Super Mario Allstars...strange problem

[grayejectbutton]

I have a strange (or maybe not...) problem with the NTSC Mario Allstars for the SNES. I can't change the controller/button settings! I mean, it LETS me push the select button and change the controller type, but then whenever I start the game it always reverts to controller type B. This would be okay but I want to use type A, as in Mario World. The game saves games okay so the battery is fine. I tried unplugging the player 2 controller but that made no difference. I've tried delibrately selecting using type B control configuration, in case they were somehow the wrong way around, but that didn't make any difference either. It will only let me use type B!

Is this a well known problem with Mario Allstars? Apart from this, the game plays just fine and, as I say, it saves games just fine too. I used to have a PAL version of Allstars but it didn't have this problem. Help!

[Anonymous]

Yep it's a known issue with a small number of copies of the game. Unfortunately, Nintendo is no longer able to repair that game, so replacement is the only option.

[SoulBlazer]

Why could'nt they repair it anymore? I remember calling Nintendo for help with my old NES deck in 2000 and they STILL gave me the option to return it to a factory center for repairs.

[Gamereviewgod]

Sysytems, not games.

[grayejectbutton]

Not sure I will get a replacement...it sucks about the controller config, but I can get used to using type B. And at $7.50 off ebay, it was an okay price so it's not like I got ripped off with a game that doesn't work.

I didn't even realize that Nintendo did, or did until recently, repairs on old cartiridges. Any other info on this?

[hydr0x]

if this is a flawed production run, why isn't it listed in the guide? seems to me as if this version should be pretty rare (is this version dumped yet??)

[Ed Oscuro]

That's what I was thinking :D

[Balloon Fight]

if this is a flawed production run, why isn't it listed in the guide? seems to me as if this version should be pretty rare (is this version dumped yet??)

All you really have to do to play the version is just switch to plan B for the controller and there ya go, you have the flawed production game. It wont be rare, becaue most people dont even care about it, since it is just an early prodcution run.

[Ed Oscuro]

All you really have to do to play the version is just switch to plan B for the controller and there ya go, you have the flawed production game. It wont be rare, becaue most people dont even care about it, since it is just an early prodcution run.

Yeah, but it's possible there are other things hidden away in the ROM that were stripped out in the final production run.

[hydr0x]

it doesn't matter in which way it differs from the "re-release", a lot of protos don't differ at all and go for top dollars, if there are 2 different versions/releases of a game this should be listed... and if the number of flawed versions was really low it is rare and someday prices will show that

[badinsults]

Way to solve this.... what is the serial code of the game? My SNS-4M-CAN cart does not have this problem.

[grayejectbutton]

The serial number is SNS-4M-USA... I'm sure it's probably the same number as the rereleased/fixed version as well, although the "Top Seller" edition that came out later may have a different serial number.

I am not sure the cart is rare... I would certainly be surprised, although it would, of course, be a nice surprise! There could have been tens or even hundreds of thousands of these carts made before Nintendo were alerted to the problem. There is nothing unusual about the cart itself... it looks like any other regular Mario Allstars cart.

I still want to know if Nintendo still repair stuff like this and if not, why not?

[Anonymous]

Nintendo can repair the flashing power light problem on the NES, and some small power related issues with the SNES (broken AC adapter port, etc). Any other problem will get you a referral to buy used or previously played systems to replace yours. People commonly get referred to gamestop and 'the internet'. Individual game repairs are limited to Battery replacement for pre-N64 games (10/ea), 25 dollars for N64 games (they can repair any problems for thsoe), and 25 dollars for GC disc replacement. The N64 can be repaired for 59.00. All repairs come with a 90 day warranty. You can find more info at www.nintendo.com. Thanks for calling nintendo buh bye.

[Blackjax]

$10 for pre-N64 battery replacement?!?!?

$25 for N64 battery replacement?!?!!?

$59 for N64 system repair?!?!?!

Nuts to that. Joe did an article in this month's EGM about battery replacement if you don't know how to do it.

$59?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! You can get NEW systems for less....

