DIY GameBit Screwdriver
A few console manufactures decided to use GameBit security screws for their consoles and/or cartridges, most notably – Nintendo, who use them for a lot of their retro consoles and cartridges. This page covers the alternatives to buying the proper parts if you just want to do one mod quickly.
If you’re going to be doing lots of taking apart, then you’d better buy the proper GameBits, they come in 2 sizes, 4.5mm to open up consoles (and Mega Drive carts), and 3.8mm to open up SNES carts. Check out some of the suppliers on the Links page.
If you just want a Gamebit to take one thing apart, you may get away with making your own. If you’ve got a spare flat screwdriver, and a Dremel type tool, you could cut the screwdriver tip like this:
Alternatively, and much easier to make but not as strong, you could empty a BiC biro, the end of the biro where the nib goes is a narrower than the non-writing end, heat the narrow end up - hold it over a gas flame or something.
The plastic heats up and goes very soft (or catches fire – let it burn a little and blow it out), DON’T touch it! Push the soft warm plastic onto the security screw, push it hard enough so the plastic forms around the shape of the screw head. Now remove the pen from the screw, let it cool down (you could run some cold water over it), and hey-presto, it should be strong enough to use as a screwdriver.
It’s not very easy to take a decent photo of a melted biro! See how good a fit it is, look how well it holds the screw.
It probably won’t last very long, and you may have to repeat the heat/mould cycle if it’s a stubborn screw.
Hello.
I want to ask you something.
I recently bought the SNES converter (Supergame Key Horelec) to play NTSC games and JP on a PAL SNES, but it doesn’t work.
I saw in some forums that this could be some problem with the 50Hz/60Hz.
Do you know anything some this kind of trouble?
Sorry to be bothering.
Best regards.
Yeah, that would be the problem.
Basically, PAL televisions run at a refresh rate of 50hz, which, on an SNES, 25fps (Frames Per Second) would be the standard, going all the way up to 50. Not to mention, PAL TV signals are handled differently (They display colours differently and are typically of a higher picture quality, not to mention that you guys got RGB/SCART cables, which we don’t have in NTSC regions.
The reason that American consoles have no qualms running Japanese-region games is because the full names for both of these are NTSC-U/C (NTSC for the U.S. and Canada) and NTSC-J (NTSC for Japan). Since they both use the NTSC format, there’s abseloutely NO problems importing Japanese games if you are an American.
The only thing I can think for you to do is get an NTSC tv or a PAL 50/60 TV. (On a PAL60 TV, the colors will be in Black And White, but at least it won’t stutter. At least, that’s the situation in most cases). Your best option is to just get an American TV. :P
Actually, I wouldn’t adivise anybody to run the pen in cold water right aftwards, it will increase the chances of fracturing the material. Materials that undergo through a fast cooling process ended up becoming extremely hard but also extremely fragile. Let it cool down by itself, that’s better.