Problem with CDX playing some carts

[rgw825]

I recently picked up a CDX at a yard sale and now i'm testing it out. First i bought NHL 94 CD and it plays fine so the CD side of it seems ok. I bought Shadowrun and it plays ok. But Flashback won't play right. It keeps freezing at different points like at the title screen and even before at the publishers screen. I thought it may have been an old faulty cart. The contacts were dirty (which i cleaned) and the cart looks like it's been through hell.

Then i bought this huge lot of hockey games, NHL 93-98 and NHL All Star Hockey. NHL 93 and 94 play with no problems. But NHL 95-98 won't play at all. All i get it a black screen (I got NHL 95 to play once but that was it). NHL 96-98 look brand spanking new. I even cleaned the contacts just to make sure but no black was on the Q tip.

(Update before i even had this post completed)
This morning, like magic, NHL 96-98 all started playing. That is weird. What do you think could be making the games not load one time but load the next and then not again.

I am using the MK-2103 power adapter if it makes a difference. I did a lot of searching this morning on that subject. While a few people say you need to be using an offical MK-4122 because it's voltage is different, the majority say the 2103 works just fine and some people have been using it for years. I have no idea if that's my problem or not, but i have been doing a lot of searching on CDX problems and have not come up with much except that.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[rgw825]

Just a quick update, those games that i said started magically playing stopped playing again. Not sure what the problem is but i would guess at a connection issue? Voltage issue? But i really have no clue.

[izarate]

Could it be that the cartridge slot was dirty and the constant cart swapping cleaned it a little? Try running a toothbrush with some isoporpyl alcohol in the cartridge slot.

[rgw825]

I cleaned the cartridge slot using this method, but instead of water i used rubbing alcohol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zMVOIkR4Jk

But it didn't fix the problem. The games that played flawlessly before, still do. And the other ones are still not loading.

[Dr. Dib]

It could be that just the games are in bad condition. Do you have another Genesis to test them on?

Also, if you do want to get a power cord, try out this SIMA SUP-60. I got mine for $7 on Ebay. They're $26 new at BestBuy.

[rgw825]

It could be that just the games are in bad condition. Do you have another Genesis to test them on?

Could be possible but at least 3 of the NHL carts look so new almost like they were bought yesterday. But to be on the safe side i did order a cheap Genesis on Ebay. Hopefully i will have it sometime this week. But even if they play perfectly on the Genesis i still won't know what's wrong with the CDX. Could it be a compatibility issue? Wish i knew someone else with a CDX and NHL 95-98 to find out.

[rgw825]

I have 2 updates. First is i got 2 more EA games. Super Baseball 2020 and Toughman Contest. Super Baseball has no sound. It played with sound only once and it was all gargled. Toughman only loads with sound half the time.

Second update is, i got my Genesis today all the problem games work perfectly. All those NHL games load right up. Super Baseball has sound. Etc.

So the question arises. Is it my CDX? Or does the CDX have compatibility issues with certain EA games? Besides the game Flashback the only problem games are EA games. All non EA games load right up with no problems at all.
I have tested 8 non EA games and 3 EA games that work just fine.

Does anybody out there have a CDX and the following games to find out?

NHL 95, 96, 97, 98 (won't load except on rare occasions)

Super Baseball 2020 (no sound)

Toughman Contest (sound only half the time)

[rgw825]

I have a small update. I purchased the SIMA SUP-60 Adapter. But unfortunately it didn't solve anything. The NHL games played for a moment from a cold start but stopped again after the CDX was on for a few minutes. And the same sound problems. Am i on my own here? Still don't know if it's my CDX or if it's a compatibility problem with a few select games.

[rgw825]

Really? Nobody has a CDX and any of those games? I want to make sure it's just not my CDX. I swear all my games are clean and so is the CDX. There is a chance i could sell it down the line (not anytime soon). And my conscience would have a hard time selling something if i thought it was faulty in anyway.

