Magician Lord "Memory Card Continue" glitch???

OK, to make a long story short:

Magician Lord does not play the intro on an AES I just picked up. I don't know if this in an error with the cartridge or the console itself. I noticed at the title screen it displays "Press Start, Memory Card Continue" WITHOUT THE MEMORY CARD INSERTED!

I could not for the life of me figure out why the intro would not play (I was trying to show my wife what the "theme" of the game was) and just when I thought "hey, maybe it never had an intro" (it's been 3+ years since I last owned a Neo) I noticed the title page glitch.

If you start a game, it skips from the control demo to the different power up screen and then right to the level start. Also, when you finish a game, it actually prompts you to save a game even if the card is not plugged in.

I don't see any bent pins in the memory card slot. If you power the console on and go into the memory card utility it will prompt you to insert a card if its not inserted (I don’t know if this means anything or not).

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas as to what might be wrong? I'd appreciate any help or assistance.

What kind of bios does your system have?

neo_X7 said:

What kind of bios does your system have?

Click to expand...

Ditto..


.......

neo_X7 said:

What kind of bios does your system have?

Click to expand...

The stock AES BIOS (this is an un-modified system).

TMOSteel said:

The stock AES BIOS (this is an un-modified system).

Click to expand...

Questions..
This is the only AES you have at the moment yes..?

Have you seen this particular Magician Lord cart play the intro....on another AES?

If so,what BIOS chip did that AES have in it...?was that AES modified..

.....................
I have this game in my Big Red MVS right now..I've been playing trying to finish it...
(using a Memory Card)

I also have it on AES,though I've popped it in and attempted top play it on AES I haven't had the chance to even watch the intro.
I honestly forget what the start up of this game looks like on AES...what the intro does/looks like on AES.

So If It'll help I'll put the AES version in my AES and see what it mine does....later today.



...........................
I just turned on my cab and switched to Magician Lord ..then inserted the Memory Card..
It'll prompt me if I want to use the save or not...when the Memory Card is inserted ..
Then I restarted the cab switched to Magician Lord and just pressed start without the Memory Card inserted ..
... If I don't have the Memory Card inserted it will not prompt me to start a saved game..It goes right to the control explanation screen..
But,when I died/game over...a Save game screen asking if I'd like to save was shown though I didn't have the Memory Card inserted..

Originally Posted by chris1

Questions..
This is the only AES you have at the moment yes..?

>>Yes. I just received it which is why I'm trying to figure out what the problem is. If the system is broken, the whole setup is going back to the seller.

Have you seen this particular Magician Lord cart play the intro....on another AES?

>>No, not this cart. This is why I wonder if the cart is messed up and not the console.

If so,what BIOS chip did that AES have in it...?was that AES modified..

>>See above.

.....................
I have this game in my Big Red MVS right now..I've been playing trying to finish it...
(using a Memory Card)

I also have it on AES,though I've popped it in and attempted top play it on AES I haven't had the chance to even watch the intro.
I honestly forget what the start up of this game looks like on AES...what the intro does/looks like on AES.

>>Basically, when you start a new game, you find out about who you are, who the bad guy is, etc. (again, I haven't seen this since I sold my last Neo collection to Shawn about 3-4 years ago) but I'm not 100% on what the order is (controller use, power ups then intro and then new game start?).

So If It'll help I'll put the AES version in my AES and see what it mine does....later today.

>>I'd be curious to see what your AES cart does at the end of the game.



...........................
I just turned on my cab and switched to Magician Lord ..then inserted the Memory Card..
It'll prompt me if I want to use the save or not...when the Memory Card is inserted ..
Then I restarted the cab switched to Magician Lord and just pressed start without the Memory Card inserted ..
... If I don't have the Memory Card inserted it will not prompt me to start a saved game..It goes right to the control explanation screen..
But,when I died/game over...a Save game screen asking if I'd like to save was shown though I didn't have the Memory Card inserted..

>>I wish I had another cart that supports a memory card load just to see what another cart would do. I was just about to get back into the Neo and start picking up games but If I've got a bum console then I've gotta hold off.

I plugged an (AES US BIOS/Not Modded) into a small TV and put in Magician lord..with memory card inserted...

