Gimmick and Dark Gimmick Reproduction

[muckyfingers]

So I picked up a Gremlins 2 to make an FME-7 reproduction of the US NTSC Mr. Gimmick game (it has full FME-7 audio, just like the PAL version) as well as Dark Gimmick, a brutally hard hack of the game found here

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2221/


When I finally received the cart and opened it up, I got a lovely surprise, it contained the Sunsoft 5B chip. This meant I could use the JPN roms and get full original audio. I'm very new to NES/Famicom reproductions so it took alot of reading and quite a few searches to piece together the information from different forums in order to make it.

I used 2x M27C4001 and used pin 31 on each, set to high or low, with a SPDT switch in order to select the upper or lower memory banks and boot up the appropriate game. I still need to whip up a label for this. Next up will be much easier ones, Madara, Esper Dream 2, Akumajou Dracula, and Just Breed.

If anybody has any questions about it, post here or send me a pm. I'll do my best to help out.














Here's my first stab at a label for it. I wanted the label to have that pirate vibe about it.

[number47]

How much did you pay for this Gremlins cart? They are most certainly cheaper than Dynamite Batman carts.
When I started planning my Gimmick reproduction I found this place - they sell prebuilt FME-7 kits.
http://www.infiniteneslives.com/aux6.php

[muckyfingers]

The Gremlins 2 cart was $18   I didn't do any shopping around, I just wanted one. I've seen the infiniteneslives board, but that is NES only. I wanted a Famicom cartridge for my AV Famicom, so I went the Gremlins 2 route.

[number47]

Good point - I did overlook the NES part. Nice find, Gremlins 2 cartridge is like a gamble - some have 5a and some have 5b chip in it.

[muckyfingers]

Well, the only way to be sure it will have a 5B chip is to pick up a Gimmick cartridge 

I know it's possible for Dodge Denpei 1 or 2 to have the chip as well, though it makes more sense that DD2 has the better chance of having it since it was a later release. Still, it's a gamble, I lucked out and was very happy. I would have still gone ahead with the reproduction had it the 5A chip, but I would have used the USA Prototype rom "Mr. Gimmick" instead.

[number47]

The dodgeball game you mentioned - Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei has FME-7.
http://bootgod.dyndns.org:7777/profile.php?id=3804
So it sould work but only with the lesser PAL or pached NTSC NES rom without the extra audio?

[muckyfingers]

What I mean to say is that those games sometimes come with a 5B chip. The 5B is backwards compatible so Sunsoft used some of their 5B chips when making these games. That's why this particular Gremlins 2 cartridge had a 5B chip.

If using an FME-7 cart you have to add the AY 8910 or similar chip, it's a much harder mod. Or use the USA proto, which is like the PAL version but programmed for NTSC and no AY chip needed. The USA proto still sounds great with all music and sound effects, it just doesn't sound as good as JPN Gimmick with the 5B chip.

[number47]

Already found the harder mod - FME-7 with AY-3-8910.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETIJHSaDG1Q

[muckyfingers]

If you want to cram it into a Famicom cart, it's a little easier to use the AY-3-8912 instead.

[ImATrackMan]

If you want to cram it into a Famicom cart, it's a little easier to use the AY-3-8912 instead.

It'd be MUCH  easier to use a YMZ284/294. They're about the size of a 74xx, all the outputs pins are combined into one, and they already automatically halve the Famicom clock from pin 32. Your only concern might be the chip/write enable pins, since those also seem to be combined.

[number47]

Any ideas where could I scavenge a YMZ284? They are not produced any more (Chinese handymen are still providing them for $9). Where to look to extract a genuine IC?

[muckyfingers]

I made a label, just need to have somebody with the proper equipment print one up for me 

[number47]

Are the donor cart's mask ROMs with the same pinout as M27C4001?

[muckyfingers]

The CHR has the EPROM pinout, the PRG is Nintendo pinout.

[Pit]

Well done.