Retro HQ's NGPC Flash Cart Dead?

[wingzrow]

I was one of the lucky few who got a NEOGEO Pocket SD from Retro HQ before they mass produced them (there was a waiting list). All of a sudden it no longer boots...is this a known issue, or should I just bite the bullet & order a new one? Their messages on twitter don't work & I can't get them through email.

 

[JoeAwesome]

If you can’t reach them, do what the yunguns do and @ them on Twitter or all social media with the issue and pics.

 

[SignOfGoob]

I have to ask…how experienced are you with NGP? Carts not booting, any cart, is common.

I’m just checking to make sure you aren’t one of those people who thinks their PC Engine is broke because it doesn’t read CD-Rs very well and they have no real games to test. Those people can create a 20 page diagnostic rabbit hole to nowhere…

 

[Neo Alec]

I've found Retro HQ to be publicly responsive on Twitter. I thought they had email support for customers though.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

Did you first clean the cartridge with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs? I've had issues like that with ever drives, where eventually the edge connector gets oxidised and then the everdrive gets weird issues like the menu and ROM loading works but games don't actually work once loaded.

 

[SignOfGoob]

DeoxIT.

 

[wingzrow]

All good suggestions. I'll see if I can get some deoxit. Is the NGPC really prone to bad contacts? I mean it always goes to the bios screen so I thought it was just the cart, then again I don't have anything BUT the flash card to test it with so I might just get one of those Sonic Carts from China on eBay so I have a control cartridge. Will report back when I've done some more tests.

 

[SignOfGoob]

Man, can I spot a noob or what? What a shitty superpower to have…not even the Legion would want me.

Is the Sonic cart from China you’re talking about legit? If so, good idea. If not, bad idea. A pirate cart would not be a control.

I’ve been playing this little system since it came out. I started having contact issues probably a year into owning my first one. Match of the Millenium gives me the most hassle. Cleaning both sides (cart and system) is the only way to do it.

Another thing…if you have one of those IPS LCD screens installed you absolutely need extremely good batteries (or a good AC adaptor) to even use the thing because that screen consumes %80 of the power. As well as killing normal batteries in a hour or two instead of the usual 45, this can also cause issues reading carts.