Cart
0
Featured Blog Article
More Details
Piecing Together the History of Nintendo NES Game Box & Cartridges: Here are Some Clues to Use When Dating & Authenticating NES Boxed Games & Cartridges
- Promotional Copy in the USA
*A note about Box Flap Codes: Game codes seem to have been introduced to the box flaps of games sometime in the year 1987. Box flaps often feature a numeric code on them that seems to correspond to the date of production. Example: “81021” would translate to October 21, 1988. The first number indicates the year digit, which is followed by the month, then day. Please note that the earliest variations of black box games do not feature a code on the box flaps.
Dating the PCB Chips: Clues Inside the Cartridge
Say you don’t have a box to work with and you’re wondering when your game might have been produced. Or say you would like to confirm that the PCB inside your game is authentic and a likely match to the box that came with your game. Well, good news! You can peek at the game’s printed circuit board and find a date on its chips, most of the time.
The date format can vary by game.
Some chips use a YMW format, indicating the year, then month, then week of the month. For example, 5K2 corresponds to week 2 of October 1985. How did we get October? K is the 10th letter of the alphabet, and October is the 10th month of the year.
Other chips use a YW format, indicating the year then the week of the year. For example, 8549 would indicate the 49th week of 1985, approximatel
Featured Blog Article
More Details
Indicators that your Super Nintendo Console is a Rare 1-CHIP Model
Is my SNES a 1 Chip model? The very first Super Nintendo system was released in 1991 in North America. The Super Nintendo console delighted video game enthusiasts with its improved sound, visuals, and accompanying game library.
Although even the first Super Nintendo was groundbreaking in these areas, a later model released around 1995 called the "1-CHIP" SNES was especially pioneering. The motherboard design of the 1-CHIP SNES enables it to output better graphics than earlier revisions of this Nintendo system. The 1-CHIP is highly sought after by collectors because it offers some of the best gameplay visuals you can get on a Super Nintendo. It is also somewhat rare to find, which makes treasure hunting for it even more thrilling!
Prior to the year 1995 or so, Nintendo designed their Super Nintendo console motherboards so that they used 3 chips for graphics and central processing. These three chips are called the CPU, PPU1, and PPU2. When Nintendo revised the SNES motherboard around 1995, all 3 of these chips were combined into one single chip called the S-CPUN. This hardware change is what gave this model of the SNES more graphics processing power.
How do I know if my SNES is a 1-CHIP version?
1. Look at the serial number.
The serial number barcode is printed on a sticker located on the bottom of the console beneath a barcode.
One obvious indicator that you may have a SNES with a 1-CHIP motherboard design is if the console's serial number begins with "UN3". A 1-CHIP SNES serial number will always start with a UN3. However,
Featured Blog Article
More Details
The Basic Essentials of Soldering when it Comes to Gaming Systems and Video Game Save batteries.
Soldering can be scary for a lot of people at first. My first SNES save battery took me at least 50 minutes! Vegas Stakes! Now, it usually takes me 5 minutes. I wasn’t using the right equipment and obviously people tend to get better with practice. These are some suggestions for setting yourself up to solder!
- Buy a nice solder station. (Usually, will come with a roll of solder roll)
- Use the appropriate solder. (some elements work better with electronics than others) We recommend a 60 percent amount of tin and 40 percent lead.
- Use copper desoldering wick/braid with flux. (We recommend 2.4mm in width)
- Have flux handy! (No-clean flux preferred)
- Isopropyl alcohol. (preferred percentage minimum of 90%)
- Q-tips.
Let’s start with something simple:
- Power on your soldering station to approximately 600 to 650 Farenheit (You can use lower temperatures).
- Place your no clean flux on the old solder you want to remove.
- Cut a piece of copper wick braid to use for desoldering
- Copper conducts electricity, so be prepared for the braid to become hot
- Once your soldering iron is at the correct temperature place it over the old solder and hold it into place until you see the old solder s
Game Collecting,
Gaming Community,
Gaming History,
Online retro video game store,
Retro Gaming,
Sony PlayStation 1,
Sony PlayStation 1 (PS1),
The love of gaming,
The More You Know
0 comments
How the Evolution of Role-Playing Games Reflects Gaming History
The Birth of Role-Playing Games
Tabletop Beginnings
The roots of role-playing games can be traced back to the 1970s, particularly with the introduction of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). A game that combined storytelling, imagination, and dice-rolling, D&D revolutionized the concept of playing a 'role.' Players would don various identities—from brave adventurers to fearsome monsters—and embark on epic quests across fantastical realms.
This tabletop setting laid the groundwork for future RPGs by encouraging creativity and collaborative storytelling. Players weren't just moving a character along a linear path; they were constructing a narrative full of twists, turns, and choices. Imagine bringing your unique hero to life while strategizing with friends—that's the magic of RPGs!
Influences from Early RPGs
Following D&D, early video RPGs started to emerge, drawing inspiration from the tabletop model. Titles like Akalabeth and Wizardry expanded the genre into the digital realm, yet they retained the classic elements of character development, player choice, and exploration. These games introduced experiences where each player's actions could dramatically affect the outcome, making every adventure trul