This was mentioned in another post, but I figured it deserves its own thread. Sorry if it's a repeat. I just finished this little project a couple days ago... let me know what you all think.
I always wanted to play the original Goonies on my NES. Since it was never released in the US, I figured I'd have to improvise.
Started with this:
Original Gyromite cartridge and Famicom Goonies cart.
Take both cartridges apart with a very small flathead screwdriver.
NOTE: The Famicom cart doesn't have screws, you have to slide in the screwdriver and pop the little clips holding it together. Be VERY careful or they'll break.
Once apart, take the Gyromite board out of the black 60-72 pin converter and replace it with the Goonies board, like so:
Make sure the chips are facing up on the Famicom board or it won't work.
You also might have to remove the center post in the old NES cart to fit the Famicom board in properly. You can use a Dremmel tool to cut it, or heat up a larger flat tip screwdriver over a open flame and just melt right through it like butter. That's what I did. Quick and Clean. Now put it back together. Remember to leave out the center screw since it might damage the new Famicom board.
If you have any artistic talent, you can make a nice new label for your cart. (The dimensions are roughly 2.25" x 3.9", which allows a little extra room when trimming. I recommend an image that's at least 300DPI for a more professional appearance). Print it out on some glossy 3x5 labels, or if that's not available, a regular white label with some laminate looks pretty good, too. Or... if you want a really glossy finish, cover the image with some clear packaging tape.
Here's my NES creation next to the Famicom original :
And... the finished product:
Pretty slick. And it plays perfectly. I don't know if anyone has played the original Goonies before, but it's entirely in English. You'd never know it was only released in Japan.[/img]