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The Secret Chips Inside Nintendo Cartridges

The film's page has its chapters, every source, the code and the full transcript: The Secret Chips Inside Nintendo Cartridges.

Sources and credits for the film. Every fact in the narration is tied to a quotation from a captured source; every image, clip and piece of music is listed with its licence and where it came from. Archive images and footage are public domain, openly licensed or used for commentary, criticism and historical analysis. Maps, charts and diagrams were made for this film from the cited sources.

Images and footage (50)

  • Nintendo Power vol. 20 (January 1991), page 28: the magazine's feature on what is inside Game Paks (NROM, bank switching, MMCs, battery saves), scanned page.
    Fair-use candidate (copyright Nintendo of America; Nintendo Power vol. 20, January 1991). Source
  • Nintendo Power vol. 20 (January 1991), page 29: the magazine's feature on what is inside Game Paks (NROM, bank switching, MMCs, battery saves), scanned page.
    Fair-use candidate (copyright Nintendo of America; Nintendo Power vol. 20, January 1991). Source
  • Nintendo Power vol. 20 (January 1991), page 30: the magazine's feature on what is inside Game Paks (NROM, bank switching, MMCs, battery saves), scanned page.
    Fair-use candidate (copyright Nintendo of America; Nintendo Power vol. 20, January 1991). Source
  • Akumajou Densetsu (the Japanese Castlevania III, Famicom, VRC6): the end of the prologue at the church, then Stage 1 with its music ('Beginning'), the player standing still. Sound as a Famicom mixes it (the VRC6's three channels with the 2A03's five). 31.8 s from frame 1380 of run cv3-jp.
    Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Akumajou Densetsu (the Japanese Castlevania III, Famicom, VRC6): the end of the prologue at the church, then Stage 1 with its music, the player standing still, sound as a Famicom mixes it. 60.2 s from frame 1380 of run cv3-jp-long; its first 31.8 s are the same frames as game-akumajou-stage1, and the stage music, from about 1 s in (frame 1440), repeats from the start after 49.9 s, at about 51 s.
    Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (US, NES, MMC5): the same moment as game-akumajou-stage1-long, on the same frames, with the American arrangement, the player standing still. 60.2 s from frame 1380 of run cv3-us-long.
    Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Super Mario Bros. (World release) World 1-1, played: Mario running right and jumping, the status bar (MARIO, coins, WORLD 1-1, TIME) fixed at the top while the level scrolls; he loses a life at the second pipe (about 10 s in), the WORLD 1-1 card, and the level again. 23.3 s from frame 300 of run smb-play2, with the game's own sound.
    Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Super Mario Bros. (World release) running its own attract demo: the title screen, then World 1-1 played by the game itself, the status bar (MARIO, coins, WORLD 1-1, TIME) fixed at the top while the level scrolls. 12.7 s from frame 600 of run smb-demo.
    Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 (US, PRG1) World 1-1, played: Mario running right and jumping from the start (frames 1280-1700, 7.0 s), the status bar fixed at the bottom while the level scrolls above it; at about 7.3 s he loses a life to the piranha plant's fireball, and from about 9.2 s the World 1 map. 22.0 s from frame 1280 of run smb3-play-long (the same input schedule as smb3-play), with the game's own sound.
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 (US, PRG1): the 'WORLD 1' card over the World 1 map, Mario walking to level 1, then World 1-1 played running right and jumping until Mario is hit; the status bar fixed at the bottom while the level scrolls. 22.5 s from frame 400 of run smb3-play.
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Our own VRC6 program playing our own tune: a screen listing INSIDE THE FAMICOM: 2A03 (PULSE 1, PULSE 2, TRIANGLE, NOISE) and ON THE CARTRIDGE: VRC6 (PULSE 1, PULSE 2, SAWTOOTH), each with a lamp, ON while that channel sounds. Triangle and noise from the start, the 2A03 pulses from 8.5 s, the VRC6 pulse and sawtooth from 17 s, the second VRC6 pulse from 25.6 s, the tune looping at 34.1 s. Sound as a Famicom mixes it. Frames 0-2 are before the screen is drawn: start from frame 3.
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The original Famicom (HVC-001) with its two wired controllers, on white. Photographed by Evan-Amos.
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. Source
  • Inside a Famicom (board HVC-CPU-GPM-02, (c)1989 Nintendo, fitted with an AV modification): the PPU, an RP2C02G-0, above the CPU, an RP2A03G, with silkscreen 'PPU RP2C02' and 'CPU RP2A03'. Close-up.
    Darklanlan / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. CC0. Source
  • The Famicom's main board with its blue 60-pin cartridge slot and the RF box, at an angle on white. Photographed by Evan-Amos.
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. Source
  • Close-up of Nintendo's MMC3 chip (marked 'Nintendo MMC3B'), a 44-pin square package soldered on a green cartridge board; the uploader describes it as on a Super Mario Bros. 3 NES board. Modern photograph.
    See below / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source
  • The NES-001 console (front-loader) with its controller, on white. Photographed by Evan-Amos.
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. Source
  • The top of an early NES-001 main board (marked 'NTSC'), seen flat: its chips, the black 72-pin cartridge connector at the bottom edge and the RF box at the right. Photographed by Evan-Amos.
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. Source
  • The circuit board of the NES version of Tetris: an MMC1 mapper chip, the game's ROMs and the 10NES lockout chip, with the 72-pin edge connector. Photographed by Evan-Amos.
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons / public domain. Source
