Description
I'm having issues with the Saroo cartridge, which displays PCV version 1.66 (blue) and is running the latest firmware. My Saturn is a Japanese unit, model HST-3220. Games like Panzer Dragoon 1 and 2 work, but after the first level—or even during it—they freeze. Nights into Dreams doesn’t run at all; it won’t load. Many games that theoretically should work simply don’t.
I tried cleaning the cartridge slot contacts with isopropyl alcohol spray, and I think that helped a bit, but the classic games still won’t run. That is, many games I’ve seen running for others freeze on my system. They crash at startup, the intro glitches badly, and then the system freezes, among other glitches.
That said, after downloading over 150 games, I managed to put together a list of about 70 that do work—though it's very hit-or-miss.
I only own two physical games: Virtua Fighter and Deadalus (which is a really good game!). Virtua Fighter runs fine on the Saroo, though the characters flicker slightly—but the same flicker happens when I play the physical disc without the cartridge, so it's not serious. Deadalus works on both formats, but when running from the Saroo, the audio stutters; this doesn’t happen with the physical disc. I also noticed something peculiar in both cases: during the first intro cinematic, small red dots appear on screen. I checked YouTube gameplay videos, and those red dots aren’t present, so I’m not sure if that’s an issue with the console itself.
I’ve tested this on different TVs. I'm using a PAL-N CRT in Argentina, but I also tried it on a modern LED TV with RCA input and multi-standard support—same results.
Could it be that the cartridge is faulty? Or maybe the console has an issue? I haven’t fully disassembled the console yet to check the motherboard, but I wanted to ask here first to see if that might be worth doing.
Thanks in advance.
P.S.: Here’s a video showing how Sonic R (USA version) glitches.