what is this famicom/NES cart?

[c0ldb33r]

I found a 31-in-1 cart at a flea market. It looks like a famicom cart thats plugged into an NES converter. I searched the online rarity guide but can't find anything. I also searched google for 31-in-1 but can't find anything that matches. Does anyone else have this? Does anyone know anything about it? Click any of the images for a larger version.

Here's the front of the cart (I love the ribbon):


Here's the back - note the engrish:


Here's a picture I took of the menu off my TV. Sorry for the crappy image, I suck at taking pictures of TVs. The two chubby dudes run around, pretty good production value.


Does anyone know anything about my 31-in-1? how rare is it (if at all)?

[Kitsune Sniper]

That menu looks like a partial rip from the Famicom Disk System Bios. Especially the fat guys, they're supposed to be Mario and Luigi running around.

Anyway, the games are rather common material for multicarts, so I doubt it's worth much. The Famicom to NES converter may be worth a few bucks, though.

[InsaneDavid]

It's a very common Famicom pirate multicart, this is actually one of the few times someone here has posted a multicart that I've actually seen many times before. It's worth $10 or so if you ask me. The converter is a 60 pin passthrough socket that Famicom games plug into that then connects to a 60 to 72 pin converter board with some kind of NES lockout override chip on board. It's not as nice as building one yourself out of an old release Gyromite catridge (that uses an actual 10NES lockout chip) but they're still worth $30 or so. I'm actually writing an editorial about Famicom to NES converters and the process of them being inside the oldest Gyromite cartridges, should be up by tomorrow - I'll post a link here and bump this thread when it's up, you may find it an interesting read.

Here's a picture of the most recent Famicom to NES converter I built out of a Gyromite cartridge, this is before I did finish cosmetic assembly and final (clean) glue work, in other words this is from when I was doing rough testing...



Getting back to your 31-in-1 cartridge, it has some decent games on them although it's been awhile so they may have missing graphics (usually title screen to remove copyright info) / slight changes from the originals as it's a pirate cartridge - don't remember off the top of my head.

Circus - Should be the Famicom version of Circus Charlie, very fun.

Macross - Famicom version of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, decent shooter for its day and the first Macross game.

Arabian - Super Arabian, a decent port of the arcade original.

Karateka - The game Jordan Mechner (first game actually) created before developing Prince of Persia. The Famicom was the only console I know of that got a port, many that played it did so on an Apple II or the horrible CGA PC version.

Lunar Ball - The Famicom version of Lunar Pool.

Road Fight - Should be the Famicom version of Road Fighter, another good conversion of the arcade original.

[Blitzwing256]

the pirate cart is pretty standard with the games on it but still a nice find.

I'd be interested in that converter, I used to rent mario 4 the flying racoon (read pirate of 3) from a local showtime video back in the day ,and it had that particular converter, i've since gotten a copy of the cart but not the converter, if you're interested in trading-selling it, let me know and we can work something out :-)

[Captain Qb]

I think that pirate games aren't worth too much,..
But seems like good find, beacuse of the converter.
And pirate cart isn't so rare as the originals..


Lovely Captain.

[MichaeltheGreat]

$30 for a converter? They usually go for about $10 on ebay.

Here they're 10 pounds new:

http://www.robwebb.clara.co.uk/shop/nes/nes.htm

[InsaneDavid]

$30 for a converter?

Yup, lately when they pop up at flea markets they run about $30. I prefer building my own using the actual 10NES chip however.

[c0ldb33r]

Yup, lately when they pop up at flea markets they run about $30. I prefer building my own using the actual 10NES chip however.

How difficult is it to build your own? I saw a gyromite cart for $3 at a local shop.

I notice I had to fuck with the multicart a bit to get it working (hold reset). I assumed it was because it was zapping the lockout chip. Since a gyromite converter wouldn't need to zap, it'd probably be easier to use, right?

Plus, I'm totally into doing shit like this

[InsaneDavid]

How difficult is it to build your own? I saw a gyromite cart for $3 at a local shop.

