MS3 problems (error message, garbled graphics)

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

I just got my copy of Metal Slug 3 today from the Neostore. Fired it up for the first time about ten minutes ago, and I'm having problems. I'm getting the following error message:

MVS SLOT CHECK
VERSION 2.20 99/11/01
M1 - ROM ERROR

There's no sound, and a lot of the graphics are garbled and flickering. I tried reseating the cartridge several times, but no improvement. What the hell's going on?

LWK · Oct 15, 2001

Sounds like one (or more)of the roms inside is damaged.
That sucks.
Also could be your system, but I am more on the damaged rom side...
Because it would have to be more then one rom for the sound to be a problem and the graphics.
Or at least thats my belief, I would try to get a replacement.

[ October 15, 2001: Message edited by: Lord Wolfgang Krauser ]

DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL · Oct 15, 2001

boy i wonder why that is???/

mvs error on a home cart...

do you have debug?

intresting huh?

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

Unfortunately I'm playing on an unmodified AES at the moment. Modded one should arrive in a day or two.

I was messing around with it some more, and it seems that wiggling the cart while in the slot causes the problems to disappear and reappear. Sound is now working, but the video is still garbled. I tried moving the cart up and down in the slot, but it doesn't seem to matter how far in I insert the cart. None of my other carts are doing this; I put them in and they fire right up.

Looks like I got a bum cart.

NeoLord · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
Unfortunately I'm playing on an unmodified AES at the moment. Modded one should arrive in a day or two.

I was messing around with it some more, and it seems that wiggling the cart while in the slot causes the problems to disappear and reappear. Sound is now working, but the video is still garbled. I tried moving the cart up and down in the slot, but it doesn't seem to matter how far in I insert the cart. None of my other carts are doing this; I put them in and they fire right up.

Looks like I got a bum cart.

Keep us posted on this, ThirdKind. Have you tried to exchange your cartridge?

DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL · Oct 15, 2001

the question here is.....
why would a mvs error pop up?????

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

I e-mailed the Neostore to ask for a replacement a few minutes ago. This thing is definitely wacked.

I too am concerned by the MVS error. The other thing I noticed is the lousy print quality on the cart's label. It's out of register and fairly blurry. The snap case is very clear and professional looking, however. Can any other MS3 owners confirm that theirs is in the same condition?

Why would a home cart give an MVS error? Does this lend credence to the theory that MS3 home carts are nothing but MVS stock that SNK had left over?

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
I e-mailed the Neostore to ask for a replacement a few minutes ago. This thing is definitely wacked.

I too am concerned by the MVS error. The other thing I noticed is the lousy print quality on the cart's label. It's out of register and fairly blurry. The snap case is very clear and professional looking, however. Can any other MS3 owners confirm that theirs is in the same condition?

Why would a home cart give an MVS error? Does this lend credence to the theory that MS3 home carts are nothing but MVS stock that SNK had left over?

The message "MVS Slot Check ver 2.20 99/11/01" is not an error, the same message comes up on my original JPN MS3 home cart (bought at the original release of the game, not the re-release).

LWK · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
I e-mailed the Neostore to ask for a replacement a few minutes ago. This thing is definitely wacked.

I too am concerned by the MVS error. The other thing I noticed is the lousy print quality on the cart's label. It's out of register and fairly blurry. The snap case is very clear and professional looking, however. Can any other MS3 owners confirm that theirs is in the same condition?

Why would a home cart give an MVS error? Does this lend credence to the theory that MS3 home carts are nothing but MVS stock that SNK had left over?

Out of place and blurry?
Could you scan it please?
I would appreciate it...

DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by chimpmeister:
The message "MVS Slot Check ver 2.20 99/11/01" is not an error, the same message comes up on my original JPN MS3 home cart (bought at the original release of the game, not the re-release).

that statement is total bullshit!!!!!

Liquid Snake · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by chimpmeister:
The message "MVS Slot Check ver 2.20 99/11/01" is not an error, the same message comes up on my original JPN MS3 home cart (bought at the original release of the game, not the re-release).

Then what happens to your JPN MS3?

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by Liquid Snake:
Then what happens to your JPN MS3?

OK a little more testing. I do have a modded Neo system with debug chip, I didn't mention that before.

My modded system has three modes: Developer Home, Developer MVS, and Normal Home. It defaults to Developer MVS, thus the slot check message. The slot check message appears for the original JPN Slug 3, and the new U.S. Slug 3.

When I access debug mode using select+C on controller #2, and change to Normal Home mode, country USA, and restart the game, it comes up normally with NO SLOT CHECK message, in both cases.

So the MVS slot check message IS common if you have a system with debug bios, which is why I take it for granted. When you change the mode to Normal Home use, the slot check message disappears.

