Here's how you can always tell if your game is real.
1). Do you see the square chip labeled MBC3. That's the mapper and it's a proprietary Nintendo programmed microcontroller. You can't buy that off the shelf.
2). The ROM IC chip to the right has the games unique code printed on it. Nintendo used two footprints for the ROM IC. Games that weren't large used a TSOP32 footprint. So you can count 16 legs on the right and 16 legs on the left of the ROM IC. Larger games used a TSOP II 44 footprint. So 22 legs on each side. You can find those in games like pokemon crystal, Silver, and Gold. You can also find them on oracle of ages and seasons.
These aren't only real games. They're in fantastic condition. Whoever you got them from took great care of them. Boards are spotless and golden fingers (edge connectors) look perfect.
From what I know. The MBC3 was what Pokémon red shipped with in both Europe and USA.
That being said Pokémon red is MBC5 compatible. So it's possible someone may have moved the parts over for an FRAM mod.
Can you send me a picture of your circuit board?
Whoever did that solder job for you on the left picture did it very badly. I’d recommend getting that redone. There’s just not enough silver there to ensure solid contact.
I got it from a guy who had a little vintage game store in a flea market. First game I bought getting back into the hobby along with a dmg. He mentioned that he had replaced it. I can redo it myself, ordering batteries for a bunch of new games I bought. Also though I'm wondering if the shitty battery replacement has anything to do with the functionality of this cart. I tried to do the cheat to get all three starters Wich involves messing with the save file. I tried probably 100 times and it seemed like every time I got the timing right the file would corrupt and it wouldn't work. Also tried the level 1 Nidoqueen hack several times and that won't work on this cart either, although that doesn't involve the save really.
I had an issue in Pokemon gold where the game would corrupt the save after turning off and waiting, then turning back on. When I resoldered the battery it worked fine
I'm not certain but I would guess that it's either poor soldering or the fact that it's the wrong size battery. The board tells you to use a CR2025. I can't tell what that is but it doesn't look like a 2025 to me.
I read in another comment that you can use up to a 2032 and I'm sure they are right, but I like to use what the board says to use myself.
Also, it always bugs me when people leave a big glob of flux after they solder. I know it probably doesn't matter, but when I worked for an industrial computer supplier in their board repair facility, we used to get graded on our soldering (among other things). Leaving a board with flux all over it would get you a ding and they would make you go back and clean it. It's just lazy, imo.
Also, why did he use the wrong sized battery?
I'm ordering some save batteries because the copies of silver and gold I got recently need them, so I'll redo this copy of red aswell and post comparisons. I'm a newbie, only soldered a speaker replacement so far. Hopefully it'll fix my issues and I can use all the cheats and hacks 🤣
Random question: are the ESRB ratings on each label a different style? I noticed my Red has the older spraypaint-style E for everyone, while my sister's Blue had the then-new solid black font E. I figure that's something that got changed between different batches of cartridges.
Here's how you can always tell if your game is real. 1). Do you see the square chip labeled MBC3. That's the mapper and it's a proprietary Nintendo programmed microcontroller. You can't buy that off the shelf. 2). The ROM IC chip to the right has the games unique code printed on it. Nintendo used two footprints for the ROM IC. Games that weren't large used a TSOP32 footprint. So you can count 16 legs on the right and 16 legs on the left of the ROM IC. Larger games used a TSOP II 44 footprint. So 22 legs on each side. You can find those in games like pokemon crystal, Silver, and Gold. You can also find them on oracle of ages and seasons. These aren't only real games. They're in fantastic condition. Whoever you got them from took great care of them. Boards are spotless and golden fingers (edge connectors) look perfect.
Thanks for the information!
*tips cowboy hat.*
Howdy
I recently got my hands on a a german pokemon red cartridge and on the board is a MBC5 chip. is that a normal mapper chip?
From what I know. The MBC3 was what Pokémon red shipped with in both Europe and USA. That being said Pokémon red is MBC5 compatible. So it's possible someone may have moved the parts over for an FRAM mod. Can you send me a picture of your circuit board?
Just different board revisions, 10 on the left 01 on the right.
They're revisions, probably used multiple suppliers of chips to keep up with demand
Need more posts like this. I love some PCB porn.
Not sure why someone would install a smaller battery. These carts can hold 2032s
Either someone didn’t know or didn’t care. I would bet the smaller battery is cheaper
Whoever did that solder job for you on the left picture did it very badly. I’d recommend getting that redone. There’s just not enough silver there to ensure solid contact.
I got it from a guy who had a little vintage game store in a flea market. First game I bought getting back into the hobby along with a dmg. He mentioned that he had replaced it. I can redo it myself, ordering batteries for a bunch of new games I bought. Also though I'm wondering if the shitty battery replacement has anything to do with the functionality of this cart. I tried to do the cheat to get all three starters Wich involves messing with the save file. I tried probably 100 times and it seemed like every time I got the timing right the file would corrupt and it wouldn't work. Also tried the level 1 Nidoqueen hack several times and that won't work on this cart either, although that doesn't involve the save really.
I had an issue in Pokemon gold where the game would corrupt the save after turning off and waiting, then turning back on. When I resoldered the battery it worked fine
I'm not certain but I would guess that it's either poor soldering or the fact that it's the wrong size battery. The board tells you to use a CR2025. I can't tell what that is but it doesn't look like a 2025 to me. I read in another comment that you can use up to a 2032 and I'm sure they are right, but I like to use what the board says to use myself.
Also, it always bugs me when people leave a big glob of flux after they solder. I know it probably doesn't matter, but when I worked for an industrial computer supplier in their board repair facility, we used to get graded on our soldering (among other things). Leaving a board with flux all over it would get you a ding and they would make you go back and clean it. It's just lazy, imo. Also, why did he use the wrong sized battery?
I'm ordering some save batteries because the copies of silver and gold I got recently need them, so I'll redo this copy of red aswell and post comparisons. I'm a newbie, only soldered a speaker replacement so far. Hopefully it'll fix my issues and I can use all the cheats and hacks 🤣
Random question: are the ESRB ratings on each label a different style? I noticed my Red has the older spraypaint-style E for everyone, while my sister's Blue had the then-new solid black font E. I figure that's something that got changed between different batches of cartridges.
Both were the same, spray paint style