Who modded(or thought of modding) their gaming system?

[Ace_1]

Just curious to see how many people here modded, or have thought of modding, their gaming systems, whether it's custom paint jobs or portables, every mod is welcome here. I had a couple of ideas of my own, but I scrapped them all and thought of this one for my Model 1 SNES: stuff it in a custom-made SNES Mini casing(not sure if Nintendo will like that), and if I grab a Yobo FC Game Console, probably stuff it in with it. Instructions on how to do your mods are also accepted(I will post some when I'm done with my big SNES to SNES Mini conversion, if that's what you can call it).

[ApolloBoy]

Let's see...

 

My NES has a disabled lockout chip, my PC Engine Duo has a region mod, the PSX has a mod chip, the VIC-20 has RCA jacks, the Genesis has a widened cart slot, and both my SNESes have clipped cartridge ports to fit Super Famicom games.

[Ace_1]

I was always wondering how that PC Engine region mod is made. Will that same mod work on a TurboGrafx 16?

[Uzumaki]

Hacked my NES to disable lockout chip, and added 50HZ/60HZ switch to my Sega Master System for one finicky game.

 

I was always wondering how that PC Engine region mod is made. Will that same mod work on a TurboGrafx 16?

 

The mod can only work on USA system because the Japanese system won't properly support USA games. USA games have something added to the code that causes them to reject Japanese consoles even with working adapter or mods. Japanese games don't have anything extra and will work fine on USA system.

 

On USA system, you can mod it by flipping 8 data lines as it's what differed USA and Japanese console. If you can find 8 poles double throw switch, you can make any USA TYG-16 or Duo (or Express if you got nerves) playable in both format with a flip of the switch. No need for a long $100 adapter that can have touchy contact and cause crash when jostled. I think I have the docs explaining this hack in detail somewhere if you want it.

[theking21083]

I cut the lockout chip and put in a green LED on my NES. I also just started making a portable 2600. It will probably take me awile because being on an island in Alaska I have to have everything I need shipped to me. When I finish I will make sure to post it on AA.

[ApolloBoy]

The mod can only work on USA system because the Japanese system won't properly support USA games. USA games have something added to the code that causes them to reject Japanese consoles even with working adapter or mods. Japanese games don't have anything extra and will work fine on USA system.

 

No, the same mod works for Japanese systems, except that you also have to ground pin 29 of the HuC6280 chip.

[SINGLE TOOTH]

Added modchip to some PSX's, painted one and added a bunch of LEDS that light up depending on the direction the laser is moving.

 

Put a modchip in a PS2, and painted it black. (The guy before me botched his silver spray paint job and it looked bad.)

 

Disabled NES lockout chip.

 

Added A/V outs to Jaguar

 

Added A/V outs to Odyseey2

 

Added A/V outs to Atari VCS, Atari JR

 

Im probably gonna add a power LED to my SNES mini. I hate that there is no power LED.

 

I do have a project that I'm considering, but more details on that as it ensues.

[Ace_1]

Single Tooth, while you're at it, you think you can give me the dimensions of the SNES Mini so that I can try to stuff my Model 1 board in a custom-made casing of the same size? This is for my big to Mini conversion for all boxy SNESes.

 

By the way, Uzumaki, how exactly does that mod work? Do you wire up the lines to the switch, and then the switch takes care of the rest? Is there a link to that mod anywhere?

Edited October 7, 2007 by Ace_1

[Pixelboy]

I had my ColecoVision modded with A/V + S-Video outputs. It doesn't work very well however (the console didn't work correctly even before being modded), so I got myself another CV and I'm waiting to find someone who will mod it for me.

[Longhorn Engineer]

Ive modded so far

 

Atari 2600 S-video with stereo sound

Atari 7800 S-video

Intellivision 2 Composite

NES Toaster style portable

SNES portable

Atari 2600 portable

NeoGeo console

 

 

Working on a 5200 S-video, 400 S-video and three separate portable projects.

[marcfrick2112]

so far for me:

GameCube - added region switch, painted half silver, and put a custom made Zoids decal on top

Genesis - the usual cart. slot widening, sadly I accidentally sold the genny that had the ultrabright aqua LED

N64 - region 'mod' (not much of a mod, take the 64 apart and use a wire cutter to remove the tabs on either side of the cart. slot)

 

Modded my first Amiga 500 to one meg Chip RAM.

 

Does adding a device select switch to 1541 drives count?

[Prodos8]

I've done the following mods to some of my stuff:

 

ColecoVision: Composite AV mod

5200: S-video AV mod

7800: added VCS style power connector

VCS: Composite AV mod

NES-101: added green power LED

SNES-101: added green power LED

N64: cut cart tabs & replaced power LED with a white one

NES: cut lock-out chip

Genesis model 2: added conventional RCA jacks out of frustration w/its proprietary cable

[mimo]

VCS- S video on a heavy sixer

7800 S-Video

5200 S-Video

PS1 mod chip

X-box - soft mod

800 XL 256K upgrade and super video 2.1 mod

Radica space invaders stick converted to 7800

SMS lightgun converted to 7800

 

Currently in the works,

another 7800 and 5200 to s-video mod, and a 400 to s-video mod when Longhorn makes the board for me.

