SNES technical trouble!

[gavinrendar]

My SNES plays all my games except for one, Super Mario RPG. When I flip the switch, the power light doesn't even come on, which is strange because this power light actually does come on with NO cartriges. How is my Mario RPG killing the circuit in my SNES? Is this a common problem, one that can be fixed? Thanks!!

Zach

[badinsults]

Well, the SA-1 chip does draw power from the SNES. Maybe it is faulty?

[wiggyx]

Have you tried cleaning the cart? May be a small about of metallic debris bridging a couple of pins causing a short.

[gavinrendar]

That's my next move. Getting some rubbing alcohol today. If that doesn't work I'll get some other alcohol :(

[understatement]

I’ve had this happen with an N64 and a copy of Zelda Majora's Mask when I opened the Zelda cart it turned out to be a swap job (Load Runner 3D board was inside) and whoever did it for good measure twisted the Capacitor around making the wires touch causing a short in the system when powered on. I untwisted the cap and it booted right up but it was Load Runner not Majora's Mask.

If it’s a former rental cart this might be the problem.

[wiggyx]

That's my next move. Getting some rubbing alcohol today. If that doesn't work I'll get some other alcohol :(

70-90% isopropyl will do the job just fine. Cleaning debris from carts isn't rocket science or anything (so don't worry about picking up multiple products or anything like that). Give it a scrub with the alc and a few q-tips and see what happens. If it still doesn't work, come on back. I've got plenty of suggestions if you're still stuck after a quick cleaning ;)


I’ve had this happen with an N64 and a copy of Zelda Majora's Mask when I opened the Zelda cart it turned out to be a swap job (Load Runner 3D board was inside) and whoever did it for good measure twisted the Capacitor around making the wires touch causing a short in the system when powered on. I untwisted the cap and it booted right up but it was Load Runner not Majora's Mask.

If it’s a former rental cart this might be the problem.

Wow, whoever had that cart before you was an asshole!

[Gameguy]

Wow, whoever had that cart before you was an asshole!
People did that to steal from rental stores, rent a good game and switch the board with some crap that they personally own. The asshole is whoever owns a Load Runner 3D cart with Majora's Mask in it. I have no idea how they weren't found out and charged for the carts, you'd think it would be found out pretty quickly by whoever rents it next.

I had a similar experience myself recently, I found a copy of Top Gear 3000 for the SNES but when I put it in up booted Super Metroid. It worked a bit better in my favour but I already had a copy of Super Metroid in the proper case so I didn't need this one.

[understatement]

People did that to steal from rental stores, rent a good game and switch the board with some crap that they personally own. The asshole is whoever owns a Load Runner 3D cart with Majora's Mask in it. I have no idea how they weren't found out and charged for the carts, you'd think it would be found out pretty quickly by whoever rents it next.

I had a similar experience myself recently, I found a copy of Top Gear 3000 for the SNES but when I put it in up booted Super Metroid. It worked a bit better in my favour but I already had a copy of Super Metroid in the proper case so I didn't need this one.

That's why I think whoever did this to the Zelda cart twisted the cap, then they could return it complaining it didn't work, the store would test it and nothing would come on the screen thus getting them another rental. Also it would put more suspicion on the previous renter of the game.

I found a picture that I took of the board with the twisted cap.

4924

[gavinrendar]

I meant if the rubbing alcohol doesn't work, I'll drown my sorrow in vodka.

[wiggyx]

People did that to steal from rental stores, rent a good game and switch the board with some crap that they personally own. The asshole is whoever owns a Load Runner 3D cart with Majora's Mask in it. I have no idea how they weren't found out and charged for the carts, you'd think it would be found out pretty quickly by whoever rents it next.

I had a similar experience myself recently, I found a copy of Top Gear 3000 for the SNES but when I put it in up booted Super Metroid. It worked a bit better in my favour but I already had a copy of Super Metroid in the proper case so I didn't need this one.


I actually had this happen to me with a copy of Turtles Tournament Fighter for the SNES when I was about 13 (the store didn't even believe me when I returned it and actually opened a new SNES just to test it). It had a copy of Home Alone stuffed inside (woo-hoo :( )

What really struck me as fucked up is the twisted cap to keep the damned thing from even working. That's actually "smart" thinking on the part of the jackass that did that. It woulda been obvious that the boards were switched if he had let that be, but twisting the cap makes the game simply appear defective to 99% of the population, including the rental store that would NEVER go through the trouble of opening it, let alone know what the actual problem was if they did. So, the guy who did it doesn't appear to have done anything to purposefully swindle anyone, but rather just be the last guy to rent the cart before it inexplicably died. Crafty, but still a HUGE a-hole.



That's why I think whoever did this to the Zelda cart twisted the cap, then they could return it complaining it didn't work, the store would test it and nothing would come on the screen thus getting them another rental. Also it would put more suspicion on the previous renter of the game.

I found a picture that I took of the board with the twisted cap.

