Ace_1

One week late, but better later than never. Picked up these things at my friend's pawn shop: -2 Sega Master System Control Sticks -Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation -A game I was ready to buy off eBay: Salamander for the Famicom(beats the crap out of what we got in North America as Life Force, plus it comes in a SUPER COOL translucent aqua casing. Have a look: http://www.wolfgames.com/fcsalamander.JPG) Total: $15 Canadian

Those 2 use an emulator running off a 32-bit ARM processor, so it contains absolutely NO GENESIS HARDWARE in it, just a stupidly-designed emulator. It's software that's doing all the work inside the RetroGEN, GENMobile, FireCore and GENCore, but on a console like the Gen-X, GN Twin(both of which use TecToy's 580G GOAC) and the FC3 Plus(with the stripped down TCT-6705 GOAC), the consoles contain actual shrunken-down Genesis hardware. If it was up to me, I'd take a Gen-X or GN Twin, fix up the sound circuit(the sound produced by those 2 clones is HIDEOUS), get a (preferably factory-defective) RetroGEN or GENMobile, a 2.5" or 3" screen from DealXtreme, and hack up the whole thing. Voila! Perfect compatibility, perfect sound(only after the mod), no BS.

Dude, that is seriously awesome! Nice to see another fellow Canadian with a Japanese MegaDrive in hand(I myself have a Model 1 MegaDrive).

I picked up something yesterday that I always kept saying to myself that I would never purchase, despite the fact that console has some games I really like. That console is: An Atari 5200. It's the 4-port model. It came with 2 of Atari's notoriously unreliable controllers, 3 games(Pac-Man, Super Breakout, Missile Command), and the awkward switchbox(no power supply, however). Total cost: $30CAN Also had these 2 Atari 7800 items thrown in for free: -Pole Position II -North American Atari 7800 controller

There were a few Star Wars games that were absolute turds, but some just shine like gold. Personally: I absolutely LOVE the entire X-Wing series for DOS/Windows 95/98: X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing VS. TIE Fighter(plus Balance of Power expansion - actually, when I bought my copy of X-Wing VS. TIE Fighter, which I think was sometime in 2000 without the expansion, it set me back a good $75 Canadian! But it was $75 well spent, because I played the shit out of that game when I got it) and X-Wing Alliance(this was the first game I played in the X-Wing series). I'm also a HUGE fan of the Rogue Squadron series; the original on the Nintendo 64 and Rogue Squadron II(killer game, especially for a launch title - you actually play through the big missions in Star Wars IV, V and VI) and Rogue Squadron III on the GameCube. Let's not forget Battle for Naboo, which is AWESOME(I particularly dig the music... just too damn good).

Here's my YouTube channel, with my most recent video being a playthrough of Thunder Force AC, the arcade version of Thunder Force III: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ace9921

I think these consoles lose quite a bit via emulation: -Sega Master System -Sega Genesis -Super NES -TurboGrafx 16 I haven't found any emulators that have 100% accurate emulation of those consoles. And most of the time, it's the sound that suffers. The best emulators I've found for those consoles(accuracy and compatibility) are: -Kega Fusion v3.61(Genesis and Master System) -Ootake(TurboGrafx 16 - doesn't seem to emulate the TurboGrafx CD properly and the sound is a little, shall we say, "filtered") -BSNES(Super NES - this is the ONLY emulator that gets the sound right, but you need a powerful computer to run it) But then again, I think all emulators lose out on one thing: the experience. You don't have a proper controller for each console on hand unless you build/buy some controller adapters for use on a Parallel or USB port.

Glad to be of help, tremoloman.

