So there I was, getting ready to play some Vampire Savior on my trusty Saturn. I popped in the game, and tilted it forward so that the system would register and load everything up (it's nearly ten years old, and most import games need the system tilted forward to boot them up). It did, and I sat down to play. About ten minutes in, the system mysteriously resets, goes to the menu screen, and tells me that the disc isn't suitable. I try it again, and this time the system resets at the end of the first fight.
Curious (and pissed), I try a few other games and various things over the following few days. Blast Wind worked fine all the way through, as did Strikers 1945. Even Metal Slug worked fine. I tried Samurai Shodown III (it uses the 1MB setting on the carts), and the system reset before the character select screen came up. I tried the D&D collection's "Shadow Over Mystara", and the system reset on it too.
Seeing a pattern, I tried my other 1MB/4MB cart. Every game I tested that needed it wound up being cut short, as the system reset to the menu screen on each one. Now a bit more than pissed, I tried the old "hot swap" method with an official Capcom 4MB cart. As before, the games that use it were interrupted by the system resetting to the menu screen.
Basically, if it's a normal game that doesn't use a RAM extension cart, it plays without an issue. However, if it does use one, the system almost always resets to the menu screen at some point... be it right away, or after a few minutes of playing time. I don't think it's the carts, as they're recognized without any problems, and even the official Capcom one couldn't keep the system from resetting. Plus, I somehow doubt that all my 1MB/4MB carts up and broke at one time, especially those I never used before.
I noticed that the system always seemed to be trying to read something just before the reset happened as well. This prompted me to try leaving the Saturn standing up, with the front pointed at the floor. Even that didn't keep it from resetting while trying the "RAM cart required" games. Has anyone else experienced this, or read about it happening elsewhere? If so, what was the cause? Was is fixable? Is my old system getting ready to bite the dust?
I'd appreciate any insight that can be offered, as I'd prefer to find out what's going on, and see if I actually need to buy a new system or cart before looking around for a new one. No sense spending money if what's wrong is easily fixed after all.
Edit: I should mention that all the import games that only required a regional bypass cart (like the Sega Satellite, or the Turbo Key by Ultra Madness) played fine and never had the system reset during them. Only the import games that used the 1/4MB had this happen.
Sega Saturn RAM cart slot issues... and a new question.
Sega Saturn RAM cart slot issues... and a new question.
Last edited by The Coop on Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Well, this might not be the case if you're having problems with the official cart as well, but as I recall the AR4M+ has problems with Vampire Savior. There is a simple solder fix you can do to correct this, but given your problems I'd say it's more likely an issue with the cart slot. There might be an extra pin being used to access the 4M RAM vs. 1M mode or something. Unfortunately the Saturn's cart slot is fairly unreliable (pins bend out of place easily), but you might want to try cleaning it with q-tips and alcohol or similar. If that fails, you can attempt manual surgery on the slot (bending pins back into place).
We here shall not rest until we have made a drawing-room of your shaft, and if you do not all finally go down to your doom in patent-leather shoes, then you shall not go at all.
Only early 1998 and earlier Action Replay Plus carts have issues with the later 4M games.it290 wrote:I recall the AR4M+ has problems with Vampire Savior.
Anyway, you should NEVER hot swap any cart on the SS, regardless of reason. If you've done it before, having your cart slot messed up isn't a surprising consequence.
I'd only heard about the "hot swap" in the past, and never tried it before this began happening a few nights ago. Never had a reason too actually, as my carts always worked. I figured it was the only way to really see if it was the carts, or the cart port/system. I'd never used the Capcom carts before, so I knew they'd still be like new and should give me a little more clarification on what was going on.
And I have two Ultra Madness carts, no Action Replays. The UM carts have never failed me over the years, which is why I had my doubts about them being the issue.
Anyway, I regularly put the carts in and out of the system over the years, so I'll see about checking out the cart port and it's pins.
And I have two Ultra Madness carts, no Action Replays. The UM carts have never failed me over the years, which is why I had my doubts about them being the issue.
