Zig's SNES Repros

[Ziggy]

Hey guys. I'm gonna give it a go and try and make some SNES reproduction carts. There's a few games I would like to own a cart of myself and that's why I'm doing this in the first place. If I can successfully make some carts I wouldn't mind making some for some of yous. I know there's a lot of interest in these, so I'd like to ask people for the time being not to PM about this.

One thing I'd like to say... I have a flash cart from Tototek, and it's fantastic, but it (of course) doesn't allow you to play games with special chips (ie: the Super FX chip in Star Fox 2 or the S-DD1 chip in Star Ocean). These are the types of games I would like to focus on making reproductions of. For example, it is possible to put a translated version of Secret of Mana 2 or Kunio-tachi no Banka on a flash cart. It is not possible to play Star Ocean on a flash cart. This is one of the reasons I would like to suggest to buy a flash cart from Tototek. If there are a lot repros you'd want, it would be cheaper to buy a flash cart.

edit: Since the time of this post, a new SNES flash cart has become available at Retro Zone. This flash cart is capable of running the hacked version of Star Ocean.

edit: Retro Zone now makes a Star Ocean reproduction.

At the time I original posted this thread, there was only one (that I know of) SNES flash cart available, the one from Tototek. Now, there's a few to choose from. There's still the one from Tototek and for cheaper than it use to be (I guess because of all these new ones on the market). This one might be limited in some aspects, but the programmer for it also allows you to dump real SNES carts to ROMs, as well as read and flash the SRAM in SNES carts. There's the SNES PowerPak from Retro Zone, as mentioned above, as well as the Super Everdrive, and a new SNES flash cart that's coming out that will support the CX4.

edit: I will no longer be making repro carts with the use of donor carts. I will still modify a Super Famicom cart with the game's translation (as long as it wasn't officially released outside of Japan) but only for established Rackeyboy members with good feedback. Please don't register just to PM me with a request for a game you want me to make. Sorry, I just don't have the time. edit: Nope, don't even have time for that anymore!

[MrPopo]

I am intruiged by the possibilities here. Do you have an idea of all the games you're going to focus on, besides Star Ocean and Star Fox 2?

[noiseredux]

I'm very interested in the concept of this process.

Is there a (cheap/easy) way to do this for GBA carts?

[alexis524]

i'd be in for terranigma. (i'm in the US and we never saw it, and do not have a PAL/SFC console)

count me in.

[RCBH928]

I am just wondering do how do you exactly get a snes cartridge and how can u transfer stuff to it

[lisalover1]

How much do you figure this would cost? I would be very interested in buying one of these carts.

[Ziggy]

^ Prices would vary be each game, mostly depending on how much it cost to make and the time needed to make one. Star Fox 2 is fairly cheap to make, but I own my Star Ocean carts alone for $40 or $45 each.

I am just wondering do how do you exactly get a snes cartridge and how can u transfer stuff to it

I WISH I was able to buy SNES PCB's like you can for the NES. But basically you buy a real SNES game to use as a "donor cart" for the game you wanna make. You can't just use any cart, it has to be compatible. After that its a matter of switching out ROM chips for ones that you programmed your game onto. There's some other stuff involved, but that's it in a nutshell.

i'd be in for terranigma. (i'm in the US and we never saw it, and do not have a PAL/SFC console)

Might be easier to do a simple modification to the PAL cart rather than make a whole repro. I know it is possible to disable or change the region lockout on carts, I'll look into this.

Is there a (cheap/easy) way to do this for GBA carts?

I no nothing of GBA repro carts. I would imagine it to be just next to impossible though due to the size of them. However, if you find some info on the web post it here.

[Ack]

Hmm, pretty cool. There are quite a few on that list that I wouldn't mind being able to play in English on a SNES. I have a request, though I doubt there will be a guide for this particular game. If you could figure out a way to do this with the game Live A Live, I would be more than willing to pay you for it.

Good luck with the project, chief!

[Ziggy]

I was just reading about Live A Live, that game looks awesome.

[RadarScope1]

I'm very much interested. All the games you've mentioned would be winners. Keep the prices reasonable and you'll probably have several customers on this forum.