SNES Powerpak is now available

[Icarus Moonsight]

Interesting. I wonder why it went up.

Hardware alteration/revision?

[mert8431]

I'm running into another issue that won't let me use the power pak anymore.

I was playing with in 10 minutes. Loaded up Front Mission Gun Hazard this evening and got to the first point I could save. I went ahead and held down the reset button for 5 seconds so I could write the data to the battery. After telling it yes, the cart restarted with the following error:

Error: CONFIG File Not Found

Upon resetting, I received the same message. I plugged in the CF card to my pc card reader and discovered that the only directory that was on the card was a GHZ directory, which I would assume was from Gun Hazard. I formatted the card and downloaded the powerpak directory again onto the card, but still receive the same message. The cart is recognizing when the card is not plugged in and when its plugged in, but even with the proper directory on there, it still gives the config error. I looked in the manual and didn't see anything about this error message.

[Az]

I initially had many graphical glitches or sound problems when using an 8gb Transcend 133x card, which after several trial and error I concluded that it was either a broken rom or the card itself. I didn't seem to have as many errors with my 4gb Sandisk Ultra II, but then again that could be attributed to trying an actual rom image since sometimes I'm unsure of the one I picked where there is a character display limit.

One specific thing I have notice is that several games with trainers or games that are in beta or unfinished form won't work. The screen actually crashes due to some type of missing header information, and the card supposedly logs this error. Maybe this problem could be fixed with a rom editing tool.

Apparently there is a RAM self check procedure you can go into by pressing select at most any screen. I didn't see this documented, so if it is there please excuse my ignorance. Maybe that might give a clue to as if the cart itself is messed up.

[klausien]

I'm running into another issue that won't let me use the power pak anymore.

I was playing with in 10 minutes. Loaded up Front Mission Gun Hazard this evening and got to the first point I could save. I went ahead and held down the reset button for 5 seconds so I could write the data to the battery. After telling it yes, the cart restarted with the following error:

Error: CONFIG File Not Found

Upon resetting, I received the same message. I plugged in the CF card to my pc card reader and discovered that the only directory that was on the card was a GHZ directory, which I would assume was from Gun Hazard. I formatted the card and downloaded the powerpak directory again onto the card, but still receive the same message. The cart is recognizing when the card is not plugged in and when its plugged in, but even with the proper directory on there, it still gives the config error. I looked in the manual and didn't see anything about this error message.

You need to be extremely careful when saving battery data. You must choose the exact .srm file you want to save to (I put mine in a separate saves folder in the root of the card). If you aren't careful, you can easily overwrite the entire CF card with crap. Then the only solution is reformatting the card as no files are actually saved; you just mess up the FAT. I've had to restore mine a couple times already because of carelessness. Make sure you keep it backed up on your PC, and if you mistakenly say yes to saving when you don't want to, be sure you reset again and choose no.

[Blitzwing256]

after how awesome the nes one was...I was just going to buy this outright but decided to hold back, now with all these bizzare bugs and incompatability issues, i'm kinda glad I waited. hopefully he works out all of the nasty bugs soon so I can pick one up. just about everything he's sold has been top notch, so I look forward to this being perfected in the future :-)

[MachineGex]

Just got mine today. I ordered it on Monday and it came already. Very happy with it so far. I have tried a bunch of games and it is doing a great job running most of them. I believe most of the problems were people trying to use it on the SNES2 system. It doesnt work on the mini-snes.

Quick question: If I want to set up a save directory in a folder, do I just copy the 8KBsave.srm file a few times and rename it?
Something like:
FF3save.srm
SMWsave.srm
WHATEVERGAMEsave.srm

???

Thanks for the help!

[eastbayarb]

Seems like a futile effort to try to get this on an SNES2 system. SNES systems are so inexpensive, and it's not worth the grief. I love my PowerPak SNES version and NES version. Hope to see more PowerPaks soon - perhaps for gameboy color/mono?

[Mitch]

Quick question: If I want to set up a save directory in a folder, do I just copy the 8KBsave.srm file a few times and rename it?
Something like:
FF3save.srm
SMWsave.srm
WHATEVERGAMEsave.srm

Yes, that is probably the best way to do it and is how I have mine set up.
Just make sure to load the game save on the game load screen and when you're done hold down the reset button for five seconds and choose yes when it ask if you want to save. Then select the same save file you loaded from and you should be good.

Mitch

[Great Hierophant]

So I've found some games that I think have incompatibility issues.

Can anyone confirm that these won't work (they don't work on my Powerpak):

1.Jeoparady! (Doesn't work me either. But I have the cartridge.)
2.Family Feud (Made by the same makers of Jeoparady, so I'll have to get the cartridge.)
3.WWF Raw
4. Sanrio World Smash Ball

I've found some more that do not work, but I do not remember what they were.

What are the CRCs for your problem ROMs?

I tested out Family Feud and it would make it to the title screen but wouldn't accept input and there was no sound. Hitting reset fixed it.
I decided to try this with Jeopardy and it fixed the corrupt graphics issue I was having.

WWF Raw worked fine for me with no errors.

Sanrio World Smash Ball I could not get to work. The english translation one would crash with an error code. The original Japanese one would load to a black screen and hang, which seems to be the same issue you are having.

Mitch

I have two full-sized NTSC/60Hz SNES consoles. One has a CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.2 and the second has CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.3. The PPU v.3 console has a sticker just below the Power button. On the earlier, PPU v.2 console, I experienced the graphical glitches in Jeopardy and lack of sound and input in Family Feud. Hitting reset caused those problems to go away. In the Later, PPU v.3 console, Family Feud and WWF Raw would not load and Jeopardy would not get past the Gametek logo, when it even got that far at all.