1200 XL 512K RAM upgrade, 32-in-1 OS Mod, PAL Antic, internal SIO2SD, clearpic video upgrade

7800 Dev Bios and RAM carts

xbox mod chip

 

[Ace_1]

Crap, I just remebered I didn't post my completed mods. Here they are:

 

-NES lockout chip disabled

-SNES cartridge port tabs removed and(does this count as a mod or half-mod?) replaced the external-line-head screws by philips-head screws

-Modchip in mini PlayStation(discovered it when I repaired the system, I bought it broken, mind you)

-Modchip in slimline PlayStation 2

 

And my work-in-progress mods are:

 

-NES front-loader to top-loader(wanted to stuff it inside a Model 1 Genesis casing, but I might scrap the idea)

-Stuff a Yobo FC Game Console in my SNES(if I ever get one)

-Make a SNES Mini casing and stuff in my SNES' board(I need the casing's dimensions, though)

-Should my SNES discolor, I will custom paint it in blue or red

-(this is not a system mod) Repaint my SNES controller's A, B, X and Y buttons in Japanese/European colors

-Should I find a top-loading NES, I will A/V mod it

-I might get rid of the lockout tabs on my Nintendo 64

[SinnfulDayz]

NES - Changed power led to blue.

 

Xbox v1.6- Blue glow led gamepad ports, lcd screen, usb connections, on and off button on controller, leds in controller, X3CE modchip, 250gb HDD w/70 games plus full library of NES, SNES, N64, Turbo Grafix 16, NEO GEO, Mame, CPS3, Atari, Jaguar, 3DO, GameBoy, DS, Gamecube, PSX, NEO GEO POCKET and a lot of music videos.

 

Xbox 360 Elite - Talismoon Blue led fan. Light up controller. HDD vent glow w/blue led.

 

WIP:

 

NES - Blue underglow (next week). Game port lit up w/blue led. Repaint system black. Add window(s). Maybe lockout chip not sure, don't really see much point (I just don't completely understand what it does and why I'd need it)

 

Xbox 360 - ROL w/blue smd. Controller's ROL w/blue sms. Water cooling system. Vent glow w/blue led. Possibly more to come.

 

Wii - Don't have one yet but will get next month and will change case to black and get a red glowing tray. Maybe add window. Not sure what else.

Edited October 8, 2007 by SinnfulDayz

[MFoolsRun]

Maybe lockout chip not sure, don't really see much point (I just don't completely understand what it does and why I'd need it)

 

You don't need it, which is why it's safe to disable. The lockout chip prevents import games from running on the system, but it's also the source of the dreaded "flashing" problem that eventually affects all front-loading NESes.

 

What happens is that if the lockout chip doesn't have a super-clear connection with the cartridge, the game fails to boot and you get the infamous flashing screen. Since the lockout chip is really picky about getting that signal from the cart, disabling the lockout chip eliminates one of the primary reasons the system would fail to boot a game.

[AussieAtari]

A/V mods to:

 

VCS

Intellivision

Colecovision

[Zonie]

back in about '82 I installed a power led on my heavy sixer, and socketed the Hex buffer chip after frying it for the second time. I build several controllers. Nothing current.

[Uzumaki]

mini SNES board size: I used caliper to measure it:

 

PCB is 4.173 inches wide by 6.305 inches. The cart slot tab sticks out 1.007 inches on the right and 0/812 on the left side but I think they can be cut off. The controller ports sticks out 0.194" from the edge of the board. The cart slot sticks 0.964 inches from the pcb on the top and on the bottom, the tallest object are the pins from cart slot and controller ports but they only stick 0.065 inches from the PCB.

 

As for the TG-16 (and Express and Duo, anything) you need to find the 8 data lines.

Pin	  Use
---	  ---
1		**						   20	   D4
2		**						   21	   D5
3		A18*						 22	   D6
4		A16						  23	   D7
5		A15						  24	   CE (bar) - chip select
6		A12						  25	   A10
7		A7						   26	   OE (bar) - output enable
8		A6						   27	   A11
9		A5						   28	   A9
10	   A4						   29	   A8
11	   A3						   30	   A13
12	   A2						   31	   A14
13	   A1						   32	   A17
14	   A0						   33	   A19*
15	   D0						   34	   R/W (bar over W) - read/write
16	   D1						   35	   **
17	   D2						   36	   **
18	   Gnd						  37	   **
19	   D3						   38	   +5V

 

Pin 15 to 17, and 19 to 23 you need to rig a switch to have them straight through or reverse (card oin 15 to system pin 23, card 16 to system 22, card 17 to system 21, card 19 to system 20) Pin 18 is not changed. You can use either 8pdt, 2x 4pdt (use both in same position), or you could use 2 IC chips that works like 4pdt and wire a single switch. With Express, the latter might be practical as small 8pdt would be hard to find but the chips could be found in tiny SMD package and you can find smaller 1pdt switch to fit inside express.

