Hardware GBA Others Is it possible for Analogue Pocket to MOD GBA cartridges?

[Wokann]

As a non-native speaker of Japanese or English, I often face this issue: games I enjoy playing don't offer localized language translations. I'm thankful for the efforts of many fans-translation groups. Their selfless dedication to localizing games allows persons like me to play games in our native language.

Ideally, after purchasing a game cartridge, one can dump the ROM and apply patches provided by fans-translation groups to obtain a localized translated ROM. Regrettably, this rom only can be palyed in emulators or flashcarts, which makes the original cartridge sitting in a corner gathering dust.

Fortunately, for 3DS games, through the Layeredfs function of luma3ds, we can apply the luma patch produced by fans-translation groups to the cartridges or eshop digital versions, so that we can not only play games in localized translation languages, but also make full use of the cartridges.
Also, for NDS games, through the modified NDS-Bootstrap with sav redirect function adjusted, we can read and write the sav into the cartridge while running localized translated rom at the same time, which also make full use of the cartridges. (This method must run on dsi or 3ds)
Whether Layeredfs or modified NDS-Bootstrap, although the principles are not the same, they are all ran natively in the offical console’s hardware.

But for GBA games, It seems to be no similar method to do that at present. What inspires me is devices such as action replay, which connects the cartridges and the gba, hijacks the data flow, and can specify and modify the data at 0x08****** in the memory map of the rom, as if doing rom hack but doesn't affect the rom in the cartridge. However, action replay may be able to modify some data, but it is still too difficult to modify data to a fans-translated rom.

So I am wondering, for Analogue Pocket which is a FPGA device, is it possible to MOD GBA cartridges? For example, place a fans-translation ips patch in sd card. When starting the cartridge, prompting whether an ips patch needs to be applied. If applying it, we can play localized translated game with our offical cartridges. Or similar scenarios.
This may require third-party core or firmware support? I I don’t know if it is feasible or if there are experts who can implement this function. If it can be achieved, people who have the same needs as me will be very grateful.

 

[duwen]

It's definitely possible - devices such as the Retron's have been doing it for years (although they're not FPGA and work by dumping the cart and running/patching the dumped rom via emulation). Whether it's possible on the Analog products is another matter - I don't own any of their products as I favour original hardware.

 

[TheStonedModder]

As a non-native speaker of Japanese or English, I often face this issue: games I enjoy playing don't offer localized language translations. I'm thankful for the efforts of many fans-translation groups. Their selfless dedication to localizing games allows persons like me to play games in our native language.

Ideally, after purchasing a game cartridge, one can dump the ROM and apply patches provided by fans-translation groups to obtain a localized translated ROM. Regrettably, this rom only can be palyed in emulators or flashcarts, which makes the original cartridge sitting in a corner gathering dust.

Fortunately, for 3DS games, through the Layeredfs function of luma3ds, we can apply the luma patch produced by fans-translation groups to the cartridges or eshop digital versions, so that we can not only play games in localized translation languages, but also make full use of the cartridges.
Also, for NDS games, through the modified NDS-Bootstrap with sav redirect function adjusted, we can read and write the sav into the cartridge while running localized translated rom at the same time, which also make full use of the cartridges. (This method must run on dsi or 3ds)
Whether Layeredfs or modified NDS-Bootstrap, although the principles are not the same, they are all ran natively in the offical console’s hardware.

But for GBA games, It seems to be no similar method to do that at present. What inspires me is devices such as action replay, which connects the cartridges and the gba, hijacks the data flow, and can specify and modify the data at 0x08****** in the memory map of the rom, as if doing rom hack but doesn't affect the rom in the cartridge. However, action replay may be able to modify some data, but it is still too difficult to modify data to a fans-translated rom.

So I am wondering, for Analogue Pocket which is a FPGA device, is it possible to MOD GBA cartridges? For example, place a fans-translation ips patch in sd card. When starting the cartridge, prompting whether an ips patch needs to be applied. If applying it, we can play localized translated game with our offical cartridges. Or similar scenarios.
This may require third-party core or firmware support? I I don’t know if it is feasible or if there are experts who can implement this function. If it can be achieved, people who have the same needs as me will be very grateful.

You can play .gba files on the pocket I assume right? If so just use an IPS patcher on your PC and patch the game rom ahead of time. You should have a patched .gba file that you can play however you want afterwards

 

[Wokann]

It's definitely possible - devices such as the Retron's have been doing it for years (although they're not FPGA and work by dumping the cart and running/patching the dumped rom via emulation). Whether it's possible on the Analog products is another matter - I don't own any of their products as I favour original hardware.

yep, sure devices like RetroN Sq N5 can use ips to patch the dumped cartridge rom. However retrons work through software simulation, not run like real hardware. For software simulation, there are many other easier and cheaper ways which don't need to buy expensive retron device.

Such as through nds backup tool to dump rom and sav, and patch it on pc, and play it on vba, mgba, then use nds backup tool to inject new sav back to cartridge. Or other dumper such as gbxcart rw, gb operator etc.

So what i want to find and research is a way which can patch gba cartridges on real gba device (gba, gbasp, gbm, gbplayer, nds, ndsl) or hardware running device like fpga. As for now, I haven't find any methods to do that.

Post automatically merged: Dec 30, 2023

You can play .gba files on the pocket I assume right? If so just use an IPS patcher on your PC and patch the game rom ahead of time. You should have a patched .gba file that you can play however you want afterwards

yes, through openfpga, ap can play .gba file directly. If just talking about playing rom files, there already have many ways to do that. But what I want to find is a method which can full use of cartridge like layeredfs in 3ds games and nds_bootstrap in nds games. On this aspect, there're almost no research and information currently.

