Landstalker (Genesis) Not Playing (Edit, 2024 - Fixed.)

[Slate]

I've tried to get this cart working by:

1: Cleaning contacts with Rubbing Alcohol.
2: Cleaning contacts with metal polish. (This worked for several other games I bought in the same lot when rubbing alcohol didn't work.)
3: I checked all of the contact tracings with my VOM. Everything I tested was OK.
4: I checked the save battery. Even that still holds a charge but I'm not sure how much it should hold.
5: I have 2 Genesis (Model 2) systems and it doesn't work in either one.

Unless I missed something or the game got wiped out of existence by a power surge or something, I'm not sure why this game would not work. Any ideas?

- Austin

[gbpxl]

I had the same problem with a Genesis cart. the only thing I could come up with was a corrupt ROM. there is a device where you can reflash the ROM or something but unless you have sentimental value with the cart or dozens of dead carts, your cheaper route might be to just buy the cheapest one you can find that works and swapping the guts with the one you have

the other possibility and you didnt mention it is the capacitor. however I replaced mine with a known good cap so the only other possibility is a bad ROM. my two cents. probably worth about that much too

[Pr3tty F1y]

Was the save battery just tested or was it replaced? My thought would be to just outright replace it. There always is the possibility of corrupt data in SRAM or lack of voltage causing the return of values which may make the game not work. And, if it ends up not being the battery, it shouldn't cost you that much and the battery likely could be used for another game (those old batteries aren't going to last forever).

[gbpxl]

ive never heard or a battery killing a game. has that ever happened?

[Aussie2B]

Some games won't start up if the battery is dead or missing. It's not that it damaged anything else, it's just that the battery has to be replaced before the game will function again. I couldn't say if Landstalker is one such game, though. Most games with batteries aren't like that.

[Niku-Sama]

Maybe it has a restraining order?

[Slate]

OK, long time since the last replies, but I found this Youtube video maybe a week ago. In short (no pun intended,) some games might have a broken diode. If you identify where that is, you can solder in a 1k Resistor in-between that point and a Ground, then the game should boot.

I haven't tried this with Landstalker yet, but it is a possibility.

- Austin

[Slate]

OK, long time since the last replies, but I found this Youtube video maybe a week ago. In short (no pun intended,) some games might have a broken diode. If you identify where that is, you can solder in a 1k Resistor in-between that point and a Ground, then the game should boot.

I haven't tried this with Landstalker yet, but it is a possibility.

- Austin

OK, nearly 5 years after purchasing this game, now I found out that the video I linked in 2022 is accurate. The 1k resistor method worked to fix this otherwise dead Genesis game, and the save battery even seems to work as it is.



(click to make this bigger.)

Color Guide:

Orange Circles and 1 Orange Line = The part where I held the Positive Lead on, or a part that I'm certain is attached to the same tracing.
Green = A part that gives a positive reading in response to the positive lead.
Yellow = A place that gives a negative reading.
Red = A place that either doesn't give a reading, or is attached so directly that it's as if it doesn't give a reading.

Purple = Where I put the 1k resistor after putting all other colors down, thus making the Red parts only indicative of what things would be without the resistor. (Resistor not pictured.)

If you have any dead Genesis Cartridges, give the Youtube Guide that I linked previously a try. It worked very nicely for me.

- Austin