Not all Gyromite cartridges will have the converters inside, there are a ton of sources online that give information on how to tell which do and don't based on label style, information, and color but this is all worthless. If anything these have to do with knowing which carts WON'T have a converter (any REV-A carts). I'm working on finishing up that editorial and this week's updates right now, probably have them up in a few hours - again I'll bump the thread with a link after that. Building your own isn't all that difficult but you have to mad improvise and have access to a small rotary tool, hacksaw, stationery rotary grinder, hot glue gun, etc. if you want them to come out nice.

I notice I had to fuck with the multicart a bit to get it working (hold reset). I assumed it was because it was zapping the lockout chip. Since a gyromite converter wouldn't need to zap, it'd probably be easier to use, right?

Yeah, the converter you have is probably sending +5v to the 10NES chip as I've heard that's the easiest way to disable it as pirate stuff goes. Basically it ties up the chip until the game can start, after that the game is running and the chip has nothing else to do. Building them out of a converter filled Gyromite cart means that it has a genuine 10NES lockout chip inside. These work by the chip in the NES comparing data with the chip on the cartridge. Of course you can also disable the chip inside the NES however I'm against it since there hasn't been a solid enough database written as to if there are any repercushions to doing this (incompatible games, etc.).

[InsaneDavid]

It's up,

http://www.classicplastic.net/dvgi/

Either click "Editorials" on the left (it'll be at the top) or "News and Updates" and get the link from there.

[c0ldb33r]

Thanks for the link - very informative

I'll check tomorrow and see if that gyromite cart I was looking for is a rev-a.

So you've never seen a non gyromite cart with a converter?

[InsaneDavid]

You mean non REV-A, and even if it isn't, there's still a good chance it won't have the converter hardware inside.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Insane David: Great writeup! Amazing minds must think alike because I've been working on the same type of converter doo-dad. I was kinda stuck with what to do for the black plug since the screws don't fit back in the case when you flip it. I may have another solution to that issue. I'll be sure to post some pics if it works.

As said already, the weight is the real key. There is a definate visual giveaway though. In my crude drawings the X's are "gold" pins as if you were looking in a cartridge with the right side being the end of the circuit board (ask me for a better example if need be). If the pins look like this, you do not have an adaptor:

XXX
XXXXX
XXX

XXX
XXXXX
XXX

XXX
XXXXX
XXX

XXX
XXXXX
XXX

If the pins look like this, you have an adaptor:

XXXXX
XXX
XXX

XXXXX
XXX
XXX

XXXXX
XXX
XXX

XXXXX
XXX
XXX

XXXXX
XXX
XXX

If you really want an adaptor and want to make sure you get one, get a Stack-Up game cartridge. Stack-Up only had a short run and I've never seen one without an adaptor.

[InsaneDavid]

As said already, the weight is the real key. There is a definate visual giveaway though.

I know what you're saying, the connector pins have their manufacuring tabs on the right side (as is common with every commercial Famicom cartridge I've ever had) where as standard NES boards have the tabs in the center of the pins. They're the little tabs that connected to the rest of the connector sheet - like a resin model kit. The problem I've had with this is that it's next to impossible to see those pin differences if the connectors are very dirty and even worse if the connectors are dirty and you're outside in direct sunlight / shadow like at a flea market. Easy to see with decent condition connectors under good normal lighting though. I used to try to quick clean bad carts on the spot but most sellers got really annoyed about it for some reason, especially if I'd mess with a cart and then put it back and buy nothing.

If you really want an adaptor and want to make sure you get one, get a Stack-Up game cartridge. Stack-Up only had a short run and I've never seen one without an adaptor.

Yeah but I don't like gutting StackUps, it was rare enough to begin with and it's easy enough to find the converters in Gyromites. Speaking of which, have you ever found a converter and passthrough in a cartridge other than Gyromite or StackUp?

[19k]

Speaking of which, have you ever found a converter and passthrough in a cartridge other than Gyromite or StackUp?

Hi everyone! I'm new here but I thought I'd chime in since I just finished a pretty slick Famicom "Goonies" to NES conversion...