Upon Startup ..I get the Neo Geo into.



Then the Magician Lord Title screen comes up..




If I start a game "with the memory card inserted"...it will prompt/ask me if I'd like to Load (Yes/No) a saved game from my memory card then it goes to the control explanation screen...
(Loading the saved game from my progress on the MVS...)

...
Press start:Magician Lord Title Screen
load memory card screen
controls explanation.....
start of game.





If I don't have the memory card inserted upon starting a game/pressing start...it will NOT ask me to Load a saved game...that screen doesn't come up..it goes right to the controls explanation...Title Screen then controls explanation...start of game.



But the SAVE GAME screen comes up after GAME OVER asking me if I'd like to save the game no matter if the memory card is inserted or not.


The way this AES version starts/ends is the same way my MVS does..I have them both running at the same time right now.
They are exactly the same..
Both the AES & MVS versions Save game screen comes up no mater if I have a card inserted or not.

Plus they both show the score screen in the demo.

I'd say it may be a BIOS chip issue..
I'm not sure what a Japanese Bios chip does/changes within this game....

I can check the MVS game in my Candy cab that has a UNI BIOS chip setting it on Japanese Console..if you'd like.
(Tomorrow though.)

(If I made a mistake anywhere let me know)

chris1 said:

I plugged an (AES US BIOS/Not Modded) into a small TV and put in Magician lord..with memory card inserted...

Upon Startup ..I get the Neo Geo into.

Then the Magician Lord Title screen comes up..

If I start a game "with the memory card inserted"...it will prompt/ask me if I'd like to Load (Yes/No) a saved game from my memory card then it goes to the control explanation screen...
(Loading the saved game from my progress on the MVS...)

...
Press start:Magician Lord Title Screen
load memory card screen
controls explanation.....
start of game.

If I don't have the memory card inserted upon starting a game/pressing start...it will NOT ask me to Load a saved game...that screen doesn't come up..it goes right to the controls explanation...Title Screen then controls explanation...start of game.

But the SAVE GAME screen comes up after GAME OVER asking me if I'd like to save the game no matter if the memory card is inserted or not.

The way this AES version starts/ends is the same way my MVS does..I have them both running at the same time right now.
They are exactly the same..
Both the AES & MVS versions Save game screen comes up no mater if I have a card inserted or not.

Plus they both show the score screen in the demo.

I'd say it may be a BIOS chip issue..
I'm not sure what a Japanese Bios chip does/changes within this game....

I can check the MVS game in my Candy cab that has a UNI BIOS chip setting it on Japanese Console..if you'd like.
(Tomorrow though.)

(If I made a mistake anywhere let me know)

Click to expand...

WOW. Now I'm totally confused...

I know they say married life changes a man, but this? So have I lost my mind or is there really no intro at the start of Magician Lord? I mean it was only 3-4 years ago that I had my last system. Can I be imagining this?

Somebody PLEASE tell me ML does have an intro!

Chris1-the startup you described on your AES is the same thing I am experiencing. Question though: If you insert and power on ML without a memory card does it still say "memory card continue" on the title screen even though you don't have one inserted?

Could it be a BIOS issue I wonder? Jeff Kurtz did mod my last console with the DEV/Debug BIOS but could that be what "unlocks" the intro movie?

Anyone?

I have just looked at this myself. The memory card message will appear if no card is inserted, it says 'Press Start, Memory Card Continue'. The game does have an attract mode sequence also, basically simply leave this message flashing away without pressing start and the attract mode will eventually start.

IMPORTANT NOTE (and this is where you could be getting confused)

There are 2 different versions of the game. As far as I know the MVS version does not have the story mode text. For example on the MVS version after the 'how to play screen' you will see this screen and then the game will start.



On the AES version you will see all this before you get to the shot above as long as you dont press start again (sorry for all the pics).













so what Im thinking here is that you AES cart is atually a MVS conversion and not an original AES version so this story mode stuff is missing.

Raz

I thought the MVS version had the intro?

I could have sworn i saw the intro at arcades before i actually owned the game........

maybe not.

