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Understood
@unknown3123Registered January 17, 2014Active 10 years, 8 months ago
11 Replies made

Does the Japanese Virtual Boy suffer from the same problem with the crappy old glue not holding the ribbon cable?

My newer VB was having issues with the right eye. Got tired of the oven method and used my wife’s nail glue and some tape. Worked like a charm.

PS: Bought this security bit set

Fits like a glove.

bigmak wrote:
It’s coming from England..so expect 2 1/2 weeks just for the mail.

-Eric

Aw man. I’m gonna have to wait till May to be able to use it if I manage to buy it.
I contacted Richard Early in the morning today. Now I’m anxiously waiting for his response. 8D

How long does it usually take for the Flashboy + to ship?

I hate how some people buy Uncle Tusk’s $80 repros and end up scamming people by selling them on eBay for like $250 or $350.
Some people actually want to play those games.

Let’s see if I can get 3 VB games from there during my stay in basic training in one of those rare moments where they let you use your phone. If not, then I’ll probably be left with blue balls like with Gundam. lol

I’ve grown quite interested in making VB repros. I’ve never actually produced repros myself but I would like to know how. SNES and NES repros look easier to produce based on my research compared to the VB ones that seem to have a way smaller chip. The chip is so small that I don’t know which programmer would work for burning the rom. For the SNES and NES is just, remove, burn, attach. The VB ones on the other hand look a bit more complex. Even dumping the ROM looks like something that might take some time. I have no problem in getting the tools necessary for the job. I would probably use the repros for personal use though. I have no interest in selling them. The main reason I wish to learn how to make them is because the games are pretty expensive. My wife almost killed me when I bought Jack Bros and Insmouse no Yakata. Me having a newborn son and all. heh.

Teleroboxer, Warioland, Red Alarm. Virtual Golf had some amazing graphics and Insmouse no Yakata looks awesome, not as good as Faceball though. Faceball and Bound High really made me go WOW!

Today I got a VB from craigslist for $50. It was the VB with visor and a controller. Pretty good for $50. It’s working flawlessly so, I’ll play on that one for a while.

DogP wrote:
I’ve heard a couple other people have that problem… I’ve never personally seen it myself, but any time an IC is exposed to light, it has the possibility of its p-n junctions acting as photodiodes. Poor cable contact, plus small induced currents from that could be what causes it.

Most chips don’t have this problem because they’re housed in opaque packages, but since this one emits light, it’s in a transparent package. A similar effect can be seen with EPROMs’ exposed windows. I’ve heard of data glitches caused by bright flashes near the EPROM window (temporary, not the same as the erasing effect from UV). Try turning on/off the lights in your room, and shining a flashlight in there, and see if it has the same effect as moving your head in/out of the visor.

Either way, the real fix is to just fix the cable… but it’s an interesting problem.

DogP

I shone my cellphone’s LED light through the lens and the glitching seems to have gotten a bit worse, nothing major since it only lasts for less than a second and then goes back to being slightly glitchy, but it’s only when I’m away from the Virtual Boy. When I get close to the visor it goes back to normal, like it’s working normally. The glue on the left display is not stuck to the cable like it’s supposed to. I tried softening it with the oven and a hair dryer, but it’s so old that it’s practically useless. I can’t solder, since I don’t have the tools, knowledge, workspace or the courage to do that to my Virtual Boy. Should I rip out the glue it has and buy another one like it? Or should I use it as it is for the time being till the scan line issue comes back? Does this issue affect the 3D effect? Here are some before and after pictures.

Do the lines move when you move your head? If so, they are probably specks of dust on the mirrors or the magnifying glass. I had that issue and fixed it by cleaning the mirrors and the magnifying glass with a Q-tip. But the issue I have is different and kinda strange.