Saturn proof-of-concept bootloader Pseudo Saturn

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Not really for back up but for my official game.

 

Your official import games should be able to boot with this too. The BIOS and its loader are what enforce region checking I believe.

 

Pseudo 0.831 allows both originals and backups from any region to boot (no need to patch your backups anymore).
Not all games work but very many do.

 

It did!

I just did the whole thing tonight, first time I attempt disc swap, had to open up my Saturn to tape the switch. Then I used cafealpha2's utility and it worked wonderfully!


Very grateful with everyone! Time to enjoy my Saturn x100 now

 

Wish someone continued the work of cybersoldierx and added more functions to pseudosaturn...as an example, restoring the action replay code feature. So bad I'm a hardware guy and not a code wizard

 

Or the Save game on cart feature

 

They say the Saturn is extremely hard to program for, maybe that´s why we don´t see updates so often. For what I know, cyberwarriorx is still working on a new release which (hopefully) adds save feature back again and improves compatibility

 

Ram and zone free OK, just missing save for the perfect flash.

 

I wonder which version of "save" will it be implemented.

There's the MemoryCard+ that attempts to emulate the Backup Mem (with mixed results) or the AR way in which it's more like a way to copy saves from internal mem to external.

Given a choice the direct save is the best option as moving stuff around is already supported from the Sat sys menu, but also the harder as I am not sure if the official Sega Sat Backup Mem was flash based to begin with, if it was then timing constraints should be accounted for when writing already, if not then it's going to be much tougher and it may explains why the MemoryCard+ falters from time to time (PDS cannot save direct to it without corruption, but other games seems to work just fine).

Anyway I am really curious to see what's going to be.

For the few like me with an MPEG board it would be nice if PS fixes the crash when playing a VCD, it does start it but the it all crashes.

 

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The disc plays fine if I use a stock AR+ (fw 2.01) and start it from the CD menu.

If I try with a MemCard+ (MCP firmware) instead it complains that "the disc is not suitable ....", I believe the VCD card has "another" check that somehow (chance?) the AR+ way of recalling the sys menu after it injected the region bypass makes happy.
[my Sat is chipped, but I tried on an unchipped one I have around and it behaves identically in this regard]

The fact that mem and BIOS share the same flash should not matter as long as the code is careful to for example only write the top half (bottom half as it may be).
MemCard+ does something like that with its orig FW, but if I flash it with GS1.96 then it behaves like a GS (earlier models, no RAM etc...) and the backup flash is accessible only thru the GS own menu.

I wonder if PS can make AR+ extra flash behaves more like the MemCard+ (minus the bugs obviously) rather than a backup. After all as I personally tested the MemCard+ with MCP fw behaves one way, with GS1.96 fw behaves the other way so it is not entirely an hardware only issue, and MemCard+ is kind more primitive compared to AR+ in terms of hardware.

[for curiosity I tried flashing on MemCard+ later AR FWs to no avail, I also tried the AR (no GS) fw 1.94 but although it works that one is not region free so no point given GS1.96 is also region free]

 

Wow I can not wait to try this out. This will be a nice tool to have in the workshop. In a way I can use the modded 4n1 as a quick laser testing tool. Some Saturns have issues reading CDRs and need adjustment. Using this device will allow immediate testing of the lasers CDR reading ability without opening the console. Amazing

 

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The MemCard+ also does region free (without even telling it ... that must be the first time of not telling of a feature) but in not as good a way as the AR+ ... or maybe it has to do with the way they recall the cd menu, not sure.

I did order a couple of region free BIOS chips, haven't had the time to try them out yet, unsure if it would make the VCD happy without need of anything (no Pseudo, no MemCard+, no AR+) or the extra check would still come into the way, anyone tried it?

Using PS for VCD (I have a US Sat with a Jap VCD) brings up a sort of crash menu with a register dump, something about an invalid instruction if I remember correctly. A feature of PS?

 

The new option (flash IDs display refresh) in cafealpha2 flasher, gave me a little of hope, but did not work. I tried to move a lot of times, but it's useless, my action replay it seems dead. Anyway, thanks cafealpha2 for the new option, with that, I can confirm the real status of my Action replay.

 

If you're into electronics (or have a friend who does it) I'd resolder the chips on your AR. The failure mode is compatible with a pin broken or some kind of broken solder. Seems easily repairable. Altough you can get one from china for $30 incluiding freight.

 

Hey guys, sorry this might be my first post. I saw back on page 6 or 7 Zorlon speaking of a patch for fixing the crash Panzer Dragoon Saga with the Pseudo Action Replay. I can get the game loaded and past the opening FMV clips, entering a name, then back to another FMV clip. But once it gets to the gameplay it goes to a black screen. The ISOs were patched to get them to boot on my system with the action replay, but still having this problem. Does this patch exist yet? Thanks for your help! Trying to solve this for myself and a couple other guys who have the same problem on the Sega Retro Gamers group on facebook.

 

I guess the best way to overcome this issue for now is by loading Panzer Dragoon Saga with the swap trick method. Looks like that game has an issue not only with AR but with Pseudo itself. I don´t think swapping discs it´s going to be that harmful for the console since it´s only this and a few games that still don´t work with Pseudo Saturn. And it´s always nice to have a original spare disc - you never know, something might go wrong with that Action Replay cartridge and you may need to reflash it.

 

No news about update add memory card fucnction from actio pro replay?