I owned, tested, and observed 9 Famiclones: Yobo FC Game Console, FC Twin, RetroDuo, Gen-X, GN Twin, Generation NEX, FC Mobile, FC Mobile II, and FC3 Plus. Here's a general idea of each: FC Game Console: -AWFUL build quality(but the controllers are awesome) -Not compatible with Castlevania III, Rad Racer II and similar games -Colors seem slightly saturated -Slight instances of Top-Loader NES style line noise -Sound is not 100% accurate(some sound channel duties are reversed within the NOAC, causing high-pitched notes to come out low-pitched and vice-versa. I will make note that there's a new version of the FC Game Console that's been released that(supposedly) has a revised NOAC that gets the sound right. There's also RetroBit's Retro Entertainment System which is almost the same machine, but with the accurate NOAC. FC Twin(beware that there are 2 models of this clone, one with Yobo branding and one without. In this case, I'm talking about the Yobo-branded model): -Built well, but the controllers are unreliable(had one broken out of the box and my second one crapped out because one of the pins inside the plug got pushed back to the point where it wouldn't make contact with the controller port pins anymore) -Will not play Castlevania III, but will play Rad Racer II and similar games with major graphical scrambling -Uses updated NOAC with good sound reproduction(but messes up sampled music/speech) -Super NES side is flawless(except for SA-1 games not working due to a missing lockout chip - this can be fixed by soldering a lockout chip off a bad Super NES game) -Will not work with NES Light Gun games unless you buy the FC Twin Light Gun The older FC Twin with no branding uses the older NOAC and has a problem where the Super NES side has blurry video output, on top of discoloring certain graphics. RetroDuo: -Feels cheap, but is built solid(controllers have stiff D-pads and when you press the D-pad in multiple directions fast, it feels like they'll break) -Works flawlessly with most games that other clones puke on -Uses updated NOAC, but with a sound circuit that causes MASSIVE straining, which results in missing/garbled sounds -Same Super NES accuracy as the FC Twin -The ONLY NES-compatible console to have S-Video for the NES side(S-Video also works on the Super NES side - it's the only Famiclone with S-Video out of the box) -Has massive problems with interference(diagonal waves on the NES side via Composite, NES S-Video looks like it's running off a bad RF box, Super NES side has 2 strips of static rolling down the screen) -Dark Super NES S-Video -Pack-in controllers have no Turbo function(the FC Twin's controllers do). -Will not work with NES Light Gun games(not sure if the FC Twin Light Gun will work on it or not) Gen-X: -Built well -Will not play Castlevania III, Rad Racer II, etc. -Uses old NOAC, so don't expect accurate sound -Slightly saturated NES colors -Near-100% compatibility on the Genesis side -Genesis sound can give you an earache due to yet another bad sound circuit(it's accurate, but doesn't sound like it due to the sound circuit; makes some sounds come out louder/quiter, and it strains) -Some Genesis are incompatible due to a LONG 1-second(or longer) delay in registering controller inputs -Genesis side has too much green in the video output -Master System converters work, but inputs from the D-pad are not registered -Some Master System games don't work -Not compatible with Genesis controllers(but you can wire an NES or Super NES controller to work on the Gen-X) There's a new version of the Gen-X that comes in a completely different box than the one I have, so I'd like it if anyone who has a Gen-X that came in this box to report back on whether the hardware changed or not: http://www.gaminggenerations.com/store/images/gen_x.jpg GN Twin: -Built a little cheaply(controllers are built better, though) -Again, no Castlevania III, Rad Racer II, etc. -Old NOAC with inaccurate sound -NES sound is EXTREMELY muffled and very quiet, which, as a result, makes the NES sound output have more bass than normal -HEAVILY SATURATED NES video(it's so saturated that outlines are distorted) -Genesis side is the same like the Gen-X, but it works with all Master System games, and appears to have MORE controller lag than the Gen-X. Generation NEX: -From what I know, it's built better than all the other clones -Messiah lied in saying it uses a custom NOAC; instead, it uses the old inaccurate one people hate -Video output seems blurred(at least, that's what I know) -Integrated Famicom slot(the only modern-day Famiclone in North America to have that) -Comes with only one controller -Pack-in controller is a mess FC Mobile: -Feels cheap -Once again, the usual suspects don't work -Old NOAC -Has trouble with the games' color palettes, causing certain colors to come out wrong until you turn the power off and turn it back on again -Buttons are placed in an unorganized fashion(Start on the left of the screen, Reset on the right of the screen, Select next to A and B; it's a mess) -A and B buttons are reversed(there is a version of the FC Mobile named Retro Mini that corrects the reversed A/B button problem) -No rapid-fire -No way to play with another person -No way to play Light Gun games FC Mobile II: -Sturdier build -Conflicting reports of Castlevania III compatibility(some say it works, others say it doesn't) -Uses updated NOAC -Fixes color palette problem of the FC Mobile -Buttons are more organized -A and B buttons are in their proper order(with an added Turbo function) -Can play with another person using wireless controllers -Comes with a wireless Light Gun FC3 Plus: -Good build quality(console only, the rest feels fragile) -No Castlevania III, etc. -YET ANOTHER old NOAC -NES sound output is EXTREMELY silent and has an audible humming noise -Genesis sound is perfect(some sound channels are little louder than normal, but it sound better that way) -Genesis compatibility has taken a hit; no more Virtua Racing/Master System games -Same Super NES side as the FC Twin(but has no solder spot for a lockout chip, so it's hit-or-miss with SA-1 games) -All sides have HEAVILY-SATURATED video depending on the TV it's used on(most noticeable on the Genesis side) -Not compatible with Genesis controllers(but you can wire an NES or Super NES controller to work on the FC3 Plus, just like with the Gen-X and GN Twin, whose pack-in controllers will work on the FC3 Plus) -No information about control lag(supposedly, it's been somewhat reduced)