*edit* if you play the mvs cart in AES mode though (using your unibios) will it show the intro?

does the mvs cart have the intro capacity at all?

Razoola said:

I have just looked at this myself. The memory card message will appear if no card is inserted, it says 'Press Start, Memory Card Continue'. The game does have an attract mode sequence also, basically simply leave this message flashing away without pressing start and the attract mode will eventually start.

IMPORTANT NOTE (and this is where you could be getting confused)

There are 2 different versions of the game. As far as I know the MVS version does not have the story mode text. For example on the MVS version after the 'how to play screen' you will see this screen and then the game will start.

On the AES version you will see all this before you get to the shot above as long as you dont press start again (sorry for all the pics).

so what Im thinking here is that you AES cart is atually a MVS conversion and not an original AES version so this story mode stuff is missing.

Raz

Click to expand...

Ok..I may be misunderstood what TMOSteel asked..

On both MVS and AES within the title screen under Magician Lord I do have Memory Card Continue..no matter if a card is inserted or not..(though that's just part of that screen noting you can continue a game/I guess reminding you to insert your memory card)..you have to press start to load a game if the card is inserted then the Load game screen comes up.

Below is the intro screen I get on both MVS & AES..



If that's missing something's not right..

..........................................................

I don't get the Memory card Load screen "unless"a memory card is inserted in the AES and MVS.
The screen below.....

This screen only comes up if I have a memory card inserted on the AES and MVS..

I do get the Save Game screen after a Game over no matter if I have a card in or not on both AES and MVS.

I just turned on my big Red..I've never let the "How To Play" screen play through .......until tonight..
After the How To Play screen plays through..All I get for the MVS is a screen showing the 6 characters that you can change into..(It sits there for a few seconds)
Then .


Then start of game..

.............................
On the AES I haven't let the How To Play screen play through.. either..
I've never seen the "Story"pictures you posted..not,that they aren't there ..I just have to hook up the system again and not press start twice.
I've always thought the AES was the same as MVS//No story in the beginning.

MVS does have some story/cut scenes that play.. I'm pretty sure before every boss...Just nothing at the start of game like AES.

The guy below shows up before or after the boss on each level saying something to the Magician Lord..(I have to check again if it's before or after .)


I'll put the MVS cart in my Candy cab(Uni Bios) tomorrow and see if I set it to US "Console"..will the MVS cart contain the Story in the intro.

You wont get it even in console mode. Here is how to tell the 2 different versions with the unibios.

Version without story mode ROM REGION CRC = BD0A492D
Version with story mode intro ROM REGION CRC = 599043C5

Raz

Maybe his ML has the MVS P rom instead of the NGH one, I know this could happen since my Burning Fight NGH has the MVS P rom instead of the NGH one.

Razoola:

Yup, that’s the intro screen I’m missing! Thanks also for confirming that the “Press Start, Memory Card Continue” is the default text on the title screen.

I don’t think this is MVS to AES conversion (who would convert ML anyway?) but it is possible that the ROM’s are different. This cart is in mint condition and looks to be like it was purchased when the system was purchased (I believe I am now the third owner on this system so it may be hard to trace its history). The system appears to be unused.

I could totally see SNK using chips from the MVS version by mistake. This looks to be a very old AES system (ser # 024620) although I’m not up on my AES serial numbers. The back of the Gold System box only offered a choice of NAM-1975 or Baseball Stars Professional (my first Neo back in 1990 or so had ML as a choice also).

Not having modded the BIOS yet, I can’t tell if it’s either of these ROM’s:

ROM REGION CRC = BD0A492D
ROM REGION CRC = 599043C5

metallizer:

So you have a Burning Fight cart that has an MVS ROM? Is there a difference in the game?

chris1:

No, you got it right and thanks to you and everybody else for your efforts.

Aside from the Neo being a great system, it’s people like all of you in the Neo community that made it worth coming back (this is now the third Neo system I’ve owned in 14 years).

I was obviously freaked out thinking there was a problem with the console (which is why I questioned why it wasn’t used in all this time-was it broken?) but now I'm leaning more towards their being an MVS ROM in the cart instead.

Guess I’ll know for sure when I get the BIOS mod.

