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Just starting up & need SNES hardware advice....

 
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billywo



Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 10:58 am    Post subject: Just starting up & need SNES hardware advice.... Reply with quote

Hi there,

I've been working on a GUI tool which extracts and re-writes data to a SNES ROM. The tool effectively allows you to generate new levels and re-skin the game, amongst other tweaks.

I've been writing this tool for sometime now and it's very near completion. I've been using an emulator to test my progress. It's my goal to have my customized ROM put back into cartridge form ... or at least play the game on an original SNES instead of an emulator.

I don't have much knowledge or experience working with cartridges, backup utilities or flash hardware. I bought a device a while back which cost a fair whack and it didn't do the job I wanted. I later discovered this is because I need to utilize a 'DSP' chip which the game requires. This isn't the only draw-back; I also require any hardware to operate in PAL mode.

Can you guys give my any advice as to what I should buy to be able to hot-swap a SNES PAL ROM file to the SNES hardware and have it use the DSP chip?

Thanks.
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CrackLtd



Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 239

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That thing about your game hacking tool sounds interesting (: ... Well, to test and play ROMS on the actual hardware you just need any copier unit like a Wildcard or a ProFighter. If you want to hack games that have an DSP chip in the original cart inside.. thats the point where the problems start. You can try to aqcuire a game with DSP inside and stick it in cartslot of the copier. Depending on the version of the DSP a backup-ROM game wich is loaded into the copier will run then using the DSP in the cart sticked in. But i only have tested that with Mariocart and Pilotwings wich will work that way. Things are really getting tough when trying to play FX games on actual copier hardware. Afaik there is no way that this will work.
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billywo



Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was recommended a Wildcard a while back and I've been searching the internet to try to acquire one for literally 'years' without any luck.

Referring to the DSP version, I have the original game (which is Super Mario Kart) so I'm guaranteed to have no version conflicts Smile ..... As for copiers - I did search ToToTEK for things like this and I came across 'Doctor SF3/6/7' but they seem to be advertised as NTSC so I'm assuming that PAL will not work. I've never heard of 'ProFighter' so I'll start reading up on this now, thanks!

Quote:
That thing about your game hacking tool sounds interesting


The tool will be released as soon as it's 100% tested on SNES hardware. I wanna document things well so non-hackers can easily get things up and running.

I've seen 'SuperFlash' items on ToToTEK, can anyone comment on a PAL & DSP setup? Any problems?

Thanks.
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danntor



Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If by Super Flash items you mean this http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_8_11&products_id=39&zenid=5db8d377dd7c60636524f988fa5032df I have one and it works fine. To play games that have a DSP chip require a T-Connector (ToToTEK sells them and they are cheap). To use the DSP chip in another cart you plug it into the back and the flashcard onto the top of it. This also lets you use the flash cart properly as it usually has a CIC chip that is for NTSC and the T-Connector will use the CIC chip inside the other cart). You can also remove the CIC chip from the Super Flash and put a PAL one in, this can be done for other flash carts as well.

EDIT - I have never tried to play a ROM that required a DSP chip but I assume it would work.
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billywo



Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds cool.

I've just read the page you linked & it described USB & Parallel Port cables. Is that Parallel OR USB ... or are both required? I need to check this because I don't have a computer with a Parallel Port Sad
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danntor



Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Posts: 47

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The USB cable powers the programmer and the parallel cable programs the cart. Go to a garage sale and pick up old computer for cheap and install 98 on it. I have heard that the USB to Parallel port adapters do not work as well.
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MottZilla



Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 765

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could get the Game Doctor SF from Tototek with the DSP adapter. Just contact Tomy and tell him you have a PAL system and maybe he can help you work that out. Maybe he could sell you a GDSF that has been converted for PAL systems. Alternatively you could disable your SNES's lockout chip. If I recall only SA-1 chip games like Super Mario RPG won't work if the lockout chip is disabled.
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billywo



Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've just managed to do a deal with someone for a Super Wildcard DX2. I've been looking for one of these for some time and today, I find this site and manage to strike a deal. Woo hoo!

Hopefully this DX2 will do the job as apparently it borrows the DSP from the cartridge inserted.

Thanks to all that helped :p
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xiaNaix



Joined: 10 Apr 2009
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't forget to let us know when you release your app. Wink
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billywo



Joined: 08 May 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2009 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

xiaNaix wrote:
Don't forget to let us know when you release your app. Wink


Sure thing! As soon as it's 100%. I might start a blog so peeps can track progress easily.
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