Its now possible to play backups by flashing Saturn Carts!

[stickem]

How about a link for that pds patch if you dont mind.

[Mad_Hatter]

How about a link for that pds patch if you dont mind.

Shoot, sorry for the late post, but here is a thread on an other website for some info on the patch:

http://www.theisozone.com/forum/viewtop ... 64&t=48827

Note: You have to be registered on that website to get the patch. And I don't want to post it on here without their permission.

[sega dude]

Would this work with the Memory Card Plus that looks like this?

[flojocabron]

Would this work with the Memory Card Plus that looks like this?

I'd like to know this too. I have the same one. But it doesn't work too good anymore. Some of the saves got corrupted and one day it simply died on me.

Would flashing it give it some life again?

[Anthony817]

Yes those carts will work. In fact you could even flash that cart with the Gameshark firmware to use it as one as well.

[nightrnr]

Any truth to the claim that the Memory Card Plus ruins the cart slot (stretching the pins out)?
...or no more than a PAR+ would?

[8bit]

Any truth to the claim that the Memory Card Plus ruins the cart slot (stretching the pins out)?
...or no more than a PAR+ would?

It's been well documented that the PCB in the MCP is "fatter" that other official saturn carts which causes it to have an extra tight fit in the slot. If used a lot or left in all the time people say it can damage the pins. Based on the evidence they are probably right. I'd just suggest using it sparingly and never leaving it in the slot full time.

Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it, especially if the goal here is to only flash the console and be done using the card after that. I doubt you can cause permanent damage using it just a handful of times. Someone feel free to correct me though if I am wrong.

[Ziggy]

I'll just add my own personal experience with the Saturn GameShark (which also has a slightly thicker PCB). Back when I first had my Saturn, the only cart I used was the official memory card. I NEVER had a problem with the cart slot. It always worked perfectly fine. Then I wanted to play an import, so I picked up the familiar GameShark. It worked fine when I first started using it. A couple month down the road, however, after switching back and forth between the Sega memory card and the GameShark, I started to have issues with the cart slot. The system would not always detect the cart, and I would have to power off and reinsert the cart and try again. Eventually, sometimes I would have to do this a few times to get the cart to work. Then I read online about the thicker PCB. I compared the GameShark visually to my Sega memory card, and it is indeed noticeably thicker. I decided to never use the GameShark again. The damage was done to my cart slot, and I figured I don't wanna make it any worse. My cart slot is OK, some times it'll take a few attempts to get the system to detect the cart, but I could only imagine how much worse it could be if I kept using the GameShark. I've since switched to the Action Replay and my cart slot hasn't gotten any worse.

[Anthony817]

I thought just leaving it in there would be safer than taking it out all the time.

[nightrnr]

Thanks for the feedback on those carts guys.

I guess if it provides a new use for the the Saturn, a reflashed MC+ isn't a terrible thing. But it does make me uneasy.

I have 2 Saturns and PAR+ and MC+ carts have been used in both of them at some point or another.
Currently one is devoted exclusively for PAR+ (never leaves the slot).

For the other one I currently use an official Sega Memory cart. I think it had trouble reading it once, but is fine last I checked. This one (an older model), I plan to use with RHEA someday (if I can ever get a hold of one). The laser can be somewhat finicky.