Hey everyone,

I recently picked up a VB tall tore display for what I think was a good deal (light looks awesome), but when I try to play the cart that came with it – it won’t load past the warning screen.

I have a lot of experience cleaning video game carts and some older systems like the NES – but this would be much more difficult I imagine.

Is it stalling at the loading screen a common problem? Is it just dusty or dirty and needs to be cleaded? etc.

I tried posting on some other gaming forums I hang out in but got no responses and assume this would be the best place to go.

Thanks!

Did you try taking the cartridge out and putting it back in?

If that doesn’t work on the first attempt, try a few more times (this once worked for someone who was having trouble with their VB reading their game)

Yeah I tried that a bunch of time. It didn’t seem to help. Out of probably a 100 times the cart has made it to the screen where it say Virtual Boy and then freezes.

I was hoping there was a way to maybe clean the contact or something, but I wouldn’t know how since they are those strange tube ones.

Are you sure your start button isn’t bad? There’s no reason that carts should stall anywhere, unless just part of the ROM is actually bad (VERY uncommon, and very unlikely to show up as stalling at the warning screen). If it boots to a screen, your cart is most likely fine. Do you have any other carts to try?

DogP

DogP wrote:
Are you sure your start button isn’t bad? There’s no reason that carts should stall anywhere, unless just part of the ROM is actually bad (VERY uncommon, and very unlikely to show up as stalling at the warning screen). If it boots to a screen, your cart is most likely fine. Do you have any other carts to try?

DogP

Is it possible for the VB itself to have a problem?

DogP wrote:
Are you sure your start button isn’t bad? There’s no reason that carts should stall anywhere, unless just part of the ROM is actually bad (VERY uncommon, and very unlikely to show up as stalling at the warning screen). If it boots to a screen, your cart is most likely fine. Do you have any other carts to try?

DogP

I don’t think it is the start button because once or twice it made it do the Virtual Boy screen and then seemed stuck there.

I will look into it some more. Hopefully it isn’t the console or the controller because it looks like it would be a pain to have to replace those on the setup, but at least it will give me a good chance to really clean everything.

Sadly, I don’t have any other carts. I just never got into the VB. Someone actually contacted me about trading some NES games and such when he mentioned he had this. I saw the working light and the advertisements on the side and new I’d have to have it.

I was looking to pick up some other carts close by on craigslist but what I found was overprice so I will probably order a cheapy or two off ebay to get everything rolling.

Thanks for the help! I will update this thread after I get to the next step.

before you start ripping things about (assuming it gets that far), try grabbing a mario’s tennis off ebay. i just snagged two for under $10 with shipping. it would be a very affordable way for you to test the contacts. you might also consider a can of compressed air if you have not already.

It sounds like a controller prob to me. Anyway, that is a rare unit you have on your hands, why not sell it if you’re not much into VB?

Okay.

I picked up a bunch of carts and another system off of craigslist. Looks like it is the actual VB and not the Wario Demo cart.

I tested out the carts is the new VB and they work – didn’t work on the older one.

Any idea on what would be a good idea to look into for fixing the VB in the stand? Should I just try to swap out of the systems. The new one I got looks to be in better condition (at least the foam flap anyways).

Fixing it depends on if the VB you got with the stand is the one that is to it.

Any display VBs has a different type of serial number sticker if I’m recalling right than the one you could buy.

If you have the VB that came with the stand from Big N than it is prob worth at lest trying to fix it. If some one already switched the display VB out for a consumer VB than just switch them.

Can you post any pics?

Allen wrote:
Fixing it depends on if the VB you got with the stand is the one that is to it.

Any display VBs has a different type of serial number sticker if I’m recalling right than the one you could buy.

If you have the VB that came with the stand from Big N than it is prob worth at lest trying to fix it. If some one already switched the display VB out for a consumer VB than just switch them.

Can you post any pics?

Display consoles have low serial numbers and the eye visor mounting plate is screwed on so people couldn’t remove it.

I also thought that display VBs serial number stickers had no bar code…

Allen wrote:
I also thought that display VBs serial number stickers had no bar code…

Not that I know of. My US display console has a serial of VN10001679[6] (Unit# 1679) and has a bar code.

All Japanese consoles have no bar codes.

Its strange how its not the cart… and how it makes it to the warning screen but not to the game (I have never heard of a Virtual Boy doing this)

I hope this will be an easy fix for you 😕

VirtualJockey wrote:
Not that I know of. My US display console has a serial of VN10001679[6] (Unit# 1679) and has a bar code.

All Japanese consoles have no bar codes.

Okay good to know.

VirtualJockey wrote:
All Japanese consoles have no bar codes.

A more efficient way to say that would be: “No Japanese consoles have bar codes.” 😉

Back on topic…

Dokstarr wrote:
Okay.

I picked up a bunch of carts and another system off of craigslist. Looks like it is the actual VB and not the Wario Demo cart.

I tested out the carts is the new VB and they work – didn’t work on the older one.

Any idea on what would be a good idea to look into for fixing the VB in the stand? Should I just try to swap out of the systems. The new one I got looks to be in better condition (at least the foam flap anyways).

Did you try the display VB with your new controller? I agree with others that it sounds like a controller issue. The controller could be broken and still manage the “getting to the title screen once” thing.

If it is the controller, it wouldn’t be that hard to fix (especially given that it seems to partially work; it might just need a cleaning) and fairly cheap to just replace.