CatPix

The only way for a discrete logic game to be lost (an not undumped) would be for the schematics to be lost, for each and every game board to be lost, and possibly for the game board to use a specially made logic chip (à la Pong-on-a-chip) with no infos on it.

Make sense, discrete logic mean that graphics and gameplay are generated directly from electrical signals. It's digital, yes, but in the most crude form (0 and 1, but as : voltage is on, voltage is off, not bits). You can't dump such a game, that would be like trying to "dump a tube radio". But considering it lost because you can't dump it is crazy. Pong can't be dumped, it's discrete logic. Is it lost? I would make a distinction (whenever you learn about it) because it could spark interest for some people to recreate the game in software (there are VERY powerful electronic software out there, able to recreate discrete logic hardware) and for ROM-based games, either encourage people to look for them, solutions to dump existing know copies, or pressure greedy assholes to dump their copies.

Some 16/32 bits machines from China use the same cartridge format. It's definitively based on the Famicom cart but nothing proves that its Famicom software. Much like how most/all FAmiclones use DB9-Atari-like connectors for hte joysticks, but those ports aren't Atari-compatible.

The wall is most likely missing because the picture on the tube is shifted. CRT display have no "absolute" image positionning. With so many tuning options, there must be, usually on hte back of the TV, two or three controls : V-hold, V-size and H-size. Or maybe size, or position. For the missing wall, I assume it's a wall at the top or bottom of the screen? If the top or bottom of your screen is missing, you want to adjust either V-hold or any control that plays on the "Vertical" picture. If it's missing on the side, you adjust any "Horizontal" related control. Any control accessible from the outside of the TV is safe to fiddle with. If your pictures get rolling or distorded, just tune back.

I should have said that this guy was doing recaps AND McWill's install, but he stopped offering recap services alone because it had several cases of GG screens being dead after cap replacement - and since he installs McWill screens, people may feel like it was done so they would pay for the McWill screen. So he only do recaps of GG if people get a McWill after.

Discussing with a guy that install McWill screens, he said he stopped recapping GameGear because sometime, the screen dies or was dead when the console suffered cap problems. It's not totally surprising on screen this age. A white screen can indeed be a sign of a cart connctor not making a complete contact. Does the game sound plays or not? If the game make no sound, then it's most likely a problem with dirty cart or connector, or a general issue with the system and not the screen. If oyu used your system on a regular basis (like once a month) there is no reason caps should fail prematurely, unless they were extremely cheap, or new old stock (AKA 30 years old capacitors never used)

Neat! The adhesive tells me they cut the wire and resoldered them, so it probably mean there are no new batteries made with the "correct" polarity for the GG pack. The screws are a nice addition!

Duly noted! You do'nt need all of that for Carmen; the game boot to a screen with the choice of language, with English written in English

Oh I meant that I assumed that the Japanese editor left the English version available because the game is educational at core, so selling it as a fun way to learn english made sense. I actually completed the game recently so I know for sure it's in english, except for the built-in encyclopedia. Sorry for the confusion And thanks for the JB murder club, that's another game I could add to my PC-Engine library If it's really in english. The screenshots are from the US version, and the cutscenes may be in english but the game text in Japanese...

"Where in the world is Carmen San Diego" on Pc-Engine. I assume, due to the game being partly educationnal, the PC-Engine version can be played in English. The only non-english segment is the "encyclopedia" part (which make sense) but nowaday, this can be easily replaced with your smartphone and Wikipedia... or a paper encyclopedia

LED TV screens are usually made of polymers. In addition to having to push on the screen itself and use your nail to pull the adhesive (unlee you fold it to make a llittle "latch" to pull it back) I wouldn't be so sure about the potential reaction between the adhesive's adhesive and the polymers of the screen. What you could do is to use a bit of thread, like sewing thread that you tie tothe overlays with adhesives, then you fix the thread ends to your TV's bezel. Won't be pretty nor durable, but you don't play the Odyssey for hours either, I think.

Philips had the rather good idea to let their local offices "adapts" the Cd-i as they saw fit. Allowing them to release softwares that would appeal to the local tastes, but also different packagings (Apparently France got "big box games" that weren't released as big boxes anywhere else). Also most software list available only list the public released software. The CD-i was intented and was used for professionnal uses. For example it's near impossible to know what CD-i "titles" were released for the CD-i by Peugeot for their sales network, or by museums for their expositions.

You're right, it's a NI-Cd pack, not a Ni-mh. However since it's a slow-charging/trickle charging system, it's possible to replace one by the other. Howevrer fully charging a 3000 mAh pack might prove tricky as you should limit the charging time. But going from a 1200 to 3000 mAh may get the charging time in the 20 hours region...

