Dead Genesis Tengen carts? Anyone else getting this?

[Kamino]

Recently, I was digging through bins of genesis carts. Now, aside from a cracked golden axe 2 years ago, i've yet to deal with a dead cart that had NO physical signs of rupture.
However, in these boxes of carts, I dug out a Grind Stormer. Bought it. when I got home, it was DOA.
A week later, same place. Dead Dragon's Revenge.
Both tengen carts. Both bogus. Both boot to the "produced by or under license..." Screen and hang thereafter.
Coincidence? Or are tengen carts for genesis going kaplooey?
Anyone else having this problem?
For reference, i tried these carts in the following hardware:
Genesis 1
Genesis 2
Genesis 3
Genesis 1 with cd and 32x
.

[it290]

I posted this on another thread, but I have a dead Dragon's Fury cart and so did someone else. I've also heard of dead Grind Stormers in the past. So yes, I think Genesis Tengen carts are problematic.

[Graham Mitchell]

How can this be? I know Tengen manufactured their own NES carts, but didn't they just let Sega manufacturre their Genesis carts like everyone else (save EA and Accolade)? If Sega manufactured them, why would they be any different from other publisher's carts?

BTW--this sucks to hear about. I've been looking for both Grind Stormer and Dragon's Fury lately.

[it290]

Perhaps it was just a bad batch of chips or something, who knows. Also, a correction. The bad cart I have is Dragon's Revenge, not Fury.

[Graham Mitchell]

Perhaps it was just a bad batch of chips or something, who knows. Also, a correction. The bad cart I have is Dragon's Revenge, not Fury.

I think we're talking about the same game.

[16-bit]

I bought 3 copies of Grind stormer 3 months ago--2 were DOA.

Rarely are carts dead...they just need an extreme cleaning job done to them, but I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned these guys and I never could get them to work.

It is my favorite Genny shooter and rarer than most people realize.

[vulcanjedi]

If you want stories of dead Sega carts I got some for you. I bought over 100 dead carts from a rental place about 6 years ago and tried to revive them. Back before they put sealing stickers on them and people would switch out the circuit board from the case. I rescued about 20 games from the 100. The others are goners.

Besides those the only other game I have that gives me problems is a Dragon's Fury. It locks up after 10 minutes on any machine. Won't even play on a model 3.

VJ

[yuppicide]

But how did you fix them?!

If you want stories of dead Sega carts I got some for you. I bought over 100 dead carts from a rental place about 6 years ago and tried to revive them. Back before they put sealing stickers on them and people would switch out the circuit board from the case. I rescued about 20 games from the 100. The others are goners.

Besides those the only other game I have that gives me problems is a Dragon's Fury. It locks up after 10 minutes on any machine. Won't even play on a model 3.

VJ

[vulcanjedi]

But how did you fix them?!

If you want stories of dead Sega carts I got some for you. I bought over 100 dead carts from a rental place about 6 years ago and tried to revive them. Back before they put sealing stickers on them and people would switch out the circuit board from the case. I rescued about 20 games from the 100. The others are goners.

Besides those the only other game I have that gives me problems is a Dragon's Fury. It locks up after 10 minutes on any machine. Won't even play on a model 3.

VJ

The only ones I could fix were the ones that were just dirty or had been painted with clear nail polish or had the capicitors cut.

Get some sega securitiy bits to open the carts and clean the contacts up with superfine emery cloth then a rubber eraser then 92% isopropyl.

Works much easire with the carts open.

VJ

Most of them were really dead.

[it290]

it290 wrote:
Perhaps it was just a bad batch of chips or something, who knows. Also, a correction. The bad cart I have is Dragon's Revenge, not Fury.


I think we're talking about the same game. 2003_smile.gif

Maybe not, Dragon's Fury and Dragon's Revenge are not the same game.

[-hellvin-]

Ya know, now that you mention it, I believe I tried playing grind stormer when I bought it months ago and it did not work.

Edit: hmm, never mind, it works just fine. Although I did have a pirates gold that NEVER FREAKING WORKED and then one day it worked fine. I also have a golden axe 2 that just refuses to fucking work, maybe I'll try that one in a sec. In fact...I shall test all my tengen games.

Well here's the results:

Awesome Possum - works
Dragon's Fury - works
Dragon's Revenge - works
Gauntlet IV - works
Grind Stormer - works
Klax - works
Ms Pacman - doesnt work
Pit Fighter - works
RBI Baseball 93 - doesnt work

That damn golden axe 2 doesnt work either. All the ones that didn't work got to the boot screen and hanged. Perhaps I should test more of my games, that's a lot that don't work, haha.

