arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Just thought I'd post up an offer to do custom NES cartridges for people. I'm unemployed, short on cash, and long on free time. And there is a great plethora of software out there coming from the likes of Neil Baldwin and Bargg and No Carrier which I'm sure plenty of people would like physical cartridges of. I've got the gear and the know how to build carts for people. You hack the code up and customise it to your liking and I'll build you a one of a kind cartridge.

I have done various mappers in the past, including a few revisions of MMC1, NROM, MMC3, and MMC4. And if you need something made which I haven't done before, I'll learn the pinouts and make it if I can.

Examples of cartridges I have made in the past include GlitchNES, ScrollNES, LickShot, NTRQ,  the MottZilla 11-in-1 NROM multicart, and Mario Bros. hacks. I can do all of No Carrier's programs, because with the exception of the 9999-in-1 they're all NROM. I can make multicarts of NROM software as well, using the MottZilla 11-in1 or the No Carrier 9999-in-1.

I can do your cartridge up so it's permanently programmed, or I can socket the chips so they can be erased and re-burned later. I haven't gotten my in-cartridge USB programmer design finished yet, so that kind of reprogramming isn't an option right now. But if you get a custom cart from me and ever need it reprogrammed you just pay one-way shipping and I'll do it myself. That's my promise.

A quick note about what cartridges I will and will not make for you- I will not make you a "reproduction" cartridge of a game which has already been published. The legality of this is questionable to say the least. Fan translations are also out, unless you're the one who wrote the translation. If you hacked a game, however, I'll gladly make you a custom cartridge. This service is in the spirit of DIY, not so that you can add to your NES game collection.

That said, right now I'm thinking of charging $35 for a customised NROM cartridge, and $45 for other mappers. If you send me the correct donor cartridge you get $10 off. Any extra hardware add-ons like a multi SRAM bank or other things you might happen to need or want would be extra. Shipping anywhere in the world for $6, and if it's more than that I eat the cost.

If you need something made or have questions, post 'em here or give me a PM. I'll build em on a first-come first-serve basis.

Last edited by arfink (Jul 13, 2010 2:37 am)

low-gain
Offline
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

U da man Arfink!

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Thanks Low-Gain!

tacticalbread
Offline
))<>((

like I said in the NTRQ thread, as soon as I have an income, I'll call on you. ;p

I'll definitely want a re-burnable NTRQ cart, and a GlitchNES cart. ;D

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Thanks tac.bread, I'll be happy to oblige you.

Theta_Frost
Offline
Milwaukee, WI

Arfink is a saint!

Crystal Labs
Offline
San Luis Obispo, CA

I must admit that I am somewhat ignorant on the topic, but it seems completely amazing, regardless. I know that I'm asking a n00b question here, but do any of the programs you mention offer the ability to display a simple slide show? ie: Could I potentially have an NES cart created that would allow the user to scroll through a set of given images?

tacticalbread
Offline
))<>((

No Carrier's GalleryNES does just that. wink

http://www.no-carrier.com/software.html

Crystal Labs
Offline
San Luis Obispo, CA
tacticalbread wrote:

No Carrier's GalleryNES does just that. wink

http://www.no-carrier.com/software.html

I love you.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Yup, tac.bread is right. Now, the reason I'm offering to do this as custom builds specifically is that most of No Carrier's software is the kind of thing you'll want to customise before you get it made into a cartridge. I'm more than happy to make a cartridge of anything that he wrote that you then customise, and unlike other reproduction services I won't keep hold of your ROM forever and distribute it to other people. Say you use his VegaPlay to make a NES cartridge album and have be burn some copies for you. I won't distribute them to anyone else for any reason, so your work will be safe.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Just a little 5th of July bump, and some news: if you need an NROM cart done this week I can do it. I go on vacation next week so I won't be able to do any then.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Running out of time if you need one done this week. Also- carts can be purchased on the barter system! If you have something you think I'd like, just let me know.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Just thought I'd give this another bump, as I haven't gotten any serious takers yet. If you would rather not commission because of the risk of laying down cash up front for something I'm going to build, fret not. I'll be doing some generic hardware soon which you can just buy, but it obviously won't be custom work.

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

I have had some questions about these so I'll post some Q&A here:

Q: Can my custom cartridge be updated?
A: Yes, but it's not as easy as plugging into a USB port. You will need to either send your cartridge to me so I can reprogram it, or you can send it to a friend with an EPROM programmer, and he can do it. I perform this service for free providing you can ship your cartridge to me.

Q: What ROMs can I run with your custom cartridges?
A: Any ROM that's legal for you to have me make!

Q: What ROMs can I run with your custom 11-in-1 multi-cartridge?
A: Any NROM program, which includes nearly all No Carrier ROMs and Lightwall.

Q: Will you autograph/draw on/paint/label my custom cartridge?
A: Sure, if you want me to! For an extra charge I can even ship your cartridge to someone like Thretris for some custom paint!

waffle_bomb
Offline

can you make carts for a snes?

arfink
Offline
Minneapolis

Nope, sorry I don't do SNES carts right now. If you must get a SNES cart made I suggest checking out MuteCity's cartridge services. I don't know how much he does totally custom work, but I have seen him do SNES cart reproductions before.