Updated list: Consoles: Nintendo: -Front-Loader NES(x3 - one has a faulty CPU or GPU) -Top-Loader NES -Super Famicom -Super NES(x2) -Super NES Mini -Nintendo 64 -GameCube -Wii Sega: -Master System with v1.3 BIOS(x2) -Master System with v2.4 BIOS(this one was given to me by a friend who found it in the GARBAGE) -Master System II -Genesis Model 1(x4) -MegaDrive Model 1(from Japan) -Genesis Model 2(x7) -Genesis Model 3 -Saturn -Dreamcast(x2) NEC: -TurboGrafx 16(x2, one is region-switched) -PC Engine SuperGrafx Mattel: -Intellivision II(x2) with Intellivoice Coleco: -ColecoVision Sony: -1000 series PlayStation -5000 series PlayStation -White PSOne -Fat PlayStation 2 -Slim PlayStation 2 Atari: -2600 Light Sixer -2600 Vader -2600 Jr. Short Rainbow -2600 Jr. Long Rainbow -7800 Clones: Yobo: -FC Twin -GN Twin Innex: -Gen-X(broken) RetroBit: -RetroDuo Add-ons: Nintendo: -GameBoy Player Sega: -Sega CD 2 -Sega 32X(x2) NEC: -TurboGrafx CD(still needs a Super System Card) Portables: Nintendo: -GameBoy "Brick"(x2) -GameBoy Pocket -GameBoy Color(x2) -GameBoy Advance -GameBoy Advance SP with backlit screen Sega: -GameGear(x2 - one European, one North American) Plug & Plays: -Radica TV Games Genesis -Atari Flashback -Atari Flashback 2

One thing that I noticed in my local arcades that are still open is that Ferrari F355 Challenge is ALWAYS super-loud, and when you sit in the cabinet, the engine sounds nearly make you deaf, especially when pressing the Start button after inserting a coin. Sega's Indy 500 can also sometimes be so loud the sound clips when it's active. San Francisco Rush 2049 and San Francisco Rush The Rock are next in line, and if I'm not mistaken, those 2 games also have subwoofers in their seats(and every place I've been to that has those games have the subs turned up ALL THE WAY TO THE MAX! MAX BASS FTW(I love extreme levels of bass)!). On the contrary, Sega Rally 2 seems to be the game that's ALWAYS so silent you have to strain your ears just to hear a little noise.

Why bother with sandpaper when all you can do is just wrap a thin towel around a cartridge's contacts and spraying it with Windex? Windex removed some very nasty gunk that had built up on some of the cartridges that I got used and removed all traces of corrosion on one of my 6 Genesis Model 2s. And while you're at it, get a thin needle and tighten the pins(all of them, not just the ones that seem excessively bent). New 72-pin connectors are pointless; you just have to clean the slot and tighten the pins on the existing connector. I did that to 2 Front-Loader NESes, and they've worked perfectly. You don't even need to push the cartridge down to get a game to boot. And remember: ALWAYS disable your 10NES lockout chip. It's a pointless chip that in the long run will cause more problems than anything else.

I found my stuff at Toyratt.com, an independent gaming store in Mississauga, Ontario. It's a gaming store I've been wanting to go to ever since I found out of its existence. Thanks to that place, I've completed my game console collection, not because I have every console ever made, but because I have every classic console I ever wanted to own. If you live in or around Mississauga, you owe it to yourself to pay the Toyratt a visit. His stock is absolutely MASSIVE. You are GUARANTEED to walk out with something. Here's his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/toyrattsvirtualtour Just remember that he no longer has the TurboGrafx CD(the TurboGrafx console is still there, though) and SuperGrafx. And believe it or not, the MegaDrive was actually HIDDEN behind a boxed Genesis 2.