I have had varying success with fixes and hacks. Terranigma (E) [f1] works fine. Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [h1C] works when Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [!]. If NSRT, ZSNES or SNES9x report the ROM as bad, good luck getting anything working.

[Great Hierophant]

By the way, does anyone use a program to properly sort files on their PowerPaks? They do not sort files in alphabetical order, which is extremely annoying if you have to copy files or modify directories. I believe they sort files by last modified.

[akgameboy]

I have two full-sized NTSC/60Hz SNES consoles. One has a CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.2 and the second has CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.3. The PPU v.3 console has a sticker just below the Power button. On the earlier, PPU v.2 console, I experienced the graphical glitches in Jeopardy and lack of sound and input in Family Feud. Hitting reset caused those problems to go away. In the Later, PPU v.3 console, Family Feud and WWF Raw would not load and Jeopardy would not get past the Gametek logo, when it even got that far at all.

I have had varying success with fixes and hacks. Terranigma (E) [f1] works fine. Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [h1C] works when Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [!]. If NSRT, ZSNES or SNES9x report the ROM as bad, good luck getting anything working.

My system also has a sticker just below the Power switch. So I guess the model of the SNES is the problem.

I use this for my Powerpak and everything is always in nice, alphabetical order: http://www.anerty.net/software/file/DriveSort.php
I sort the files by their Long Name.

[jeffg]

after i got mine back from Bunnyboy the first time it works great now. I have about 250 games loaded and have played a bunch:
Terranigma hacked for US
Star Ocean decompressed
Secret of Mana 2
Live a Live translated
all the good US games except the known issue ones.

the problem i ran into is the save feature isn't working for Star Ocean, i hold reset for 5 seconds on that one and it just resets the game instead

[pseudonym]

Star Ocean works? Is there a list of games that don't work with the powerpak yet?

Thanks.

[jeffg]

you have to get the special decompressed version of star ocean for it to work. It and Secret of Mana 2 does not work on an FC Twin but they work fine on my model #2 snes

[Leo_A]

Star Ocean works? Is there a list of games that don't work with the powerpak yet?

Thanks.

Check out their site, it covers your questions and much more. Although it does appear there might be a few more games that are giving problems than on their list (Jeopardy for example).

I suspect many of the issues will be ironed out in the coming months, but the list on their site is definitive when it comes to the games that have no possibility of working on this device due to utilizing enhancement chips not included on this cartridge.

http://www.retrousb.com/product_info...products_id=84

[MachineGex]

Yes, that is probably the best way to do it and is how I have mine set up.
Just make sure to load the game save on the game load screen and when you're done hold down the reset button for five seconds and choose yes when it ask if you want to save. Then select the same save file you loaded from and you should be good.

Mitch

Thanks Mitch-
Now all I need is a list of games that need a save file so I can go in and set them up before I play.

[Mitch]

I have two full-sized NTSC/60Hz SNES consoles. One has a CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.2 and the second has CPU v.2/PPU1 v.1/PPU2 v.3. The PPU v.3 console has a sticker just below the Power button. On the earlier, PPU v.2 console, I experienced the graphical glitches in Jeopardy and lack of sound and input in Family Feud. Hitting reset caused those problems to go away. In the Later, PPU v.3 console, Family Feud and WWF Raw would not load and Jeopardy would not get past the Gametek logo, when it even got that far at all.

I have had varying success with fixes and hacks. Terranigma (E) [f1] works fine. Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [h1C] works when Super Noah's Ark 3D (U) [!]. If NSRT, ZSNES or SNES9x report the ROM as bad, good luck getting anything working.

Interesting, I just checked my SNES and it is a 2/1/3, no sticker by the power switch though. I borrowed my brother's SNES which is a 1/1/1 and WWF Raw would not load but Family Feud and Jeopardy are fine with a reset. Looks like there is varied compatibility depending on your console revision.
My SNES jr is also a 2/1/3 and it doesn't work at all. I guess there's a reason the jr's are listed as incompatible on the RetroZOne site.

Mitch

[Mitch]

Thanks Mitch-
Now all I need is a list of games that need a save file so I can go in and set them up before I play.

I didn't bother naming them ahead of time. I just called the unused ones Save1, Save2, Save3, etc.. After I used one, I then renamed it to match the game name.

Mitch

[Great Hierophant]

Interesting, I just checked my SNES and it is a 2/1/3, no sticker by the power switch though. I borrowed my brother's SNES which is a 1/1/1 and WWF Raw would not load but Family Feud and Jeopardy are fine with a reset. Looks like there is varied compatibility depending on your console revision.
My SNES jr is also a 2/1/3 and it doesn't work at all. I guess there's a reason the jr's are listed as incompatible on the RetroZOne site.

Mitch

So it would seem that 2/1/2 is perhaps the most compatible with the PowerPak at the moment.

I am inclined to think that the SNES jr. supplies less power to the cartridge slot than the PowerPak needs, making it not work.

[Mitch]

So it would seem that 2/1/2 is perhaps the most compatible with the PowerPak at the moment.

I am inclined to think that the SNES jr. supplies less power to the cartridge slot than the PowerPak needs, making it not work.

Maybe, though my 2/1/3 seems to be pretty compatible.

Does anyone know how many revs of each chip there were? From the discussions on this board It seems like: two CPU revs, one ppu1 rev and three ppu2 revs.

Maybe I should try scoping the cart slots on each of my SNES's and see how much power is getting there. Though it seems a bit odd that they would drop it.

Mitch