[Lady Jaye]

I once lost the battery cover for my Gameboy Color. I decided to buy another cover from Nintendo itself, but it doesn't do Internet orders for Canada (you gotta call them instead). So, I called them, ready to pay the few bucks they charge for the cover, when I was told that they would send it in for free (I suppose they have a "first-time freebie" policy about the battery covers, or that they were overstocked in GBC covers). So, I got a completely free Glacier (translucid violet) cover. Sure beats matching it with, say, a Pikachu yellow cover!!!

[Ed Oscuro]

it doesn't matter in which way it differs from the "re-release", a lot of protos don't differ at all and go for top dollars, if there are 2 different versions/releases of a game this should be listed... and if the number of flawed versions was really low it is rare and someday prices will show that ;)

Sometimes things which were just junk data mysteriously disappear from one printing to the next, even though there's nothing of importance to replace them with. This has been known to happen. Quoting the fact that some prototypes don't differ from the released version and go for more isn't an answer: that's a different issue. Prototypes have intrinsic value simply because they were the first items made. If I was able to prove, for example, "This was the first copy of X game made," even if only one print run was made without any ROM fixes, that game would be worth more, perhaps vastly much more than identical games. Many illogical factors go into pricing of games.

As for prices reflecting the difference between two different revisions? That will only be the case if somebody (like myself) goes on a crusade and/or discovers that there actually is something of interest inside the game that was originally unknown.

What it comes down to is this: do a file comparison on the two game ROM sets and if only the one thing is changed I'll be convinced :D

[grayejectbutton]

With regards to the aforementioned controller config problem, how many copies of Mario Allstars are we talking about here? I am going to guess at thousands, in fact probably tens of thousands, which hardly makes this version/production run of the game rare.

I am just a bit stunned that Nintendo did not catch this bug before the game was initially released. It's not like it's a problem that's hard to find. You have to select which controller type you want before every single game you play on Mario Allstars! Plus with the testing...surely some of the testers would have preferred to use controller type A (because that's the same setup as Mario World) and would have noticed that, duh, type A doesn't work?! I know that bugs creep into games fairly often, but they tend to be ones that are later on in the game or at least don't appear regularly unless you do a certain thing in the game or a combination of things. It's amazing to me that such an obvious flaw would exist in the initial production run of Mario Allstars.

But anyway, if someone has any idea how many copies of the game were/are affected, I would be interested to know.

[badinsults]

Who knows... for all we know it could be the entire first shipment, which would likely be upwards of half a million copies.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Yep it's a known issue with a small number of copies of the game. Unfortunately, Nintendo is no longer able to repair that game, so replacement is the only option.

Oh,No..!!!
Runs to check to see if his only copy has this problem... after giving a second copy to my sister that I didn't notice this problem on..


Hey Sis,I need that cart back..you can have this one..
Nah,I wouldn't do that.

[hydr0x]

it doesn't matter in which way it differs from the "re-release", a lot of protos don't differ at all and go for top dollars, if there are 2 different versions/releases of a game this should be listed... and if the number of flawed versions was really low it is rare and someday prices will show that

Sometimes things which were just junk data mysteriously disappear from one printing to the next, even though there's nothing of importance to replace them with. This has been known to happen. Quoting the fact that some prototypes don't differ from the released version and go for more isn't an answer: that's a different issue. Prototypes have intrinsic value simply because they were the first items made. If I was able to prove, for example, "This was the first copy of X game made," even if only one print run was made without any ROM fixes, that game would be worth more, perhaps vastly much more than identical games. Many illogical factors go into pricing of games.

As for prices reflecting the difference between two different revisions? That will only be the case if somebody (like myself) goes on a crusade and/or discovers that there actually is something of interest inside the game that was originally unknown.

What it comes down to is this: do a file comparison on the two game ROM sets and if only the one thing is changed I'll be convinced

i think if it really has this bug, the rom WILL differ on a side note: Your prototype definition (being the first one produced) is of course correct, but we had a discussion about this a few month ago here on the board we're it was getting obvious that a prototype doesn't have to be a one-of-a-kind, most people consider every pre-release version (without review-versions though) as a proto