I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask this sort of thing, so if anyone knows of a site that might be able to help me better understand what's wrong with my SNES and any possible repairs I can make to it, I'd appreciate it.
But while I'm here, I might as well go ahead and post on here what's going on with my console, just in case maybe one of you guys knows what's up with it.
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Okay, long story short, when my brother moved away, he took our SNES with him. I've been trying to find a replacement over the years, but I haven't had much luck. I did find someone on Craigslist (my first mistake...) selling one, and... for the most part, it works. However, it has one issue that, depending on the game, can be either minor or a huge bother.
(I'm going to refer to this SNES with its line-y graphics as "SNES 1")
As you can see, there are these annoying vertical lines on most of the background graphics. Strangely, it's more like those lines are just missing their graphics, since you can often see through them. Other times, some games (like Link to the Past), the lines are just solid white (making the Lost Woods look like tinsel town). Otherwise, the games seem to work just fine... it's more or less just a graphics problem.
I decided to try and look for another SNES. Eventually, I tracked one down, and... as my luck would have it, it's suffering from its own issues, too... issues that the seller seems to think are somehow my fault and refuses to give me a refund.
This time around (SNES 2), the graphics don't have any lines. Instead...
Look at the Spiked ball. Notice something missing? For some reason, the spiked rod (whatever it's called) is missing a section. Strangely enough, it's not that the graphics aren't rendering... it's simply not there at all! I can even pass through that blank spot with Yoshi, and he won't get harmed.
Instead, that missing section is floating to the north-west of it, spinning around in the same pattern as it should be in the normal spot. Strangely enough, the hitbox is completely in-tact, so if it touches me, I will take damage. What's also odd is that, while not related to the spikes, if I let Baby Mario float around and the timer reaches zero, the toadies will fly in to take him away, and... nothing will happen. As soon as they touch Baby Mario, they vaporize, and Baby Mario will just float in place outside of his bubble until I go up and touch him... to which he'll return to Yoshi, and the Toadies will fly back on-screen for a brief second before flying off.
Oh, it gets better!
In case you can't recognize it, this is the final stage of the game. There are supposed to be four doors here... but for some reason, they're missing. Again, it's not that the graphics aren't rendering... they're simply not there at all! Shooting an egg around where they're normally supposed to be does nothing, either. It's a dead end, making the game unwinnable. Keep in mind this doesn't happen on SNES 1, just SNES 2.
At least Yoshi's Island is somewhat functionable. Other games, on the other hand...
Bonkers is completely messed up. Also, when starting a new game and spawning in a stage, all the collision is completely borked, and you'll instantly fall through the floor and die. So... I can't even play this one, whatsoever.
One final example; Super Castlevania 4 can play, but some of the graphics (mostly the stuff that rotates) are completely messed up. At least the hitbox is still there...
The problem is, I'm just not sure where to go to research issues like this. I have seen a few topics after google-searching "SNES Glitched graphics", and some folks say it's possibly the PPU chip dying or something. Everyone recommends that, if you're encountering issues like this, just go out and buy a new SNES... but I've wasted enough money doing that at this point, so I thought I'd try to go a more drastic route.
Basically, I just wanted to know if these issues, the vertical line glitches of the SNES 1 and the malfunctions of the SNES 2, are being caused by the same thing? Do both consoles have a faulty PPU Chip (or whatever it's called), or is it possible that, maybe, I can use parts from one SNES and interchange them with another, and possibly fix these errors in the process?
I know, I know, that's waaaaay easier said than done... and in inexperienced hands, that could go extremely wrong extremely fast. But I have soldered things before (though it was just a simple capacitor in a computer monitor), and even if I do end up breaking the system, it's not like I'm out by that much since I've already wasted money of what might as well be dumpster fillers at this point, anyway. Besides, I like dabbling with these kinds of things, so I'm a bit eager to try it.
If anyone can give me some hints regarding what's going on with these two consoles, or perhaps you can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Oh, before anyone suggests it; yes, I've cleaned both consoles and all my games very thoroughly. It didn't help one bit, sadly.