I found my battery pack. There is one difference, in that the polarity is reversed. Everything else looks the same; the battery is even shorter for 3 time the original capacity! I don't know if you can find batteries with the same connector but reverse polarity.

It's similar, but I don't know where mine is. And I can't guarantee Sega used the same connector on all of those so you better check on your own battery pack - but it is quite cloes, from what I recall, yes! You also wanna check the physical battery dimensions as well, you wouldn't want to buy a too bulky battery.

Your machine reminds me of the Subor machines sold in Russia with the same purpose. Thogh they also have 16 bits/Megdrive clones for that use. I suppose that the makers of those machines didn't bothered copying the BASIC way to interface the keyboard because it was easier to do otherwise or simply because they didn't had access to a Famicom BASIC keyboard and Basic cart. They might even have been ignoring it even existed.

It's definitively one of those Famiclone or at least Chinese console cart. Unfortuately they are used over a wide variety of machines. Some Famiclones even include enhanced video modes that make those carts incompatible with real Famicom; or as Carlsson said, some of those carts are used on 16 bits machines. There isn't much risks trying it into a NEs or a Famicom.. but no guarantee it will do anything.

As I said, the pack adapter I have is a model you clip on your pants/belt, and inside, you have a very common Nikko toy 7.2V battery back (up to even the connector being the same). So I could restore it easily indeed. But as you point out, the usefulness for it is quite mediocre. Maybe to test systems in garage sales, but it's no longer very common...

They probably are. and they probably aren' treally meant to be playable systems but collectibles. Nintendo has Amiibos, Sega has GG Micro.

As far as I know, it recharge with the GG power apdater, which is the same than the Master System/Megadrive 1 power adapter. I don't know about those batteries, but I have a different model that use lithium battery pack (which is a standard Nikko-style 7.2V battery pack). More than likely, your battery back will be dead flat. If it wasn't used in years, even if is used lead batteries, they are more than likely dead as well.

This is a very detailled and interesting interview. I'll probably order the book soon. It's very interesting to me to read the whole of your life - especially with that specific Black American background. It resnate strongly with the current events. More on video game, the idea of conceiving a video game machine/ computer at the time is really a fascinating thing; there was basically nothing to really look into for the general consumer market. It was probably an exciting (and a bit frightening for the APF guys) to try and see what would work, what was a good idea or not. And why. Many American machines would end up being licenced in Europe under other brands, do you know if it was even planned for the Imagination Machine? To be sold internationally, either with a famous name and under your own brand (For example, the Colecovision was sold in Europe under the CBS Colecovision name, but the Fairchild Channel F was sold under different names, mostly as the Saba Videoplay) It's also weird to read that as early as 1979, the tape was considered obsolete and "brought APF down" as here, the Amstrad CPC 464 enjoyed tremendous success between 1984 and 1990 with a buildt-in tape player and optionnal, additional floppy drive (and the 1990 Amstrad CPC+ 6128 version even got some slack for ditching tape support entierely). And while not built-in the machines, most Commodore 64, Atari 8 bits and ZX Spectrum here never saw a floppy drive. It really shows how different markets were.

Interestingly, Sony might have decided on more standard cases in the US for PS1 (crystal CD cases) which I knew about, but that PS2 games were black is a surprise to me. I don't know about Japan, but European PS2 cases were (with a few exceptions) blue. I don't know why some cases are black in European games. In the games I have, some are from Japan, from the Us or Europe (I mean the developers and editor, all my games here are PAL versions) Some are very early games (2001) some are late ones (2005) some are on CD but several on DVD. There seems to be no rationale behind it. For a game like The Getaway : Black Monday, the black box could be a deliberate choice to go with the tone of the game, but why Sky Odyssey or Half-Life are in black too?

It make sense. It's a Z80 CPU (with a few tweaks I think but nothing too outstanding) with a decent amount of RAM, a ready-made interface a clear readible display (compared to a led or LED alphanumerical segments), standardized interface (AKA the cart slot). And it was so mass produced that it was basically the same price than a hobby board (once you put that hobby board into a dedicaced enclosure). Basically for many people in the 90's the Game Boy was their Raspberry Pi.

If yu mean working with non-original Sega glasses well in fact Sega used a stereoscopic glass standard . The problem is that this technology has been abandonned in the mid 2000's so "generic wired 3D glasses" are no longer readily available. Buf if you find any pair of LCD glasse that connect with a regular jack, then it will most likely work on the Sega 3D module. I remember looking to see if anyone worked to convert the signal from the jack to wireless glasses but th problem is that unlike for wires shutter glasses, each TV maker made their own standard for 3D TV so there isn't much done in that regard.

Quite interesting to read! Though a bit short. I wonder if it's because Leonard is a modest or shy person or that he didn't really wanted to talk too much about Atari things. Lots of those questions have pretty short answers.Or he's very tech minded : "one question : one direct answer".