Samurai 64 2 Worth?

Hey guys, it seems a lot of you have acquired a Samurai 64 2 Motherboard and I was led to believe these were farely uncommon? What is the going rate for a kit with the American Marquee, etc worth? Thanks for your time.

I purchased one of the JAMMA compatible H64 boards from an individual that got hise setup from Vektorlogic. The JAMMA compatible boards are the Japanese boards, so in order to switch the games to English. you have to get into the game menu. Still, this style of board is DEFINITELY more desirable since it is plug and play in any JAMMA cabinet that has a 45 button set up.

As for the carts, I have all 4 of the fighting games. Only the first Samurai Shodown game is in English. All three of my other carts are Japanese. Not a big deal in that they can play in English, much like Japanese MVS carts.

Trying to put a price on Hyper items is quite hard simply because cost depends highly upon your source. In general, I see a motehr board and a game on eBay going for about $175-200 or so. However, if you order from Vektorlogic, in the UK, you can get the easy to use JAMMA mother board and 3 games for only $295! This is a great price. the shipping runs about $55, so in reality, you are looking at $350. Still a good buy, for sure.

I have been enjoying these games quite a bit and would recommend getting Samurai 64 part 2, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and Buriki One. If you are feeling cheeky, you might even spring for the original Samurai 64, but it places fourth out of four in the line up IMO. Cool game, but the others show some serious advances in the skills of the programmers. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Hey thanks for the info on the board!! I have had a Samurai 64 in the past and sold it because I was less than impressed with the graphics and when it comes to my Arcade buys I am much more concerned about quality over quanity. For that reason most of my Aracde efforts have been focused on SNK MVS stuff because I have a dedicated 4 slot and the Sega Naomi. I have a few other odds and ends, Street Fighter 3 3rd Strike, ect. I am interested in your Plug and play comments. The other Hyper 64 I had you had to hook up Speakers and a ground and 5.5V, is there another board out there I should be aware of that doesnt need these system requirments? If so I would love to hear about it and any info you have on the conversion!! Thanks for your time in welcoming a new comer to the forum!!

Hey thanks for the info on the board!! I have had a Samurai 64 in the past and sold it because I was less than impressed with the graphics and when it comes to my Arcade buys I am much more concerned about quality over quanity. For that reason most of my Aracde efforts have been focused on SNK MVS stuff because I have a dedicated 4 slot and the Sega Naomi. I have a few other odds and ends, Street Fighter 3 3rd Strike, ect. I am interested in your Plug and play comments. The other Hyper 64 I had you had to hook up Speakers and a ground and 5.5V, is there another board out there I should be aware of that doesnt need these system requirments? If so I would love to hear about it and any info you have on the conversion!! Thanks for your time in welcoming a new comer to the forum!!

Hey, no problem at all, 'Abyss. We Neo gamers are a rare breed, with the Hyper 64 gamer even more rare! We'd better help each other out because there isn't anyone else! <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

Anyway, about the board to which I was refering; there are two main types of Hyper 64 boards out there ( at least for the 4 fighting games). From the sound of it, you had a US release Hyper board. This was the board that, as you have previously stated, needed extra wiring in order to have sound etc.

There was a subsequent board released, Japan only, that is a pure JAMMA board. This is the board that I have. I happen to have a dedicated four slot SNK cabinet. The ONLY thing I have to plug into my Japan Hyper board to have full functionality is the JAMMA harness...that's it. Well, that's not totally it, but the games are playable with full stereo sound.

The only thing you DON"T have access to immediately with this board is a functioning "test" button. The pin for the "test" on my four slot cab is different than the pin for the Hyper board. The Hyper board "test" button contact is pin 25. I don't know what it is on the 4 slot, but it's not 25. So, I do not yet have access to the config menus of any of the games I plug in.

So, I have not yet been able to switch the soft dip on my Hyper games to English yet, or change the difficulty settings, etc. For me, the only game thus far for which it has been an issue is Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition. The default is rather odd. It is set up as a one round game as the default. Very strange. Other than that one little thing, the Japanese Hyper board is TOTALLY plug and play on an SNK, 4 slot cab, or any other 4 button, JAMMA cab for that matter.

I might get around to wiring a "test" button later. For right now I am happy playing my games as is.

BTW, here is the link to VektorLogic. Jeff, who works at Vektor, is on the boards and frequently answers questions about the Hyper 64. Great guy. BTW, Vektor will also be releasing some MVS games shortly, independant of SNK. The board I have originally came from them, brand new. If you are interested, they are the ones from whom you should buy your Hyper wares.

Anything else, just let me know!

[ July 25, 2001: Message edited by: RyoGeo ]

Hey thanks for the great info!! Sounds to me like the Japanese board is the way to go but if I have to do alittle wiring its no big deal. I am a Video Game Vendor and I can wire Jamma in my sleep. If it is not wire 25 on the Jamma connector in your cabinet you might try 25c for your test. You wouldnt happen to know of a place where there is a wiring schematic for this PCB would you? If so I can read schematics and we can figure out which pin is the test, then all you have to do is hook a switch to it!! Let me know and I will see what I can come up with. Thanks!!

Funny that you ask about the schematic. the board came with all documentation (Vektor bought these new from SNK a while back) but they're in Japanese. So, to answer your question, I have a full manual for the board but it is in the wrong language.

Although, I am pretty confident when I say that it is pin 25 if only because some other folks on the Hyper BB have wired them up.

Guys, am I right? Pin 25 for the "test" button?

[edit]

Hey, BTW, 'Abyss. Did your SS64 come with a header? All 4 of the boards I have for my H64 have all kinds of posters and stickers and what not, but no large marquee. Do those come separately?

[ July 25, 2001: Message edited by: RyoGeo ]

Every Neo 64 board I have had so far has come with the original Marquee for a large stand up. The reason why you are getting those little ID cards is because your buying imports and in Japan not that I am probably telling you something that you dont already know but anyway in Japan they use those little Neo Candy type cabinets for space and the fact that you can put them back to back and line them up in rows in large areas, very similar to how the Casinos line up slot machines in Vegas and because thier population is the way it is in the land of the rising sun they can get more cabinets on the floor that way and more people playing them. Hense mini cabinets and mini marquees!! Yeah I know and everytime time I buy a Japanese Kit I get to search the next 6 months on ebay looking for the Marquee if it is something rare or Japanese only. Your in luck though, just dial 1-800-444-6854 this is the phone number to Video Connection in CA. Just tell them Sonny sent you. They deal in Neo Geo 64 boards and will have the Marquees you are looking for.As for that pin out when mine comes in I should have a manual, let me see what I can find out.

Sweetness! Thanks, 'Abyss. I'll give them a try!

Ha! Yes, it does indeed help. Thank you Tenjin!

hmmm... i can read japanese a bit and the Test switch is pin number 15 (yes, 15!... 25 is 1st player D button)

hope this helps

Feel free to ask if you got any other questions about pinouts of the Hyper.

Hey Sweet!!! Pin 15 it is!! Thanks Man, I wish I could read Japanese, I would be playing Final Fantasy 10!!! Maybe I can learn some day when I recover some of my brain cells from the 70's...lol.