Play Japanese games on US NES/SNES

[369WIERDO369]

I ended up going ahead and buying Gyromite..Had the weird gamebit screws but also had a converter.
Just tested it out to make sure I knew how to use the darn thing..

Besides modifying a case (since I don't know if I'm ready to attempt that..) is there any good way to protect the converter and the pins without putting it back inside Gyromite all the time?

[ZAR]

Remove the tabs on a game genie and play imports that way if you dont want to ruin a prefectly good snes

The only problem with this is that a gamegenie can't play games with the Super FX chips (ex. Star Fox, Mario RPG, Mario World 2) so breaking off those plastic tabs are the only way to go.

[Leo_A]

The only problem with this is that a gamegenie can't play games with the Super FX chips (ex. Star Fox, Mario RPG, Mario World 2) so breaking off those plastic tabs are the only way to go.

I doubt any of those games are things people would be importing. They'd be after the exclusives that didn't reach our shores.

[ZAR]

I doubt any of those games are things people would be importing. They'd be after the exclusives that didn't reach our shores.

Huh ? There's plenty of Japanese only games that use the Super FX chip. My point was that the game genie is limited to non Super FX chip games. So it's not the best option to use for SFC games.

[theclaw]

I should have a pretty good list of games that use the full connector width, it's mainly lacking Japan exclusives:

Super Game Boy
Super Game Boy 2
Megaman X2
Megaman X3
Kirby Super Star
Kirby Dream Land 3
Doom
Mario RPG
Mario World 2
Star Fox
Panic Bomber W
Shining Scorpion Lets & Go
Satellaview BS-X
Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension

[Brianvgplayer]

Hold it hold it hold it.

So people are saying that Famicom games will play just fine in an NES. Umm, didn't some of Konami's games (Contra, Gradius and Castlevania III especially) have special chips or something in them, and that's why they had slight audio/graphical downgrades when they were localized? (I've heard CV3 had problems with the Generation NEX)

It's only the games with special sound chips that have problems since the pins in the US NES aren't wired for the extra sound (a couple US Sunsoft games like Batman Return of the Joker have custom graphics chips). From what I heard, graphical problems with special mapper games are due to the adapter, not the system (though some clones may have compatibility problems with some mappers).

Some Famicom games are oversized and won't fit in a toaster NES with adapter, even if they are technically compatible (second model NES should be fine). The issue on the NEX is the US CVIII, not the JP one. I heard on at least one NOAC that Akumajo Densetsu (JP CVIII) works, but not the US CVIII. I also heard that it wasn't wired for the extra sound, which didn't play.

[theclaw]

Yup neither Nintendo or Konami is to blame with US CVIII like I'd said. 99% of Famicom adapters and NOAC's are based on the same faulty design.

[Leo_A]

Huh ? There's plenty of Japanese only games that use the Super FX chip. My point was that the game genie is limited to non Super FX chip games. So it's not the best option to use for SFC games.

There's no reason to act confused. What I said was correct and here is a list of released SuperFX games. Japan didn't get a single SuperFX game that we didn't get (Unless they got Dirt Racer and/or Winter Gold, which appear to be Euro exclusives).

Dirt Racer (PAL)
Dirt Trax FX
Star Fox
Stunt Race FX
Vortex
Doom
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Winter Gold/FX Skiing (PAL)

And the often reproduced Star Fox 2 that was unreleased worldwide.

Here is a list of games that used a special chip, besides the DSP chips that didn't have those extra side connectors. It's taken from the PowerPak's website with the DSP games removed, the never released games I saw like Commanche removed that aren't even available as prototypes, and the titles available domestically or Euro exclusives removed.

I don't see much here that was exclusive to Japan or available in Japan and Europe that would be an in-demand game by North American SuperNes owners? Maybe 2-3 games would even interest someone. I'm not even sure all these special chips utilized the optional extra side connectors.

Daisenryaku Expert WWII: War in Europe SA-1 chip
Derby Jockey 2 SA-1 chip
Dragon Ball Z: Hyper Dimension SA-1 chip
Far East of Eden Zero SPC7110 chip
Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shogi ST011 chip
Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shogi 2 ST018 chip
Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 SA-1 chip
J. League '96 Dream Stadium SA-1 chip
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius SA-1 chip
Jumpin' Derby SA-1 chip
Kakinoki Shogi SA-1 chip
Marvelous: Mouhitotsu no Takarajima SA-1 chip
Masters New: Haruka Naru Augusta 3 SA-1 chip
Mini 4WD Shining Scorpion Let's & Go!! SA-1 chip
Momotaro Dentetsu Happy SPC7110 chip
Pebble Beach no Hotou: New Tournament Edition SA-1 chip
SD F-1 Grand Prix SA-1 chip
SD Gundam G NEXT SA-1 chip
Shin Shogi Club SA-1 chip
Shogi Saikyou SA-1 chip
Shogi Saikyou 2 SA-1 chip
Star Ocean S-DD1 chip
Super Bomberman Panic Bomber World SA-1 chip
Super Power League 4 SPC7110 chip
Super Robot Taisen Gaiden: Maso Kishin SA-1 chip

The one biggie out of those 25 games is Star Ocean. And I think most people would prefer to play with the fan created English translation on something like their favorite SuperNes emulator, a reproduction cartridge intended for a North American console, or through the Super PowerPak multicart (I don't think it works on the Super Everdrive).

Every other retail Japanese release isn't going to utilize those extra side connectors.

[theclaw]

It could reach the point in a year or two where it'll be cheaper to get Rockman X3 with adapter, than an English copy. PAL X3 is already $100+ cart only. US X3 has begun to nudge $70 cart only in mint enough shape.

Didn't Satellaview enhanced games also use the side connectors? Derby Stallion 96, RPG Maker 2, Sound Novel Maker...

[369WIERDO369]

Well, I ended up having my dad modify my cart for me, since he's better with that kind of stuff.
Ended up using an electric saw to cut the cart..
Takes some fiddling to get it to work, but it does work.