Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: What the heck happened here? Strange N64 glitch.

  1. #1
    Reticulating Splines BetaWolf47's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Naples, FL
    Posts
    2,810
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default What the heck happened here? Strange N64 glitch.

    I just beat Paper Mario, and it showed the ending cutscene. Right after Twink flew away, smiling, it dumped me to this screen:



    What the heck is this? I've never had an N64 game send me to an error screen like this.
    Selling gaming accessories. Click

  2. #2
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Northwest Arkansas
    Posts
    103
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    It is a code. It is so obvious I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet.

  3. #3
    Strawberry (Level 2) shawnbo42's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    457
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Looks to me like a software failure, the game rom is trying to access a part of the game program that is corrupted somehow.

  4. #4
    Apple (Level 5) Wraith Storm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Tulsa Oklahoma
    Posts
    1,092
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    7
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    4
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Default

    It is the password for the end level! It is so obvious I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet.

    Honestly thats pretty crazy. I have had a similar experience with Batman on the NES. If the game was not inserted properly it would take me to some screen with a bunch of Kanji and stuff.

    Yours looks more like the game crashed or something.
    Last edited by Wraith Storm; 08-05-2011 at 02:01 PM.
    If a god is willing to prevent evil, but not able, then he is not omnipotent. If he is able, but not willing, then he must be malevolent. If he is both willing and able, then why is there evil? If he is neither able or willing then why call him a god?

  5. #5
    Reticulating Splines BetaWolf47's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Naples, FL
    Posts
    2,810
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by horseboy View Post
    It is a code. It is so obvious I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet.
    I know what it is. Mostly just a table with hex values. I just don't understand why it did that. I've never had another game do that to me before.
    Selling gaming accessories. Click

  6. #6
    Pear (Level 6) Custom rank graphic
    alec006's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    DFW
    Posts
    1,270
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    0.0 Oh damn, that's a memory read error debug screen, never thought I would see one on a console based game, especially N64 then again our cartridges are getting older each day and the data can only be read so many times.

    It's probably just a read error where it was trying to access data that hasn't been accessed in along time and it read it incorrectly, all games do it eventually, sometimes by giving us easter eggs like an empty Bunker level in Goldeneye.

    http://www.jaytheham.com/zcw/Ocarina...e_-_Debug_Code

    From that wiki website page:

    Note that not all exceptions result in a crash -- in fact, exceptions are a regular part of the life of the system. Those exceptions that actually cause a crash are known as "fatal exceptions" (for obvious reasons). It isn't until an exception becomes fatal that the debugger actually is invoked. (Sometimes an exception can crash one process while leaving others untouched, while other times an exception can bring everything to a halt. This is why sometimes you can still hear music after a crash, and other times you can't.)

    Next, the debugger shows the values of three registers from the System Control Processor (a coprocessor that keeps track of system status and performs some basic system tasks). There are actually 32 registers (at least) on this processor, but only three are important.

    Exception Program Counter (EPC or PC) - This is a pointer to the instruction that caused the crash. (Technically, the EPC holds whatever the Program Counter (PC) was set to at the time of the crash. The PC always points to the instruction currently being executed.)

    Status Register (SR) - This holds the status of the system, including what coprocessors are available and whether it's running in 32-bit or 64-bit mode (for example).

    Bad Virtual Address (VA) - This holds the memory address that the program tried to access and failed (assuming the crash is due to a memory error). On the N64, possible values range from $80000000-807FFFFF (with the Expansion Pak). Anything outside of this range is bad.

    FPCSR keeps track of the status of the FPU (Floating-Point Unit), as well as providing any errors that occur during calculations.
    In simple terms, the software just decided to crash because it's normal to have an error every once in awhile.

    If you really want to know more details on the specific error, I would ask a person that loves to hack/program and/or modify Nintendo 64 games.
    Last edited by alec006; 08-05-2011 at 02:47 PM.
    "...leave love bleeding, in my hands, in my hands again..."

  7. #7
    Shmup Hooligan Custom rank graphic
    Icarus Moonsight's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Houston Texas & Ancapistan
    Posts
    6,856
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Hex Screen of Death


    This signature is dedicated to all those
    cyberpunks who fight against injustice
    and corruption every day of their lives

  8. #8
    Cherry (Level 1)
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    345
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by alec006 View Post
    0.0 Oh damn, that's a memory read error, never thought I would see one on a console based game, especially N64 then again our cartridges are getting older each day and the data can only be read so many times.

