10 replies to this topic

[toptenmaterial]

First off, my apologies if these questions have been previously addressed.

What multicarts are currently available for the 2600 and SNES, and how are they loaded with ROMs? Through an SD? What is the going rate?

Perhaps most importantly, is the gameplay identical to an authentic cart?

Thanks.

[Mirage]

For 2600, the Harmony, loaded via SD card, and once you're past the menu screen, yes, the gameplay is absolutely identical to an authentic cart. Except for the loading of Supercharger games of course, but, oh yeah, you can actually play the Supercharger games on a cart now!

Read through the Harmony forum on this site, and see http://harmony.atariage.com/

Well well well worth the purchase.

Edited by Mirage, Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:52 AM.

[gooner73]

Are they easy to use?

i am a game player only and don't really have much tech knowledge as such, so can you just send files to this cart and then play off your 2600?

[Mirage]

gooner73, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:20 AM, said:

Are they easy to use?

i am a game player only and don't really have much tech knowledge as such, so can you just send files to this cart and then play off your 2600?

Yes, the SD card is just standard FAT32 (or whatever, I can't recall offhand) format. I just have a card reader attached to my Mac and drag n drop the files on there. I organize them nice and neatly (there are threads in the Harmony forum about all this), drag them over, plug in the Harmony and go. All menu-driven from there. Couldn't be any easier. Actually, the Harmony is by far the easiest multi-cart I've ever used, and I've used quite a few of them. It's an incredibly well engineered and designed product.

[mimo]

For the SNES there is the Super Everdrive. Again the .rom images are stored on SD card.
I dont have the Super Everdrive, but I have the Everdrive cart for the Sega Genisis, it is absolutely brilliant. Just the same as playing a genuine cart.

[wood_jl]

There is also the SNES PowerPak for the SNES, just mentioning it.

I have the Super Everdrive from Stoneage Gamer, and it rocks!!!!

[StoneAgeGamer]

I always considered multi-carts and flash carts two different things. Multi-carts I always thought of as carts with pre-loaded games with no access to add or remove games yourself. Where as flash carts do not come with pre-loaded games (normally) but allow you to add or remove them yourself.

All the EverDrive carts are pretty easy to use because there is no special software required to add/remove games. This is the case with many newer flash carts now. Most either use SD or Compact Flash. With EverDrives you can save yourself money by just getting board and making your own cart shell. Boards run $80 to $100 depending on system. We make Deluxe versions of the EverDrives that come with everything you will need in a professional package. They range from $115 to $200+ depending on system on options you choose.

[thegoldenband]

Certain SNES games can't be played on a flashcart -- there's a list here. If your Everdrive has a DSP-1 chip installed, the DSP-1 games become playable, but in truth only a couple of those are significant (Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart).

I don't know of any current flashcarts that play differently from the originals, as long as the game itself works -- and most of the carts that don't are either enhancement chip games, like SNES Star Fox or Virtua Racing on the Genesis, or unlicensed carts with quirky copy protection hardware or weird ROM schemes. The only exception I can think of is the SD card adaptor for Dreamcast, which I've read is much slower than the GD-ROM drive.

BTW to quote Tony the Tiger, both the Everdrive and the Harmony cart are gr-r-r-r-reat!

[toptenmaterial]

thegoldenband, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:41 PM, said:

Certain SNES games can't be played on a flashcart -- there's a list here. If your Everdrive has a DSP-1 chip installed, the DSP-1 games become playable, but in truth only a couple of those are significant (Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart).

Both use Mode 7, huh? Strange...

[StoneAgeGamer]

toptenmaterial, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:49 PM, said:

thegoldenband, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:41 PM, said:

Certain SNES games can't be played on a flashcart -- there's a list here. If your Everdrive has a DSP-1 chip installed, the DSP-1 games become playable, but in truth only a couple of those are significant (Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart).

Both use Mode 7, huh? Strange...

They both use DSP-1 chips inside the cart. A handful of other games do as well, but those are two best North American games that use it.

[gooner73]

Mirage, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:37 AM, said:

gooner73, on Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:20 AM, said:

Are they easy to use?

i am a game player only and don't really have much tech knowledge as such, so can you just send files to this cart and then play off your 2600?

Yes, the SD card is just standard FAT32 (or whatever, I can't recall offhand) format. I just have a card reader attached to my Mac and drag n drop the files on there. I organize them nice and neatly (there are threads in the Harmony forum about all this), drag them over, plug in the Harmony and go. All menu-driven from there. Couldn't be any easier. Actually, the Harmony is by far the easiest multi-cart I've ever used, and I've used quite a few of them. It's an incredibly well engineered and designed product.

Thanks , seems a good way to go with my carts getting old and some being unobtainable without a bank loan!