Modded SNES Mini (USA) - PAL games issue. Region Lockout?

[rickr000]

Hello,

A fellow SNES fan and I have been researching recently and bagged a SNES mini modded for RGB and CSync. Its a USA system and works fine with NTSC SNES carts via an NTSC Euro Scart plug to the TV. Problem is I live in the UK...and even after taking out the region tabs to fit the PAL carts, none of them play - just joyous black screens

I thought all USA SNES models were just region locked by these plastic tabs and there wasn't a region lockout on the SNES board like the PAL systems. Realize I'm a newbie crying for help, but any ideas on what it could be would be very much appreciated!

Thanks

[Guspaz]

Removing the tabs is so that you can fit Super Famicom carts in it, which are NTSC. The SNES has region locking via the CIC chip. I believe you can bypass it by using a GameGenie or a similar device, or you can mod your console using a SuperCIC chip:

http://consolingmyself.co.uk/post/1251747918/supercic

[blizzz]

Some games check the refresh rate of the console on top of the CIC. For example the PAL Secret of Mana will only show an error message when you boot it in 60Hz. That's why the usual mods let the console run in 50Hz for a couple seconds before switching to 60Hz.

But even if you circumvent the region lock you will run into other problems. Some games are optimized for PAL and will run too fast in 60Hz or with other problems.

[mvsfan]

For superfamicom games, its true that all you have to do is remove the tabs.

but pal games have a different lockout chip as well as some games check wether the console is running in 50 or 60 hz.

I really dont understand why they made it this way, because most pal relases also got released in north america.

ive tried and failed to find a PAL only list although there are a few exceptions like Terranigma.

id like to buy some pal games but not if they were also released in NA. no point to it then.

[Chocograph]

I use a flash cart with my 60hz/region modded pal snes to play both pal and ntsc roms. No cutting thank you very much.

[rickr000]

Thanks everyone - appreciate the help. Makes sense now, will check out the Mod and GameGenie. I did try a fire adapter but no joy sadly.