Donpachi
Dodonpachi
ESPRa.De
Guwange
Dangun
All run on the same hardware.
So shouldn't it be possible to swap the games? You could buy whichever is cheapest and swap it for the rarer one.
Same deal with Progear, most CPS2 games are relatively cheap, shouldn't it be possible to swap it?
And Ketsui runs on the same hardware as DOJ and 'lewda, both of which have console ports...and people are always looking for Ketsui boards...heh heh.
I'm probably not the first to think of this but thought I'd ask.
A thought provoking thought regarding PCB's
I was wondering this yesterday but I am not sure if the game roms are the socketed chips or thats the BIOS... I don't know anything about this kind of thing.
And also, Dodonpachi and Donpachi run on the "same hardware" but the boards are totally different to look at. Not sure you could swap stuff between them.
And also, Dodonpachi and Donpachi run on the "same hardware" but the boards are totally different to look at. Not sure you could swap stuff between them.
it´s not that easy. For example PGM hardware: it was even designed with a cartridge concept, yet when you compare Bee Storm, Dai Ou Jou and Ketsui in their PCB form, you´ll quickly notice that these games can´t just be exchanged. The term "same hardware" is rather misleading, those games share some processors and a basic layout concept, but in detail the PCBs vary from another. Games get their special custom chips for a certain effect, for example.
Even if this wasn´t the case, how would you go about exchanging the software? Most chips are soldered tightly, cases like Battle Garegga where you can pull them out of a socket, flash them and plug them in again are an exception. Even imagining a "mod" where you exchange the tight connection with a socket, you would run the risk of damaging something by making a mistake in the flashing process. In everyday PCB handling, you try to touch the PCB as little as possible, to minimize the risk of inflicting electrostatic damage to it. What you suggest would mean touching it all the time.
Seibu hardware, for example, allows the exchange of cartridges, but with the risk of losing the game if something goes wrong in a process that takes about 10 minutes. Most people´s consequence is to have a separate mainboard for each cartridge.
With CPS2 hardware, there´s an additional problem of encryption. Every B board has a key inside and will only work with the exact rom set that fits to this key. The only person outside of Capcom who is able to crack the key by now is the famous Razoola, who also developed the MVS Unibios, and who is able to create "Phoenix" versions of games where the battery died.
If you want to play more than one game with a PCB, you should resort to the cartridge systems that are availlable: MVS, CPS2, Taito F3, Sega ST-V, Taito G.Net, Naomi, Type X and so on.
Even if this wasn´t the case, how would you go about exchanging the software? Most chips are soldered tightly, cases like Battle Garegga where you can pull them out of a socket, flash them and plug them in again are an exception. Even imagining a "mod" where you exchange the tight connection with a socket, you would run the risk of damaging something by making a mistake in the flashing process. In everyday PCB handling, you try to touch the PCB as little as possible, to minimize the risk of inflicting electrostatic damage to it. What you suggest would mean touching it all the time.
Seibu hardware, for example, allows the exchange of cartridges, but with the risk of losing the game if something goes wrong in a process that takes about 10 minutes. Most people´s consequence is to have a separate mainboard for each cartridge.
With CPS2 hardware, there´s an additional problem of encryption. Every B board has a key inside and will only work with the exact rom set that fits to this key. The only person outside of Capcom who is able to crack the key by now is the famous Razoola, who also developed the MVS Unibios, and who is able to create "Phoenix" versions of games where the battery died.
If you want to play more than one game with a PCB, you should resort to the cartridge systems that are availlable: MVS, CPS2, Taito F3, Sega ST-V, Taito G.Net, Naomi, Type X and so on.
