Modern Cartridges

Background

A modern GX4000_cartridge is a cartridge that was not originally released.

Currently these comprise of Bootlegs and modifications of the System Cartridges.

How close are we to creating our own new cartridges with new pcbs, new roms and new acid?

The problems we need to solve are:

1. creating new PCBs
2. creating an ACID replacement
3. creating the plastic cartridge shells
4. creating the labels to go on the shells
5. creating or finding a suitable case for the physical cartridge and manual to go into.

Work so far on new PCB

• Bryce's re-implementation of the cartridge pcb.

Work so far on new ACID

• Acid replacement by Nilquader -> Verilog_implementation_of_the_ACID_chip
• Reverse engineering of ACID functionality by Nocash -> ACID

Work so far on new cartridge instruction booklets

I (Arnoldemu) make a document for OpenOffice which has the same dimensions as an original cartridge instruction booklet.

Work so far on new cartridge labels

I (Arnoldemu) created a document for OpenOffice with a new label for a cartridge version of Blue Angel 69.

Work on alternative cases

• VHS Video cases can be used but they are not the same dimensions as the original cartridge cases.

Solutions that use existing cartridges

• Bryce's Man-in-the-Middle device

New solutions

Gerald has made a cartridge device which reads cartridge images from micro SD-Card. The device can be connected via USB so that cartridges can be downloaded while it is plugged in and on.

Converted GX4000 games

Now that there are solutions to play cartridge images on a GX4000, you would like to play more than the few titles that were availables at the time. Some fellow members of the forum work hard to convert some of the games for CPC so that they are playable on a GX4000.

The list is available here : Converted_GX4000_games