-^CrossBow^-

So this is the actual game that the old Portal demo was showing. Will some of the features that the Portal demo had make it over to the actual game? Like the Pokey audio and Covox speech for instance?

Well, I did a video of the process where I sped it up and it actually took me about 1 and a half hours to do it there. But I know I've managed to do it in less time since. You might have to crack it open first so you know exactly which revision of the system you have. Va2, va3, va46, va7 etc. to make sure you have the right ones on hand or order the correct kit.

Well on average for me, it takes just under an hour to recap a genesis from start to finish. I tend to recap systems one cap at a time, so I can make sure of the value I just removed and the polarity. There are capacitor maps on Console5 to help with all of that, but still prefer to go at it one cap at a time. But you do need quite a lot of them as there are about 40 to be replaced out in total.

Which model of the Genesis do you have? The older model 1 units can develop symptoms like this when the volume slider starts to go bad. It can sometimes be cleaned up to help, but I've usually ended up having to replace them out. I used to keep va7 model 1 systems just for that volume slider but I've not got anything like that on hand currently. I've not really looked to see if a replacement can be purchased new. It is actually a rheostat as the name of the component and while I'm sure you can get something similar, I don't think the exact one used in those consoles is able to be found now.

Mainly issues with video sync resulting in scrambled looking video output.

Yes I use something similar but order mine direct from Mouser. I order some quality Alps branded ones as my new standard switch replacements but they cost more than the ones from Console5. I have some other Alps ones I've started to order recently that cost a bit more but have metal tops on them with a larger red colored actuator and rated for like 10million cycles.

I've installed the FM upgrade board 4 times now into a few different SMS NTSC consoles now and something that I tend to always forget, is that the official instructions for installing the board has a few mistakes in it. One of those mistakes is a pretty big one that I've mentioned to Tim Worthington a few times but it never seems to get fixed in his guide. That step is regarding the process for getting the region switch working on NTSC consoles. Now the steps listed I'm sure are accurate for PAL versions of the console, but 3 different model 1 and one model 2 unit I've installed the kit into all required the same thing to get it working. The specific step to install the region switch wire states to solder a wire from the IORQ pin off the FM board and to isolate and solder the same signal pin on the 2516 IC chip in the console. This chip is the IO Gate array IC btw. The docs state this is pin 19 on that IC and that is a correct statement. However, removing this pin from circuit on the NTSC consoles will prevent the SMS from booting at all. Just a black screen when powering on the console. Attaching the region switch wire to that pin while isolate does nothing. The pin you want to attach to instead on that IC is actually Pin 23. It is listed as the KillGa pin and I assume has something to do with a halt or reset. In some models of the SMS pin 23 isn't attached to anything. But on the NTSC systems it is part of the circuit. So, you have to either cut the trace to this pin or lift the pin from the board to isolate it and then install the IORQ wire from the FM board to pin 23. This will correctly allow switching the region on the SMS. The region switch isn't dynamic so you have to either reset the game after switching, or power the SMS off and then back on for the region switch setting to take effect. Here is a picture of the wire I'm talking about attached to a lifted pin23 off the IC I did the other night as an example. Here is the IORQ pad the other end of the wire attaches to on the current and latest version of the FM board upgrades. Depending on the version of the FM you have, this pad has changed places but it is always labeled the same. In the pic below is the yellow wire soldered on the upper left section. So if you ever install one of these or possibly have one installed and hadn't gotten the region switching working on your NTSC console, now you know why and how to correct for it. BTW the switch is advised because it allows you to select between US/PSG audio, US/FM audio, and JPN/FM audio settings. There are 2 games known that require the JPN/FM setting in order for them to work with the main one being Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap here in the US (Wonder Boy II in JPN). View the full article

@astroguy Excellent work! Although I've never had that particualr 7432 go bad on me before. I have had the other one just above the MARIA IC go bad before causing video output issues. Interesting panel buttons you have there. What are their exact specs?

As @zzip stated this is totally a tactic you can use. But you also need to make sure that you lock up the yellow castle and keep the key outside because many times I would trap the bat with nothing else inside the yellow castle, and he would still get out when a dragon off screen, I assume wandered into the open gate and thereby entered the castle? That is the only explanation I can come up with since usually when I noticed the bat had escaped he usually was carrying a dragon with him. And I'e also experienced the bat bringing me dead dragons that I hadn't even encountered in the game yet, and more than once I've found one of the dragons dead that I didn't do. So if the objects can only interact when they are being shown, then how the heck does the bat grab things off screen to begin with? Isn't the same collision rules in place for the bat to be able to pick up stuff? I'm pretty confident the bat can grab the sword and kill dragons off screen with it by simple flying over them but since it all takes place off screen, it isn't able to be 'seen' happening to confirm this?

Not sure if this is the same issue being described or not, but my original Harmony and UNOcarts both have the same similar issue. The issue is that they won't always want to fit in and seat into place. I figured out the issue is that the PCB itself inside the cartridge shell will tilt up/down a bit. And this slight ability to tilt will cause the PCB to not align with the actual opening in the spring loaded dust cover through the cartridge itself and with the console. What I'm able to do with both of them is to wiggle them a bit once they stop going in and find the spot where the PCB will then slip through the slot on the cartridge port and seat in fully. It is easier to do this on my UNOcart because the SD card slot on that sticks out a bit on the back and I'm able to just wiggle that which, in turn wiggles the PCB inside the cart enough to align it with the slots on the cartridge port.

Oh...I've plenty of examples of this. But as all of my client videos are unlisted on my channel for their privacy, it is up to them on whether they want to post any of the details of those videos.

Yes, it seems the two main bugs I reported are now corrected. Here is my best score so far.

Pair up the semi broken unit with an SDLoader and make your money back or a good portion of I at least?

That makes sense... just something that needs to get more attention and mention for potential buyers of the VBXE\XL in their NTSC computers.

Well, even with the newer FW that added the NTSC palette didn't correct for this either. So just one of the many reason, that when using my 130xe with my VBXE, that I pretty much have to make sure I also have the s-video connected so when the VBXE goes into screwy graphics mode, I can at least see what I'm trying to do vs just power cycling the console off/on each time.