It's kinda bittersweet giving this guy up. This is one of the first mods I've done on a console. As I primed it to test (just installing a new battery for the CMOS) I was reminiscing on this mod:
It was the late 90's. The Playstation and Saturn were the current gen consoles. Also, X-Men vs. Street Fighter was popular in arcades. When it was released to home systems, I picked up the Playstation version (the only current gen console I had at the time)...popped it in to play against friends....DAMN LOADING TIMES!
A friend of mine just got the Saturn version of it. The game required the use of the 4 MB cart that was packed with the game (Japan version, the only one released). Because his console was for US region, he used another cart to load the game, then swap carts to get the 4MB to register...It took some time, but when we got it right, the fun would last all day and night.
He since got tired of the swapping and sold this Saturn to me. I was excited, but I could never get the swap just right. There was days that I just got tired of trying and trudged playing the Playstation version.
I got bored one night and Yahoo!'d (best search engine of the late 90's!) Sega Saturn import. I came up with a link to GamesX.com; a console information site for video information, controller pinouts, and some region modifications. That's where I read about the region switch; a DPDT toggle switch that will change the region of the Sega Saturn from one region to another.
I printed the instructions out, and pretty much studied it for a long time. When I was confident enough, I went out and bought the parts and went to it.
...The instructions said to cut or break the resistors that were in the way for the region mod. I still remember using my needle nose pliers and breaking those resistors off. If I knew then what I know now, I would've just used the soldering iron and desoldered them from there.
After a good 8 hrs taking it slow, I was left with a lovely region switch modified Model 1 Saturn. I remember electrocuting myself on the first initial test because I forgot to put the plastic shielding back under the power supply. That was fun.
After reinstalling everything properly, I first tested a US region game. Loaded up just fine. I then popped XvSF with the cart in place. Flipped the region switch, crossed my fingers, turned it on...On the first try, the game loaded. NO MORE SWAPPING! XvSF CHALLENGES WITH FRIENDS FOR DAYS!
I've since got a Model 2 that already had a region mod installed. I just put in a modchip to play burns and called it good. I was thinking of adding a modchip to this Model 1, but there were none available. All that exists is a mod for the modchip for the Model 2 that will work for the Model 1...forget it.
I know, though, that this baby will go to a good home and get played more than I did back in the day. I'll miss it.
I'm trading it for a Japanese Famicom. It's just something I've wanted to add to my collection since I've been hooked watching Game Center CX on YouTube.
Goodbye, Sega Saturn Model 1. You will always be the first console I've modified. May you give the same joy to your new owner as you did I back in the day. We will always that XvSF and KoF '95 to reminisce on.
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