  • Konami's VRC6 chip (marked 'VRC VI') on the cartridge board of Akumajou Densetsu for the Famicom, with two other Konami ROM chips and the Famicom's 60-pin edge connector at the top; silkscreen 'VRC 6' and 'KONAMI'. Modern photograph.
    w:ru:Shiru / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source
  • The same kind of Konami board, Famicom cartridge RC845 (Akumajou Densetsu), with the VRC VI chip below two ROMs, photographed at an angle with the gold edge connector at the top. Modern photograph.
    Yaca2671 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source
  • Super Mario Bros. beside Super Mario Bros. 3, 40K and 384K; line 193 above the bar; the Famicom and the NES
    Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985), Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988) and Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985), Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988) and Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The CPU's and the PPU's conversations; NROM's fixed windows; the MMC3 changing what is behind
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Nintendo Power page 28's RC-car passage, sentence by sentence
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The NES-001 board and its connector's signals; the CPU's and PPU's maps; Mario 3's patterns
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Mario 3's 256K and 128K behind the windows; PRG mode 1; A13-A18; the fixed banks
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The MMC3B; reads and writes by R/W; R6 = 3; the Tetris board's MMC1 and its five writes
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Our MMC3 program's source and build, its six banks at
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Mario 3's 21 bank writes in frame 1400 of World 1, level 1, and eight banks selected in six seconds
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Nintendo Power page 29's storybook; 21 writes in one frame; line 193
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Super Mario Bros.'s sprite zero and its wait in World 1, level 1: 201 reads, 6% of a frame
    Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Mario 3's fixed bar; Nintendo Power page 30's second screen; line 193; no beam wire
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Line 190 as 341 dots: the PPU's reads, a tile's four, the pattern table's halves
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • A12 on the connector and on line 190; the empty sprite slots, tile
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Eight raw A12 rises, M2 and the three-fall filter; one count a line
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • What the scanline counter counts; the reload writes; the countdown to line 191
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The countdown stepped; /IRQ at 191/261, accepted about 264, the handler at 285
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Mario 3's handler on lines 191-194, write by write, beside its source
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Line 193 the backdrop's sky blue in World 1, level 1; who does what; 851 dots of handler
    Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1988); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Our MMC3 program's split, and the same picture with A held
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The VRC VI; our VRC6 program's tune with each channel's trace; the 2A03's five channels
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The VRC6's pulses heard alone; duty settings; sixteen steps; the sawtooth
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The sawtooth's accumulator, six additions and the reset; the 6-bit DAC
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The Famicom and its 60-pin connector; the audio loop on pins 45 and 46
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • The NES's 72 pins with no audio return; the expansion port; an EXP6 modification
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Akumajou Densetsu's and Castlevania III's Stage 1, the same phrase
    Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Both cartridges' 384K; who plays the bass; the sawtooth and the triangle heard alone
    Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The same drums with shorter American samples; the channel roles
    Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989) and Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The MMC5's silent sound, its one write; Nintendo Power page 30's colour claim
    Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • The RP2A03G and RP2C02G-0; Nintendo Power's motor; the machine and its helpers
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Our two programs; what each game needs of the console; the motor retired; the end
    Retro Computer TV. Own work.

Music (18)

  • Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Akumajou Densetsu (Konami, 1989); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990). Fair dealing (criticism, review, quotation): Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Konami, 1990); recorded by Retro Computer TV.
  • "Baba" by Jeremy Black (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "The Blue Pearl" by Jesse Gallagher (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "CAVERNS" by Density & Time (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Cold Water" by Patrick Patrikios (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "No Clarity" by Stayloose (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Rene's Song" by Loopop (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Rinse Repeat" by DivKid (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Says to Speculation" by pATCHES (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Sun Awakening" by Futuremono (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Time's Up" by Loopop (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • "Tratak" by Jesse Gallagher (YouTube Audio Library). YouTube Audio Library. Source
  • Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Retro Computer TV. Own work.
  • Retro Computer TV. Own work.

Sources (47)