Cartridge

Cartridge — connector documentation

• MCP endpoint: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/mcp
• REST API: POST https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/v1/tools/{tool_name}, described by the OpenAPI 3.1 spec at https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
• Transport: Streamable HTTP, stateless, MCP specification 2025-06-18 or later
• Authentication: none required. An optional Authorization: Bearer <key> raises rate limits.
• Health: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/health · Tool schemas: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/tools.json
• Publisher: Unify Dynamics LLC · connectorbay.com/cartridge · agent@connectorbay.com

What Cartridge is for

A hand-curated retro console & collecting reference — generations, grading, preservation and repair.

What it does

Cartridge is a fully local, hand-curated retro console & cartridge collecting reference. console_generation_info gives one console generation's (1st through 5th) full detail: era name, approximate years, dominant media format, representative consoles with maker/approx release year/region notes, key characteristics, and a historical note — resolved by number, era name, or a representative console's name. find_generation_by_year returns every generation broadly associated with a calendar year. collecting_term_glossary defines 30 collecting terms (CIB, loose, sealed, reproduction, region lock, save battery, PCB revision, ...). grading_scale_explainer gives a generic, factual overview of how a third-party grading approach (WATA-style, VGA-style, CGC-style, the informal loose-condition scale, or completeness tiers) is commonly understood to work. preservation_tip covers storage guidance (humidity, UV light, cartridge/disc handling, batteries, box storage, ...). troubleshooting_tip covers common problems and hobbyist fixes (cleaning cartridge contacts, a worn console connector, disc read errors, stick drift, leaking capacitors, a dead save battery, yellowed plastic, power supply issues), flagging advanced/electrical-safety-relevant repairs. history_note explains topics like the 1983 crash, cartridge-to-disc economics, and why the N64 stayed cartridge-based. category_list and beginner_tips round it out. Keyless; fully local; zero upstream calls; nothing stored.

What it is not

Not an official product of, or affiliated with, any brand, league, publisher, or organization it may factually mention. Cartridge is a hand-curated reference and design tool, not a substitute for an official rulebook, certified instruction, or professional advice. Fully local, zero upstream calls, nothing stored.

Tools

Console Generations

console_generation_info — Full detail for one console generation (1st through 5th): era name, approximate year range, dominant media format, the defining shift versus the previous generation, representative consoles with maker/ approx release year/region notes, key characteristics, and a historical note. Use for "what generation is the SNES", "tell me about the 5th generation", "what came after the NES". Args: generation_number_or_name.

find_generation_by_year — Every console generation broadly associated with a given year. Generations overlap in the real world (older hardware kept selling well after a newer generation launched), so returning more than one generation for a year is normal and expected, not an error. Use for "what generation was current in 1994", "what consoles came out around 1990". Args: year.

Collecting & Grading

collecting_term_glossary — Definitions of retro game collecting terms - CIB, loose, sealed, NIB, reproduction, bootleg, region lock, save battery, variant, PCB revision, flash cart, and more. Omit term to list every term, or pass a keyword to search. Use for "what does CIB mean", "what's a repro cartridge", "what's a save battery". Args: term.

grading_scale_explainer — A generic, factual overview of how a third-party grading approach (WATA-style, VGA-style, CGC-style), the informal loose-item condition scale, or the completeness-tiers concept is commonly understood to work: what's typically graded, what graders commonly consider, and an explicit caveat that this isn't any company's official proprietary rubric. Omit scale to list all. Use for "how does WATA grading work", "what's the difference between CIB and sealed grading", "what condition is 'Near Mint'". Args: scale.

Care & Repair

preservation_tip — Storage and preservation guidance for a retro game collection - humidity control, light/UV exposure, how to store cartridges and discs, battery removal, box storage, and more. Omit topic to list all, or pass a keyword to search. Use for "how should I store my cartridges", "will sunlight damage my games", "should I take the battery out of a cartridge". Args: topic.

troubleshooting_tip — Common retro console/cartridge problems and general hobbyist fixes - cleaning cartridge contacts, a worn console connector (the classic "blinking light" symptom), disc read errors, controller stick drift, leaking capacitors, a dead save battery, yellowed plastic, and power supply issues. Each entry notes whether it's an advanced repair, and those responses carry an electrical-safety notice. Omit issue to list all, or pass a keyword to search. Use for "why won't my NES read games", "how do I clean cartridge contacts", "my save file disappeared". Args: issue.

