Gathering and Submitting Dump Info for Nintendo carts
Common dump info structure
Dumping tool and version: Dumper: Affiliation: Dump creation date: Dump release date: Link(s): Title: Region: Edition: Languages: Language Select: WikiData ID: ROM Region: ROM Revision: ROM Serial: Size: CRC32: MD5: SHA-1: SHA-256: Physical Media Serial 1: Physical Media Serial 2: Physical Media Stamp: PCB Serial: ROM Chip Serial 1: ROM Chip Serial 2: ROM Chip Serial 3: Box Serial 1: Box Serial 2: Box Serial 3: Box Barcode: Links to Cart Images: PCB Images: Box Images:
Detailed information
General Note: If you are submitting this info to a person/group in order for them to add it to a database, you can skip the transcription of some things, and leave it to them. But it can make the process smoother if you do the transcription yourself. Also, things that are derived from the ROM image itself can be skipped if its a known hash.
- Link(s): Link to dump/release post/page, if applicable.
- Languages/Language Select: Some games either show a language selection screen at startup or in the game options. Note that it is possible to submit a game without checking the languages, but this then needs to be stated in your submission.
- Tip: Using an emulator like Desmume can speed up the language checking dramatically since you can switch the BIOS language in the emulator settings much faster than on a real DS. You can hold down the tab key to speed up emulation.
- ROM Region: The region found in the ROM data. (Can be extracted using GameHeader)
- ROM Revision: The revision found in the ROM data. (Can be extracted using GameHeader)
- ROM Serial: The four-character serial found in the ROM data. (Can be extracted using GameHeader, if the header includes it)
- Size: The size of the ROM in bytes.
- MD5: As above, or by using md5 in a terminal emulator for linux/mac.
- SHA-1: As above, or by using shasum -a 1 in a terminal emulator for linux/mac.
- SHA-256: As above, or by using shasum -a 256 in a terminal emulator for linux/mac.
- Physical Media Serial 2: Secondary serial. For most carts, this is an optional “REV X” or “REV-X” (where X is a letter) on the top-right of the back label. For DS/3DS/Switch, its a serial on the back of the cart.
- Physical media stamp: For most carts, this is two numbers imprinted on the top-left or top-right of the back label (front label for GB/GBC/GBA), possibly followed by an A or B. May need to view under a light source. Doesn't exist on DS/3DS/Switch.
- Box Barcode: Keep the spaces. It could be verified against the barcode itself by using barcode scanning software and using the check digit.
- Cart Images: Back and front.
NDS/3DS specific
Encrypted ROM file info: > Size: CRC32: MD5: SHA-1: SHA-256: Decrypted ROM file info: > Size: CRC32: MD5: SHA-1: SHA-256:
- Decrypted ROM file info: To encrypt a copy of the ROM in order to get the encrypted hashes, use NDecrypt, 3ds_encrypt_v4.py or GodMode9 itself (use “NCSD image options”>“Decrypt file” on the copy)
- ROM Serial: You can find this at 0x1150 in the ROM.
- ROM Revision: You can find this at 0x312 in the ROM.
- .txt file: Its a good idea to provide the .txt file produced by GodMode9 as it includes info not from the ROM itself: cart ID, save chip ID, dump date (if the 3DS internal clock is set correctly) and the GodMode9 version.
- PCB Serial: Use for
▼
for the triangle character, one space character (•
for the small circle characters (which don't always appear). - ROM Chip Serial: You may not want to open the cart, as its possible the plastic will break or that the cart won't be easy to put together again. However this hasn't been tested thoroughly. The ROM chip serial isn't so important for DS/3DS as the pertinent info is also written on the outside of the cart.