The M1 error is a sound ROM error as far as I know. THAT sounds like a REAL error. But thirdkind, from what you wrote it REALLY sounds like you have a system WITH the debug bios. Have you tested to confirm this (select+C on controller #2)?

And DSD you're quite correct in calling me on that, so thus the clarification above . . . <IMG SRC="smilies/spock.gif" border="0">

DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL · Oct 15, 2001

ok im onna be a lil civil on this topic,,,chimp...the only way it would give off that error is on a debug which i have also..or it IS a mvs cart.....

hmmmmm..

this is interesting isnt it?

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

Out of place and blurry?
Could you scan it please?

http://www.codebloat.com/junk/ms3_front.jpg http://www.codebloat.com/junk/ms3_top.jpg

It's not easy to make out in the scans, but the print quality isn't so hot. Also note the slight discolorations around the blue border lines in the first image, and the yellowish discoloration around the Neo Geo logo in the second image. These aren't flaws in the scan; these are caused by the final print being out of register, and are present on the label. The label itself is smooth and glossy, however, so I don't doubt its authenticity. It's simply a less-than-stellar print job.

The message "MVS Slot Check ver 2.20 99/11/01" is not an error

See my first post. It plainly says "ERROR" in the message. So you're saying it's not what it says it is?

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

I tried the Select+C combo on controller 2 at the Giga Power intro screen and game title screen. Nada. Is that the right way to get in?

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL:
ok im onna be a lil civil on this topic,,,chimp...the only way it would give off that error is on a debug which i have also..or it IS a mvs cart.....

hmmmmm..

this is interesting isnt it?

Well I have an English Slug3 from the same lot that thirdkind got his. Its true that MVS and home carts are identical ROMs but different cart shells and maybe different pcbs to a small extent. I think that either there is a problem with thirdkind's cart system, or it has the debug chip installed, or the actual MS3 cart is defective. Carts are rarely defective but it does happen occasionally . . .

LWK · Oct 15, 2001

First allow me to thank you.
Hope everything works out with the MS3.

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
I tried the Select+C combo on controller 2 at the Giga Power intro screen and game title screen. Nada. Is that the right way to get in?

Wouldn't have to be at the Giga Power screen, in fact you really need to wait for the game to load up to do select+c (hold them both down at once). Then once the game starts up, select+C at ANY time will pop up the debug menu.

thirdkind · Oct 15, 2001

I just received a reply from Shawn, who says that Arcade Solutions' official diagnosis is that my system is wacked (well, those weren't his words <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">). I have another system on the way, and he advised me to wait until that one arrives and to test it on that one. I find it odd though that only this cart would have a problem, while the other four carts I own work flawlessly.

I'll post again when the other system arrives.

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
See my first post. It plainly says "ERROR" in the message. So you're saying it's not what it says it is?

See my post above, what I said was that the MVS slot check is not an error, but I admitted that the M1 ROM Error IS in fact a sound ROM error.

DRUNKEN SHAOLIN DEVIL · Oct 15, 2001

so who did you buy this system off of...

i still dont understand why it would read error on a home without a debug..

and only on that cart to boot

chimpmeister · Oct 15, 2001

Originally posted by thirdkind:
I just received a reply from Shawn, who says that Arcade Solutions' official diagnosis is that my system is wacked (well, those weren't his words <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">). I have another system on the way, and he advised me to wait until that one arrives and to test it on that one. I find it odd though that only this cart would have a problem, while the other four carts I own work flawlessly.

I'll post again when the other system arrives.

OK then good luck with your next system and let us know what happens! <IMG SRC="smilies/glee.gif" border="0">

thirdkind · Oct 16, 2001

so who did you buy this system off of...

Some couple on ebay. Given the condition it's in (kinda scratched up and dirty), I doubt these people are the type to care enough about their gaming experience to do any mods. She was also telling me about the codes you can use to unlock the gore in certain games; not something you'd need to know if you had a dev BIOS installed.

!Arcade! suggested moving the cart from side to side in the slot, and that seems to have done the trick. It's still rather particular about the position the cart's in, so I think his assessment that the slot is a bit out of whack is probably right. The other system on its way has a new cart slot, so hopefully that will help.

Thanks for all your help guys <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

ocsmod · Oct 16, 2001

Thirdkind, I had THE SAME error message with my MS3 JPN the first time I used it, but I cleaned my Neo slot and it did never appear again. It must be a sound error because I didn't have sound, but the graphics were perfect. This is very strange, bacause I don't have a modded MVS BIOS...

Cool 16 · Oct 16, 2001

Conserning the cart label, mine looks the same. I think they might all be like what you described.

MS3 problems (error message, garbled graphics)

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