Super Mario Bros 3 graphical issues (PC10)

RyogAkari

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Hello everyone!

I've finally started fixing up my playchoice 10 after purchasing it 3 years ago. I've been trading out a couple of my cartridges and purchasing others from here and ebay to get the collection I would like to have in the end.

I've run into a bit of a problem with Super Mario Bros 3 specifically. The interesting thing is my problem does not seem to be limited to one copy of Super Mario Bros 3.

I acquired 2 copies of the game by accident:

5816369697_491569695b_b.jpg


The bottom one I purchased here from a trusted member advertised as Super Mario Bros. 3
The top one I purchased off of ebay advertised as Super Mario Bros. 2. It turned out to be another copy of Super Mario Bros 3 which I am now addressing with the seller.

5816368783_5e5dd7433f_b.jpg


Both have modifications/repairs done to them. I did note that they both shared the same one in one instance.


Anyway, on to the issues I am experiencing. The issues are 100% identical on both cartridges. I've played up through World 1 on both cartridges to observe their behavior.

1st and most prominent, the information bar which has the timer, money, score, etc in it is most of the time comprised of some form of garbage/number and letter nonsense

5816371159_90e6cfea07_b.jpg




However this is not always the case. In some certain circumstances the information appears as it should such as Toad's house. This is the same on both cartridges:

5816373245_450605a3d5_b.jpg



Other strange issues occur as well such as this game. When you play this game the screen is frozen onto this picture. The 3 seperate sections do not rotate like they should:

5816940208_83fd5ca5af_b.jpg


There are other things but Im sure you get the idea.


Things I've done:

Reseat chips
Place both cartridges in all slots on the machine
Free Play
No Free Play
Reseat cartridges in slots.

Every other game I have works great to my knowledge. I do not recall having any graphical issues or otherwise with any other cart.

I thought it prudent to go ahead and snap a picture of my board:
(since Im at the picture post limit it will be included in the next post)



The only other pertinent thing I can think to tell you is my cabinet is #279, a relatively low production model. I have experience doing general trouble shooting on a variety of other arcades however I will admit that I am very much so a novice when it comes to the playchoice. I only recently swapped out cartridges since receiving the cabinet as it was a project that I had been putting off from the amount of other projects I had to do. Today I replaced the joysticks, cleaned up the cabinet, fixed up the leaf buttons as nice as I could and swapped some games in and out to see what it was all about when I started to run into this problem.

I hope I havent provided too much/little information. If there is anything else I can provide please ask as I would really like to get this game going. Let me know your thoughts and ideas as to what might be wrong.

Thanks for your help!!


1st.
 
I know TMNT 2 is another but any of the ROM-G type carts will need this mod for the game to work correctly.
 
Yeah, and the actual smb2 I'm receiving later is another g board. I think rescue rangers is as well?

Thank you so much. My soldering skills aren't legendary so I will look at my board and see if I want to attempt the mod. If not I have plenty of other friends who are a whiz at this.

Thank you again for your prompt reply!!!!
 
Well poo.


I went ahead and attempted the mod and broke my board. The play screen now displays lines and blocky graphics. Guess I'll actually have to purchase another board after all.
 
I'm pretty sure I at least scratched one of the traces under the chip I modded. On of the legs was supposed to cut broke off. I had to solder the wire directly to the chip where there was only a little bit of contact left so who knows if that fried it.

Best I can do is get out the ole multimeter and seeif the trace is indeed broken under the chip and keep on working on it till I throw it in the garbage.
 
anyone got a picture of a real PCB thats has the mod done? Id like to see a closer picture of whats involved as i need to do the same to my board to get my Mario 3 to play right
 
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