    It's probably just a read error where it was trying to access data that hasn't been accessed in along time and it read it incorrectly, all games do it eventually, sometimes by giving us easter eggs like an empty Bunker level in Goldeneye.

    FPCSR is related to the FPU in the N64
    There is no read limit on ROMs, they don't have a finite read limit. The data also doesn't age, it doesn't know certain parts of the ROM haven't been accessed in awhile.

  9. #9
    Shmup Hooligan Custom rank graphic
    Icarus Moonsight's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Houston Texas & Ancapistan
    Posts
    6,856
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Bit-rot begs to differ. Not that I think that's the cause of this.


    This signature is dedicated to all those
    cyberpunks who fight against injustice
    and corruption every day of their lives

  10. #10
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Northwest Arkansas
    Posts
    103
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BetaWolf47 View Post
    I know what it is. Mostly just a table with hex values. I just don't understand why it did that. I've never had another game do that to me before.
    I didn't mean that kind of code. I meant like a secret code to uncover unimaginable riches.

  11. #11
    Pear (Level 6) Custom rank graphic
    alec006's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    DFW
    Posts
    1,270
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by madman77 View Post
    There is no read limit on ROMs, they don't have a finite read limit. The data also doesn't age, it doesn't know certain parts of the ROM haven't been accessed in awhile.
    Who are we to know the read limit on ROMs thou since they have only been around what 60 years? They are read only data that can never be written to but they can suffer from physical errors (Heat,Environment, Etc) or logical errors (Bit-Rot,I/O,Etc) being read over and over again.

    Quote Originally Posted by Icarus Moonsight View Post
    Bit-rot begs to differ. Not that I think that's the cause of this.
    Your right, it was probably just a I/O error by the system.
    "...leave love bleeding, in my hands, in my hands again..."

  12. #12
    Kirby (Level 13) ubersaurus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    MI
    Posts
    5,471
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    ubersaurus

    Default

    My friend's wife got Paper Mario to crash like that before, though I don't know how she did it.
    Check out the Kleppings!
    Make Way For Madness!
    "9 is a poor man's 11, and 11 is a Baker's Ten."
    Infinite Lives

  13. #13
    Cherry (Level 1)
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    345
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by alec006 View Post
    Who are we to know the read limit on ROMs thou since they have only been around what 60 years?
    Because reading does not deteriorate the data. It's not like a cassette or LP where there is physical degradation with each read. A myriad of issues caused by physical damage are possible, but a ROM will not "wear out" from being read too many times.

  14. #14
    Insert Coin (Level 0) Callin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    79
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Icarus Moonsight View Post
    Bit-rot begs to differ. Not that I think that's the cause of this.
    Isn't bit rot only for EPROMs, since the data is stored via electric charges - as opposed to mask ROMs?

  15. #15
    ServeBot (Lɘvel 11) RP2A03's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    59 6F 75 72 20 48 44 44 20 61 64 64 69 6E 67 20 65 6D 62 61 72 72 61 73 73 69 6E 67 20 64 61 74 61
    Posts
    3,548
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Callin View Post
    Isn't bit rot only for EPROMs, since the data is stored via electric charges - as opposed to mask ROMs?

    This is more or less my understanding. Data on a mask ROM is for the most part permanent, barring something catastrophic such as a lightning strike.
    Mario says "... if you do drugs, you go to hell before you die."

  16. #16
    ServBot (Level 11) kedawa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    3,429
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Bit rot is mostly an issue with magnetic and optical storage.
    EEPROMs, and to a lesser extent EPROMs, are somewhat susceptible.
    Data on mask ROMs should outlast the metal pins on the chip.

Similar Threads

  1. What the heck happened to Konami ?
    By WCP in forum Modern Gaming
    Replies: 38
    Last Post: 11-19-2014, 07:03 AM
  2. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 11-04-2014, 10:25 AM
  3. Hmmm what the heck happened here ?
    By jonjandran in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 06-19-2004, 08:21 AM
  4. Strange but True ... This happened to me last night
    By dsullo in forum Buying and Selling
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 04-04-2003, 03:49 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •