Genesis incompatibility, or dead carts?

[Raccoon Lad]

OK, I've got a Genesis I bought in November 1991 (Sonic 1 pack-in), and I've got 1 game that can only be played by using it with a game genie as a pass-through (Wardner), and 2 games that I can't play at all: Funny World/Baloon Boy, and Road Rash 3. When I plug the latter 2 in, I only get a black screen.
So, does anyone know if there's some kind of lockout chip incompatibility with these 2 games and my system, or do you think they might be dead?

[Bratwurst]

I know that at some point the Genesis I and then Genny II's had a lockout bios implemented. You can tell right off the bat if your Genesis doesn't have a bios if a black screen with some white Sega copyright text does not precede the game itself. No idea if the games themselves required the lockout chip after that to function.

[Wavelflack]

Wardner should work on all models of Genesis. You probably have a dirty/glazed/corroded pinset on the cart, and the Game Genie is just forcing a tighter connection on it (thus making it work). It's certainly not an incompatibility issue.

Realtec games (funnyworld) don't like to play on my Genesis 2, but will work with a Game Genie as a bypass. They all play unaltered on my 91 Genesis 1 (Sonic box). They WON'T play through my 32X, however. My guess on that cart is that it's dirty or dead.

RR3 shouldn't have any incompatibility issues, so it must be dead as well.


As for resurrection, test the pins and board for broken traces. Some you can't see, so use a meter and test for continuity. Make sure to test from the cart edge connector to the pin into the rom--this will make sure that you don't have a loose solder joint or socket connection, as well as checking the integrity of the trace.

If you DO have a broken trace, go buy a rear window defroster repair kit. It'll come with a little tiny bottle of a highly ferrous epoxy. It's made for repairing a broken "line" on your rear window defroster (you know, the lines across you back window), but it works great for game repair and trace rebuilding. Just paint a line connecting the broken trace, and let it dry. It's conductive, and will fix it fine.

[video_game_addict]

If you DO have a broken trace, go buy a rear window defroster repair kit. It'll come with a little tiny bottle of a highly ferrous epoxy. It's made for repairing a broken "line" on your rear window defroster (you know, the lines across you back window), but it works great for game repair and trace rebuilding. Just paint a line connecting the broken trace, and let it dry. It's conductive, and will fix it fine.

That's a damn good idea if it works!

It might even bring back a few of my extra 5200 controllers, where the flex circuitries have become brittle and broke in a few places.

The sad thing is I worked at an auto parts store for 2 years and never thought to try any.

[Wavelflack]

It works. I've resurrected several carts this way. Haven't tried it on controllers, but I can't see why it wouldn't work.

[Michael Thomasson]

Not concerning your titles, but the early Electronic Arts releases (i.e Zany Golf and Budokan) and some Accolade games will only play on the original Genesis. Since both of those companies were not originally paying Sega to be officially licensed in the beginning, Sega released later models to block prevent the games from playing. Of course after all the law suits, they both officially signed up as part of the settlements and that is why the later titles play A-Okay on all Genesis units.

Michael

[Raccoon Lad]

Well, I feel stupid.

Even though I'm pretty damn good about cleaning carts when I first get them, for some reason I neglected to clean my Genesis carts. After giving them all a good eraser cleaning they all work fine.

[rbudrick]

Rear window defroster repair kit!? Wow!! I've never heard of that. What a killer idea!

Thanks!

-Rob