Enjoying the finer things
Blockbuster Game Factory Sega Cartridges
I recently came across a few of these. Green and blue labels. I have heard mixed things about whether or not they are worth anything. I have also heard that there is no "writer" available for them. Basically just a little more info on them would be nice. The info I have found has been far and few between and not very informative. Anybody know anything about these carts?
I'm listening but I don't hear very much...
Super Moderator
From what I gather, they are flash carts.
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums...rtridge-system
I have seen many, many genesis PCB's and know how each one of the functions. These are the most complex I have seen to date. If you are familiar with Everdrive carts, then these would be considered their older brother.
Don't quote me, but from the look of the chips, you could fashion yourself a flasher and put whatever game you wanted on these given it was less than 32MegaBits.
Make EP Great Again!
You try testing any of them to see if there are any decent games? I don't know the market for them, but just myself I'd be interested in one if it had a good game on it and was ~$50. If it didn't boot to anything, or had a sports game I'd say ~$10. Not that I'm committing to buy or anything, but I am slightly interested
*PSA* Wii Redump collector's can now unscrub ISO files. So scrubbed games can now be verified. You can find the program to do this here
if you know what i meme
what if it had like the rarest genesis game?
First Interview.... sees the couch
Hello, i am the casting Couch. you have probably seen me in locations that you can ether not tell anyone, or places you wish you never visited if you know what i mean
Super Moderator
I say its worth nothing more than the hardware so you cannot judge the value on its contents. It is not a test cart or a prototype. Any software can be acquired or burned to those EEPROMs. If it does have a very rare game, then blckbuster burned a very rare game on its last rental. These games were advertised to rental services (not renters) so that they could invest less money, but rent out a wide variety of titles.Originally Posted by Jack Spicer
IMO: $10 for the hardware itself, but being that it is uncommon, only time will tell.
Also, the pinout for Genesis ROM chips is so incredibly simple, that backward engineering these will be a cinch. Dumping and re-burning will be well in reach for someone who knows what they're doing.
Make EP Great Again!
Then I'd pay ~$50. It's an interesting historical footnote. Not some uber rare game everybody wants. If that actually made a astronomic value change, everyone with one of these carts would look into figuring out how to reprogram them, and they'd somehow become common on eBay.
*PSA* Wii Redump collector's can now unscrub ISO files. So scrubbed games can now be verified. You can find the program to do this here
Super Moderator
When I mentioned 10 for the hardware, I meant price in plastic and silicone becuase they contain TSOP EEPROMs. The TSOP technology was new at the end of the Genesis' life span, so they had to go all in for these carts. It is a collectible and you not see very many of these considering their disappointing history.
As for the chips, they are simple TSOP 28f008sa flash chips (eeprom's). They are not OTP (one-time programmable) so they are fully capable of being wiped and reflashed. If they were to contain a special Blockbuster-only ROM file, they would be invaluable, but otherwise, they are official-flash carts; something that has only been made on very rare occasion.
EDIT: This is really fun trying to reverse engineer them, but difficlut becuase I can only follow pins that other people have uploaded. Im surprised I haven't come across any of these while purchasing Genesis carts to make my own flash carts. We even have an old Blockbuster in town.
Last edited by Jazzmarazz; 14th-September-2012 at 01:53.
Banned
i'm mildly interested in this
Enjoying the finer things
Well the ones I have don't have any games on them, but I have heard rumors of people that had games on theirs. I really would like to see some sort of support for them though. It would be awesome to flash your own games onto them.
I'm listening but I don't hear very much...
Banned
it actually is, you'd need an MD/G ROM copier with writing functionality tho. although you probably know that already.
Enjoying the finer things
I was unaware. I'm going to check it out. Thanks for the info!
I'm listening but I don't hear very much...
Make EP Great Again!
You don't mean like copiers that were released to the consumer market, like the Multi-Game Hunter or the Pro Fighter, right? Because no model of that kind can perform any function of that nature...
*PSA* Wii Redump collector's can now unscrub ISO files. So scrubbed games can now be verified. You can find the program to do this here
Banned
yeah..... you'd need like a factory flasher (haha) from SEGA or a specialty reader-writer
Super Moderator
I already posted way up there that it would be no difficult task to build your own. These run-of-the-mill EEPROM chips mass marketed. I even linked to the datasheet so that each and every pin can be found. Then again, all you need is a cart slot, an eprom programmer and some soldering skills. Once wired appropriately, it is all automated via the standard EPROM software. Besides, the reason that a factory flasher is so funny is becuase they did not flash their cartridges. The OTP PROM chips were ordered pre-flashed and populated to the PCBs. There is no such thing as a SEGA-owned factory flasher.
Banned
ah. but then what did they use to erase and re-use unsold carts?
curiosity, not belligerence.
yup, but then it'd be more satisfying in the end when it was finished
Posting Permissions
