thread.  I've been participating to this thread much earlier than you have, and I've actually contributed to the list whereas your first post in this thread was praising said list, then your second post was your standard `Howard-style criticism`: "I don't understand this about people" ,  "Doing this and that doesn't make sense to me"...ad nauseam.  You see the pattern here don't you?

See the problem is you are accusing me of forcing my views on others and yet, you are forcing your view, that cost doesn't matter, on to me.  You even interrupted the discussion with a tie-raid to make your point.

What in the world are you so upset about?!?  I gave the advice to (gasp!) think before you buy and to (double gasp!) be financially conservative.  Oh dear god what reckless advice did I give!  Someone alert the KGB!!!

So by telling people to be financially conservative you are not forcing your views on people?  Please. No one is going to tell me how to spend my hard-earned cash.
Talking about the price is fine, people should definitely be aware of the cost for these quality products. But pushing your views on what you think is worth said price isn't. Let people decide what is too expensive and what isn't. 

I don't think we'll ever agree on a particular subject. Our views are drastically different.
I'm just going to leave it as that.

opt2not I did not even consider what would be needed to upscaling a NES properly. That may change thing for me down the road.

Yeah I know what's needed.  I have my NES Mini modded for RGB, even uses a MultiAV connector:


Here's the RGB board installed:


For upscaling I took the plunge and got myself a XRGB-Mini, 'cause like I said, I like quality products and am willing to spend a bit more for them. Should you do the same?  That's your call, based on your situation.  I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money.

But, I can say the Mini is an amazing piece of hardware, it has so many scaling options, screen adjustments, and firmware updates are constantly being released. I love the fact you can save profiles for different systems and displays you're using.
I've been really happy with this set-up.

Here's a good question, what retro systems, accessories, or SD devises do you guys think are a good deal right now?

I would say the Original Gameboy is a good system to get into now. You can find them easily, and they're the last of the Nintendo hardware that is still affordable and hasn't blown up crazy like other Nintendo stuff.

I recently backlight modded a couple Gameboy Pockets, and have been enjoying playing games off my EverdriveGB with a nice back-lit screen:




Original games are still cheap, you can find the standard titles for $10-20 these days, a bit higher for rares. Pokemons are also usually higher, but that's a given due to all the pokemon fans out there (not including myself, I didn't get into Pokemon BITD and I think it's too late now).

Second to that: Sega Genesis.  It seems that Genesis consoles and games are still on the cheaper end of the spectrum. I don't know how long this will last, but right now you can a Genesis for about the same price as a Original Gameboy.  I haven't picked one up yet, but been considering it.

[Howard_Casto]

My everdrive md came in yesterday.  Only took a week from China!  So far I don't have any complaints... The shell is professionally molded, not a hack job.  All games seem to work fine and loading is fairly fast with even the larger games taking only a few seconds.  Master system games work fine, genesis games work fine, games from other regions can be loaded, ect....  It is running an older version of the firmware, but from what I've read, the only real difference is the appearance and function of the menu.  I haven't tried any game genie codes yet, so I'll get back to you on that. 

I think they are going for around 40 dollars on amazon last time I checked.  Well worth it if you ask me. 

Oh... one thing noted in the manual (yes it came with a manual on the sd card believe it or not) is that the cart doesn't work with some of the clone systems, including the firecore plug and play units.  I'm not sure why anyone would play it on that, but just fyi. 

[yotsuya]

I ordered an Atari 2600 Harmony Encore on Friday, it showed up yesterday.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[Locke141]

One year later and my Rhea is finally installed. I have to convert my CD's and shining force 3 patches to .CDI before I can test them.

Unforchitly I am stomped with thing I need to do and may not get to it for a day or two.

[Howard_Casto]

I ordered an Atari 2600 Harmony Encore on Friday, it showed up yesterday.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

I figured you would make a multi cart man.  With all the soldering you've been doing lately with would be a piece of cake to make a 512 in 1 model. 

[yotsuya]

I ordered an Atari 2600 Harmony Encore on Friday, it showed up yesterday.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

I figured you would make a multi cart man.  With all the soldering you've been doing lately with would be a piece of cake to make a 512 in 1 model.

Actually, I might be doing another Nintendo-related solder job for HighScoreSaves.com very soon....

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[ChadTower]

Yeah it's annoying.  If I had only known I would have bought this stuff up as places like blockbuster and kb toys went out of business. 

And then storing it for 15 years?  It's not THAT expensive now.   

[Howard_Casto]

It's pretty bad.  N64 carts cost as much as a brand new xb1/ps4 game in many cases.  Snes is almost as bad.  The only things that are cheap to collect for are genesis and 2600.

