Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

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Hikikomori
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:45 am

Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

Post by Hikikomori »

Hello everyone,
i'm totally new in Nes developing and hacking and this could be a noobish question but i've read somewhere that a foolish question is just the unasked one so..

[did my searches on forum but founded so many discordant bells]

I've made a rom hack for a friend of a game [Section-Z, should be UNROM chip] and i have a Section-z original cartridge, now, i would like to flash this rom to the original cartridge and make a surprise to him when he'll find is the hacked one. [like the godzilla creepypasta :lol: ]

Now i've a Kazzo board, pretty simple to use for dumping games etc. but when i try to reprogram this cartridge i fail. I've tried to delete using INL-retroprog but it says error: -116

Now, after a long serie of try/error, my question is, what i'm doing wrong? Is possible to flash/erase commercial carts?

Thank you for answers, hope i'm asking in the right section :roll:
Joe
Posts: 650
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:17 pm

Re: Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

Post by Joe »

Hikikomori wrote:Is possible to flash/erase commercial carts?
No. Commercial cartridges use mask ROMs, which cannot be erased or reprogrammed. To put a new game on a commercial board, you'll need to replace the mask ROMs.

You could also purchase a reprogrammable board and put it in the original cartridge shell.
Hikikomori
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:45 am

Re: Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

Post by Hikikomori »

Thank you for your answer Joe, really quick and direct. :)

I've already ordered that yesterday, because i had the presentiment [the first one, NOT self-flashable]

Not really understood the differences between the two UNROMs, does the first one is programmable just one time and then it become ''masked'' and the second is like a CD-RW?

Thanks :)
Joe
Posts: 650
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:17 pm

Re: Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

Post by Joe »

Both boards can be reprogrammed as many times as you like.

The standard board is compatible with ordinary UNROM games, including (hopefully) your ROM hack.

The self-flashable board is not compatible with ordinary UNROM games. It will only run games specifically designed for self-flashable boards.
Hikikomori
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:45 am

Re: Flash hack of the same game in the original cart

Post by Hikikomori »

Thank you for being so clear Joe. :beer:
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