My Grind Stormer cart ain't working anymore.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Regardless of how you feel about Grind Stormer I need some Sega Genesis cart advice. The game has always taken a few insertions and removals to get working in the old Sega Genesis but today I tried to fire the old gal up and she refused to turn on.

I opened up the case and there was a resister inside and a capacitor. Both looked fine. There were no damage signs inside. All my other games played normally too. Any advice? I really do enjoy the game every once in a while and I can't be bothered with the MAME version as it lacks sound.

[Vyxx]

Well, when my NES carts stopped working I would put them in the freezer for an hour or so and that would usually do the trick.
Yes, I'm serious. Probably not the best idea, and I only did it a few times, but for whatever reason, it worked.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

What was the rational behind that?
I'd be willing to try if it works.

[BrianC]

I read in other topics that some Grind Stormer carts were defective.

[greg]

Well, I don't know what Grind Stormer is, but when it comes to cartridges, I get a Q-Tip and some rubbing alcohol and clean the contacts. Gets a lot of the dirt off. For those cartridges that still won't play after that, ones that have oxidized contacts or whatever, Undamned opens them up and rubs them real good with a clean eraser. That doesn't always work for my SNES though, so I've recently discovered that using a sponge filing pad to rub on the contacts works like a charm. I bought a package of sponge filing pads from a plastic model shop. I rub the contacts with the sponge and it cleans the contacts excellently.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

I read in other topics that some Grind Stormer carts were defective.

Ah pewp.

Also I have cleaned down the contacts already when I opened up the case. It is a real shame if it is ruined they aren't exactly making Genesis carts anymore. For better or worse, I like having a good bunch of shmups to play, even if some aren't so hot.

[rancor]

What was the rational behind that?
I'd be willing to try if it works.

The only good explanation for that I can think of is that the freezing temperatures would cause the metal contacts / soldering to constrict and may bring them into contact and/or put them back into their original position. However, when the cart warms up you'll be back with the original problem...

..or is that all just a product of my vivid imagination?

[MX7]

What's 'not so hot' about Grindstormer? I think it's one of Toaplan's best, and the Mega Drive port is fantastic

[gameoverDude]

Regardless of how you feel about Grind Stormer I need some Sega Genesis cart advice. The game has always taken a few insertions and removals to get working in the old Sega Genesis but today I tried to fire the old gal up and she refused to turn on.

I opened up the case and there was a resister inside and a capacitor. Both looked fine. There were no damage signs inside. All my other games played normally too. Any advice? I really do enjoy the game every once in a while and I can't be bothered with the MAME version as it lacks sound.

There is ThunderMAME 32+, which lets you play Fire Shark, Grind Stormer, and some of the other silent Toaplan games- WITH sound. Besides the ROMs, you will need sample packs which are around 175-200 MB a piece.
Check here for TM32+. Get the one listed as "ThunderMAME32+", because the ThunderMAME32UI is broken.
Unfortunately, the purge monster seems to have eaten that one thread at MAMEWorld which had locations of the sample packs.

Thanks to nimitz for pointing this one out.

[Zeron]

Here are the sound samples



vfive/V-V/Grindstormer http://www.mediafire.com/?8yxuivgagujxl45
Ghox http://www.mediafire.com/?97sr1kj9j5h6j48
Dogyuun http://www.mediafire.com/?ar26pc476omluzh
Batsugun http://www.mediafire.com/?h4igooi0hx14gg4
Vimana http://www.mediafire.com/?agzvvazqwdr602u
http://www.mediafire.com/?2pa7ws6b5a7bbqx
Same Same/Fireshark http://www.mediafire.com/?3ifv3ea6tn897d5
Tekipaki http://www.mediafire.com/?a2dkjbruah7bwh7

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Thanks Zeron.

What exactly IS a sound sample? Why are they so large?

[ZOM]

^^basically it's ripped music, as in "recorded" as separate wave files (PCM Mono). MAME has the ability to just play them at the right time in the right spots of the game. You can check out samples.c to see this in action.