HUGE score while on vacation in Niagara Falls, Ontario: Games: -Space Harrier(loose) for the 32X -Final Lap Twin(complete in box) for the TurboGrafx -Cyber Core(boxed) for the PC Engine -Victory Run(loose) for the TurboGrafx -Sonic the Hedgehog(boxed but REALLY beaten up) for the Master System(EU import) Add-ons: -TurboGrafx CD with System Card 2.0(FINALLY!!!) Consoles: -Sega MegaDrive Model 1(BOXED pre-TMSS model with all plastic wraps, styrofoam, 1 3-button controller and power supply) in absolutely PRISTINE condition -NEC PC Engine SuperGrafx(loose with matching controller and A/V cable)

Guys, you will NEVER believe this: I got my hands on an original ColecoVision power supply(that thing is MASSIVE!) and guess what? THE COLECOVISION WORKS! Seriously! I can't believe it that even after something popped in the console and after it was given incorrect voltages, the ColecoVision still lives. And I was expecting the RAM chips to have been fried from not having a -5V source.

Is the -5V source only for those pesky 4116 RAM chips? If so, I guess I can use a regulated +12V and +5V power source after replacing the 4116s by 4516 or 4164 RAM chips?

Well, I've just checked eBay and have not found a single ColecoVision power supply. I think I'm going to do this next: -Use a 78L012 for a regulated 12V input into the ColecoVision. -Use the Negatron -Replace the RAM chips by the 4164(do none of the 4164 chips in the search correspond to the RAM chips needed by the ColecoVision?) - it doesn't matter if the procedure to adapt the RAM chips is time-consuming and tedious; if it'll make the machine more reliable, it's worth it. Come to think of it, I'll be in Ontario next week. I'll see if any of the game shops that carry classic game consoles have a ColecoVision power supply(and maybe a ColecoVision console).

So you're saying the pop came from the RAM chips(are those the 8 chips in the array I show?)? It must have come from there because a cloud of smoke came from that particular area. All capacitors are fine; none are bulging or blown. FYI, my power supply was giving 17V on the multimeter WITHOUT a load. By the way, how should I wire up the -5V line using that over-powered brick? It seems the 7905 can only convert from negative voltage to negative voltage. Is there another regulator that can convert positive voltage to negative voltage? EDIT: A search for "4164" turned up this at my local electronics shop: https://www.addison-electronique.com/catalo...amp;x=0&y=0 Which is the proper one?

Unfortunately, I don't. I think I'm pretty much SOL now, hmm?

All right, the pictures are taken: Entire motherboard: Closeup of the front: Closeup of the rear: You can see that none of the capacitors have blown. They're all intact and give a reading on my multi-meter. However, pay attention to this array of chips. Notice that the closest chip to the left(circled in red) is sitting at an angle: Closeup of the array: Could it be that the chip that's sitting at an angle popped and got lifted off the board? I mean, all the other chips in the array are laying flat, while that one's sitting tilted over to the left. By the way, smoke was emitted in that area when the pop was heard.

I just finished recharging the batteries for my digital camera, so I'll be able to take a picture of the chip that's sitting at an angle(and of the entire ColecoVision motherboard).

I'm assuming, then, that the pop came from something on the -5V line due to the 7905 not receiving a negative voltage input according to what Stephen's saying? I did find an IC that seemed to be sitting at an angle around the back of the motherboard. Could the pop have been part of the chip that came out of its solder spot? All capacitors seem fine, however, but there are some hidden under the RF box, and from what I can see, they're intact. I think it's the IC that popped up, but shows no visible sign of damage.

The Genesis power supply's rated for DC 9V. The power supply I plugged into the ColecoVision(some Yamaha power supply) is rated for DC 12V. That SHOULD be the on-load voltage, but I can't say for sure(and I'm not quite 100% sure how to measure the on-load voltage of a power supply using a multi-meter). Let's first make sure I got the voltages matched up to the correct wires: Ground=black +12V=red +5V=white -5V=blue

That's about it, really. If I were to put a lower-voltage power supply into the console(one that outputs 12V or a little less or more - closest I've found was my Genesis power supply, which outputs about 13.3V), would the part start smoking again?

C13 is a ceramic capacitor that's rated for 25V that seems to be hooked up nowhere near the 12V line. Multimeter test shows that the capacitor has current flowing through it.