The SNES preservation project is undead

Discussion of hardware and software development for Super NES and Super Famicom. See the SNESdev wiki for more information.

Moderator: Moderators

Forum rules
  • For making cartridges of your Super NES games, see Reproduction.
User avatar
rainwarrior
Posts: 8732
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by rainwarrior »

nocash
Posts: 1405
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:09 pm
Contact:

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by nocash »

But they are now truly worthless. After that long time, it's more than likely that the thieves (or the post office staff) have replaced all ROMs and memory controllers, or even swapped the PCBs and stickers on all carts. At this point, it's impossible to tell if the carts are still containing any authentic hardware, and it would be almost easier to re-create all PAL games from scratch up. Panic: now!
Revenant
Posts: 462
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 1:47 pm
Location: FL

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by Revenant »

nocash wrote:But they are now truly worthless. After that long time, it's more than likely that the thieves (or the post office staff) have replaced all ROMs and memory controllers, or even swapped the PCBs and stickers on all carts. At this point, it's impossible to tell if the carts are still containing any authentic hardware, and it would be almost easier to re-create all PAL games from scratch up. Panic: now!
Fortunately, the 100 copies of Kevin Keegan's Player Manager that they get secretly replaced with would still be worth $10,000, of course.
Kismet
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:59 pm

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by Kismet »

I'm fairly certain USPS would have just washed their hands of it if it didn't start getting media attention. Persistence paid off though.

That said, I think the next time people send multiple cartridges in the mail internationally, we need to make sure photos of the cart, the parcel and the mailed package are made and tracked.

For example the cart I ordered from Japan took 49 days, registered post, while another cart took 35 days (not registered) and even the SFC arrived sooner than both carts did and they were all bought at the same time from the came country. International mail is a crapshoot.

I'd probably suggest that for more valuable carts, send the cart reader and instructions instead. At least a cart reader can be replaced.
I come from the net. Through systems, peoples and cities to this place.
tepples
Posts: 22708
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:12 pm
Location: NE Indiana, USA (NTSC)
Contact:

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by tepples »

nocash wrote:it would be almost easier to re-create all PAL games from scratch up.
Is this a veiled request for a SNESdev compo, or just paranoia?
User avatar
thefox
Posts: 3134
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:36 am
Location: 🇫🇮
Contact:

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by thefox »

Glad to hear that this got resolved.
Download STREEMERZ for NES from fauxgame.com! — Some other stuff I've done: fo.aspekt.fi
KungFuFurby
Posts: 275
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:46 pm

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by KungFuFurby »

Congratulations on your recovery! :D
Near
Founder of higan project
Posts: 1553
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:23 pm

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by Near »

nocash wrote:But they are now truly worthless. After that long time, it's more than likely that the thieves (or the post office staff) have replaced all ROMs and memory controllers, or even swapped the PCBs and stickers on all carts. At this point, it's impossible to tell if the carts are still containing any authentic hardware, and it would be almost easier to re-create all PAL games from scratch up. Panic: now!
Don't worry, I'm going to be delayering every single IC and capturing electron scan images of each and every chip inside all 100 cartridges.

Hey ... I said I'd return the games to the donor once finished, but I never said they'd still be in working order, did I? ;)
I'm fairly certain USPS would have just washed their hands of it if it didn't start getting media attention. Persistence paid off though.
Absolutely. Though I am probably not one to talk after presuming this was most likely theft, when it wasn't :/
niconii
Posts: 219
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 7:56 pm

Re: The SNES preservation project is now truly dead

Post by niconii »

byuu wrote:
nocash wrote:But they are now truly worthless. After that long time, it's more than likely that the thieves (or the post office staff) have replaced all ROMs and memory controllers, or even swapped the PCBs and stickers on all carts. At this point, it's impossible to tell if the carts are still containing any authentic hardware, and it would be almost easier to re-create all PAL games from scratch up. Panic: now!
Don't worry, I'm going to be delayering every single IC and capturing electron scan images of each and every chip inside all 100 cartridges.

Hey ... I said I'd return the games to the donor once finished, but I never said they'd still be in working order, did I? ;)
But what if they stole your authentic set of PAL games and replaced them with another authentic set of PAL games?! You'd never know if they were stolen or not!

You'd better hire someone to steal them from you, just to be safe. That way you'll know for sure that they were stolen.
User avatar
whicker
Posts: 228
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:37 am
Location: Wisconsin

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by whicker »

Use Amercan Made (tm) cardboard boxes next time.
Certainly not boxes with that wimpy Yurop linerboard.

I lost 120 games before with presumably USPS from an ebay sale about 8 years ago.
But they were all EA sports games and I was only going to use their shells.
Nothing of value was lost.

(except my super affordable flash cart project idea).
Near
Founder of higan project
Posts: 1553
Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:23 pm

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by Near »

You'd better hire someone to steal them from you, just to be safe. That way you'll know for sure that they were stolen.
Brilliant! I like the cut of your jib.
But they were all EA sports games and I was only going to use their shells.
Too bad you weren't in Columbus, OH six years ago. When I was building the US set, this flea market vendor had something like 600 SNES sports carts for sale for around $1-2 each. I'm certain if you offered to buy them out, they'd halve the price of each one for you.

Probably already been raided by this point. I should have done so myself for back shell swaps. Oh well.

I really want to know the story of how this person got so many SNES sports games. I didn't bother to ask then. But yeah, literally 100% sports. No other games whatsoever.
nocash
Posts: 1405
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:09 pm
Contact:

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by nocash »

Revenant wrote:Fortunately, the 100 copies of Kevin Keegan's Player Manager that they get secretly replaced with would still be worth $10,000, of course.
Probably more than that. Those undead zombie carts from the year 2017 incident might go for $800/pcs. But yeah, I am also slightly concerned about the preservation project ending up with most PAL titles being identified as soccer-clones.
User avatar
Fisher
Posts: 1249
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:58 am
Location: -29.794229 -55.795374

Re: The SNES preservation project is undead

Post by Fisher »

I'm very glad to know everything ended up fine!! :lol:
Wouldn't it be a better idea to split the work with some other emu authors?
Does any lives in Germany?
In-Country shipping should be safer and cheaper, and other emu-authors should not have much difficulty with homebrew hardware.
I think it's a nice idea, what do you guys think?
Post Reply