Author Topic: What's wrong with my SNES?  (Read 386 times)

April 28, 2014, 09:21:20 PM
Read 386 times

Megatron

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Hey guys!

So I am having a problem that I hope someone here can help me with, especially since some of you really know your stuff in regards to video game hardware.

Here is my issue:  

I have two Super Nintendos.  One in great shape cosmetically, one in ok shape.  Both work, so naturally I display the nice looking one on my shelf (seriously, the other is really yellow and just not much to look at).  
Until recently both seemed to be working fine...but then I started to notice some things.  Glitches/sprites not looking right.  Or in some cases just a black screen.  The problem is these do not occur in all games, just some, and they are the exact same glitches each time.  I have deep cleaned all of my contacts several times, but nothing has changed.  Here i what I mean:

These first images show Earthbound in both SNES.  The glitches appear in one system (the good looking one), but not the other.  And they occur every time in the exact same locations.

 












The next images are from TMNT Tournament Fighters.  On some stages (and in the game demo as shown) half of the screen is black.  Other stages are perfectly playable, but for some reason this stage and a few others are always half black.  Yet you can clearly hear the fight in the background and if you jump you can even see the heads of the characters once they clear the black.  (And yes, this is the same stage for both pics.  While I was trying to get the camera ready, the demo fight started and the players are in another corner of the stage)






What bugs me is that I use this SNES a lot and have never noticed this stuff in other games, at least nothing has jumped out at me like these.  To give you an example, I played Link to the Past for about 20 minutes before posting this and didn't notice anything.  I suppose I could swap the shells and still play a pretty SNES, but it still bothers me that one of my machines doesn't work right.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  

And in case anyone is curious:

Same game cartridges used for both systems
Same cables/wires/controllers and the same TV.  Literally all I did was swap the console
Same model SNES - both are SNES-01, and both are later release consoles (where you can still push down the dust tray even if the power button is on)  
The cartridges have been tested on other machines, including clone consoles, and the problem has never reoccurred
Consoles are clean.  Games start immediately and without any glitch lines or problems (minus the consistent ones)

Again, I would gladly appreciate any suggestions or advice on how to fix this (assuming it's possible)

Thanks!
« Last Edit: April 28, 2014, 10:25:54 PM by Megatron »

April 28, 2014, 10:23:40 PM
Reply #1

irvgotti452

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Are you able to open up your console? Off hand it looks like maybe a possible cold joint somewhere or could be a broken/damaged trace somewhere. Doesn't look like a capacitor issue that I've seen, just working this from experience and the pictures.
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April 28, 2014, 10:37:50 PM
Reply #2

Megatron

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Are you able to open up your console? Off hand it looks like maybe a possible cold joint somewhere or could be a broken/damaged trace somewhere. Doesn't look like a capacitor issue that I've seen, just working this from experience and the pictures.

Yeah, after I posted this I went to get my gamebit to open it up, only to find the bit is stripped.  So I have ordered a new one - should be here in a few days.  At that point I will open it up and post pictures incase there is a faulty connection or something else amiss.

April 29, 2014, 12:38:04 AM
Reply #3

wiggy

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Looks like a video ram issue. If so, you're sorta screwed :(

April 29, 2014, 09:53:43 PM
Reply #4

Ozzy_98

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If they're the same model, move the working snes into the better looking case.

April 29, 2014, 09:59:00 PM
Reply #5

Megatron

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If they're the same model, move the working snes into the better looking case.

I considered that, but as I said above, I still have a problem that one of my consoles doesn't work.  Once my bit comes, I will open the system up and take a look.  If anyone knows how to fix it, great.  But if it is shot, as Wiggy may think, then I'll just have to swap the cases.

April 29, 2014, 10:56:08 PM
Reply #6

wiggy

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I've got a stack of extra bare SNES motherboards.  If you end up needing one, just let me know :)
« Last Edit: April 29, 2014, 10:58:27 PM by wiggy »

April 30, 2014, 06:05:44 AM
Reply #7

monjici

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When you mention about cleaning contacts, is it only game contacts, or also the board contacts? One of my friends SNES had very weird video issues, in the end it was fixed by cleaning the board contacts.

April 30, 2014, 07:27:34 AM
Reply #8

Ozzy_98

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not sure on snes since I've never looked into it much, but most systems store the video and program data separate, so different set of pins access different ram addresses.  So it could be that, but I doubt it would show up the same areas if you swap carts out and back in.  It could though.

April 30, 2014, 09:15:31 AM
Reply #9

quickfingers818

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i had this same issue with my first snes a few years back. I ended up scrapping it and just replacing it with another one cause I was told it was a motherboard issue.

April 30, 2014, 11:16:15 AM
Reply #10

palmer6strings

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Also if it is one of the first model 1 SNESs they have a rom able pin set. The bottom set sometimes needs cleaned also.
What are you looking at? You think baby's don't like video games? THEN YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT BABIES!!

April 30, 2014, 03:19:38 PM
Reply #11

wiggy

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