@CaptainPlanet (I remember enjoying the first level of that game on my A500+ but not the later ones).
It'll be helpful to establish the answers to some of the earlier questions. When you took your ROMs out, did the board look like this, with the two sockets in place?
https://www.retropassion.co.uk/portfolio/amiga-1200-rom-socket-replacment-2/ . There is concern you might have removed the sockets too.
If we can establish that your ROM sockets are in place (I suspect they are because I don't know why the ROMs would be so hard to remove) try to remove the new ROMs. One piece of advice I remember from Amiga magazines is to use a wide and sharp flat-head screwdriver to remove ROMs from sockets. Gently slide the head in between the ROM and socket one end and twist to prize it up slightly. Stop, do the same at the other end, go back to the first end and keep alternating until it's free. This will help stop the legs breaking.
Would it be possible to post a photo of your ROMs in-situ on the board?
Occasionally my A1200 tower fails to start and the symptoms are similar to yours - the cause is always that I've knocked the Amiga 5-pin square power adapter slightly and it's not making good contact.