History & Overview

history_note — Explains a cartridge/console collecting history topic - the 1983 North American video game crash, why the industry shifted from cartridges to discs, why the Nintendo 64 stayed cartridge-based, lockout chips and third-party licensing, early CD-ROM add-ons, the rise of third-party publishing, rental stores, pack-in games, and more. Omit topic to list all, or pass a keyword to search. Use for "why did games move to CDs", "why didn't the N64 use discs", "what caused the video game crash". Args: topic.

category_list — Every content category this reference covers (console generations, collecting glossary, grading scales, preservation, troubleshooting, history notes) with how many entries each has. Use for "what do you cover", "what categories are there".

beginner_tips — A curated, ordered list of practical tips for someone starting to collect retro consoles and cartridges, from spotting reproductions through storage and budgeting. Use for "give me beginner collecting tips", "how do I start collecting retro games". Args: count.

Conventions

• Read-only. Every tool reads public data or computes; nothing is written anywhere and nothing about the user is stored.
• Result envelope. ok: true with data, or ok: false with a structured error (bad_input, not_found, upstream_error). degraded lists optional sources that were unreachable.
• Rate limits. Free tier 60 tool calls/minute and 300/day per user (keyed on the user identifier supplied by the host agent, else client IP); Pro keys raise this. Over-limit calls return HTTP 429 with Retry-After. initialize and tools/list are never counted.

Support

agent@connectorbay.com · connectorbay.com/cartridge/support

Cartridge — Privacy Policy

Effective 25 September 2026. Unify Dynamics LLC ("we", "us"), Menlo Park, California.

What Cartridge is. Cartridge is a connector (an MCP server and REST API) that AI assistants and personal agents call on your behalf for a hand-curated retro console & collecting reference — generations, grading, preservation and repair. You interact with your assistant; the assistant sends us only the arguments needed for that one lookup.

What we receive. The arguments of each tool call, the technical headers needed to serve the request (an IP address or a client identifier supplied by the assistant, and a Pro API key if you have one), and standard server logs.

Everything is answered from a bundled, hand-curated reference file and nothing is stored. No request is forwarded to any third party — there is no upstream call at all, live or otherwise — and no query is logged in request bodies, recorded, or used to train anything.

What we do not receive or store. We do not receive your conversation with the assistant or your name, and we do not build a profile from your queries: each request is answered independently and nothing carries over between requests. Rate-limit counters (a client identifier and timestamps) are held in memory for at most 24 hours. Hosting-provider access logs, which contain IP addresses and request paths but not request bodies, are retained for up to 30 days for security and abuse prevention.

Sub-processors. None — the entire dataset is bundled with the server and answered locally. Hosting: Vercel (United States regions).

Legal bases and your rights. Our processing is necessary to provide the service you request through your assistant. Because we store no personal data beyond short-lived logs, requests to access, correct or delete personal data are usually satisfied automatically; you can still contact agent@connectorbay.com and we will respond within 30 days. We do not sell or share personal information and do not use your data to train models.

Children. Cartridge is a general-audience service operated by the adult using the assistant.

Changes. We will post changes here with a new effective date.

Cartridge — Terms of Service

Effective 25 September 2026. These terms govern use of the Cartridge connector ("the Service") operated by Unify Dynamics LLC ("we", "us").

1. The Service. Cartridge is a fully local, hand-curated retro console & cartridge collecting reference.
2. A reference, not professional advice. Cartridge is an independent reference and hobby/game-design tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by any brand, organization, league, or publisher it may factually mention. It does not provide legal, financial, medical, or safety-certification advice, and is not a substitute for supervised instruction where real physical risk is involved.
3. Content varies. Rules, terminology and conventions described here reflect commonly-cited general practice; local house rules, regional variants, and official governing-body rulebooks may differ.
4. Acceptable use. Automated use within the published rate limits is welcome.
5. Availability. The Service is provided "as is" without warranty. We may change, limit or discontinue it at any time.
6. Data. Our Privacy Policy describes what we process. In short: your query is answered from a bundled reference file, and nothing is stored.
7. Pro keys. Optional Pro API keys are issued at our discretion, are personal to the holder and may be revoked for abuse.
8. Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Unify Dynamics LLC is not liable for any loss arising from use of or reliance on the Service. Our total liability is limited to US $100.
9. Governing law. California law; venue in San Mateo County, California.
10. Contact. Unify Dynamics LLC · agent@connectorbay.com · https://connectorbay.com/cartridge

Cartridge support

Email agent@connectorbay.com. We answer within two business days.

• MCP endpoint: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/mcp
• REST API: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
• Live status: https://cartridge.connectorbay.com/health

When you report a problem, include the question you asked your agent, roughly when, and which agent you used (for example Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini). Never send us passwords, account numbers or ID numbers. Cartridge never asks for them.