Beginning my collection. . .

[Kwixotik]

Picked up Jet Force Gemini (N64) for $4 today and an $8 soldering kit to replace SNES batteries.

Nice! Is the soldering kit sold $8 new or was this some deal you found?

It was $8 new at Radio Shack

[GryeDor]

Great start dude, those stickers can be a pain... really. Be VERY careful on your 64 carts regarding any security labels on the cart label itself, like your Ocarina of Time. While NES and SNES cart labels had a lamination film on them, 64 carts do not, they are just ink on paper and that ink comes off fast.

I was able to pull off a rental sticker from Dusty Diamond's All Star Softball's label, clean of the tamper residue (Goo Gone works wonderfully, by the way - just a few drops onto a Q-Tip and slow, gentle circles) with no damage, discoloration or fading to the label itself. Then removed on from Mario Kart 64 and thought I'd get the same results, alas no. Thankfully the stick on Mario kart 64 wasn't tamper evident, but as soon as the minute amount of Goo Gone hit the label, it started pulling the ink off FAST.

As for the Universal Game Cases, it's a preference of some -you can see some setups in a few members collection pics - but to be honest, it's not for me. The extra cost, time and shelf space aren't worth it to me, the really nice thing about them though is it really cleans up the look of your shelves having everything uniform like that.

Great start man, and good luck!

[Hobie-wan]

Yeah, I plan on expanding past them, but I wanted a smaller scale goal first, so I have some kind of focus. Do the SNES games that use passwords rather than saves need their batteries replaced?

an $8 soldering kit to replace SNES batteries.

Password games encrypt the information in the password, so no batteries.

You'll need to either get batteries with tabs welded on them (soldering to a battery won't work) or put in battery holders which will work for most games. Super Mario Kart is one example where the board fills the cart and only a super thin battery holder works, FYI. But the actual replacement is easy once you have parts and such.

[Kwixotik]

Yeah, I plan on expanding past them, but I wanted a smaller scale goal first, so I have some kind of focus. Do the SNES games that use passwords rather than saves need their batteries replaced?

an $8 soldering kit to replace SNES batteries.

Password games encrypt the information in the password, so no batteries.

You'll need to either get batteries with tabs welded on them (soldering to a battery won't work) or put in battery holders which will work for most games. Super Mario Kart is one example where the board fills the cart and only a super thin battery holder works, FYI. But the actual replacement is easy once you have parts and such.

Really? This guide (http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/11/ ... ttery.html) gave me the impression I'd need a soldering iron. Do you know any good place to buy the parts you suggest?

[Hobie-wan]

Really? This guide (http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/11/ ... ttery.html) gave me the impression I'd need a soldering iron. Do you know any good place to buy the parts you suggest?

Yes, you'll be de/resoldering the new tabbed battery or the battery holder.

www.digikey.com or www.mouser.com or on ebay if you're lucky for tabbed batteries.

[Kwixotik]

A long overdue update. First we've got:

Jet Force Gemini
Pokemon Puzzle League
NFL Blitz 2000
Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire
ActRaiser
Gradius III
Legend of Dragoon (GH)
(The incense burner and chest are new too, gifts from my girlfriend)

Secondly:

Sega GT 2002/JSRF
Final Fantasy XII
Turok 2 (CIB)

And while I'm here, why not briefly explore the horrific contents of my less-favored childhood system - the PS1? Nearly all of the jewel cases are cracked to all hell, but Final Fantasy VII has a special haunted place in my collection. I have to tell you, I never bought that game in stores and I have no idea how three copies ended up at my house, but they're here in sorry condition.



So I should have three manuals and nine discs right? I actually have zero manuals and 7 discs. The black label has all discs. One of the GH copies has Greatest Hits discs 2 and 3. The other GH disc has GH disc 2 and... black label disc 3? A fourth copy must have gotten involved somehow.



Oh well. Even if the black label edition is missing a manual, at least it has all of its discs so it should be worth something, right? Oh wait. Let's open up the case and look inside.



In case you can't read that, it says "Property of Jacob Tyler Montgomery" and on Aeris's arse says "also my property". It's written on the actual label, behind the case.

DAMN YOU JACOB TYLER MONTGOMERYYYYYY

[BRIK]

But where's the cat?