PAL-G/B/I game over NTSC/PAL-M console and television

[Fäng]

My sister just bought me a Majora's mask back from europe, and I bought a brazilian game (which is where I'm from) just so I could MOD it to be played over my brazilian n64. Even though i already exchanged the cic chip (7105A to 6105) and the rear from the cartridges, the game still sends the message "this game is not compatible for use on this system" after it boots (the cic worked). I've read before that it is related to the 50hz frequencys that the cartidge is sending, but it is confusing me, so here goes a couple of questions

1- Can it be modded someway, somehow, so this game can work? Excluding RGB mod because the n64 is my brother's and he would notice it hahahaha Cartridge mod is preffered (which is rare, and hence why I'm here). But i just need a solution, really, whatever it takes (i'm consiering RGB already, but...).

2- My television accepts NTSC and PAL-N (which is 625 lines and 50Hz), so I think the only problem is it not being able to recognize the color signal from the european PAL, right?

3- Would a transcorder/conversor or passport adapter work, even though its an expansion pak requiring game?

4- Why the game is showing me this message? Is it this pretty obvious message only really? and is there no way to counter it via soldering methods on the cartridges at all? Like, how is the cartridge recognizing the game cannot be played? It seems it must be related to the cartridge, since other games would just boot and run with faulty graphics and sound.

EDIT: here is some pictures. NOTE the red and green alternating over the text on the first picture. I don't know, but I believe it might be relevant

 

[Miceeno]

Sounds about like you've done everything right. Although I do have to ask, do you have an expansion pak installed? I remember a screen similar to that when I borrowed Majoras Mask from a friend as a kid and when I didnt have an expansion pak.

 

[Fäng]

yes, I have an brazilian expansion pack installed. but even with my common RAM memory, the message still appears and is still the same. Is this game sending this message through the ROM chip or is it from any other thing (including the other chips) of the circuit board?

 

[Miceeno]

I dont know alot about getting around region locks because here in Merica we just buy NTSC everything. However I have read that one of the three regions of consoles (NTSC, NTSC-J, PAL) is ideal for bypassing region locks. Im unsure which it is, but I'm pretty that the PAL console is one that cant bypass region locks.

Have you considered buying the correct console for the game or vice versa?

 

[Fäng]

i'd rather buy a national one, and do a RGB mode, really, since all brazilian ones are the 03 ending chips, and would be much pratical to be played over the higher resolution televisions... But it would be quite costy for me, I don't have any sort of income, i really need to be as cheap as I can hahahahaha Soldering or a trascorder are my best option here, i just need someone who really understands about those cartridge chips and this "cannot be played on this system" comportment of the game to guide me through the process...

 

[Fäng]

Would this text that I found explain it?
"The CIC seed is also used to checksum the bootcode in the first 4k of game ROM, and to also checksum the first 1MB transferred to make sure the cart interface is reliable."

Thats how the game knows it's not proper for the console region? Based on the ROM? No way at all to intercept this signal?

EDIT: Got another clue, which might actually be a NO answer to all of my questions =//

"Dieser gibt die CPU frei wenn ein passender CIC im Modulschacht steckt und setzt zusätzlich den TV-Type
auf Speicheradresse 0x80000300, PAL video timing (0), NTSC (1), oder MPAL (2).
Wenn das Spiel möchte, kann es diese Adresse aufrufen und vergleichen, um z.B. eine Fehlermeldung auszugeben ("Dieses Spiel ist nicht für ihre Konsole geeignet") oder einfach nichts anzeigen."

It says that certain games are able to look for which signal (pal, ntsc or mpal) the console is sending via the memory address 0x80000300 (or 1x800..., or 2x800...) to the television. So, out of theory, when some rare PAL games are adapted for the american n64, after booting through the CIC, the game ROM sends a brief signal to the console, to confirm which signal it will be sending to the TV. After the console's answer, it can determine wheter or not it was the PAL 50 Hz it should have been. If it is not, the game ROM (it seems) sends the picture which i just showed above. The "not compatible with this system" message. I don't know much about eletronics, Im actually just a medicine student.
So, is there anyway to fix a memory address of 1x80000300 and force the ROM to start the game, like the software PALadin does with ROMs, by soldering hardware or would i need to access the rom too? And is accessing the ROM easy or difficult? Omg...

 

[Miceeno]

So I did some investigating. I obtained a PAL rom of Majora's Mask and tried it with my NTSC N64, NTSC TV, and my 64drive. The 64drive has a 6102 CIC installed but Marshalls wizardry allows for 100% compatibility (two games need patching Tooie and JFG) of all CIC's and regions. The onboard CIC's region only needs to match the N64's region to booting to the 64drive menu.

With all that being said, I successfully booted Majora's Mask only when I left the region on Auto or when I forced PAL. If I forced NTSC I got the same screen you did meaning the CIC is also used as a checksum. So you will probably never get a PAL Majora's Mask cartridge to boot with an NTSC (6105) CIC on an NTSC N64. The End.

As for the RGB mod it will not fix the region compatibility. It will however potentially fix the issues with the color and screen positioning I experienced. When playing the PAL Majora's Mask rom with the PAL region on the 64drive with an NTSC console/TV, the colors were kinda off and the screen was shifted halfway down and to the right.

EDIT: I didn't see the bit where you mentioned PALadin. A ROM is Read Only Memory. You cannot alter a ROM chip. You could get crazy and find a ROM reader and copy the rom bit by bit to your PC. Then use PALadin. Find an un-burnt ROM chip that is compatible with the N64 (good luck) and then using a ROM burner, burn the image to the ROM chip. Pretty difficult and spendy if you ask me.

So I'd say your options are, in order from cheapest to most expensive:
Emulate. (Free)
Get the correct console/game. ($20-$40)
Buy a 64drive. ($200)
Try the crazy ROM stuff. (drop out of medicine school, enroll in electronics school, cost of reader's and burners, and the cost of the mythical piece of N64 ROM silicone)
Wait for Majora's Mask on WiiU or 3DS. (sacrificial offerings and prayers to Miyamoto, plus the cost of the required console)

 

[Miceeno]

I just had a thought. If you can really just alter a value in memory then you might be able to use a GameShark. I've never dove into memory hacking on the N64 but I've read that you can accomplish some pretty interesting things.

 

[Fäng]

Just bought a ED64 v2 made by krikzz, gave up on this attempt. Yeah, it is what i was suspecting, i just needed to confirm well... flax happens lol I believe it will work now, by using a altered ROM on ED64. Thanks for the help man =D

 

[Miceeno]

I hope you like it! Buying a flash cart was the best thing I ever did, no more cartridge blowjobs when playing a different game. I personally like Marhalls work more tham Krikzzs but to each his own. Were did you buy your ED64? Last time I checked all the sites seemed too sketchy to buy from. Ive wanted one because they can be had for as low as $80 and no cartridge slot makes for a cleaner portable.

 

[Fäng]

Bought over a ebay-like website here from brazil, called mercadolivre. I don't think they export though, and it was the last annoucement of it...

 

[Miceeno]

Miyamoto answered the prayers of all Majoras Mask fans so my list of options isn't accurate now (not that it makes a difference now that you own an ED64).