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Sega Saturn copy protection cracked after 22 years

Broken Joystick

At least you can talk. Who are you?
Why would it hurt Sega? The damn console is more than 20 years old.

abbhLo1I.jpg
 
And just a couple months after I bought an SD card replacement drive for my Saturn...

How's the read speed on that expansion port anyways? Fast enough for all (most) of the Saturn library?
 

RoyalFool

Banned
If they can run unsigned code on the console, could also open the door to modified versions of games (i.e. Shenmue undub)
 
And just a couple months after I bought an SD card replacement drive for my Saturn...

How's the read speed on that expansion port anyways? Fast enough for all (most) of the Saturn library?
It's fast enough to unlock the speed of the CD rom cpu controller to actually load games faster than possible from the CD, but apparently it could cause issues due to how many instructions are going on at once and the timings needed. The video goes way in depth about how it works.
 

Tailzo

Member
If they can run unsigned code on the console, could also open the door to modified versions of games (i.e. Shenmue undub)

But Shenmue is a Dreamcast game. Do you mean to tell me somehow got a working dubbed demo of the Saturn version of Shenmue up and running?
 
It's fast enough to unlock the speed of the CD rom cpu controller to actually load games faster than possible from the CD, but apparently it could cause issues due to how many instructions are going on at once and the timings needed. The video goes way in depth about how it works.

Thanks! I'll have to check out the video tonight.
 
It's amazing people are still working on this stuff all these years later. I can just about follow what Dr Abrasive has done in this video and his work and dedication is pretty awesome.

I hope this can breathe life back into dead SEGA Saturn systems all over the world - our Saturn still runs pretty well but that CD drive isn't going to last forever.
 

RoyalFool

Banned
But Shenmue is a Dreamcast game. Do you mean to tell me somehow got a working dubbed demo of the Saturn version of Shenmue up and running?

Nope sorry, just being old and senile. Can't think of any Saturn games that would really benefit from 'hacks'.
 
Every system is a ticking time bomb... they will all die eventually.

My 8bit NES, Sega Genesis, GameBoy, GameGear, Nomad, N64 still work as great as when I got them.

My saturn? Disc drive is failing
Dreamcast? A couple of disc read fails the last time I used it
PS2? Laser died 4 years into owning the console.
360? RROD
PS3? YLOD
 

Apdiddy

Member
The Dreamcast and PlayStation had copy protection broken within the first several years, so it's pretty impressive that it took that long.
 
Awesome!

I stupidly bought a model 1 Saturn not knowing it's a pain in the ass to mod but I guess I got it just in time! I'm glad I didn't get rid of it.
 

Baleoce

Member
Was it the Saturn that had a magazine (either official or unofficial, I can't remember) that had one issue come with a demo disc that accidentally allowed people to play copies? It's been a long time, but I recall something like that happening on one of those systems from around that era. (maybe it was the sega cd i'm thinking of, been so long).
 
Wow. I'll buy one if these right away.

The expansion cart slot being fragile is another concern. I try to insert/remove the action replay almost never.
 
My 8bit NES, Sega Genesis, GameBoy, GameGear, Nomad, N64 still work as great as when I got them.

My saturn? Disc drive is failing
Dreamcast? A couple of disc read fails the last time I used it
PS2? Laser died 4 years into owning the console.
360? RROD
PS3? YLOD

The retro systems will die eventually. Disc drives only make a console die a bit earlier.
RROD YLOD have nothing to do with the disc drive, though the first gen blu ray drives in PS3 fat are meant to be shit.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Was it the Saturn that had a magazine (either official or unofficial, I can't remember) that had one issue come with a demo disc that accidentally allowed people to play copies? It's been a long time, but I recall something like that happening on one of those systems from around that era. (maybe it was the sega cd i'm thinking of, been so long).

Dreamcast. Close, but no cigar. :p
 

Maxey

Member
i hope this doesn't impact Sega's decision to stay in the console market

Have you seen the Dreamcast? That console will make Sega great again. Sony had a fluke with the PS1 but Sega's bold vision for the future will make them defeat Sony out of the industry and back to TVs and stereos, which is where they belong.
 

gelf

Member
Wow. I'll buy one if these right away.

The expansion cart slot being fragile is another concern. I try to insert/remove the action replay almost never.
Yeah this sounds good in theory but then you remember the card slot is more prone to breakage then the disk drive.

It's good news regardless though.

Edit: oh it's the VCD slot, excellent.
 
The excitement is palpable---we all of us should rightly be Classical isamu Elementals in terms of this being some of the biggest news for the legacy of the platform in ages between both the boons to emulation and HW/homebrew outright!

Plus all that sweet, sweet FM Synth power still lurking in the machine that never truly saw judicious use at least as egregiously as the 32X---the more angles of attack at that aside from burning something at an altar for Aly James, so much the better.
 

angelic

Banned
The Dreamcast and PlayStation had copy protection broken within the first several years, so it's pretty impressive that it took that long.

I was playing gold discs on my japanese ps within a few months with blu-tack on the lid sensor.
 

OmegaDL50

Member
The retro systems will die eventually. Disc drives only make a console die a bit earlier.
RROD YLOD have nothing to do with the disc drive, though the first gen blu ray drives in PS3 fat are meant to be shit.

Yeah the 72-pin connector for the NES was prone to failing. I actually had to replace it on one I had.

But mainly vertical mounted cartridge systems seemed to do better than the horizontal dock the original model NES had.

My SNES from 1994 which was bundled with Killer Instinct, still works to this day, but even I know despite how well I treat it, will eventually fail.
 

_Ryo_

Member
Nope sorry, just being old and senile. Can't think of any Saturn games that would really benefit from 'hacks'.

What about fan translations and undubs for JRPGS/Adventure games.



........
Would this make importing easier? Or would the games still be region locked if we loaded them via the USB thing? I can't view the video right now, so what does the device look like? Is it just a card you slide into the expansion port that has a usb port on it? You load games from HDD? Do you still need a mod chip? Also was there anything said about pricing?
 
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