I recently adquired an original Fixeight PCB and looking for info on internet about it, I find out that region on this game is stored in EEPROM that is used to store configuration and other data, too.
It means that code roms, graphic roms and sound roms are the same for all regions and depending of what region is saved in EEPROM, code run in one region mode or another.
Actually, looking at mame source, it says the following about this game:
Code: Select all
fixeight - The same program is used for all regions, and the region can be changed just by swapping
EEPROMs. However, the V25 code also recognizes a secret input that rewrites the EEPROM to
use any one of the 14 recognized regional licenses, using the state of the player 1 and
player 2 button inputs held in conjunction with it as a 4-bit binary code:
Region Button input
------------------------ ------------------------------------
Korea, Taito license No buttons
Korea P1 button 1
Hong Kong, Taito license P1 button 2
Hong Kong P1 buttons 1 & 2
Taiwan, Taito license P2 button 1
Taiwan P1 button 1 + P2 button 1
SE Asia, Taito license P1 button 2 + P2 button 1
Southeast Asia P1 buttons 1 & 2 + P2 button 1
Europe, Taito license P2 button 2
Europe P1 button 1 + P2 button 2
USA, Taito license P1 button 2 + P2 button 2
USA P1 buttons 1 & 2 + P2 button 2
(Invalid) P2 buttons 1 & 2
(Invalid) P1 button 1 + P2 buttons 1 & 2
Japan P1 button 2 + P2 buttons 1 & 2
Japan, Taito license P1 buttons 1 & 2 + P2 buttons 1 & 2
My question is: Can I change the region simply by doing that combination of buttons in my PCB?
Yes, of course, I've already tried it, but unsucessfully, and I couldn't change region.
In that explanation doesn't detailed when, or how the buttons need to be held, so I think I'm doing it wrong.
Some of you guys tried that before?
Thanks!