Super Famicom game garbled

[retrojunkie]

Hey everyone,

I recently returned from Japan and purchased a few super famicom games to try out. I only have an SNES system so I purchased a nice little snes to super fam adapter. 3 out of the 4 super fam games I bought worked perfectly after I did a little cleaning, but one of them (naturally the one I wanna play the most ) only comes up with garbled images. The game is Star Ocean, and hence has the two expansion chips. The sound works great and the animation follows what seems to be normal, but the images are garbled (I think the sprite images aren't loading correctly). Wondering if the adapter couldn't handle the expansion chips, I tested Yoshi's Island (SNES version) with the adapter and it runs perfectly. I have only to assume it has something to do with the game itself. I'm considering ordering a security bit screwdriver to open it up, but what should I do once I get there? And are the any other ideas as to what might be causing this? Thank you

[Ziggy]

I wouldn't bother with the adapter at all. Just break off the two tabs inside the cartridge slot and you'll be able to play any SFC game on your NTSC SNES, no problem.

http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/ninte ... s-tabs.htm

[emwearz]

You have not specified if you are using an American (NTSC) SNES or a PAL console?

[retrojunkie]

I am using an American SNES. I also have an FC twin, but it doesn't work with that either.

I don't have a gamebit screwdriver yet, and if possible I'd like to avoid breaking off anything in the system. Like I said, I don't think it's a problem with the system itself because other Super Famicom games work just fine with it...of course, the other super famicom games I tested don't have the expansion chips, so that may be the issue...what do you think?

[Hobie-wan]

Most of those passthrough and cheat devices don't have connections for the outside pins that the expansion chips use. I know SNES game Genies don't have them for sure.

[retrojunkie]

it's true it doesn't have the expansion receiver pins, but why would yoshi's island work through the adaptor? (it has the expansion chips too) Would breaking the chips off work better in that case?

[D.D.D.]

I wouldn't bother with the adapter at all. Just break off the two tabs inside the cartridge slot and you'll be able to play any SFC game on your NTSC SNES, no problem.

http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/ninte ... s-tabs.htm

Screw the adapter. Seriously, do this (link above). You do it once and you're set for JP games on your US SNES.

An alternative would be what I did: open the SNES with either the melted-Bic trick or the screwbit adapter thing, then heat up an X-acto knife and slowly cut the tabs out of the tray for a really smooth mod job (even though I'm the only one that ever will see how nice of a job I did - it satisfies the OCD in me ).

(edit) I did the same thing to my N64 as well.

[Hobie-wan]

it's true it doesn't have the expansion receiver pins, but why would yoshi's island work through the adaptor? (it has the expansion chips too) Would breaking the chips off work better in that case?

Yoshi's Island might be a game that only pipes extra sound through the side pins. But yeah, I'm not one to damage my systems either, but just remove the tabs. They're down in the slot out of sight anyway.

[retrojunkie]

Thanks for the bic tip D.D.D., it works like a charm! Yeah I dunno what the expansion chips in yoshi's island are for but it's very possible they aren't linked to graphics. I'll do some more research, take apart my star ocean game and check all the contacts, clean it and then if it doesn't work I'll have to cut the tabs... If that works I'll wish I hadn't bought the adaptor haha. Thanks for your help everyone and I'll let you know of my progress.

[Ziggy]

Yoshi's Island uses the Super FX2 chip to draw the huge boss sprites. It's very possible that the rest of the game would work OK. Star Ocean has the S-DD1 chip, which is mainly a decompression chip. All the graphics in the Star Ocean ROM are compressed, the S-DD1 decompresses them on the fly. It's a wonder that the game worked at all without the extra pins being connected.

You should most definitely break off the region lock tabs. It's the best option since ALL Super Famicom games will work with out the need for any adapters. I have played through Star Ocean on my NTSC SNES perfectly.