Saturn backup problem, Help very appreciated

[AppliCotton]

Hi!

I was wondering if somebody could help me out.

I recently got really into shoot em ups, and this site played a key role in convincing me that the Saturn is where I need to be. That, and I really wanted to play Cotton 2.

I bought a model 2 and began using the disc swap trick (the one with the reset button). Now Cotton 2 and Batsugun work fine. The former was bin/cue, the latter ISO + WAV format, and both worked fine.

Every other game I've tried thus far doesn't work. Battle Garegga goes to the CD player screen as soon as you select Options or as soon as you select a ship. Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius doesn't get past the "Keep Waiting" loading screen. Parodius Deluxe goes black once you select a game. Radiant Silvergun goes black after the Sega logo. Cotton Boomerang hangs on the Sega logo.

All games have been burnt using Imgburn, at 4x, and patched with the Saturn region patcher. I'm a total newb, but from what I gather it's not a region thing, I haven't once come across the "unsuitable" region message.

Does this have anything to do with the disc swap (NFL 97 is my swap disc, cheapest thing I could find)? I've read that it could just be a shoddy laser, which apparently happens a bit with the Saturn. And which would mean I'm screwed (that's a question)? Would a modchip (which I plan on buying, but not if I'll only be able to play 20% of the games) help?

Ever since I've seen those colorful sprites, I'm kind of fiending, so please, any feedback would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks

[emwearz]

You generally need a few different real games to use for the swap trick, no one game I own will work on all my backups (I tend to write the name of a real game that work). The fact games are freezing in menu's would make me think you need to try a few different games.

The fact some are working and some are not makes me inclined to say your laser is fine.

The reset method tends to work better than the 'regular' method in terms of compatibility, however trying the other method could not hurt, go to my youtube channel in my sig, I have video's of both methods.

[AppliCotton]

Problem solved.

Apparently there's at least three ways to do the disc swap, and the results differ.

One way I found on YouTube (and only in this one video on YouTube and nowhere else, for reasons that will promptly become clear) involves starting with the original in the Saturn, resetting at the black Sega screen, then swapping in the backup when the Saturn screen turns white. Now the guy's so sure of himself, like this works the first time every time, whereas with all the other methods everybody is saying be patient, took me like 500 times to get it right, etc. So I bought my Saturn, taped the sensor, popped in my Cotton 2 backup, and used this guy's method... voila! nailed it on the first try! Kind of ironic, had I tried any of the other backups I burned I'd have figured out something's wrong a lot sooner.

Well, long story short, there's a reason why everybody else starts with the backup in the Saturn. It's because you'll want to load the TOC from the backup, not the original. (Ok, I know: DUH!). Thankfully there's an FAQ out there (which, among other things, suggests yet another method that involves drilling a hole in your Saturn) that points out that that's not a good thing.

Everything runs wonderfully with Racketboy's reset method. Thank you, yet again. Racketboy not only awaken my retro addiction, you're now officially feeding it.

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Key words (for lazy newbs like me who encounter the same problem): Sega Saturn, disc swap, freezes, sega screen, goes black, doesn't work, crashes, not working

[xan_racketBOY_fan]

Glad to hear you've got the swap trick down, but in the long run, a mod chip will do you much better. Do that poor motor of yours a favor ;P