If you're looking for a converter, you're almost guaranteed to find one in Gyromite and Hogan's Alley. I have 4 copies of Gyromite and 3 of Hogan's Alley and all of them have converters in them. I also have a copy of Excitebike with a converter but I think that one is pretty rare.

Maybe I can post some pics of the finished product if I can figure out how...

[c0ldb33r]

I used to try to quick clean bad carts on the spot but most sellers got really annoyed about it for some reason, especially if I'd mess with a cart and then put it back and buy nothing.

I was just asking my wife last night if my local shop would mind if I opened the cartridge before buying it. She said they wouldn't mind provided I actually bought it (but of course I don't want it without a converter). I thought it'd turn out pretty funny

edit: I bought that gyromite cartridge - it didn't have a connector

It did not say Rev-A
It was sealed with normal screws (not special screws)
The pins went this way:

xxx
xxxxxx
xxx

and not like this:

xxxxxx
xxx
xxx

So I kind of expected it not going to have one. I kept the receipt and resealed it, so I think I'll take it back for store credit and get something out of the junk bin.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Hogan's Alley and Excitebike are two I've seen with adaptors. We were talking about this on nesworld, and decided that this site has the most complete list we've seen:

http://www.neszone.net/articles/famiguide.shtml

We even wrote the website guy and he updated his list with a few that weren't on his list.

Most early releases at least can have a converter. I personally think at least all the New York test release games had converters.

[c0ldb33r]

Thanks for the list!

I know that 100% of stack ups have converters.

People always seem to think that Gyromite games have more converters than other games. Is this true? Are some games on that list more likely to have a converter than others?

I'm going to go check my hogan's alley right

[InsaneDavid]

People always seem to think that Gyromite games have more converters than other games. Is this true? Are some games on that list more likely to have a converter than others?

I'd say that's true, you have to remember that a lot more of the other cartridges were made then Gyromite. Gyromite only went out in the original NES bundle and the super large box Gyromite with ROB accessory pack. There were bazillions of copies of Excitebike and Hogan's Alley made. So the reason the converters are more common in Gyromite is because the quanity of all Gyromite cartridges ever made is so much smaller than the other early release games.

That's a nice list though. Far better information than all the quick converter pages out there that make it sound like you can just pop any cart onto the passthrough without modification - man do those piss me off. You have to grind that sucker down quite a bit on the sides to get full compatibility.

Hi everyone! I'm new here but I thought I'd chime in since I just finished a pretty slick Famicom "Goonies" to NES conversion...

I'm guessing you popped open the Goonies cart, took the board out, opened the Gyromite cart, and replaced the Robot Gyro board with the Goonies board. Then you seal it up and make a mock NES Goonies label for the NES cart and apply it to what was once the Gyromite shell. I've seen a site with instructions on this but I don't like it as you kill two games to get one working and you still have a converter used for a single game. (I never understood SGA - Single Game Arcade - emulation releases on the Dreamcast either, but that's just me) They can still look really nice.

If you're looking for a converter, you're almost guaranteed to find one in Gyromite and Hogan's Alley. I have 4 copies of Gyromite and 3 of Hogan's Alley and all of them have converters in them. I also have a copy of Excitebike with a converter but I think that one is pretty rare.

Again, that's not true. I've had about a dozen copies of Hogan's Alley pass through my hands over the years and none of them have converters. Same with Duck Hunt and Urban Champion. Gyromite has been about 50% converters thus far - again, because the full total of Gyromite carts produced was smaller than any other run so the odds are much higher with them.

And no gutting StackUp's! >_<

[InsaneDavid]

Hi everyone! I'm new here but I thought I'd chime in since I just finished a pretty slick Famicom "Goonies" to NES conversion...

I'm guessing you popped open the Goonies cart, took the board out, opened the Gyromite cart, and replaced the Robot Gyro board with the Goonies board. Then you seal it up and make a mock NES Goonies label for the NES cart and apply it to what was once the Gyromite shell. I've seen a site with instructions on this but I don't like it as you kill two games to get one working and you still have a converter used for a single game. (I never understood SGA - Single Game Arcade - emulation releases on the Dreamcast either, but that's just me) They can still look really nice.

Yup, just read your thread (I read from the bottom up).

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=83227