Hello guys!
I wanted to share this story with you, and maybe make some Sonic fans out here drool over this thing. ;D
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Oxf9WYdmXkrEn4KTHSihlSeam3nFnjYWy1Or7-qK1s=w320-h224-no)
Maybe you already know about the
Sonic 3 complete project http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_3_Complete_%28hack%29
It is the most complete and most awesome compilation of games Sonic 3 and Sonic&Knuckles, done because these games should have been released originally as one giant game, but due to certain circumstances were released separately.
Why I am writing this? Because I found here a friendly soul -
untinip (mentioned with his permission) who succesfully made my dream possible -
to create a REPRO of this hack!
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aXwwz_imEsY/VSk0683uDlI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/kQeSq14YW34/w440-h576-no/IMG_9256.JPG)
I dreamed about this cart for a couple of years, I even contacted many people with repro skills and exchanged maybe a hundred PMs.
So I took a screwdriver and opened it right away.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vSZfYGsfqtE/VSk00yvg78I/AAAAAAAAEPI/hE2O9Oj_a7w/w440-h576-no/IMG_9258.JPG)
It was amazing! The giant 27C322 eprom, I remember reading a ton of datasheets to find out what eprom type I need to store the whole Sonic3complete on it because the hacked rom is bigger than any original game.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8ZRT7mG8Ye0/VSk0uyiyYrI/AAAAAAAAEPA/pENQ1FUn67g/w440-h576-no/IMG_9260.JPG)
Anyway I saw the IC on the other side of the board, and I remembered building Gimmick! for Famicom and I know this is no easy task to add another IC to the board. I love the way the extra pins are soldered, just a tiny hint of tin on the tip of the connector, very nice and clean soldering job!
So tons of cables, one big-ass eprom, one extra IC, a couple of diodes, simply a beauty!
The biggest problem (from my point of view) was solving the save game system, because Sonic 3 in original uses eeprom without the need of a battery, and Sonic&Knuckles doesn't use save system at all. But I believed in reproing skills of
untinip and the result is - it works! He even installed a fresh battery! Applause! :pow: :star: :pow:
The label is my work,
untinip asked me to do it by myself and I have some skills too, so added my share to the final product.
So bottom line, creation of this repro is possible, and it's the best repro I have! These are the facts that you should consider if you are a Sonic fan, because this one is REALLY worth the money and time! It plays fantastic on a real hardware, with all the small details you always wanted to be repaired, but on the original Sega games, no patches could be made. Untill now!
Thank you
untinip :star: You are the best! ;)
PS this happened a half year ago, but due to my busy life, I only got to post it today. No harm I guess :)