So... making Super NES repro carts

[REPO Man]

A) How do I find out what donor cart to use? For example, I'm focusing on Shin Megami Tensei.

B) What exactly do I need?

C) What else do I need to know?

What other questions should I have asked?

And BTW, some carts I wanna repro are:

* Shin Megami Tensei
* " " 2
* Front Mission
* Clock Tower
* Final Fantasy 4-6

[Ziggy]

I've been making SNES repros myself, so I have a decent amount of info on them.

A) Depends on the game you wanna make, but basically you need to find out what the cart has on it. SRAM size, save battery or not, special chips, etc. You have to use a donor cart that is the SAME as the game you wanna make. Or you can just use an original cart. So take Shin Megami Tensei for example, just get a Super Famicom cart of the game to use instead of a donor cart. You also wont be destroying a game from existence if you do this.

B) A few things. An original SNES game, EPROM(s) and a way to program them (buy either owning a programmer or having them programmed for you), solder iron, solder, dental picks (trust me) hot glue gun, 30 gauge wire (some people like to use IDE cables), wire strippers, a security bit to open the game paks, and some other stuff I'm forgetting.

edit: If you're gonna get a programmer, you'll probably settle for a cheaper one. I can almost guarantee you wont have 100% success rate with it, even after you learn how to use it. You should invest in an EPROM eraser so your chips don't become worthless after they've been programmed wrong. You can get a cheap (looks to be hand made) $20 eraser off eBay. I also really grew to love this. I actually really don't like using the magnify glass, but if you don't, I swear you need *perfect* eye sight. The clips are really great for holding the game PCB though, and I like the holder for the iron as well. When making the repros, you'll have to constantly be putting the iron down. It's really great when you can just throw it in there. It also has the little sponge that you can wet to clean your iron tip with. I love that little Kronus, one of the few great products I've bought from Radio Shit.

C) I didn't really go in depth for you there, so you'll probably wanna break down what I said into sub questions. I'll have to pull a bunch of links up for you, very useful stuff.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

My only worry is the lifespan of most repros. (5-10) years due to EPROM bit rot.

Using NVROM's is slightly more expensive but the finished repros. are 100% permanent unless you smash them to pieces just like a full official retail cartridge.

[Ziggy]

Well isn't a OTP chip NV? It just sucks if you use a OTP chip and it doesn't program right. Although, they don't cost that much, you can get a OTP 27C801 from Mouser for five bucks a pop. And I wouldn't say an EPROM would suffer from bit rot in as little as five years. Most are guaranteed for 10 years under "normal" conditions, and they can apparently last 15+ years.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I've had many an EPROM go bad in under 5 or so years.

High usage coupled with exposure to light and other factors make me request for NVROM's on any and all applications which may need one. Plus I'm old fashioned about only getting the highest quality longest lasting components and such.

Just as a reference as well, would you make a repro. with NVROM's if requested?

[Ziggy]

Have you had repros that died? Because you can just reprogram or replace the chips. It's not as if the entire cart is worthless.

Yeah, I can use OTP chips, but the failure rate pisses me off. Last time I programmed a 27C801 it took three times! Better programmers are suppose to be more accurate/reliable but they cost several hundred dollars.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Yeah, this has turned me off to any type of volatile storage.

I'd be willing to spend a few bucks more for the knowledge that it'll last me a lifetime.

[REPO Man]

I've been making SNES repros myself, so I have a decent amount of info on them.

A) Depends on the game you wanna make, but basically you need to find out what the cart has on it. SRAM size, save battery or not, special chips, etc. You have to use a donor cart that is the SAME as the game you wanna make. Or you can just use an original cart. So take Shin Megami Tensei for example, just get a Super Famicom cart of the game to use instead of a donor cart. You also wont be destroying a game from existence if you do this.

B) A few things. An original SNES game, EPROM(s) and a way to program them (buy either owning a programmer or having them programmed for you), solder iron, solder, dental picks (trust me) hot glue gun, 30 gauge wire (some people like to use IDE cables), wire strippers, a security bit to open the game paks, and some other stuff I'm forgetting.

edit: If you're gonna get a programmer, you'll probably settle for a cheaper one. I can almost guarantee you wont have 100% success rate with it, even after you learn how to use it. You should invest in an EPROM eraser so your chips don't become worthless after they've been programmed wrong. You can get a cheap (looks to be hand made) $20 eraser off eBay. I also really grew to love this. I actually really don't like using the magnify glass, but if you don't, I swear you need *perfect* eye sight. The clips are really great for holding the game PCB though, and I like the holder for the iron as well. When making the repros, you'll have to constantly be putting the iron down. It's really great when you can just throw it in there. It also has the little sponge that you can wet to clean your iron tip with. I love that little Kronus, one of the few great products I've bought from Radio Shit.

C) I didn't really go in depth for you there, so you'll probably wanna break down what I said into sub questions. I'll have to pull a bunch of links up for you, very useful stuff.

Thanks for all the help, but... you said just get an old copy of Shin Megami Tensei. Does that mean open that one up and replace the EEPROM with one containing the translated version? Cuz I think it'd be cheaper to use a compatible donor cart.

[MrPopo]

Thanks for all the help, but... you said just get an old copy of Shin Megami Tensei. Does that mean open that one up and replace the EEPROM with one containing the translated version? Cuz I think it'd be cheaper to use a compatible donor cart.

Yup, that's exactly what he meant. I'm going that route, since I already had the SFC carts on hand to satisfy my own personal morals, and now I'm going to have him put the translated versions on. Depending on the game it might be cheaper to use a donor cart. It really depends on the game. If there's special chips it can be harder to find a donor, for example.

[REPO Man]

Thanks for all the help, but... you said just get an old copy of Shin Megami Tensei. Does that mean open that one up and replace the EEPROM with one containing the translated version? Cuz I think it'd be cheaper to use a compatible donor cart.

Yup, that's exactly what he meant. I'm going that route, since I already had the SFC carts on hand to satisfy my own personal morals, and now I'm going to have him put the translated versions on. Depending on the game it might be cheaper to use a donor cart. It really depends on the game. If there's special chips it can be harder to find a donor, for example.

Well, the only copy of SMT for the SNES/SFC on eBay was a new copy for $20. If IDK how to do this and had the potential for fucking up, would it be a good idea to buy it?

And also... how much empty space is in a SNES/SFC cart?