Rare VideoGame Hardware Stuff

[MottZilla]

How many members do we have here that know anything about, or perhaps have any of the rare hardware that has been made for various ussually cartridge based systems? I think the most common thing members might have would be what's recent, being the GameBoy Advance flash card sets.

So have you heard about these things before? Do you own any? Would you like to own any?

I have gotten my first recently, tuesday infact. I got a "Game Doctor SFIII" which is a Super Famicom (japanese SNES) bakup device/copier. It's really fun to play all these SNES games that I never aqquired on a real system. For anyone who doesn't know about these copiers they have onboard RAM which is loaded with the ROM of a game. You load it from various sources depending on the unit. Older consoles, like SNES and Genesis ussually loaded from Floppy disks (standard 3.5") while later ones like the N64 used CD-Roms or even Zip Disks.

I was going to get a Z64 awhile back, but the price tag was just way too much. Around 300$. Too much money for probably only a handfull of N64 games to play.

Back to the SNES, my GDSF3 only has the standard 16Mbits of ram, which means I can only load ROMs of 16Mbits or less, aka 2Mbytes. I plan to buy more memory though to boost it to 32Mbits (4MBytes) so I'll be able to load any game that was released in USA, as no games released here ever exceeded 32. ;)

I don't know if I'd wanna get another device though unless it were another better one for SNES. Considering the cost of these units you better like alot of games to consider buying one. Although I've found the Game Doctor series for SNES/SFC isn't too bad at all. You can probably get one for around 60$.

Now back to playing good old Super Nintendo. ;)

[me2]

I heard a type of harddrive used in arcades is so rare, you can't even upgrade Pop'n Music 8 to 9 without it. I think it's like the firebird or something.

[Trusso]

I'm not sure of its rarity, but at somp point in the next 2 years I will own a power glove...I must own the power glove.

[mikeron]

Nothing beyond the Afterburner light for GBA.

[MottZilla]

Well, as far as aracde games requiring a specific model harddisk, Killer Instinct (one of the best games EVER) used a rare now impossible to find SeaGate Laptop harddisk. If you didn't have the exact model of drive, the game will not work. Later arcade game makers stopped this practice because of operators bitching about harddisks failing and then being impossible to replace.

Anyways, a couple other most honesnt but rare hardware I have are a near mint condition, with box, nintendo powerpad. ;) And I have the Nintendo Super Scope. No box with it though. The aiming sight though ofcourse.

[vegeta1215]

, Killer Instinct (one of the best games EVER) used a rare now impossible to find SeaGate Laptop harddisk.

I LOVED Killer Instinct. I was so glad when the arcade I worked at got the game. Jago was my favorite player, and I could do Ultra Combos with him (and also with B. Orchid. I could sometimes do Ultra Combos with Fulgore and Chief Thunder,but those were usually by accident). I never could do shadow moves though.

I later played Killer Instinct 2 at another arcade, but I never got into it as much.

Mott, with your Game Doctor thing you got, you load a ROM into it and plug it into your SNES to play the game? I don't suppose you can play Seiken Densetsu 3? I think that one may have been 48 bits...

[MottZilla]

I have a pocket size book for KI listing all the ultras, and ultimates. ;) The shadow moves can only be done AFTER performing a combo breaker. KI2, I agree, never got into it that much.

With the GameDoctor, it's a unit that actually sits ontop of my machine, which connects in the cartridge port. When the system is turned on, in my case the Super Famicom, depending on if I have a floppy in the disk drive of the game doctor, or if I hold R, or if there is no game loaded in memory already, I get the bios menu. From the bios you can control things like loading new roms, saving and loading SRAM (save games) as well as backing up cartridges.

Seiken Densetsu 3 is 32mbits. There are only 4 games larger than 32mbits. All are japanese games. All I believe are RPGs. Star Ocean (needs SDD1 chip), Far East of Eden Zero (needs spc7110 and rtc chip), Daikaijuu Monogatari 2, and Talse of Phantasia. All other games are 32mbits or less. Once I aqquire the other 16mbits I'll be set. Right now I only have half that I need. Still that's enough to load many games, such as secret of mana or final fantasy 4. It's quite alot of fun. =) Definitely worth the money. I got mine WITH a super famicom and multitap for 51$.

[vegeta1215]

Tales of Phantasia, yeah that was the 48 bit one I've played. I didn't play it long though. I couldn't get the hang of the linear battle system, and it's graphics looked poor compared to SD3's. (in my opinion anyways) Thankfully the linear battle system in Tales of Symphonia is much better than the one in Phantasia.

[MottZilla]

I really wanna get SD3 to run on my copier (need more ram) because I'm far more likely to play a long rpg on a console than my PC. I've been playing Secret of Mana lately. I am on the wall with the eyes right now. I really wish I had more many for the sprite. :O Now, did the Walnuts regen mana points? lol.

[njptoo86]

where can i buy one because i was never sure if i could trust lik-sang.com and ebay dosnt allow them

[vegeta1215]

I really wanna get SD3 to run on my copier (need more ram) because I'm far more likely to play a long rpg on a console than my PC. I've been playing Secret of Mana lately. I am on the wall with the eyes right now. I really wish I had more many for the sprite. :O Now, did the Walnuts regen mana points? lol.

Yes, the Walnuts refill your MP.

SD3 is such a good game, better than Secret of Mana in many respects. One thing I love about it is how you can choose 3 out of 6 characters, and have them change classes different ways (light or dark) to make them learn new skills. Plus the stories of the 6 characters inner-twine (if that's the right word), so you wind up seeing the 3 characters you didn't pick anyway. Plus it's gorgeous, and has some great boss fights.

Sure, you can't charge up your weapon anymore like in Secret of Mana (which was really fun), but I like the power up attack you do which differs for each class change you do. Another thing I love is the strength of the enemies is based on how strong you are. So no matter where you go, the enemies will always give you a challenge. I wish Sword of Mana were like that :( with all the side quests in Sword of Mana, if you manage to do any of them the rest of the game is so easy. It really was a missed opportunity - that game falls short on so many levels. (the original Final Fantasy Adventure is much better).

My first time through SD3 I chose Hawk, Angela,and Charlotte (they look a lot like the Boy, Girl, and Sprite from Secret of Mana :)). I'm on my second play through now, and I'm using Angela, Lise, and Kevin. (Kevin is cool cause he turns in to a werewolf at night and is very powerful)

[MottZilla]

njptoo86, I actually got mine on ebay. However, tototek.com sells such devices.

[DsS Game]

I heard a type of harddrive used in arcades is so rare, you can't even upgrade Pop'n Music 8 to 9 without it. I think it's like the firebird or something.

Thats in some cabinets. Different cabinets use different boards. Hell you can use a PS2 in an arcade cabinet.

[MottZilla]

No, you cannot. The PS2 is not JAMMA standard. Do not spread misinformation about arcade operations. :O

[njptoo86]

ok thanks i just bid on one and if i win i will probably be back with some questions

[MottZilla]

Er, which one? I could recommend you what to pursue and what not to. If you don't want to post the auction urls here you can private message me them so I can check them out for you. Some backup units are better than others.

[njptoo86]

it was the game doctor 7 and 2 others which i lost but i found the answer to my question i wanted to know how to convert roms to gd7 but i found a tool to do that
thanks

[Master Ghaleon]

I used to have the powerpad, and thats it.

[fatcatfan]

I'm sitting here looking at my Power Glove, trying to decide if eBay would bring enough to cover the nostalgia.

[MottZilla]

I imagine you found either ucon/ucon64 or snestool. Converting roms isn't hard at all.