Anyway, I regularly put the carts in and out of the system over the years, so I'll see about checking out the cart port and it's pins.
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captain ahar
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instead of using q-tips with alcohol, I´d recommend something called "contact spray". Cartridges can be cleaned nicely with q-tips, but a cartridge slot is pretty hard to get into without leaving cotton residues. I bought a used N64 last year which refused to work with many games repeatedly, and after trying to clean them over and over I got the idea to use the spray which I had bought for another purpose. Never had a problem again after that.
Just make sure to wait a few minutes before powering up the system again after using the spray.
Just make sure to wait a few minutes before powering up the system again after using the spray.
Thanks for the input thus far guys 
Well, I tried cleaning out the cart slot, manually going in and gently giving any of the cart prongs that looked too far in a pull out, and I even went back and recleaned the carts themselves. Sadly, it looks like it is indeed nearing the end of it's useful life for playing imports (oddly enough, it still plays US games without issues... for the time being anyway).
As such, I have a new question. Seeing as importing a Japanese Saturn to the US is retardedly expensive ($50-$65), I was curious to know if there are any major differences between the model 1 and model 2 Saturns. I know the board for the model 2 was cleaned up quite a bit over the model 1, and I know the buttons and controller were changed. But were their any other major changes? Namely, is the cart slot the same in both models, and does it work the same in both models? Do imports that use the cart slot play fine in the model 2?
Having owned a model 1 Saturn this entire time, I figured I'd ask before I start looking for a new system.
Well, I tried cleaning out the cart slot, manually going in and gently giving any of the cart prongs that looked too far in a pull out, and I even went back and recleaned the carts themselves. Sadly, it looks like it is indeed nearing the end of it's useful life for playing imports (oddly enough, it still plays US games without issues... for the time being anyway).
As such, I have a new question. Seeing as importing a Japanese Saturn to the US is retardedly expensive ($50-$65), I was curious to know if there are any major differences between the model 1 and model 2 Saturns. I know the board for the model 2 was cleaned up quite a bit over the model 1, and I know the buttons and controller were changed. But were their any other major changes? Namely, is the cart slot the same in both models, and does it work the same in both models? Do imports that use the cart slot play fine in the model 2?
Having owned a model 1 Saturn this entire time, I figured I'd ask before I start looking for a new system.
Last edited by The Coop on Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
differences between model 1 and 2 are there regarding modding. A model 1 Saturn is easier to mod into accepting CDs from all regions, while a model 2 Saturn is easier to mod into accepting CD-Rs. The all-region mod doesn´t require a modchip, the CD-R mod requires one. However, unlike other consoles, the modchip does NOT allow all-region play at the same time.
^ and also if you ever use the swap trick (I don't recommend it), the model 1 is much easier to swap with. Additionally, there are two main types of model 2s (there are others, but they are less common) - the 64 pin and the 32 pin. This refers to the main IC on the CD board. If you're planning on installing a modchip, 32 pin is the way to go.
We here shall not rest until we have made a drawing-room of your shaft, and if you do not all finally go down to your doom in patent-leather shoes, then you shall not go at all.
Well, I doubt I'll be going the route of modding. While I'm decent with electronics and such, I wouldn't take the chance of frying up a Saturn when all I need to do is pop in a cart and (now) leave it in. As long as the cart port works properly, I'll be happy with that for my import playing needs. I'm just glad they didn't redesign the shape of the RAM/memory cart boards, or the slots they slide into, when they made the model 2 Saturn.
Yup. Also, one thing with third party carts - not sure if this applies to the Ultra Madness or not - some of them have thicker PCBs than the official carts, so they tend to wear out the cart slot. In any case, you're better off just leaving your import cart in at all times (or as much as possible).
We here shall not rest until we have made a drawing-room of your shaft, and if you do not all finally go down to your doom in patent-leather shoes, then you shall not go at all.
some other games it doesnt tho *pot luck*