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Taito F3 Bubble Bobble 2 PROTOTYPE PCB!!!!
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stevearcade View Drop Down
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Points: 5345 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stevearcade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2013 at 10:39am
Wow! This is truly incredible.

Is this a fair example of your face on discovering this PCB?



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Put that in your PCB test rig and smoke it!
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muddymusic View Drop Down
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I think the others guys in the room might say that was pretty accurate LOL

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PCB Examination

Here is the pcb, I found a couple of images on Google of one other F3 prototype board.

Here's one of a Land Maker prototype for comparison:


Here is the Bubble Bobble 2 prototype pcb.






Placed alongside a Bubble Symphony cart & mobo:


All the roms have hand written info.






Can anyone translate this?

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It could translate as '94 Europa System 4'

or '94 System Europa 4'

 - Slarti


Edited by slartibartfast - 30 July 2013 at 12:25pm
'I'd far rather be happy than right any day'
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Top layer examination











NICEB PCB
TK8X3004A

Rom list:

IC3  CQ80 SCR4 DFE1
IC4  CQ80 SCR3 4266
IC5  CQ80 SCR2 CC11
IC6  CQ80 SCR1 A5F3
IC7  CQ80 SCR0 5BA4

IC10 SND3 STD5 3A8C
IC11 SND2 STD6 A148

IC43 SND8 DATA0 DB5F
IC44 SND9 DATA1 933B

IC60 SOFT3 8C9B
IC61 SOFT2 0587
IC62 SOFT1 9A9C
IC63 SOFT0 A523

IC65 SNDL 4EC1
IC66 SNDH 348F

Pals 24,57,58,29,64.


Edited by muddymusic - 30 July 2013 at 12:43pm

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I love it when stuff like this pops up, makes the hobby and it's pitfalls all worthwhile IMO.
So, how many pairs of pants have you gone through so far? LOL
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Second layer examination











NICEPCA PCB
TK8X3003A

Rom list:

IC8   CQ80 OBJ 0L C166
IC20 CQ80 OBJ 0M 24F4
IC32 CQ80 OBJ 0H 99QD

Pals 12, 24

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have you tried stacking the game pcb onto the f3 mobo?
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Motherboard examination

At first glance it looks to be identical to a production mobo, just without the cage. However I can see a number of differences - this may be specific to proto stuff, or it could be different revisions etc.



Alongside a release version:


Release:

Proto


Release:

Proto:


Release:

Proto:


Release:

Proto:


Release version solder side:

Proto:


Notable differences:

No region lockout tabs on the motherboard OR the A+B layers - meaning you'd need a hacked mobo to try this on a different board.
No fan connection.
IC32 is missing on the prototype mobo.
Socketed chips at locations IC2, IC3, IC23, IC24, IC25, IC29, IC33, IC43.
Board label: BASE PCB, TK8X3018C


Edited by muddymusic - 30 July 2013 at 1:17pm

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Here are the A+B layers placed alongside a production cartridge.





Next up I'll start looking at the actual game differences.

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Originally posted by vib_ribbon vib_ribbon wrote:

have you tried stacking the game pcb onto the f3 mobo?

There aren't any region tabs cutout on the bottom of the A+B boards so it would need a modified motherboard to try that.

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Can we make this sticky please
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Originally posted by slartibartfast slartibartfast wrote:

It could translate as '94 Europa System 4'

or '94 System Europa 4'

 - Slarti

^ Yep. This. 94 Europa (European) System 4
Put that in your PCB test rig and smoke it!
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Needs more sockets
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Great find....my wife is big on everything happens for a reason...so you wer meant to find that...I love the timing too..last day..last grab...great story..this goes without saying prob..but enjoy it . .......Joey
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Originally posted by Breaking Dad Breaking Dad wrote:

Great find....my wife is big on everything happens for a reason...so you wer meant to find that...I love the timing too..last day..last grab...great story..this goes without saying prob..but enjoy it . .......Joey


It definitely was meant to be found by Olly.. and it does sound strange that he says it was the last PCB of the day. But I was there testing with Olly at that point and it was literally the last PCB on the top shelf in the office... we had been through every other one on the shelf and this was the last one to be pulled off.

Secretly I think Julian knew it was there and planted it as the last PCB for a bit of fun.

It still amuses me how Olly looked after testing it for himself... it was like a child who needs the toilet and goes all twitchy and can't stop moving... it was as if he wanted to just jump out of the door and run all the way home with it.

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He was just like Charlie Bucket.

Or Muddy Bucket.

That just sounds wrong
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Originally posted by stevearcade stevearcade wrote:

Originally posted by slartibartfast slartibartfast wrote:

It could translate as '94 Europa System 4'

or '94 System Europa 4'

 - Slarti

^ Yep. This. 94 Europa (European) System 4

Thanks chaps Smile

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Points: 222 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Konami79 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2013 at 4:59pm

Wow, what a great find! And great to read about!
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So here's what you've been waiting for - a video of the game running.

Here's a 5 minute cycle of the attract mode from Bubble Symphony.


And here's a 5 minute cycle of the attract mode from the prototype. There's one VERY big difference you'll notice right away!

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