N64 Gamesharks

[cheaterdragon1]

Hi people. I've run into a bit of a problem with my Gamesharks. I currently own 3 of them, two of which are dead/bricked. My third one does work, but it crashes a lot. Now I understand that if you re-flash your working Gameshark with a broken one on top, it may fix it. Unfortunately I own a new computer which lacks a parallel port. Does anyone know any other way to fix these things?

I've seen these parallel port to USB adaptors online. Has anyone managed to get one of those to work?


Thanks very much to anyone who can help.

[Gamecheat]

I have a pro and i just used LPT on a old pc
im not sure about a USB adapter

[pool7]

AFAIK you don't need to connect either gameshark to the computer.
Here's a video you may want to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RwtGqI2vo

I don't have a N64 or its gameshark, but from what I've read this should work.

Good luck!

[kholdfuzion]

With N64 GameSharks, the most common problems I've encountered are:
a) Weak solder joints on the top card connecter. - Which a simple touchup with a soldering iron fixes.

b) Pins in the cart connecter get bent too tight. - Go over with a pin bending out slightly like on a nes finger header repair.

c) Corrupted flash image - You can try the piggy back reset method in previous post, I've only had it work once. If it fails, you'll either have to do a piggy back flash, which is similar to the piggy back reset except you reflash the bottom GS via db25 which also flashes the middle GS (I've been told this is possibly dangerous with a 64DD hooked up). Another way to do it, and how I've upgraded many 3.2 with working db25 to 3.3, is to desolder the 2 eeproms, flash with de-interleaved rom, then resolder the eeproms.

As far as usb <-> lpt, I lost the link to one that works (will update when found again)...most will not as they are made to only handle printers

[APE]

AFAIK you don't need to connect either gameshark to the computer.
Here's a video you may want to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RwtGqI2vo

I don't have a N64 or its gameshark, but from what I've read this should work.

Good luck!

Doesn't work, tried it myself. All that video does is show you that one will boot up both but no flashing goes on.

Send them to me and I can reflash them with 3.3. I can also install the components necessary to restore parallel port functionality to those that have the solder pads but lack the components.

[pool7]

Too bad; when I was looking for information regarding PS1 Gameshark, I came across a lot of videos and posts for the N64 Gameshark with people saying it worked... go figure.

Thanks for clarifying APE! :)

[Chewieshmoo]

Doesn't work, tried it myself. All that video does is show you that one will boot up both but no flashing goes on.

Send them to me and I can reflash them with 3.3. I can also install the components necessary to restore parallel port functionality to those that have the solder pads but lack the components.

Odd because I had a dead Gameshark, I picked up an extra at Value Village and after following that video and to my great surprise I then had two fully working GameSharks, it worked for me.

[takeshi385]

Have you cleaned the gamesharks teeth? I had one that wouldn't boot up so looked at the board and found the teeth had corroded. I feel like the teeth made of silver or lead the way they corrode.

[Zoinkity]

Whether a piggyback repair will work is dependant on why it went kaput to begin with, and that's assuming a software error.
Without a complete flash, there are three parts of memory that are directly rewritten by the hardware. There's the checksum, which is recalculated any time codes are altered, a keycode is switched, or basically any other data alteration/save. Settings changes will reset 0x2FB00 through 0x2FB70 and reset the checksum. Adding or removing enablers will reset 0x2FC00 through 0x30000, and making changes to the codelist will rewrite 0x30000 to the end. Codelists can corrupt easily due to a series of annoying and idiotic bugs, such as failing to check if a codelist will actually fit back on hardware before writing it, or failing to write the terminator, or just simply botching it up. This passs through since the only actual check is if a calculated checksum for the rewritten ROM passes. You should see the data access stuff. The things are apparently mapped 16bit and have to write everything in halfwords to two different memory ranges.

Piggyback can be used to reset the keycode, effectively undoing any header change. The most likely memory corruption culprit--codelist errors--can be undone via a system data reset or by adding games/codes, maybe even by simply toggling things on and off but I'd have to check the disassembly again to make sure. Incomplete writebacks or more vital corruption will require a full flash.

[cheaterdragon1]

Wow thanks for all the replies guys!

AFAIK you don't need to connect either gameshark to the computer.
Here's a video you may want to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RwtGqI2vo


I don't have a N64 or its gameshark, but from what I've read this should work.


Good luck!

I've tried that loads of times and it unfortunately hasn't fixed them. Thanks though.

With N64 GameSharks, the most common problems I've encountered are:
a) Weak solder joints on the top card connecter. - Which a simple touchup with a soldering iron fixes.


b) Pins in the cart connecter get bent too tight. - Go over with a pin bending out slightly like on a nes finger header repair.


c) Corrupted flash image - You can try the piggy back reset method in previous post, I've only had it work once. If it fails, you'll either have to do a piggy back flash, which is similar to the piggy back reset except you reflash the bottom GS via db25 which also flashes the middle GS (I've been told this is possibly dangerous with a 64DD hooked up). Another way to do it, and how I've upgraded many 3.2 with working db25 to 3.3, is to desolder the 2 eeproms, flash with de-interleaved rom, then resolder the eeproms.


As far as usb <-> lpt, I lost the link to one that works (will update when found again)...most will not as they are made to only handle printers

I'm more then sure that both of my broken Gamesharks are from option C. I did buy a USB to Parallel port adaptor and it unfortunately hasn't helped. I really hope you can find the link to the working one as thats about all I have to go on.

