How I fixed my bricked N64 Action Replay without a second good one or soldering.

WARNING: This is a personal experience with a SINGLE Action Replay, and unlike some knowledgeable hackers, I have only an sketchy idea (detailed-sketchy, but not down-to-the-numbers) of how these things work. This method may not work for you. Also, though I think this method is pretty much safe, as you aren't going to use working, non-bricked devices during the critical parts, I disclaim any responsibility over anything that gets damaged while you try this. You are on your own.

My bricked Action Replay 3.3 with paralell port has a long story that has went through several stages but before I go into that, I'll just describe how I did it, and then, if there's interest and/or I feel like it, and get inspiration to post something concise and easy to follow (and not my usual long-winded ramblings) I'll write something on the story of this and other theories I have of other methods that might work.

So, let's get in bussiness:

How I fixed a bricked Action Replay 3.3 without using nor risking a second working one:

-WHAT I USED:

1: A Nintendo 64 console (obviously)
2: A working N64 Passport Plus 3
3: A 6102/7101 CIC cartridge (like mario or any third party game)
4: A 64drive *
5: An AR/GS ROM, a hex editor, the 6102/7101 boot code from a commercial ROM, and a checksum recalculator like rn64crc
6: My bricked Action Replay 3.3
7: a little piece of thick or folded paper

* Other cartridges, like the Everdrive 64 or the NEO MYTH 64 might work as long as they can store a ROM in their emulated ROM-space so they behave like a normal cart from power-on. In other words, as long as they aren't "menu-only" and offer a suitable alternate boot-method. In the 64drive's case, this mode would be loading a ROM from a PC through USB, or loading it from the menu, then pluging USB and powering the console off, so that the ROM stays there with the 64drive drawing power from USB.

-PREPARATION:
You need to get a copy of the AR/GS ROM, preferably matching what you are supposed to have onboard, the 6102/7101 CIC boot code (040-FFF, FC0 in lenght) copied from games like Mario 64 or basically any third party game, and insert that into the same range in the AR ROM. Then run "rn64crc -u" on it to fix the boot code. This is the ROM you'll use later with the 64drive/other.
As for the paper. you need a small piece of paper which you'll fold as many times as you need (depending on it's thickness) so that if will fit somewhat tightly in a side of the RESET button, tight enough that if you press it down, it won't spring back. This is needed because certain N64 programs, like the AR, the PP3 will not reboot the console until it springs back, and ALSO, will prevent the onboard security chip (PIF, actually Peripheral InterFace) from locking the N64 when the CIC is removed along with the cartridge containing it. This is central to this procedure, so it's really handy. It has other uses too.

-PROCEDURE:
Plug the PP3 into the N64 with the game cart in the back slot. You don't need to put anything in the top slot. In fact, some N64s that have trouble booting it with a game on top will boot into the PP3 menu if there's no game on top (this happens to one of my consoles).
Let the PP3 boot into it's menu, then press and hold reset with the paper piece preventing it to spring back up (or hold it with your finger, but I think the paper is better). Now gently unplug the PP3 from the console while the console is still powered, and verify that the console hasn't frozen moving through the menus. Don't power it off or release the RESET button. Keep it like that for the nex step.
Now, take your bricked AR/GS attatch it to the flash cartridge containing the hacked ROM and insert the whole thing into the N64.
So, now you have a RESET-tricked N64 running the PP3 menu, from which you removed the actual PP3, and replaced it with a bricked AR/GS with a flashcart on top containing the hacked AR ROM.
Now, from the PP3 menu use "START GAME WITHOUT CODE", and you should be able to boot the previously bricked AR right into the menu.

In my case I arrived to a menu with an empty code list, so I wrote some new codes that, despite this working menu having booted from the hacked ROM in the flashcart it was now writting to the AR, so it fixed my problem which was due to a corrupted codelist. At first I only did that, and after power cycling and booting the AR NORMALLY, I arrived to a working menu which had the couple of codes I made up for the occasion. I noticed that the keycode list was corrupted too, so I did the procedure again and, from the flashcart induced menu, which had the keycodes, I used "press 'Z' to set factory default" which fixed the keycodes on the actual AR cart, which I confirmed after a second normal boot from it.

Now, this procedure, from what I can tell, seems to cause the bricked AR to be able to boot from the ROM on the flashcart, but doesn't really change anything on the actual AR unless you do it from within the menu, like creating codes and resetting keycodes to factory default, as I did. This probably includes reflashing from parellel port (would recover the original codelist), which I haven't done yet because I don't have a parallel port enabled PC in a usable state right now. My AR's code list is now fixed, which seems to have been causing it not to boot properly or at all, so now it boots and, when I have a parallel port PC ready, I will probably be able to flash it by normally booting into it. BUT, if this method didn't un-brick yours and you are still unable to boot into the menu the normal way, perhaps you could still reflash it if you have it plugged to parallel port when you force it to boot with the PP3 + RESET procedure described here.

END

During this "research" I did, I have come to realize about how some other procedures might work using different sets of materials, but I don't have a second AR or GS to test and I don't want (neither know how) to brick this one again or if this procedure will unbrick devices bricked a different way than mine was.
If anyone wants to sell a couple of bricked ones on the cheap (or send them for free ) I have a couple other ideas I'd like to try, and also confirm this works on other bricked AR/GS carts. Bear in mind that I wouldn't do this immediatelly. I'm sort of busy and don't really have everything on my side to get involved in theses things.

Anyway, tell me if this works for you.