how do you open an AES cart?

[Edmond Dantes]

That same World Heroes is acting up again. I thought it was clean but the scratchy sound is back. Then I cleaned it and it was gone again... then it came back. Without the game even leaving the console.

So I want to open it up and see if there's anything unusual on the PCBs.

Just one prob: I don't know how. I don't see a latch or anything. Do I have to damage the label?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

The AES cartridge is held together with 7 plastic clips. Two on the bottom (left and right of the PCB edge connectors), four on the upper and lower left and right sides of the cartridge, and one at the top where the label is.

You have to flex apart one bottom corner of the cartridge, unlatching the two nearby clips, then do the other side. With the bottom half of the cart open, flex the cartridge shell again in the upper left and right corners. Once those are open, the PCBs can be removed. This is all easier said than done, most carts are pretty stiff and require a lot of careful strength to pry apart. It is very possible to open a cart with your bare hands though. Sometimes SNK, the fuckers they are, glued one or both of the support posts inside the cartridge. Sometimes the glue snaps when you pry open the cart, sometimes it doesn't. I have a KOF 98 that is pretty well fused on the right support post...

Jamma-Nation-X has a guide with pictures, but that site is unfriendly to hotlinking.

 

[Xian Xi]

http://www.jamma-nation-x.com/jammax/tutorials.html?show=aescart

Jamma-Nation-X has a guide with pictures, but that site is unfriendly to hotlinking.

Just replace the # in the link with "?show=".

 

[Joneo]

It's definitely not for the faint of heart. There is a risk of label damage as well as snapping off one of the 7 latches or smaller support ribs.
In addition to strong fingers, an old credit card may help you gently pry it open without marring the cart.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

It's definitely not for the faint of heart. There is a risk of label damage as well as snapping off one of the 7 latches or smaller support ribs.
In addition to strong fingers, an old credit card may help you gently pry it open without marring the cart.

It has a lot to do with the cartridge shell, some are more flexible than others. It's pretty hard applying too much pressure, just squeeze/pinch/flex/twist as hard as you can and slowly slip each clip apart. You eventually get a feel for it.

 

[Xian Xi]

There's another way to open them that is very simple with no damage but I don't make that one public due to bootleggers.

 

[theMot]

There's another way to open them that is very simple with no damage but I don't make that one public due to bootleggers.

Is this the cushion method?

 

[RabbitTroop]

Anyone try using a mobile phone opening tool, or a sturdy but flexible guitar pick? I've had to open very delicate mobile devices and those pins are super fragile, and in much tighter spaces. I think grabbing a nice mobile phone repair kit would probably help in getting into these carts as well.

 

[Xian Xi]

Is this the cushion method?

Cushion? No. It uses a special tool. Takes less than 5 seconds to open the cart.