carts:nintendo:gba

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carts:nintendo:gba [2022/06/20 12:38]
hiccup [Introduction] 		carts:nintendo:gba [2022/09/19 22:51]
cartridge_hermit Copy from todo/gba
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 ====== Game Boy Advance ====== ====== Game Boy Advance ======
 +
 {{wst>see_hardware_page}} {{wst>see_hardware_page}}
  
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 ===== Introduction ===== ===== Introduction =====
 +
 {{wst>carts_important_notes}} {{wst>carts_important_notes}}
-Luckily there are numerous tools available for dumping Game Boy Advance games, so you should be able to find a great dumper that suits your need. 
  
-===== Tool Overview ===== +Game Boy Advance games are one of the easier systems to dump and there are numerous tools available, so you should be able to find a great method that works with the hardware you have on hand.
-|                    ^ insideGadgets GBxCart RW v1.4                                     |^ BennVenn Joey Jr V2++                                             |^ Sanni Cart Reader                                         |^ Epilogue GB Operator                                            |^ insideGadgets GBxCart RW v1.3                                 || +
-|                    ^ tested with FW: R36+L7, SW: FlashGBX v3.14                        |^ tested with FW: V2_02_29 Beta Firmware 64K                        |^ untested / source code analysis                           |^ untested / according to official website                        |^ tested with FW: L1, SW: FlashGBX v3.14                        || +
-^ Media Type         ^ ROM                                         ^ Save                 ^ ROM                                         ^ Save                 ^ ROM                              ^ Save                    ^ ROM                                       ^ Save                 ^ ROM                                     ^ Save                 ^ +
-| No Mapper          | ✓                                           | ✓                    | ✓                                           | ✓                    | ✓                                | ✓ (except Atmel FLASH)  | ✓ (some exceptions)                       | ✓ (some exceptions)  | ✓                                       | ✓                    | +
-| GBA Video          | ✓                                           | –                    | ✗                                           | –                    | ✗                                | –                       | ???                                       | –                    | ✓                                       | –                    | +
-| 8M FLASH DACS      | ✓                                           | ✓                    | ✗                                           | ✗                    | ✗                                | ✗                       | ???                                       | ???                  | ✓                                       | ✓                    | +
-| 2048M Multi Repro  | ✓                                           | ✓ (embedded in ROM)  | ✓ (separated parts)                         | ✓ (embedded in ROM)  | ✗                                | ✗                       | ???                                       | ???                  | ✓                                       | ✓ (embedded in ROM)  | +
-| 1M SRAM Repro      | ✓                                           | ✓                    | ✓                                           | ✗                    | ✓                                | ✗                       | ???                                       | ???                  | ✓                                       | ✓                    |+
  
 +====== Methods ======
  
-===== Methods =====+===== Dedicated dumping hardware =====
  
-  - [[#Method 1 - GBxCart RW|GBxCart RW]] +  - [[#GBxCart RW]] 
-  - [[#Method 2 - The Joey Jr|The Joey Jr]] +  - [[#The Joey Jr]] 
-  - [[#Method 3 - Sanni Cart Reader|Sanni Cart Reader]] +  - [[#Sanni Cart Reader]]
-  - [[#Method 4 - DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (Normal Carts)|DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (Normal Carts)]] +
-  - [[#Method 5 - DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (GBA Video Movie Carts)|DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (GBA Video Movie Carts)]]+
  
-==== Method 1 - GBxCart RW ====+==== GBxCart RW ==== 
 + 
 +GBxCart RW is one of the cheaper dedicated hardware methods for dumping.
  
 Supports: GB/GBC/GBA, Game Boy Camera, and Nintendo Power Carts and Bootleg flashing Supports: GB/GBC/GBA, Game Boy Camera, and Nintendo Power Carts and Bootleg flashing
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 Please see the the page for Lesserkuma's open-source software for the GBxCart RW, [[https://github.com/lesserkuma/FlashGBX|FlashGBX]]. Please see the the page for Lesserkuma's open-source software for the GBxCart RW, [[https://github.com/lesserkuma/FlashGBX|FlashGBX]].
  
-==== Method 2 - The Joey Jr ====+==== The Joey Jr ==== 
 + 
 +The Joey Jr is another inexpensive option for dedicated dumping hardware.
  
 Supports: GB/GBC/GBA, Game Boy Camera, and Nintendo Power Carts and Bootleg flashing Supports: GB/GBC/GBA, Game Boy Camera, and Nintendo Power Carts and Bootleg flashing
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 For latest official instruction on how to use the Joey Jr, please see the [[https://bennvenn.myshopify.com/pages/the-joey-junior-gb-gbc-gba-cart-dumper-and-flasher|official user guide]]. For latest official instruction on how to use the Joey Jr, please see the [[https://bennvenn.myshopify.com/pages/the-joey-junior-gb-gbc-gba-cart-dumper-and-flasher|official user guide]].
  
