My 3DO Blaster Project

[3DOKid]

Before you ask. No it frackin' doesn't. So there you go.

Kit List:
----------------------------

1 x Cooler Master Lab chassis
1 x Creative Labs 3DO Blaster
1 x Creative Labs Sound Blaster
1 x Creative Labs CDROM CR-563-b
1 x SuperMicro P6SBA Motherboard
1 x 256Mb RAM
1 x 500Gb HDD cut into teeny-weeny little partitions
1 x Floppy Disk Drive
1 x Pentium III 450Mhz CPU
1 x Matrox 220 Mystique VGA adapter.

What have I learnt?
------------------------------

MSDOS 6.22 is pretty hateful.
Windows 3.11 equally so (it's not a multitasking OS at all)
The connector on the back of the SB CR-563-B may look like a bog-standard IDE connector it isn't. It needs to be plugged into either the 3DO Blaster or Sound Blaster card proprietary header interface
The instructions in the 3DO Blaster config guide, particularly around config.sys and autoexec.bat aren't 'quite' as universal as they imply.
MS-DOS 6.22 can't be installed from HDD, neither can windows. Or if it can, I couldn't figure it out.
MS-DOS 6.22 is a particularly pedantic OS, spawned from Satan's own loins.
Windows 3.11 doesn't really know what to do with a CDROM.
The Sound Blaster CR-563 is very proprietary. Creative were cheeky gits selling this.
3DFX made good graphics cards. Matrox apparently didn't.
The death of Ribbon Cables was a good thing.

[Kyosho]

Oooh, this is right up my alley. I'd love to build something like this. I'd also like to put together a machine with a Voodoo 5 for all those classic Glide games which can only be sorta-played with a glide wrapper. If only money weren't a factor.

[3DOKid]

...problem could be the matrox. going old-old school.

[3DO Experience]

Very challenging, keep trying Kid!

I have the last two Voodoo cards released and plan to make '95 & ME/XP systems.

[Blades]

What's the hold up?

I used to have a setup like this years ago. Setting it up was likely a sin.

[3DO Experience]

Too many parts all over too little space.

[3DOKid]

It just doesn't want to go for it.

I start the 3DO Blaster Video Overlay application in Windows 3.11, I can see and hear the 3DO Disc spinning up, but the images never appear. I just get a cyan coloured blank screen.

I got a S3 video card from eBay, exactly the same. I read rumours that the Mytrox may not be compatible so i tried another card. Driving me nuts now

[Austin]

I'd ask you to send it to me for "testing purposes", but I'd probably get charged as a terrorist or something when Customs inspects the package. I mean, just look at it! No one would have any idea what that concoction is.

[NeoGeoNinja]

I'd ask you to send it to me for "testing purposes", but I'd probably get charged as a terrorist or something when Customs inspects the package. I mean, just look at it! No one would have any idea what that concoction is.

Hahaha!

A custom U.S. Army UAV override device designed especially for a splintered extremist faction calling themselves, the "Hokusai Wave"...

...Austin!

[3DOKid]

Success

[cybdmn]

That bring back memories of my own try and error game with my 3DO Blaster. I finally successed too, but i had to be creative because i had no fitting CDA cables, and no feature connector cable. The featre connector cable was no problem, i took an old floppy cable. It has more pins, but fits perfectly. For the CDA i had to stick in one side of the cable, and had to rip off the other connector and fix every single cable to the pin on the cards with adhesive tape.

When i bought the stuff on ebay, i was lucky enough to get two Creatve Labs CD Roms. Unfortunately you cannot use the FZ-EM256 with the 3DO Blaster.

[Dr.Enceladus]

Success

Great work 3DOKid. I have been trying to bring back to life my dear ol dads old P3 450 with a win 98 install for some DOS box memories. Not having alot of luck atm but google is my friend...and to think, originally the rig only had 128mb RAM, a TNT2 graphics card with an 8gig HDD and my dad paid $2600 bux for it.

[pitsunami]

Nice work,i sat down some months ago to setup one and drop it after some hours trying...

I dont have the original cables nor the drivers and i am pretty confused.

I will try this again soon with the 3dokid's guide...(thanks for that)

[pitsunami]

So i sat down a couple days ago to assemble mine...thanks to internet info i managed to
install everything and everything seems to work,except the blue screen on the 3DO player...

3DOKid how did you fix that problem? Was it the card ,the drivers or sth else?

[Saffron]

Success

Looks like an early 3DO prototype or something like that

I love odd cards, like the diamond edge 3d, I wonder how many people do actually purchased the 3DO Blaster back in the day.

[pitsunami]

Finally got this right!! Another blaster is alive and kicking...

The only vga worked for me from what i have is a Cirrus Logic GD-5446. I just needed to test another
resolution/colours to make picture appear.

My drive is a CR-563-B that i got about 6 years back new in its oem box and it had
a broken gear!!Luckily i have a lot of FZ-1s around and it was fixed as well.

The only problem i have is that the creative controller is not recognised by the system.
Do i have to make any special settings for it in windows?