[ChadTower]

Don't even look at the 3DO, the Virtual Boy, the TG16, etc.  From this point of view it does make sense that someone that found a Saturn at a yard sale might drop the coin to SD card mod the thing and grab the entire library.  It's cheaper than buying games.  Yeah, you could buy a $15 modchip and drop that in, right up until the CD drive dies because the gears are cheap plastic from 20 years ago.

[Malenko]

Yeah, you could buy a $15 modchip and drop that in, right up until the CD drive dies because the gears are cheap plastic from 20 years ago.

Meanwhile my Saturn that gets regular playtime and is the one I bought from FunCoLand many many many years ago, is still going strong and I was doing the swap trick with it to play my import games for a long time. I did eventually buy a Japanese Saturn so I didnt have to, but both systems are going strong.

[ChadTower]

Meanwhile my Saturn that gets regular playtime and is the one I bought from FunCoLand many many many years ago, is still going strong and I was doing the swap trick with it to play my import games for a long time. I did eventually buy a Japanese Saturn so I didnt have to, but both systems are going strong.

Of course some still work.  I have had as many come to me with dead lasers, dead gears, broken lid switch, etc as those that still work.  The fact that yours still work doesn't negate all the nonworking Saturns.  These days it seems about 50/50 for the Saturns I come across and nearly all of them at least need laser adjustment.

[Malenko]

Of course some still work.  I have had as many come to me with dead lasers, dead gears, broken lid switch, etc as those that still work.  The fact that yours still work doesn't negate all the nonworking Saturns.  These days it seems about 50/50 for the Saturns I come across and nearly all of them at least need laser adjustment.

If you take care of your ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, it tends to last longer.I consider adjusting the laser as part of taking care of it.
Saturns not being taken care of and having broken gears doesnt mean they were made with crummy parts, you just happen to come across ones that were neglected.

[Howard_Casto]

Also it's like my psx arugment (which I was correct on btw).  You can buy a playstation for 8 dollars....... on frikkin amazon!  You would have to kill 10+ psx's before it's even remotely practical to buy the 140 dollar sd adaptor.  Saturns can be a little more pricey, so it could be worth it, but it's very much a case-by-case basis. 

Disc-based systems only make sense to sd/hdd mod when they aren't reliable.  So far the Wii is the only disc-based system I've had die. 

My DC has a bad drive but that's because someone had monkeyed with it before I bought it.  I got it working again and it ran for a couple more years.  Considering I only paid 20 dollars for it, two controllers, a vmu and about 10 games, with everything complete in box, I think I did pretty good. 

[ChadTower]

Also it's like my psx arugment (which I was correct on btw).  You can buy a playstation for 8 dollars....... on frikkin amazon!  You would have to kill 10+ psx's before it's even remotely practical to buy the 140 dollar sd adaptor.  Saturns can be a little more pricey, so it could be worth it, but it's very much a case-by-case basis. 

That's a lot of effort and frustration, though.  Granted, you're not going to get 10 bad ones off Amazon.  But you're also not dealing with a couple bad ones, shipping and wait times, and you're not burning/buying a whole spindle full of CDRs.  I think you're right about the $140 price point but if that were $100?  Maybe I'd go the other way.

[opt2not]

Yeah, you could buy a $15 modchip and drop that in, right up until the CD drive dies because the gears are cheap plastic from 20 years ago.

Meanwhile my Saturn that gets regular playtime and is the one I bought from FunCoLand many many many years ago, is still going strong and I was doing the swap trick with it to play my import games for a long time. I did eventually buy a Japanese Saturn so I didnt have to, but both systems are going strong.

I got a dirt cheap Saturn a little while ago with a botched modchip install, 'cause someone thought a $15 modchip was easy to do. I guess that person wasn't too experienced with modding and ended up damaging some traces, the connectors to the cd drive, and made a mess with the soldering.  After cleaning it up and repairing the traces, I removed the cd drive and installed the Rhea. Perfect fix to an otherwise dead Saturn, and upgraded with the Rhea made it come back from the dead with a vengeance! Installed RMENU for it as well, and it's running pretty amazing.  Best fix/upgrade this console can get.

I don't really care to have a bunch of burnt discs laying around, nor do I want to create more waste doing so.  Which is why these flash devices are great!
Not sure why some people want to promote mod-chips in a thread dedicated to flash devices and drive replacements.

[ChadTower]

Not sure why some people want to promote mod-chips in a thread dedicated to flash devices and drive replacements.

Modchips are part of the discussion when we're talking pro/con of anything that is modifying the system's storage method.  And damn, man, the Saturn mod IS super easy, so whomever botched that so badly must have been really bad at it.