-==== Method 3 - Sanni Cart Reader ====+==== Sanni Cart Reader ====
  
-The Sanni Cart Reader comes with Game Boy / Game Boy Color dumping capabilities by default. +Sanni Cart Reader is a versatile dumping tool that supports several different consoles/cartridges, but is pricier than the Joey Jr or GBxCart RW.
-[[https://github.com/sanni/cartreader/wiki/Reading-a-Game-Boy-rom|Follow the Sanni Cart Reader wiki]] for proper settings, and dumping instructions.+
  
-==== Method 4 - DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (Normal Carts) ====+The Sanni Cart Reader comes with Game Boy / Game Boy Color dumping capabilities by default. [[https://github.com/sanni/cartreader/wiki/Reading-a-Game-Boy-rom|Follow the Sanni Cart Reader wiki]] for proper settings, and dumping instructions. 
 + 
 +===== Dumping with DS flashcarts ===== 
 + 
 +  - [[#GodMode9i]] 
 +  - [[#GBA Backup Tool]] 
 +  - [[#Duplo]] 
 + 
 +==== GodMode9i ==== 
 + 
 +If you already have a DS flashcart like R4, dumping GBA games is fairly straight forward with GodMode9i. As DS flashcarts were manufactured in large quantities, this is perhaps the cheapest and easiest accessible method for dumping GBA games. GodMode9i is a free/open source preservation tool inspired by GodMode9 for the Nintendo 3DS.
  
 === Tools needed === === Tools needed ===
-  - A Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite with a flashcart+ 
 +  - A Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite with a slot-1 (DS) flashcart 
 +  - [[https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/GodMode9i/releases]] 
 + 
 +=== Dumping === 
 + 
 +  - Download the .nds file for GodMode9i from project's releases page to your flashcart and put it in the slot-1 (DS) slot of your DS. 
 +  - Insert the GBA cart into slot 2 and turn on the DS. 
 +  - Use the D pad to select the GBA game and press A twice to dump it to the flashcart's SD card. 
 + 
 +If you have multiple GBA games to dump, you can swap cartidges in slot 2 without rebooting the DS. 
 + 
 +==== GBA Backup Tool ==== 
 + 
 +GBA Backup Tool is a commonly used tool, though it hasn't seen any updates since 2008. 
 + 
 +=== Tools needed === 
 + 
 +  - A Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite with a slot-1 (DS) flashcart
   - [[https://gamebrew.org/wiki/GBA_Backup_Tool]]   - [[https://gamebrew.org/wiki/GBA_Backup_Tool]]
  
 === Dumping === === Dumping ===
-  - Run the .nds for GBA Backup Tool+ 
 +  - Insert your DS flashcart into slot-1 and run the .nds for GBA Backup Tool
   - Ensure that your GBA cart is inserted, then press A on the pop-up.   - Ensure that your GBA cart is inserted, then press A on the pop-up.
   - By default, GBA Backup Tool is in Save Backup mode. Press R twice to go to ROM backup mode.   - By default, GBA Backup Tool is in Save Backup mode. Press R twice to go to ROM backup mode.
   - Press B to make a new backup, then hit A to confirm. Your rom will be dumped to your SD card.   - Press B to make a new backup, then hit A to confirm. Your rom will be dumped to your SD card.
  
-==== Method 5 - DS + DS Slot-1 Flashcart (GBA Video Movie Carts) ====+==== Duplo ====
  
-  - Use duplo (https://github.com/endrift/duplo), here is a prepared build from Whovian: https://archive.org/details/duplo+Duplo helps dump GBA Video Movie Carts. 
 + 
 +  - Use duplo ([[https://github.com/endrift/duplo]]), here is a prepared build from Whovian: [[https://archive.org/details/duplo]]
   - This is not needed (and won't work for) for TV series carts, which don't use the Matrix memory chips   - This is not needed (and won't work for) for TV series carts, which don't use the Matrix memory chips
  
-===== Identifying Game Versions ===== + 
-todo: add info on cart/box serials (and non-standard carts if relevant)+ 
 +====== Documenting physical media ====== 
 + 
 +{{wst>carts_photos}} 
 + 
 +==== Opening carts ==== 
 + 
 +The Y-shaped screw on the back of GBA cartridges can be opened with a size Y1 tri-point (sometimes called tri-wing) screwdriver. Once the screw is removed, gently slide the label side of the cart down to expose the PCB. 
 + 
 +==== Identifying Game Versions ==== 
 + 
 +Once the cart has been opened, you can decode the letters/numbers stamped on the main chip.
  
 {{:carts:nintendo:gba:gba-identifying_game_versions.png?260}} {{:carts:nintendo:gba:gba-identifying_game_versions.png?260}}
  
-**SSS**-**TGGR**-**V**\\ +{{:todo:gba_cart_code.png?600}} 
-S = System (Always/mostly "AGB")\\ + 
-T = Type (N = Normal)\\ + S = System (Almost always "AGB")\\  T = Type (N = Normal)\\  G = Game code (e.g. MA = Super Mario Advance)\\  R = Region (J = Japan, E = USA, P = Europe)\\  V = Version (starts at 0)\\
-G = Game code (e.g. MA = Super Mario Advance)\\ +
-R = Region (J = Japan, E = USA, P = Europe)\\ +
-V = Version (starts at 0)\\+
  
 There is also a shortened version of the code on the left hand side, in the format **TGGR**-**V**. There is also a shortened version of the code on the left hand side, in the format **TGGR**-**V**.
 +
 +todo: add info on cart/box serials (and non-standard carts if relevant)
  
 ===== Gathering and Submitting Dump Info ===== ===== Gathering and Submitting Dump Info =====
 +
 +The main group cataloging GBA games is no-intro.
  
 See [[submission:general|Gathering and Submitting Dump Info (Basic)]] See [[submission:general|Gathering and Submitting Dump Info (Basic)]]
 +
 +
  • carts/nintendo/gba.txt
  • Last modified: 2022/09/28 22:05
  • by hiccup