View Full Version : SNES cartridge variations
I just popped in SUper mario kart for the snes, and I noticed that the cartridge looked diferent than some of my other SNES cartridges. On the bottom of the cart, below the label, on some cartridges there is an indentation. Its like concave. and on My super mario kart, and star fox, its flat all the way down. I cant really think of a better way to explain it. maby one of you will know what I mean and let me know if there are indeed two different official snes variations on the cartridges. Is this because of the special chips in star fox and mario kart. Super FX chip and I think there is a special chip in mario kart to help it with the mode 7 stuff. anyway, let me know.
Heres what I mean. Notice the mario kart on as opposed to the one on top.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=8187821151&rd=1
GrandAmChandler
05-01-2005, 05:10 PM
The one on top is the later release type of cartridge. The Super mario Kart cart variation was canned due to people ripping their cartridges out of the system before pressing the eject button I believe.... Let me know if I am wrong about this... Something tells me it has something to do with game genie too. But that doesnt sound right....
-Chris
goatdan
05-01-2005, 08:07 PM
I think that it has to do with games that could be erased if ejected without turning the system off first as sort of a "you can't rip it out as easy thing." If I recally correctly, battery backed up carts have that, and non-battery backed up carts do not.
Leo_A
05-01-2005, 08:40 PM
"I recally correctly, battery backed up carts have that, and non-battery backed up carts do not."
Nope, its all due to age. They switched a couple years in to the new style.
goatdan
05-01-2005, 08:45 PM
"I recally correctly, battery backed up carts have that, and non-battery backed up carts do not."
Nope, its all due to age. They switched a couple years in to the new style.
Heh...
I guess I didn't "recally" correctly. ;)
I guess I'm still not positive. I always thought it had something to do with that. In the auction that was linked too, Goof Troop has the old style cartridge even though it came out a year after Mario Kart did.
Maybe it was an age thing for first party carts only?
Leo_A
05-01-2005, 08:49 PM
Not sure
Might've had leftover carts, maybe you were partly right and they introduced the new style with save games while using up old inventory on non battery backup games before converting 100% over. Or it might have something to do with special chips needed inside SMK and how everything is mounted inside (I've never opened one up, but maybe that's why they used the new style on SMK while continuing for a while with the old ones on standard games without special features).
But I can confirm that things were switched over to the new style eventually.
Leo_A
05-01-2005, 08:51 PM
After looking at the picture, SMK is the old style. The other is the new style. Things were changed over around the same time period that the plastic dust covers were discontinued.
goatdan
05-01-2005, 08:52 PM
After looking at the picture, SMK is the old style. The other is the new style. Things were changed over around the same time period that the plastic dust covers were discontinued.
Aha. You seem to be right. I was about to point to the Million Seller thread with that picture:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59869
I was thinking the other type was the "old" one. Very interesting. Thanks!
Leo_A
05-01-2005, 08:54 PM
np
I hope someone can confirm the reason for it though, I've been puzzled for years why there was a switch made.
Graham Mitchell
05-01-2005, 09:37 PM
The one on top is the later release type of cartridge. The Super mario Kart cart variation was canned due to people ripping their cartridges out of the system before pressing the eject button I believe.... Let me know if I am wrong about this... Something tells me it has something to do with game genie too. But that doesnt sound right....
-Chris
Or if you push the eject button hard enough with the cart in the machine and the machine still on, you'll probably break the whole thing. The newer cart style actually allows you to pull it out easier because the little tab that pokes out when you slide the power button to the "on" position can't lock the cart in anymore. This is what I always thought had happened. The switch happened sometime in '93. I remember clearly that the first game I saw to use the new cart style was Alien 3.
poopnes
05-02-2005, 01:10 AM
Its basically been said, but the reason for the switch was so that you don't have to use the eject switch to pop out the cartridge. Not that you had to with the old games before (I just checked). That's the reason I always told myself, but it now seems invalid. I wonder why Nintendo did change the cart design. I like the new design better though, makes them not look so blocky and average.
My original SFII uses the new design, and I'm pretty sure its not a re-release (it says Made In Japan)...