Lawrence Chiu reviews the Game Doctor SF VI (GDSF6). Backup/copier.
Lawrence Chiu
3-1/2" DS/HD floppy disks. The original cartridge is not needed to play
the game.
All videogame cartridge copiers have built-in support for battery backed-
up videogames, real time save, Gold Finger, which is a feature comparable
to Game Genie, and slow-motion modes to make games easier to play by
slowing them down.
Abbreviated GDSF6
The GDSF6 is now available.
"What?" I hear you exclaim. "What happened to GDSF4, and GDSF5?" Well,
you got me. GDSF3 went directly to GDSF6. There is no such thing as a
GDSF4 or GDSF5.
The GDSF6 is the most feature-rich and by far the most popular videogame
cartridge copier for Super Nintendo. Its build quality is unmatched by
any other brand.
Parallel interface is standard equipment. DSP option is optional.
1. GDSF6 has memory expandable to 128M, available right now in this
configuration. You do not need to send the unit back to the dealer for
memory upgrades. With other systems such as the Double Pro Fighter X,
Pro Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, Super Wild Card DX, etc., you
must ship the unit back to the dealer.
2. GDSF6 can load multiple games into memory and switch between them with
the y button at the main menu. Load your favorite videogames into memory
and play them whenever you want, without the need to reload from floppy
disks each time. The number of games you can load depends on memory
capacity M, and is equal to M/8. For example, on a 32M GDSF6 (M=32), you
can load up to 4 games (M/8 = 32/8 = 4). With other systems such as the
Double Pro Fighter X, Pro Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, Super
Wild Card DX, etc., you can load only 1 game into memory at a time.
3. GDSF6 can retain memory contents even when SNES is off. This feature
is particularly valuable in conjunction with #2. Large videogames such
as Super Street Fighter II (32M, 4 disks) require a long time to load.
With other systems such as the Double Pro Fighter X, Pro Fighter X, Super
Wild Card DX, etc., you have to re-load every time you turn the SNES on.
To the Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7's credit, this feature is available as
standard equipment.
4. GDSF6 has artificial intelligence to defeat copy protection. Clay
Fighter, Disney's Aladdin, Eek! The Cat, Final Fight 2, The Great Circus
Mystery Starring Mickey & Minnie, Hammer Lock Wrestling, Lamborghini
American Challenge, Megaman X, NBA Jam, Rock N' Roll Racing, Tetris 2,
Yoshi's Safari, etc., are all no problem.
5. GDSF6's operating system allows you to perform many tasks, suspend
them if necessary if working on multiple disks, and resume. For example,
you are copying a 32M videogame cartridge onto 4 disks. While writing
disk 4, you get a "Verify Disk Error." No problem. Simply replace the
disk with another. With other systems such as the Double Pro Fighter X,
Pro Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, Super Wild Card DX, etc., the
entire process aborts and you have to start over with the first disk
again. What if you don't have another formatted disk? With the GDSF6,
press SELECT on your control pad to abort the process, format a disk, and
resume copying the videogame cartridge at disk 4. With other systems
such as the Double Pro Fighter X, Pro Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive
Pro.7, Super Wild Card DX, etc., you have to start over with the first
disk again. Another example, you are loading a videogame stored on
multiple disks. Upon being asked to insert disk 3, you can't find disk 3
(you didn't have time to label them yet.) Abort the process, use the
directory option to look at various disks until you find the right disk,
then resume loading at disk 3. On other systems such as the Double Pro
Fighter X, Pro Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, Super Wild Card
DX, etc., you have to start over again with the first disk again.
6. GDSF6 can seemingly anticipate your needs and responds accordingly.
Insert a disk and turn on the SNES. The GDSF6 will load the first game
on the disk with no intervention on your part. It will run the first
game in memory if there is no disk in the disk drive with no intervention
on your part. If there is a videogame cartridge in the cartridge slot,
no videogame loaded, and no disk in the disk drive, it will run the
videogame cartridge with no intervention on your part. It is a joy to
use.
7. GDSF6 can copy videogame cartridges without disks, up to M/8. (M is
as defined above.) The copies are retained in memory as long as the unit
remains plugged into a power supply. Write out the videogame to disks at
YOUR convenience. On other systems such as the Double Pro Fighter X, Pro
Fighter X, Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, Super Wild Card DX, etc., you
must have blank disks ready at all times.
8. GDSF6 can copy a videogame cartridge's BRAM (battery-backed-up RAM) to
its internal BRAM, so if you have a cool save game stored on a videogame
cartridge, you can transfer it to the GDSF6's BRAM and use it with a
copy of the videogame. The GDSF6 can also copy its internal BRAM to a
videogame cartridge's BRAM.
9. GDSF6 can test its memory and disk drive for defects.
10. GDSF6 can be hooked up to CD-ROM drive.
11. GDSF6 has a parallel interface built-in. On other systems such as the
Double Pro Fighter X or Pro Fighter X, this is a costly option. On yet
other systems such as the Super UFO Super Drive Pro.7, it doesn't exist.
To the Super Wild Card's credit, a parallel interface is standard
equipment.
12. GDSF6 has a DSP option, so that DSP-enhanced videogames can be played.
On other systems such as the MGH, this is simply not possible. To the
Pro Fighter X's credit, DSP is standard equipment.
13. GDSF6 supports three (3) languages: English, Chinese, and Japanese.
14. GDSF6 has disk functions:
Format Disk (720K DS/DD, 1.44M DS/HD, 1.60M DS/HD)
Delete File
Copy File (single, multiple copies)
Copy Disk (single, multiple copies)
Rename File
DEFICIENCIES
1. GDSF6 will not read files generated by the Super Magicom, Supercom
Pro.1, Super Wild Card, Pro Fighter X, and Double Pro Fighter X (although
conversion is possible.)
rev.941211
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Regards,
Lawrence Chiu Internet: ch...@crl.com Compuserve: 75152,67
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