[Ace_1]

What I really needed was the size of the CASING, but the board dimensions will do fine anyways, like that I can compare a Model 1 board to a Mini board, but would like casing dimensions. By the way, I have a question about cutting off a piece of the board with the controller ports on a Model 1. I need to cut off the piece that has the power LED on it in order to properly center the controller ports(they're too much to the right the way they are now). Will that ruin anything? As for the Yobo board, I don't have one yet, but I was wondering whether it's possible to stuff it in straight without having to increase the height of the casing(I believe that if I don't, the carts will tower out of the casing, but I don't care). And, as a general question, what material should I use to make the casing? ABS modelling plastic, or something? By the way, I will proceed with my NES inside a Model 1 Genesis mod, because I CAN'T FIND A DAMN NINTENDO-BRAND TOP-LOADER NES IN MY AREA(which is in Canada)! Now, just a little clarification about the TurboGrafx 16 region switch. You wire up the pins to the switch, and then you wire that to the motherboard pins? Did I get that right?

Edited October 11, 2007 by Ace_1

[Ace_1]

Scrapped the NES-Genesis mod again, and have come up with something else. I call it the "Americanised Family Computer Mod". What it is is basically making a Famicom-like casing(in red and white) around a front-loader NES board. Like my previous mod ideas, the console will become a top-loader, BUT, instead of sticking in a 60-72 pin converter to let it accept Famicom carts(of which I own 2) like the original, it'll take NES carts. Unlike my other mods, the controllers will plug INSIDE the machine, so if someone wants to plug in a Zapper, you'll need to take the casing apart. How's the idea(if you're not fond of hardwired controllers, don't blast the mod idea, please)? I just like the original Famicom but don't feel like buying one, so I'm modding my second front-loader as described instead.

[user42]

The first is an X-box in a millenium falcon (someone used to sell those on ebay.....)

Second is a dreamcast NES emu in a NES

Check this link.

Edited October 22, 2007 by user42

[Ze_ro]

On USA system, you can mod it by flipping 8 data lines as it's what differed USA and Japanese console. If you can find 8 poles double throw switch, you can make any USA TG-16 or Duo (or Express if you got nerves) playable in both format with a flip of the switch.

There is another method that uses a regular SPDT switch a few IC's to do the switching. Depending on who you ask, it's a more elegant mod. I'd like to try this one of these days, but it's relatively difficult work, and I paid quite a bit for my Duo. Once I have a few other projects under my belt, I'll probably feel more comfortable about it though. I'll probably practice by doing it to one of my TurboGrafx-16's instead.

 

So far the only modified console I have is my Dreamcast, which I've installed a mod chip in (I have quite a few Japanese and European games, and got sick of using a boot disc). Some mods that I'd like to do:

• Install the Universe BIOS in my NeoGeo AES.
  
• Replace the BIOS in my ColecoVision to remove the 12-sec wait.
  
• Region mod my Genesis and TurboDuo
  
• Amiga 3000: Install a new clock battery (removed the old one long ago), replace the Kickstart 1.4 chips with 3.1 chips, and eventually upgrade the custom chips so I can install an accelerator (that one will have to wait until I actually find a reasonable source for the chips).
  

For the most part, I'm not particularly interested in video modifications, since composite is usually "good enough" for my tastes, and usually works better the way I hook up my consoles. I've also never had much desire to do things like install blue LEDs (I never really understood that one to begin with)... I prefer my systems to look as stock as possible.

 

--Zero

[Uzumaki]

On USA system, you can mod it by flipping 8 data lines as it's what differed USA and Japanese console. If you can find 8 poles double throw switch, you can make any USA TG-16 or Duo (or Express if you got nerves) playable in both format with a flip of the switch.

There is another method that uses a regular SPDT switch a few IC's to do the switching. Depending on who you ask, it's a more elegant mod. I'd like to try this one of these days, but it's relatively difficult work, and I paid quite a bit for my Duo. Once I have a few other projects under my belt, I'll probably feel more comfortable about it though. I'll probably practice by doing it to one of my TurboGrafx-16's instead.

 

The IC chip method can be complicated but if you're handy with electronics you could built one using SMD chips and a tiny SPDT switch that actually fits inside an Express. The one I'm looking at uses 4551's analog multiplexers. TG-16 and PCE data line are in 3 states so the chip does need to have tristate support, which is why analog chip is used rather than digital chip.

 

One method I found is at: http://mbrandel.vizionaires.net/?page_id=48 (use babelfish for German to English if you need to)

 

I've heard of other chip based methods but I couldn't find any details. There's also 8pdt relay that can use single switch but they are rather large and the coil usually has high voltage requirement (usually 24v DC or 120+ AC) and not practical for TG16/PCE mod.

Edited October 22, 2007 by Uzumaki

[Ze_ro]

There's a guy on PCEnginefx.com who is selling pre-made circuit boards for doing the TG-16 region mod (link). They're tiny boards and look far more professional than I could do myself. There's even a picture of them next to one of those ginormous 8PDT switches.

 

--Zero