Doesn't work, tried it myself. All that video does is show you that one will boot up both but no flashing goes on.


Send them to me and I can reflash them with 3.3. I can also install the components necessary to restore parallel port functionality to those that have the solder pads but lack the components.

If I can't fix them myself, then I'd definitely look into doing this. Thanks very much.

Have you cleaned the gamesharks teeth? I had one that wouldn't boot up so looked at the board and found the teeth had corroded. I feel like the teeth made of silver or lead the way they corrode.

I've cleaned the pins and the teeth. Both were very dirty, but they still don't work.

Whether a piggyback repair will work is dependant on why it went kaput to begin with, and that's assuming a software error.
Without a complete flash, there are three parts of memory that are directly rewritten by the hardware. There's the checksum, which is recalculated any time codes are altered, a keycode is switched, or basically any other data alteration/save. Settings changes will reset 0x2FB00 through 0x2FB70 and reset the checksum. Adding or removing enablers will reset 0x2FC00 through 0x30000, and making changes to the codelist will rewrite 0x30000 to the end. Codelists can corrupt easily due to a series of annoying and idiotic bugs, such as failing to check if a codelist will actually fit back on hardware before writing it, or failing to write the terminator, or just simply botching it up. This passs through since the only actual check is if a calculated checksum for the rewritten ROM passes. You should see the data access stuff. The things are apparently mapped 16bit and have to write everything in halfwords to two different memory ranges.


Piggyback can be used to reset the keycode, effectively undoing any header change. The most likely memory corruption culprit--codelist errors--can be undone via a system data reset or by adding games/codes, maybe even by simply toggling things on and off but I'd have to check the disassembly again to make sure. Incomplete writebacks or more vital corruption will require a full flash.

I'm sure at least one of them broke by me switching to a keycode, and not putting the correct game in. I'm pretty sure I've tried all the keycode games to see if it would work. I don't remember ever having any codelist problems.

[mikeryan]

I've cleaned the pins and the teeth. Both were very dirty, but they still don't work.

The teeth are more than likely corroded to hell. Lather up the edge connector of an N64 cart with some Arctic Silver and insert/remove it a few times. That lays down a layer of conductive material, filling in the gaps where the metal's corroded away.

I do this to my GS Pro about once a year or whenever it starts getting flaky.

[Zoinkity]

If it won't respond to any keycode that means it has a bad checksum, something horribly common since it takes longer to set and write back everything than it does for the message to appear saying it finished 0.o

That particular one should be reflashable via stacking. I've done the exact same thing in the exact same situation and it works fine.

The things are notorious for being made like crap though. Even Datel employees will admit to it.

[seemoremacstuff]

Easiest option, just get a another one on ebay, they are not to expensive.

[APE]

Easiest option, just get a another one on ebay, they are not to expensive.

Take one down, pass it around, 98 Gamesharks on the wall.

Then throw the "broken" one away. Easiest solution=needlessly wasteful and short sighted.

[cheaterdragon1]

If it won't respond to any keycode that means it has a bad checksum, something horribly common since it takes longer to set and write back everything than it does for the message to appear saying it finished 0.o


That particular one should be reflashable via stacking. I've done the exact same thing in the exact same situation and it works fine.


The things are notorious for being made like crap though. Even Datel employees will admit to it.

Thanks for the reply. I know these things are crap. But when working, the Gameshark is an amazing tool that can do so much. With a lot of cheat devices you'd just have to get codes off the internet. But with the N64 Gameshark, you can actually create codes yourself. And that's why I like it so much.


I don't have any sign of life coming from my two broken Gamesharks. I've tried stacking before, but it hasn't helped. That might be because the working Gameshark on the bottom was the shitty version 3.3 which had no LED and a useless parallel port.


Any more ideas man?

Easiest option, just get a another one on ebay, they are not to expensive.

No.

[APE]

FWIW its actually a 7 segment display rather than LEDs. I have the part number here on the boards and it is easily dropped in with the rest of the parts if you can solder well.

The fact the stacking didn't work is because stacking doesn't solve 100% of problems. Stacking them and reflashing the working one will flash to both at once and fix it but obviously will wipe any custom codes (which occasionally are the problem).

[dakooldog]

I would flash it to be completely honest, but it seems like overkill for gamesharks.

[CZroe]

Odd because I had a dead Gameshark, I picked up an extra at Value Village and after following that video and to my great surprise I then had two fully working GameSharks, it worked for me.

It wasn't a dead GameShark. It simply needed to boot once with the correct CIC because someone selected one of those other games. They get stuck like that even with the right game thanks to poor design from Datel. Not only does having twice the number of cartridge connectors more than double your chances of having a poor connection, they use dissimilar metals on their connectors, which promotes corrosion, and they use right-angles all over the PCB traces, which any engineer should know is bad for signal integrity at higher frequencies.

Use alcohol to thoroughly clean all contacts on the games, N64, and GameSharks before you determine that incorrect boot type is not the problem. Ensure that all of the games work just fine through the N64 and, if another is available, through the working GameShark. If they work fine some times and not others, consider that the chances multiply when you stack GameSharks and be ready to insert and remove and try again over and over for each game type.