Well anyway, just in case it is a CDX problem in general and not just my CDX, i tested every Genesis game i own and here are the results. Each game i did a few seconds of gameplay. Every one of these games plays perfect on my model 2 Genesis. I tried each of the problem games numerous times.

In no particular order.

Cool Spot - worked
PGA Golf Tour II - worked
Sonic 2 - worked
Jurassic Park - worked
Virtua Fighter 2 - worked
Mortal Kombat 3 - worked
Sonic and Knuckles - no sound at all
Twin Cobra - worked
Double Dribble - worked
Gauntlet IV - worked
Flashback - freezes
Fireshark - no sound
Lost Vikings - won't start
Street Fighter SCE - worked
Robocop vs Terminator - worked
Columns - worked
NHL 95 - 98 - won't start
NHL 94 - worked
NHLPA 93 - freezes sometimes
Super Baseball 2020 - no sound
Toughman Contest - sometimes sound
Jordan vs Bird - no sound
Haunting - worked
Lakers vs Celtics - worked
Bulls vs Lakers - no sound
Bulls vs Blazers - worked
Desert Strike - worked
NBA Jam TE - sound sometimes
Batman Forever - worked
Greatest Heavyweights - worked
Power Rangers the Movie - worked
Mortal Kombat II - won't start
Side Pocket - worked
Mickey Mania - won't start
Maximum Carnage - worked
Shadowrun - worked
Sonic 1 - worked
World Heroes - worked
Mortal Kombat - won't start
Contra Hard Corps - worked
Battletoads - worked
Sports Talk Football 93 - freezes sometimes
NFL 95 - worked
College Football II - worked
Road Rash II - worked
Streets of Rage 2 - worked
Cyborg Justice - worked
Ecco the Dolphin - worked

Also Sonic CD has a slight audio problem. You can hear all the music, and i think most of the sound effects but you cannot hear the sound of rings being collected. I checked out some Youtube footage to make sure and all the videos on there you can hear the rings being collected. All my other CD games play with no problem at all. And it is a genuine copy of Sonic CD and not a copy.

[mobiusclimber]

It really sounds like your CDX has some sort of problem. I can try a few of the games that you are having problems with on my CDX, but honestly, with that many problems, I'd have to say it's definitely a problem w/ the CDX and not just some compatibility issue (I think there IS one game that has a compatibility issue w/ the CDX, but I don't remember what game it was). If you want, later today I'll test out some of the games I have that you are having problems w/ just so you can be sure.

[rgw825]

That would be great.

[mobiusclimber]

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I'm not a "collector" in the obsessive Pokemon "gotta catch em all" sense, so I only had two games out of your list: Sonic CD and The Lost Vikings. Sonic CD did have the ring catching sound, and the Lost Vikings worked fine. I also had an EA NHL game, but it was their first I think (from '91, it just says NHL on it). That booted up just fine as well.

[savageone]

It's definitely your CDX system, I've yet to play a game on my CDX that did not work where it would on another Genesis/Sega CD, this includes the 3-4 supposedly incompatible CD games (though I honestly didn't play them 100% through). The only games that should have a problem are the earliest unlicensed games, but those wont work on anything but the earliest model 1 builds that have no copyright screen iirc.

Maybe you've done this by now, but since you've already tried cleaning the slot you could try getting a flashlight and shining it down and looking for any pins that look bent or corroded. They're a pain to see on the CDX but my best guess is you may have 1 or 2 bad pins hence some games work and other do not.

The Sonic CD audio might be another clue though, another test I would try more CD based games. Try the Sega CD version of Flashback for instance.. Who knows? If there really is some internal problem there is a chance that the problem you are having with the cart version will be replicated on the CD version.

Past that you'd have to put on a determined face and open it up and look for anything out of the ordinary. CDX systems are a royal pain internally. :\

[rgw825]

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I'm not a "collector" in the obsessive Pokemon "gotta catch em all" sense, so I only had two games out of your list: Sonic CD and The Lost Vikings. Sonic CD did have the ring catching sound, and the Lost Vikings worked fine. I also had an EA NHL game, but it was their first I think (from '91, it just says NHL on it). That booted up just fine as well.

