Snes region lockout?

[aj2112]

Hi there I've recently been getting some games off ebay for my good old PAL Snes, particularly some of the more difficult to get US releases. This was all going fine (as I have one of those handy PAL/NSTC game converters) until I got a copy of 'Knights of the Round' whereupon I get this message when starting the game: 'Warning this game pack is not desinged for use with your super nintendo entertainment system (PAL)'. I was surprised as I was unaware that there was this kind of region locking that the PAL/NSTC game converter was unable to get around. Is there any other converter I can get to play the game or does the only way require technical work done to the actual Snes? Thanks for any help with this

[bootmonster]

there are different converters, some of which can deal with the region lockout, some can't

[Duddyroar]

Just get the machine 50/60 switched up and you'll be laughing mate. You'll still need the converter as the US carts are obviously different shapes but the games will run at full speed without borders.

My switched PAL SNES cost me £20 off these very boards.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Send your system to Chaoticjelly. Master of mods and he'll 50/60Hz it and disable the region lockout.

[Pilotwings]

Just widen your cartridge slot with a needle file so you wont need any ugly converter.

[Duddyroar]

Just widen your cartridge slot with a needle file so you wont need any ugly converter.

Making the SNES itself look ugly as a result!

[Ramzy]

Region converter cartidges that fit over the top can play different-region games.

[Pilotwings]

Making the SNES itself look ugly as a result!

Its barely noticable from what ive seen.

The difference in width between a usa cart and jap cart is 1/2 cm each side at the most.

[chaoticjelly]

There are a few different types of converters available. You have your bog standard ones, which are a passthrough connector, with either a slot for a domestic game next to the import or plug in horizontally. These simply send the signal from the domestic cartridges lockout chip to the lockout chip in the PAL SNES, thus fooling the SNES into thinking a domestic cartridge is being played, then they switch back to the NTSC cartridge and bobs your uncle. Theres versions with and without Super FX support (the two tabs either side of the main slot).

Nintendo cottoned onto this back in the day and so games started having checks in for the hertz of the console. i.e. a PAL console runs in 50hz whereas an NTSC console runs in 60hz. Therefore whilst the converters as described above bypassed the lockout chip still, the hertz check built into the game code caused the warning message to be displayed as you have described for Knights of the Round above. This is also true for some PAL games on an NTSC console.

There are converters available which will let you play most of the extra protected (hertz) games. These are usually made by Datel and have a small toggle switch on the side.

You can mod your console to get around both protections without the use of a converter, there are some oddball games however, so depending on where and how you choose to have your SNES modded, there can also still be some compatibility problems.

e.g. if the place you have your SNES modded at, simply disables the lockout chip inside the SNES instead of making it switchable (On or Off switch), the PAL Kirbys Fun Pak, will refuse to load with the lockout disabled, also a couple of other oddball games like that..

Plus, Super Mario RPG, Star Ocean etc will not play properly.

There is a new mod for the PAL SNES', which basically lets ANY game play, its the ultimate region free mod, actually its been out for a year, but someone brought it to my attention via PM on these very forums. It involves some extra wiring and a different switch, and believe it or not Super Mario RPG, Star Ocean and all the others, any game, plays perfectly.

Of course you need the 50/60hz switch too, and if you want to play American games cartridge slot widening.

The slot widening is noticeable. If you want games to fit in with some ease, then its definitely more than 0.5cm either side. The cartridge slot basically has to be filed into a sort of rectangle shape, and some supports inside removed.

If you had the mods done however, you could use a bog-standard converter (with Super FX support if required) to then play all imports etc, totally region free, you wouldnt need a game plugged in the converter any more and you wouldnt have to have the cartridge slot widened then.

I'll be offering the ultimate region-free SNES mod shortly.. hope this info helps! Knights of the Round is a class game.