Let me know if you ever see the intro on your AES by the way…

chris1 said:

I plugged an (AES US BIOS/Not Modded) into a small TV and put in Magician lord..with memory card inserted...

Upon Startup ..I get the Neo Geo into.

Then the Magician Lord Title screen comes up..

If I start a game "with the memory card inserted"...it will prompt/ask me if I'd like to Load (Yes/No) a saved game from my memory card then it goes to the control explanation screen...
(Loading the saved game from my progress on the MVS...)

...
Press start:Magician Lord Title Screen
load memory card screen
controls explanation.....
start of game.

If I don't have the memory card inserted upon starting a game/pressing start...it will NOT ask me to Load a saved game...that screen doesn't come up..it goes right to the controls explanation...Title Screen then controls explanation...start of game.

But the SAVE GAME screen comes up after GAME OVER asking me if I'd like to save the game no matter if the memory card is inserted or not.

The way this AES version starts/ends is the same way my MVS does..I have them both running at the same time right now.
They are exactly the same..
Both the AES & MVS versions Save game screen comes up no mater if I have a card inserted or not.

Plus they both show the score screen in the demo.

I'd say it may be a BIOS chip issue..
I'm not sure what a Japanese Bios chip does/changes within this game....

I can check the MVS game in my Candy cab that has a UNI BIOS chip setting it on Japanese Console..if you'd like.
(Tomorrow though.)

(If I made a mistake anywhere let me know)

Click to expand...

Great Manual for NGH-DAU´s...

Or better, how to use a NGH Cart and a NGH-System...

yeah, snk used leftover chips from the MVS production on NGH carts, unfortunately very early NGH carts have different program roms.

Differences from Burning Fight MVS to NGH program rom:
The NGH P rom has adjustable difficult setting and 3 continue limit.
The MVS P rom has infinite continues and preset difficult setting.

I plan to buy a loose Burning Fight in the future and trade the boards so I can have the NGH romset.

Differences from the ML MVS to NGH program rom:
MVS: no intro, 4 energy squares and when you die you return to same location.
NGH: intro, 6 energy squares and when you die you return to a preset checkpoint location.

metallizer said:

yeah, snk used leftover chips from the MVS production on NGH carts, unfortunately very early NGH carts have different program roms.

Differences from the ML MVS to NGH program rom:
MVS: no intro, 4 energy squares and when you die you return to same location.
NGH: intro, 6 energy squares and when you die you return to a preset checkpoint location.

Click to expand...

Really???

ML on NGH is hard as hell, but i can finish it easily! Great Classic-Game! If i must choose, i would pick up the NGH-Version, where you´ll get a Intro, 6 Energy Squares and these Checkpoint-Option. Course i´ve never seen another one, exept the CD-Version, which is for Beginners only...

Thats what set ML apart from most NGH games: Difficulty........

one of the toughest games on the neo to actually beat.

metallizer said:

yeah, snk used leftover chips from the MVS production on NGH carts, unfortunately very early NGH carts have different program roms.

Differences from Burning Fight MVS to NGH program rom:
The NGH P rom has adjustable difficult setting and 3 continue limit.
The MVS P rom has infinite continues and preset difficult setting.

I plan to buy a loose Burning Fight in the future and trade the boards so I can have the NGH romset.

Differences from the ML MVS to NGH program rom:
MVS: no intro, 4 energy squares and when you die you return to same location.
NGH: intro, 6 energy squares and when you die you return to a preset checkpoint location.

Click to expand...

MVS: This is exactly how mine plays (4 energy squares and when you die you return to same location).

I knew there had to be something different aside from the missing intro since I was getting killed way too soon. And I didn't remember the game brining you back to the exact spot where you died.

Now I know why. So this cart will be cool to hang on to, and ML is cheap enough to pick up another copy and have both versions (provided of course, it has the right chips!).

Thanks again for everyone's help.

I also had a similar experience. When I lived in the U.S. I naturally had a U.S. cart system and a U.S. Mag Lord cart. I also clearly remember the intro movie. Now I live in Japan and I recently bought a JP system and a JP Mag Lord. NO INTRO. I could not figure out what was going on. Now I know.

Jeff