Thanks man. Well i only paid $1 for it at yard sale so i shouldn't complain. I mainly use it to play my Sega CD games anyway and i as far as i can tell plays them flawlessly (except Sonic CD). I wonder what a CDX that has slight problems might be worth value wise? Or what the problem could actually be?

The only other thing i can add is, that when i put certain carts in, there is a small quiet noise that kind of reminds me of the noise that the cd player in my boombox makes when it's reading a disc, just much quieter. Sometimes after that noise the game will start and sometimes (as in all the trouble ones) they will not.

[rgw825]

It's definitely your CDX system, I've yet to play a game on my CDX that did not work where it would on another Genesis/Sega CD, this includes the 3-4 supposedly incompatible CD games (though I honestly didn't play them 100% through). The only games that should have a problem are the earliest unlicensed games, but those wont work on anything but the earliest model 1 builds that have no copyright screen iirc.

Maybe you've done this by now, but since you've already tried cleaning the slot you could try getting a flashlight and shining it down and looking for any pins that look bent or corroded. They're a pain to see on the CDX but my best guess is you may have 1 or 2 bad pins hence some games work and other do not.

The Sonic CD audio might be another clue though, another test I would try more CD based games. Try the Sega CD version of Flashback for instance.. Who knows? If there really is some internal problem there is a chance that the problem you are having with the cart version will be replicated on the CD version.

Past that you'd have to put on a determined face and open it up and look for anything out of the ordinary. CDX systems are a royal pain internally. :\

Thanks, i'll take a look in the morning.

[rgw825]

Ok, first i checked the pins and none look bent to me. They all have a shiny Gold/Brown color to them.

I tried cleaning them one more time and used Deoxit this time. But it didn't change anything. Same carts that worked before still do and vice versa.

I attempted to take it apart but i see you have to unsolder some points to get the copper shielding off just to see inside. I decided against that. I have only used a soldering iron once before to change a battery in a Genesis game and barely did that without messing anything up with my shaky hand lol.

Oh and Flashback CD plays just fine with the FMV cut scenes and sound effects.

Oh well. Looks like it's nothing i can fix. I still may sell it down the road. But i need to get a Sega CD to replace it first.

[rgw825]

Just one last thing i wonder. Even though i have tested it using both a Genesis Model 2 Adapter, and a Sima Universal Adapter (set to 9.5v), do you think that the fact i'm not using the official adapter is causing the problems?

[Byron]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case. I've had power adapters cause all kinds of problems.

I tried using some cheap after-market adapter on a Super Nintendo once, and although it claimed to be of the proper voltage, it didn't supply enough power and caused terrible problems with the graphics and rendered some games unplayable. Yoshi's Island would just keep repeating the title screen over and over, it was weird.

I suspect you may be having the same problem: Not enough power. Some consoles aren't so finicky about this, but the CDX probably needs every bit of the 1.5 amps the original power adapter gave it, and the model 2 adapter you're using isn't even one amp.

Definitely get an original adapter.

[rgw825]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case. I've had power adapters cause all kinds of problems.

I tried using some cheap after-market adapter on a Super Nintendo once, and although it claimed to be of the proper voltage, it didn't supply enough power and caused terrible problems with the graphics and rendered some games unplayable. Yoshi's Island would just keep repeating the title screen over and over, it was weird.

I suspect you may be having the same problem: Not enough power. Some consoles aren't so finicky about this, but the CDX probably needs every bit of the 1.5 amps the original power adapter gave it, and the model 2 adapter you're using isn't even one amp.

Definitely get an original adapter.

I hope to get one some day. They are a little hard to find and if you do find one they charge an arm and a leg. Not sure how much i want to pay for something when i'm 100% sure if it's gonna be the solution or not.

[raylydiard]

segaparts.com has the stuff you need

I hope to get one some day. They are a little hard to find and if you do find one they charge an arm and a leg. Not sure how much i want to pay for something when i'm 100% sure if it's gonna be the solution or not.