Topic: Region locking on Super Game Boy Space Invaders

NLife staffers recently posted an article about the obscure embedded Space Invaders SNES ROM only playable via a Super Game Boy. I thought this was kind of ironic: Space Invaders embeds a tiny SNES game within the GB ROM. If you run the PAL release on an NTSC system or visa versa, "arcade mode" will not work properly. I demonstrate this with my GB Everdrive on real hardware.

The region lock on Space Invaders must be using the region lock used later in the SNES life. I did some tests with my UK version. The region warning comes up if I use my PAL SGB on my Super Famicom Jr. Usin a Universal Adaptor. Also if I just my SGB2 on the Super Famicom Jr. and if I use my SGB2 on my PAL SNES using the Universal Adaptor

I don't think the region of the Super Game Boy matters but the region of the Game Boy cart needs to match your SNES because the embedded ROM is locked. Neat that you can switch regions using a T-adapter. I hear those were popular in Europe and Nintendo put a stop to gamers using them by adding lockout code to later released games. I simply broke the tabs in my SNES years ago to play Super Famicom game on it.

I was meaning that the lock on the game is one of the ones used later in the SNES light. Checking the fequency of the hardware mayb, as well as reading the lockout chip on the cart.

The SGB2 didn't work either on my Super Famicom or PAL SNES. And the PAL SGB didn't work on the Super Famicom Jr.

It's most likely the SNES rom is checking the video standard your console is using. The PAL version is checking for a PAL signal, and if it detects NTSC, it will load the lock up screen. Vice verser for the US NTSC version.

This lock up screen is used in other SNES games like Super Metroid, but it is possible to modify the rom to disable that check. So you can play the PAL version on a JP / US SNES.

@RadioShadow: That's the region protection I was thinking about. But there must also be another check as it has the same message if I try to run it on the SGB 2 on my PAL SNES using an Universal Adapter.

@RadioShadow: Unfortunately a flash cart with a hacked ROM is probably the only way around that in Super Game Boy.
While it might be possible to remove the region lock on most SNES games with a Game Genie with a proper code (assuming it's not like EarthBound, which I think mixes in the PAL detection with the anti-piracy code. At which point if it detects modification it decides you're a naughty little pirate who should be play in punishment mode. ).
But Game Genie is (mostly) incompatible with SGB. (game will still play but with EXTREME slowdown and no sound.
Unless you have a super-rare adapter to use a Game Boy Game Genie on Super Game Boy. (though it's probably because almost nobody heard of it. I think I read about it once in GamePro magazine, and that was all the mention it ever got.)