Okay, here this goes...I picked up a really cheap GB Player at my local thrift store, and want to know what I need to do to get it up and running without a startup disc. Further, is there a method of getting the GB Player to load ROM files?
GCN GameBoy Player + ROM Loading
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ROM files? Yeah stick a GB/GBC or GBA flash cart in it. Seriously though it is basically a GB/GBC and GBA in a form that plugs into the bottom of a gamecube.
No startup disc is a pain. You will need to either mod the GC to get it to boot copied discs and do it that way, or use one of the various methods of booting GC homebrew -- http://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Playing_Backups and slightly older but not entirely useless http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Getting_Started#Booting_Code
No startup disc is a pain. You will need to either mod the GC to get it to boot copied discs and do it that way, or use one of the various methods of booting GC homebrew -- http://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Playing_Backups and slightly older but not entirely useless http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Getting_Started#Booting_Code
Thanks, nice to have someone who's on top of this. I Googled this for a good couple hours before making this post, couldn't find much in the way of up-to-date info. As for Slot-2 flashcarts, can you recommend a cheap but fairly reliable one that will work with the Player? The big thing is I need the Game Link functions to work.
You'll want to use Game Boy Interface with some kind of soft/hardmod, it's an improved version of the GB Player software that solves many issues.
Datel's SD Media Launcher is pretty easy to get and can be used to launch homebrew (and even backups with some extra work), it's also relatively cheap.
Datel's SD Media Launcher is pretty easy to get and can be used to launch homebrew (and even backups with some extra work), it's also relatively cheap.
Nowadays pretty much the only GBA flashcart you can get ahold of is the EZFlash IV, it's a pretty good one though. It will cost somewhere around $30-$40, I'm not sure about the exact price but I think the newer MicroSDHC model is around $40.
Huh...Well, for $40 I might be able to get my hands on a used Player disc anyway...Looks like I have some bargain hunting to do maybe...At any rate I really do appreciate all the help here
Game Boy Interface is far better anyway. You can still get Datel's SD Media Launcher, it's relatively cheap and you can use it to launch GBI and even backups if you wish.Huh...Well, for $40 I might be able to get my hands on a used Player disc anyway...Looks like I have some bargain hunting to do maybe...At any rate I really do appreciate all the help here
Edit: You can find info about GBI here: https://retrogamingnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/game-boy-advance-reloaded-game-boy-interface/
I actually still have my old Action Replay. I can use that plus an SD adapter to load GBI, correct? And if that's the case, will I be able to load GBA ROMs with that method?
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http://www.aliexpress.com/item/EZFlash-IV-card-with-Mini-card-adapter/1884757712.html
This is the cheapest/best cartridge you can get for GBA.
This is the cheapest/best cartridge you can get for GBA.
Sure. It's just more of a hassle, since you'll have to enter the 50 something lines long code for SDLoad
I am not sure if it will be easy to find a SD adapter apart from SD Media Launcher though. SD Gecko used to be like 5 bucks but it doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere now.
The only thing the GB player blocks is the GBA videos, mainly because they will look like arse on a TV but possibly also some nonsense with licensing. If you absolutely must then there are ways around that even http://www.caitsith2.net/gba_video_arv3.htm
I do not think I have seen a "positive" thing use this ability but some games have options to switch between GBA, SP and GB player colour schemes (Summon Night Swordcraft Story or it might have been the sequel being a good example).
As far as most are concerned there are all of two GBA flash carts. It is possible that neither will be ideal for what you want and if so you will not be able to find such a thing either.
Said two carts are
The EZ4.
The EZ 3 in 1 if you have a DS/DS lite to manage it.
The EZ4 is slightly more expensive, uses microSD these days (though there is an older version with miniSD) and runs as a standalone GBA flash cart. The 3 in 1 has broadly similar capabilities but needs a DS to store the ROMs and flash them, however you can burn one game to the NOR section and have it boot in something else, which may work in your favour here.
If you mean link as in like standard GBA link/multiplayer games then it should be fine, there are some issues for some people but those can mostly be worked around.
If you mean GBA-GC link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_GameCube_–_Game_Boy_Advance_link_cable ) then most of those games just wanted a GBA. I am aware of no flash cart that will read the saves properly (mainly whatever they called Pokemon Colosseum on the GC and Sonic Adventure). GBA flash carts use SRAM type memory where original GBA games could use SRAM (which could be a different kind to the flash cart), Flash or EEPROM (or none/password but that does not apply here). To the best of my knowledge nobody has properly investigated this -- it might be the GC game that needs hacking or it might be a GBA code multiboot game that the GC sends that would need hacking, not the hardest hack out there but not something I have seen done, or even investigated.
Some of those games will need a GBA game to be present but not have anything to do with the save of the game. This will require an older style of GBA flash cart, or indeed a 3 in 1 which is more or less the same thing. Here you would burn the game to the cart and other than the save stuff it would present as a real cart -- people used to do it for those DS games that wanted a GBA game to be present before flash carts gained the ability in earnest (or for real games I guess). These sorts of carts are rare and hard to come by these days unless you get a 3 in 1, and the GBA size 3 in 1 (as opposed to the DS lite size 3 in 1 which you will have to mod the case of to use) are also rare and hard to come by -- repro makers liked them for that and apparently they were a good source of certain chips that some other people liked to use.
Likewise you can not boot a GC game and have it speak to the GB player, so you will need the player with its GC, another GC (or a Wii I guess), a link cable, two screens and everything else that such a thing would entail. If you want it for capturing the GB player video out* or for someone that can not see so well/handle a GBA then fair enough, otherwise I would find a GBA somewhere and spare yourself a whole heap of hassle.