[Classicgamesdepot]

Genny Carts are occasionally dead but you can almost always tell before hand..all my dead genny carts have been x-rentals,... I have had a LOT of genesis carts. I bought a huge lot of poor label genny games and 15% were dead, was still a good deal because they were cheap and the titles were really good, I assume the board just gets fried or something along those longs, some carts that do seem dead, even if they have rust on them can most likely be cleaned...

[Graham Mitchell]

it290 wrote:
Perhaps it was just a bad batch of chips or something, who knows. Also, a correction. The bad cart I have is Dragon's Revenge, not Fury.


I think we're talking about the same game. 2003_smile.gif

Maybe not, Dragon's Fury and Dragon's Revenge are not the same game.

Pinball game? Genesis remake of Devil's Crush? Published by Tengen?

If that's Dragon's Revenge, what's Dragon's Fury? I'm confused now...

[dethink]

hm. my hard drivin' and ms. pac man are the only genny games i have that don't work...

i thought it was just a coincidence. the ms. pac man i bought used, but HD i've had since it was brand new.

[Kamino]

Ya know, now that you mention it, I believe I tried playing grind stormer when I bought it months ago and it did not work.

Edit: hmm, never mind, it works just fine. Although I did have a pirates gold that NEVER FREAKING WORKED and then one day it worked fine. I also have a golden axe 2 that just refuses to fucking work, maybe I'll try that one in a sec. In fact...I shall test all my tengen games.

Well here's the results:

Awesome Possum - works
Dragon's Fury - works
Dragon's Revenge - works
Gauntlet IV - works
Grind Stormer - works
Klax - works
Ms Pacman - doesnt work
Pit Fighter - works
RBI Baseball 93 - doesnt work

That damn golden axe 2 doesnt work either. All the ones that didn't work got to the boot screen and hanged. Perhaps I should test more of my games, that's a lot that don't work, haha.

Well, perhaps sega did a shit job manufacturing GA2, As I did have a dead one of those in the late 90s. Aside from GA2 and tengens on genesis, I've yet to have a dead cart, for any system. at all. Aside from those with brute damage, like some nes carts that were drilled through etc.

[Cauterize]

Hmmm.. i have a few Tengen MD Games at home, ill test them to let you know if its a NTSC only thing!

ps Kam! check out the Pink Floyd Auction now! Hittin Mega Prices within 20 hours!

[Arcade Antics]

it290 wrote:
Perhaps it was just a bad batch of chips or something, who knows. Also, a correction. The bad cart I have is Dragon's Revenge, not Fury.


I think we're talking about the same game. 2003_smile.gif

Maybe not, Dragon's Fury and Dragon's Revenge are not the same game.

Pinball game? Genesis remake of Devil's Crush? Published by Tengen?

If that's Dragon's Revenge, what's Dragon's Fury? I'm confused now...

Dragon's Fury: The Genesis version of TG-16 Devil's Crush.
Dragon's Revenge: Genesis only sequel to Dragon's Fury. Has lots more to do.

Both games: Outstanding.

FWIW, I've had several copies of all the Tengen games mentioned in this thread and have never had a problem with any of 'em.

[it290]

About the Golden Axe 2 thing, that is one of the games that has problems with 6-button controllers. Have you tried using a 3-button or holding the mode button down while turning on the console? IIRC, my copy of GA2 boots up but doesn't control correctly if I have a 6-button in the controller port. I do have a copy of Forgotten Worlds, however, that will hang after the 'licensed by' screen that if a 6-button is in the port, even if the mode button is held down. Using an original 3 button controller solves the problem.

Actually, now that I think about it, Ms Pacman has problems with the 6-button as well, I believe. Try that one with a 3-button, too.

[Kamino]

About the Golden Axe 2 thing, that is one of the games that has problems with 6-button controllers. Have you tried using a 3-button or holding the mode button down while turning on the console? IIRC, my copy of GA2 boots up but doesn't control correctly if I have a 6-button in the controller port. I do have a copy of Forgotten Worlds, however, that will hang after the 'licensed by' screen that if a 6-button is in the port, even if the mode button is held down. Using an original 3 button controller solves the problem.

Actually, now that I think about it, Ms Pacman has problems with the 6-button as well, I believe. Try that one with a 3-button, too.

i'll give it another shot with an ancient standard gen 3 button but i ordinarily use either a six button pad or a three button arcade stick. Maybe turbos fuck it up.

[Melf]

About the Golden Axe 2 thing, that is one of the games that has problems with 6-button controllers. Have you tried using a 3-button or holding the mode button down while turning on the console? IIRC, my copy of GA2 boots up but doesn't control correctly if I have a 6-button in the controller port. I do have a copy of Forgotten Worlds, however, that will hang after the 'licensed by' screen that if a 6-button is in the port, even if the mode button is held down. Using an original 3 button controller solves the problem.

Actually, now that I think about it, Ms Pacman has problems with the 6-button as well, I believe. Try that one with a 3-button, too.

I believe Exile has this problem as well.