Burning a PIC for a GDROM game

[nem]

So I picked up a security chipless Beach Spikers sometime ago thinking I could always burn a replacement PIC for it. However, I can't get it to boot, it just throws up an Error 26. I burned a Monkey Ball PIC sometime ago, that one works OK.

I'm using the 317-0317-com.pic from Mame. It matches my disc version.

So either the pic image is bad, the disc is damaged and doesn't work with any PIC (???) or I have the wrong settings for it (I'm hoping for this).

Are the settings used for game pics the same as the ones for netbooting here:

How to Create a Zero Key (PIC) For Net Booting and CF on NAOMI Chihiro and Triforce

Thanks!

 

[skate323k137]

I would start with a working 0 key source you can compile and use reliably, assuming you're programming the PIC yourself.

Unless I'm mistaken, then you just need to get the right games encryption key in place of the x00's currently in that space in the PIC source.

If you still have your monkey ball PIC source that might help. From memory I'm not sure if gdrom boot needs a filename changed like CF (i.e. abc.bin) or not, but thats all in the PIC source.

 

[nem]

Success! Copied the settings from @rtws guide and it works!

Random weird thing: after installing, the game black screens if you have the region set to anything except USA.

EDIT: ^ nevermind, I had it black screen even when set to USA. Probably a voltage or motherboard issue.

 

[skate323k137]

Glad to hear.

For most GDROM system, you should be able to use MAME key and any eprom burner to fix your machine. This thankfully has been known a long time but I am glad it is becoming more widely common knowledge.

Flags within pic source become important only for custom compile, etc., using netboot instead of GDROM system or if you wish to recompile a netboot dump to use a net PIC which only works for this one game. Theoretically you could even encrypt all your netboot games to your own key if you were really a dick.

Many years back I took "the common" netboot and combined all my "work" into it, naming it something like 5abcnet. This work has been shared widely to my knowledge. I used werejag's suggestions on the public dump to make net work. Then on a whim, I changed boot id to 5abc.net anyway. Suddenly people were very happy with these keys for some reason

I have not paid much attention to testing the "ANSWER" flag, but I know setting it for CF breaks net, but the PIC works for CF still fine. I only have CF for limited time (I don't own them, only service), so I still am not sure, if with my "completed" net pic, if you can use a CF since the jumpers and boot ID are correct. Free 0 key to anyone who wants to test that one, on me.