*a GB player plus GC component cables (there are some third party versions appearing these days) is probably the best way to capture GBA gameplay on native hardware, personally I would emulate but hey.
I do not think I have seen a "positive" thing use this ability but some games have options to switch between GBA, SP and GB player colour schemes (Summon Night Swordcraft Story or it might have been the sequel being a good example).
As far as most are concerned there are all of two GBA flash carts. It is possible that neither will be ideal for what you want and if so you will not be able to find such a thing either.
Said two carts are
The EZ4.
The EZ 3 in 1 if you have a DS/DS lite to manage it.
The EZ4 is slightly more expensive, uses microSD these days (though there is an older version with miniSD) and runs as a standalone GBA flash cart. The 3 in 1 has broadly similar capabilities but needs a DS to store the ROMs and flash them, however you can burn one game to the NOR section and have it boot in something else, which may work in your favour here.
If you mean link as in like standard GBA link/multiplayer games then it should be fine, there are some issues for some people but those can mostly be worked around.
If you mean GBA-GC link ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_GameCube_–_Game_Boy_Advance_link_cable ) then most of those games just wanted a GBA. I am aware of no flash cart that will read the saves properly (mainly whatever they called Pokemon Colosseum on the GC and Sonic Adventure). GBA flash carts use SRAM type memory where original GBA games could use SRAM (which could be a different kind to the flash cart), Flash or EEPROM (or none/password but that does not apply here). To the best of my knowledge nobody has properly investigated this -- it might be the GC game that needs hacking or it might be a GBA code multiboot game that the GC sends that would need hacking, not the hardest hack out there but not something I have seen done, or even investigated.
Some of those games will need a GBA game to be present but not have anything to do with the save of the game. This will require an older style of GBA flash cart, or indeed a 3 in 1 which is more or less the same thing. Here you would burn the game to the cart and other than the save stuff it would present as a real cart -- people used to do it for those DS games that wanted a GBA game to be present before flash carts gained the ability in earnest (or for real games I guess). These sorts of carts are rare and hard to come by these days unless you get a 3 in 1, and the GBA size 3 in 1 (as opposed to the DS lite size 3 in 1 which you will have to mod the case of to use) are also rare and hard to come by -- repro makers liked them for that and apparently they were a good source of certain chips that some other people liked to use.
Likewise you can not boot a GC game and have it speak to the GB player, so you will need the player with its GC, another GC (or a Wii I guess), a link cable, two screens and everything else that such a thing would entail. If you want it for capturing the GB player video out* or for someone that can not see so well/handle a GBA then fair enough, otherwise I would find a GBA somewhere and spare yourself a whole heap of hassle.
*a GB player plus GC component cables (there are some third party versions appearing these days) is probably the best way to capture GBA gameplay on native hardware, personally I would emulate but hey.
Lol, yeah, those were the days XD . But I have the whole kit still, disc and card, so I can save the code if needed (and I will). And as far as the Datel SD Media Launcher is concerned, I can only find PAL copies of it, so it looks like I will either be looking for a regular SD adapter or just solder my own together. I can grab a used GC memcard and I have some SD to microSD adapters I can scavenge to make one.Sure. It's just more of a hassle, since you'll have to enter the 50 something lines long code for SDLoad
--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------
I'm talking GBA to GBA link. I have an old GBA AGB-001 and a Revo K101 Plus, but looking into this it would seem that kicking the GB Player into shape might be the cheapest choice.
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I have both GBA players for GC
Gameboy Player vs Datel Advance Game Port
Mostly i use datel's one, because it's easier to use and way more options in the software (Datel = Cheats ; ) ) Datel's AGP, doesn't play GB/GBC and has some problems with some GBA games., So for descent GBA/GB/GBC support, use the GB Player from Nintendo.
Datel's Advance Game Port can be found for less then €20 in stores
[EDIT]
Ow and Datel's AGP also works on the Wii i think (GC ports needed)
Gameboy Player vs Datel Advance Game Port
Mostly i use datel's one, because it's easier to use and way more options in the software
(Datel = Cheats ; ) ) Datel's AGP, doesn't play GB/GBC and has some problems with some GBA games., So for descent GBA/GB/GBC support, use the GB Player from Nintendo.Datel's Advance Game Port can be found for less then €20 in stores
[EDIT]
Ow and Datel's AGP also works on the Wii i think (GC ports needed)
Last edited by DjoeN,
I didn't see anything in there detailing Game Link abilities, though. I remember seeing those in stores years ago and I don't believe it had a port for it.I have both GBA players for GC
Gameboy Player vs Datel Advance Game Port
Mostly i use datel's one, because it's easier to use and way more options in the software
Datel's Advance Game Port can be found for less then €20 in stores
[EDIT]
Ow and Datel's AGP also works on the Wii i think (GC ports needed)
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Yup, and that's the real kicker with it unfortunately. I need as much functionality as possible, including the Game Link.
http://uk.codejunkies.com/Products/GCNWii-SD-Media-Launcher__EF000580.aspx Will this work in an NTSC Gamecube? Is the disc region locked at all?
It appears to be region locked. According to a post I found, when they added Wii support, they broke the region free.
Not really sure... for some reason it appears NTSC copies of SD Media Launcher are rare. You could maybe contact UK codejunkies and ask if they sell the NTSC version, since codejunkies is Datel, and it doesn't actually mention what region the disc is. Maybe they have both?
Edit: I found a bunch of SD adapters for sale on eBay for about $10: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SD-Flash-Me...ii-GameCube-/131508033159?hash=item1e9e7d5687
There are many of the same type listed there.