And openfpga have limitations too. If a gba game which has special hardware in cartridge, it cann't act it well. Such as gravity sensor, sunlight sensor, ir, and also the gba core can't work rtc function normally for now.(rumble function now can use nds rumble pack to work, but now only support DrillDozer. Other game must edit rom header to DrillDozer, or they can't active rumble function).
After patching and getting localized transltion rom, this game will not work well in openfpga. that is one of the meanings to external modding directly with cartridges.

 

[Jayro]

Your best bet is to just patch the ROMs yourself.

 

[Wokann]

Your best bet is to just patch the ROMs yourself.

This regular and common method has already been mentioned at the beginning. What trying to discuss here is a patch method for physical cartridges which do not have too much research now.

 

[Jayro]

I don't believe on-the-fly cartridge patching exists for such a thing that you're trying to do. I'm well-versed in GBA flash carts, and I've never heard of such a thing, beyond using cheats.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

As a non-native speaker of Japanese or English, I often face this issue: games I enjoy playing don't offer localized language translations. I'm thankful for the efforts of many fans-translation groups. Their selfless dedication to localizing games allows persons like me to play games in our native language.

Ideally, after purchasing a game cartridge, one can dump the ROM and apply patches provided by fans-translation groups to obtain a localized translated ROM. Regrettably, this rom only can be palyed in emulators or flashcarts, which makes the original cartridge sitting in a corner gathering dust.

Fortunately, for 3DS games, through the Layeredfs function of luma3ds, we can apply the luma patch produced by fans-translation groups to the cartridges or eshop digital versions, so that we can not only play games in localized translation languages, but also make full use of the cartridges.
Also, for NDS games, through the modified NDS-Bootstrap with sav redirect function adjusted, we can read and write the sav into the cartridge while running localized translated rom at the same time, which also make full use of the cartridges. (This method must run on dsi or 3ds)
Whether Layeredfs or modified NDS-Bootstrap, although the principles are not the same, they are all ran natively in the offical console’s hardware.

But for GBA games, It seems to be no similar method to do that at present. What inspires me is devices such as action replay, which connects the cartridges and the gba, hijacks the data flow, and can specify and modify the data at 0x08****** in the memory map of the rom, as if doing rom hack but doesn't affect the rom in the cartridge. However, action replay may be able to modify some data, but it is still too difficult to modify data to a fans-translated rom.

So I am wondering, for Analogue Pocket which is a FPGA device, is it possible to MOD GBA cartridges? For example, place a fans-translation ips patch in sd card. When starting the cartridge, prompting whether an ips patch needs to be applied. If applying it, we can play localized translated game with our offical cartridges. Or similar scenarios.
This may require third-party core or firmware support? I I don’t know if it is feasible or if there are experts who can implement this function. If it can be achieved, people who have the same needs as me will be very grateful.

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: So, on real hardware, the console reads directly from the cartridge, and obviously we can't modify the ROM in the cartridge itself.
The beauty of FPGA is that it can be programmed to do exactly what we want it to do. So rather than reading directly from the cartridge, it can simulate the cartridge hardware and then decide whether to read from the real cartridge, or from a patch file every time a read happens.
Adding this layer of abstraction in between the GBA "hardware" and cartridge does mean it is not behaving exactly like real hardware though, which could result in compatibility issues if not implemented carefully and correctly.

 

[Wokann]

I don't believe on-the-fly cartridge patching exists for such a thing that you're trying to do. I'm well-versed in GBA flash carts, and I've never heard of such a thing, beyond using cheats.

yes, the existing way to patch rom bytes(in ram, not change cartridge hardware bytes) with cartridge is using cheat device.
In gbatek (gba-cheat-codes-general-info) it said "For ROM Patches, the device watches the address bus, if it matches a specified address then it outputs a patched value to the data bus, that mechanism is implemented by hardware, aside from the Hook Enable Code some devices also allow a limited number of cheats to use ROM patches."
But as i said above, cheat device may be able to modify some data for rom, but it is still too difficult to modify large bytes of data to change a original rom to a fans-translated rom. This may require specially made hardware to achieve this function.
There is a related device named GB interceptor. It's a hardware between gb and cartridge which intercept and copy instructions, and then rebuild video ram on an outside emulator for recording gb video without modifying the gb itself . It has some similarities and inspirations to our current topics.
As a FPGA device, AP may have the potential to develop the function to mod gba cartridge.

Post automatically merged: Jan 12, 2024

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: So, on real hardware, the console reads directly from the cartridge, and obviously we can't modify the ROM in the cartridge itself.
The beauty of FPGA is that it can be programmed to do exactly what we want it to do. So rather than reading directly from the cartridge, it can simulate the cartridge hardware and then decide whether to read from the real cartridge, or from a patch file every time a read happens.
Adding this layer of abstraction in between the GBA "hardware" and cartridge does mean it is not behaving exactly like real hardware though, which could result in compatibility issues if not implemented carefully and correctly.

Maybe it can refer to what cheat device did on hardware. And fpga dont have too much limitation like real gba hardware. It may wont need complicated things such as master codes in cheat device if this function were made.

 

[Jayro]

I'm honestly like to see somebody write a cart dumper for the Analogue Pocket, similar to the CopySNES tool on the Super NT's jailbroken firmware. Would be so easy to dump our own rom collection to the device, keeping our precious carts safe at home.