4924

Exactly. The thing is, none of the employees at a rental shop give a shit about a defective cart, even the managers. It doesn't come out their paychecks, so why fuss over it. Plus, I imagine a lot of carts died after so many rentals. It's not like these things are well taken care of. Take a look at a rental DVD/disc-based game. They're very often beat to shit.


I meant if the rubbing alcohol doesn't work, I'll drown my sorrow in vodka.

Hahahahahaha! Sounds like a good plan to me ;)

[JSoup]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?22-Technical-and-Restoration-Society

[Gameguy]

That's why I think whoever did this to the Zelda cart twisted the cap, then they could return it complaining it didn't work, the store would test it and nothing would come on the screen thus getting them another rental. Also it would put more suspicion on the previous renter of the game.


What really struck me as fucked up is the twisted cap to keep the damned thing from even working. That's actually "smart" thinking on the part of the jackass that did that. It woulda been obvious that the boards were switched if he had let that be, but twisting the cap makes the game simply appear defective to 99% of the population, including the rental store that would NEVER go through the trouble of opening it, let alone know what the actual problem was if they did. So, the guy who did it doesn't appear to have done anything to purposefully swindle anyone, but rather just be the last guy to rent the cart before it inexplicably died. Crafty, but still a HUGE a-hole.
What I'm curious about is why the game wasn't thrown out if it was deemed defective, somehow it was still sold to someone but you'd think that the rental store would have just thrown it away if they couldn't get it to work. Unless someone dumpster dived.

If someone was really smart they would complain to the rental store that the game was switched out, after they themselves switched it out. It would draw suspicion on the previous renters instead of them. I guess that could be why rental stores didn't do anything about this switching stuff, they couldn't be sure who did it so they couldn't charge anyone for a replacement copy of the game.

[understatement]

What I'm curious about is why the game wasn't thrown out if it was deemed defective, somehow it was still sold to someone but you'd think that the rental store would have just thrown it away if they couldn't get it to work. Unless someone dumpster dived.

It could of happened many ways: dumpster diving, the place set it to the side to wright off on insurance or set aside to fix later then went under and liquidated everything, or an employee took it home to try and fix before throwing it away. More than likely being where I found it, it was some Mom & Pop rental store that would probably be more reluctant to trash it and get another copy than say a Block Buster.


If someone was really smart they would complain to the rental store that the game was switched out, after they themselves switched it out. It would draw suspicion on the previous renters instead of them. I guess that could be why rental stores didn't do anything about this switching stuff, they couldn't be sure who did it so they couldn't charge anyone for a replacement copy of the game.

I would think some probably did do that, but I think it would be far easier to say that the game didn’t work at all than it had been switched, as said earlier some games would eventually stop playing anyway. But yea, there was no way to tell who had done the switch if the shop didn’t use void stickers (as long as they checked them on every rental and return) on both sides of a cart.

[xelement5x]

All of a sudden I have a lot more respect for all those stickers that I painstakingly remove from my carts. They weren't just stuck on there for rental shops to be assholes, it was so people wouldn't swap the boards.

I'd heard this is also why they switched to Gamebit screws in NES carts. Earlier NES games were using flathead screws that could easily be undone to swap out the boards and steal games from rental places.

[wiggyx]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?22-Technical-and-Restoration-Society

This doesn't really help to solve his problem other than to send him to the correct sub-forum.

Actual help with your problem in this link. (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?138010-cleaning-cartridge-contacts&highlight=clean+cartridges)


What I'm curious about is why the game wasn't thrown out if it was deemed defective, somehow it was still sold to someone but you'd think that the rental store would have just thrown it away if they couldn't get it to work. Unless someone dumpster dived.

If someone was really smart they would complain to the rental store that the game was switched out, after they themselves switched it out. It would draw suspicion on the previous renters instead of them. I guess that could be why rental stores didn't do anything about this switching stuff, they couldn't be sure who did it so they couldn't charge anyone for a replacement copy of the game.

The guy that bought it could've been the 1st person to try it since it was swapped. Plus, having worked retail, it's VERY likely that the store just plopped it back on the shelf without giving it a 2nd thought. That's the shitty way that retail works. Pass the buck because you're not being paid enough to give a shit.

[JSoup]

This doesn't really help to solve his problem other than to send him to the correct sub-forum.

I wonder if that could have been the point. Hmm.....

[wiggyx]

I wonder if that could have been the point. Hmm.....

Well it's not at all helpful, and that's MY point. It's like telling someone to "just do a search" when they ask a question.

[JSoup]

Well it's not at all helpful, and that's MY point. It's like telling someone to "just do a search" when they ask a question.

I wonder if that could have been the point. Hmm.....

[wiggyx]

I wonder if that could have been the point. Hmm.....

Trolling: You're no good at it.

[JSoup]

Trolling: You're no good at it.

Says the guy who keeps coming back for more. Prove me wrong, don't respond.

You know the saying 'like shooting fish in a barrel'? This is more akin to beating a fish to death on dry land with a barrel.

Edit: For the record, wiggyx did come back for more, by attempting to start a slap fight over PM.