But while I'm here, I might as well go ahead and post on here what's going on with my console, just in case maybe one of you guys knows what's up with it.
-----------
Okay, long story short, when my brother moved away, he took our SNES with him. I've been trying to find a replacement over the years, but I haven't had much luck. I did find someone on Craigslist (my first mistake...) selling one, and... for the most part, it works. However, it has one issue that, depending on the game, can be either minor or a huge bother.
(I'm going to refer to this SNES with its line-y graphics as "SNES 1")
As you can see, there are these annoying vertical lines on most of the background graphics. Strangely, it's more like those lines are just missing their graphics, since you can often see through them. Other times, some games (like Link to the Past), the lines are just solid white (making the Lost Woods look like tinsel town). Otherwise, the games seem to work just fine... it's more or less just a graphics problem.
I decided to try and look for another SNES. Eventually, I tracked one down, and... as my luck would have it, it's suffering from its own issues, too... issues that the seller seems to think are somehow my fault and refuses to give me a refund.
This time around (SNES 2), the graphics don't have any lines. Instead...
Look at the Spiked ball. Notice something missing? For some reason, the spiked rod (whatever it's called) is missing a section. Strangely enough, it's not that the graphics aren't rendering... it's simply not there at all! I can even pass through that blank spot with Yoshi, and he won't get harmed.
Instead, that missing section is floating to the north-west of it, spinning around in the same pattern as it should be in the normal spot. Strangely enough, the hitbox is completely in-tact, so if it touches me, I will take damage. What's also odd is that, while not related to the spikes, if I let Baby Mario float around and the timer reaches zero, the toadies will fly in to take him away, and... nothing will happen. As soon as they touch Baby Mario, they vaporize, and Baby Mario will just float in place outside of his bubble until I go up and touch him... to which he'll return to Yoshi, and the Toadies will fly back on-screen for a brief second before flying off.
Oh, it gets better!
In case you can't recognize it, this is the final stage of the game. There are supposed to be four doors here... but for some reason, they're missing. Again, it's not that the graphics aren't rendering... they're simply not there at all! Shooting an egg around where they're normally supposed to be does nothing, either. It's a dead end, making the game unwinnable. Keep in mind this doesn't happen on SNES 1, just SNES 2.
At least Yoshi's Island is somewhat functionable. Other games, on the other hand...
Bonkers is completely messed up. Also, when starting a new game and spawning in a stage, all the collision is completely borked, and you'll instantly fall through the floor and die. So... I can't even play this one, whatsoever.
One final example; Super Castlevania 4 can play, but some of the graphics (mostly the stuff that rotates) are completely messed up. At least the hitbox is still there...
The problem is, I'm just not sure where to go to research issues like this. I have seen a few topics after google-searching "SNES Glitched graphics", and some folks say it's possibly the PPU chip dying or something. Everyone recommends that, if you're encountering issues like this, just go out and buy a new SNES... but I've wasted enough money doing that at this point, so I thought I'd try to go a more drastic route.
Basically, I just wanted to know if these issues, the vertical line glitches of the SNES 1 and the malfunctions of the SNES 2, are being caused by the same thing? Do both consoles have a faulty PPU Chip (or whatever it's called), or is it possible that, maybe, I can use parts from one SNES and interchange them with another, and possibly fix these errors in the process?
I know, I know, that's waaaaay easier said than done... and in inexperienced hands, that could go extremely wrong extremely fast. But I have soldered things before (though it was just a simple capacitor in a computer monitor), and even if I do end up breaking the system, it's not like I'm out by that much since I've already wasted money of what might as well be dumpster fillers at this point, anyway. Besides, I like dabbling with these kinds of things, so I'm a bit eager to try it.
If anyone can give me some hints regarding what's going on with these two consoles, or perhaps you can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Oh, before anyone suggests it; yes, I've cleaned both consoles and all my games very thoroughly. It didn't help one bit, sadly.
