Saturn Action replay with chip problem

[jindra]

I ordered the action replay plus 4m auto and mod chip from racketboy. The action replay worked fine until I installed the mod chip. Now I can play backups but when action replay is put in it's just stuck in a reboot loop. Is there something obvious in have missed?

[Hobie-wan]

They should work fine together. I have a chip from here in my Saturn and usually have my 4 in 1 in there. Maybe reseat the chip?

[jindra]

I tried reseating the chip and nothing. I've tried electrical contact cleaner on all of the connectors too. The board is a JVC EXL P605

so I've removed the mod chip and action replay still doesn't work. I guess it broke itself somehow?

[spiritplx]

As you probably know, the card slot on the Saturn isn't so great. I'm assuming you've tried to move the cart around to get a good connection? Also, how does the Saturn react when the cart is not inserted? What about when the cart is inserted and no controllers plugged in? What about taking out the battery (you'll lose your saves, so back them up if at all possible), what does it do then? Do you have any other carts to test in the cart slot?

[jindra]

Yeah since my initial post I've read up on it. I'm going to keep trying to get it working working under the assumption the action replay is in fact fine. I've tried adjusting it in the slot for a while but nothing seems to work. I tried doing it with the battery out and it still just goes into a reboot cycle, showing the 1st saturn screen then licensed by sega screen, then reboot again. I'll try doing it with the controller unplugged, but I think I've already tried it like that too.

[Clammy]

If you still haven't found a solution, just try re-seating the Action Replay a few times. I've got a Saturn Gameshark that has similar issues if it isn't seated just right. Another issue I've had is the mod chip getting a bit loose after moving the console around and stuff. Make sure both the chip and ribbon cable are pushed in all the way, and that the wires for the chips are soldered/held in place well enough.

Pretty obvious answers, but those things have generally fixed any issues I've had.

[Ziggy]

^ The GameShark absolutely wrecks the Saturn's cart slot. You should stop using it before it's too late. Get an Action Replay 4-in-1, they're better anyway.

[Clammy]

^ The GameShark absolutely wrecks the Saturn's cart slot. You should stop using it before it's too late. Get an Action Replay 4-in-1, they're better anyway.

Really? Had no idea. I got the Gameshark along with some other stuff that I bought a few years ago, and it hasn't given me any problems. I've wanted an Action Replay for obvious reasons, but the price has kept me away. Jobless for a long time, haven't had the money for it since the little money I do make is generally put towards other things. Well, now I know what I should prioritize spending money on I guess...

[Ziggy]

If you take a look at the cart edge of the Game Shark and compare it to an official memory card or even the Action Replay, you will notice it's a little thicker. The Saturn's cart slot is really flimsy as it is, so shoving the thicker cart in there can really mess it up.

If you've only been using the Game Shark, then you might not notice. If you try to use other carts after using the Game Shark a lot, you might have a hard time getting them to work.

I learned this the hard way. My Saturn's cart slot was perfect. I used the official memory card with it and never had any problems. Then I got a Game Shark and started swapping that in and the memory card. After a little while, the console would some times not recognize the memory card. I chalked it up to a dirty cart slot, like any other console. I continued to use the Game Shark for a while longer. Luckily, I found out what the problem was and ditched the Game Shark. I will sometimes still have problems getting the console to recognize carts, but at least I didn't damage it any further.

My advice to you is to stop using the Game Shark. Even if it means you'll be without those function until you have the opportunity to purchase an Action Replay, that's better than damaging the cart slot.

[Clammy]

Yeah, I've stopped using the Gameshark now. I took a look at it and it does seem quite thick, which would explain why it would sometimes be an absolute bitch to pull it out of the cart slot sometimes. I bit the bullet and ordered an Action Replay, hopefully it gets here soon. Works out anyways since I had already planned to get one for the 1/4M expansion to use with a few games.

My GS was mostly already in my Saturn, so hopefully the cart slot isn't too torn up.