Odd orange N64 cart from Datel....

Is there anyone out there who has seen one of these before.... ?

http://www.nesworld.com/n64-dateltrainercart.php

 

nope, never seen anything like that before, possibly used for transfering code from your PC?
or maybe an Action Replay that needed a PC to run?

interesting little device

 

Not seen that directly, but just looks like the snes action reply I had as a kid... action reply into machine, cart into the back and then you can make your own codes by searching for values.

(which I assume you already know)

Port on the top just looks to either be - assist in code creation or for dumping saves from carts (much like the saturn action replay?)

 

The mention of trainer definately makes me think its a cheat device considering trainers are pc game cheating programs. Datel probably offered game cheats on their website. You would download them and program them to the cart with a cable. when the screen turns black you probably insert your retail game and then it loads and you play the game with cheats

 

I don't think this is an official product though... but something for internal use

 

Looks like a prototype Action Replay to me, or perhaps one that was used by Datel themselves to search for cheats/codes.

It appears to be very similar to the later Action Replay Professional/GameShark Pro which have a parallel port, only instead of the parallel port being on the back and the cartridge slot on the top, it has the parallel port on the top and the cartridge slot at the back.

It might even work with the N64 Version 3 Utilities software to search for cheat codes:-
http://doc.kodewerx.org/hacking_n64.html#using_gs_pc_connect
(You might want to backup/dump the menu first though if you can)

Any chance of some high res pics of the front and back of the PCB?

 

If it's any help, it seems be using the same mould that was used for the Game Booster, the device to play GB games on the N64.

 

maybe it was used in the creation of the GameBooster?

 

yeah I'm guessing it was related to code creation

 

the cart plastic is identical to the sharkwire (with the exception of color), the online game shark they briefly released. wonder if it's some sort of prototype, it even has the same black button on the front?

 

Maybe for transferring game ssaves from a PC. As there's no place to plug in a cart....

 

Well the Sharkwire has a modem built-in along with a keyboard jack. Yeah it uses the same mold as was used for the sharkwire and gamebooster, but notice how the menu says "Trainer", so it must've been used to find GameShark/Action Replay codes, but I wonder what the parallel port is for...

with a little search on google it seems Datel was planning some sort of "development software" for the PSX called DDX. Well this one also says DDX on the "title screen" so it could be an N64 version of such?

 

It's definately either a proto Action Reply (the playstation had a pc-link AR) or a custom device used by Datel to search for codes themselves.

I'd love to see the controller pack, any chance of the buyer tracking it down?

 

Not trying to be funny, but I mentioned in my previous post what the parallel port would likely be used for:-
http://doc.kodewerx.org/hacking_n64.html#using_gs_pc_connect
You can reflash the cart, find new codes, and update the code list.

The three chips that are present on the PCB are the same as those used in all Action Replay's/GameSharks:-

Although your cart doesnt feature a numerical display.

There is also a hex invertor present on GameShark's/Action Replay's that have parallel ports, but I guess this might not strictly be necessary, or perhaps its on the back of the PCB on your board? (Any chance of some high res pics of the front and back of the PCB?)

 

There are no chips on the back of the board... hmm so maybe it's a prototype Action Replay. Not trying to be funny, but there's no code list on the cart or anything like that

Unfortunately the Controller Pak is long gone...

 

It doesnt really need a code list though, since new codes can be searched for on the PC. There still might be some way to access some sort of menu system though - either through button combinations, or through the PC connection.

I think its more than likely that this is the sort of cartridge datel would have made for internal use to search for new cheat codes prior to the release of the Action Replay's/GameShark's that feature parallel ports.

Have you considered dumping the ROM? If so it should be possible to flash it onto a normal Action Replay and then you can experiment with it ;-)

 

It's probably a debugging tool for code creation, allowing you to search for codes, view changes in memory, etc.

 

its not orange its neon red and is it a flash cart or an action replay?

 

Interesting, most likely prototype trainer cart. Does anything show up on the screen? Or is this completely PC driven? Nice looking cart though.