Homebrew GB/GBC sav to goomba?

[popinadam]

Hey everyone,

I've been struggling to figure this one out. Is it possible to convert a retail gb/gbc cart sav file to work with goomba on a flash cart? Let me know if this can be done, thanks!

Adam

 

[Achilles]

Most certainly. You just need the hardware to be able to read the save off the retail game and get it onto your computer. I just recently asked if anyone would be interested in a service like this (as I have the needed hardware) and most people said no.

To get the save off the card, you need something like a GB Transferrer II, or a Smart Boy linker. The Transferrer II can be bought here: http://www.hkems.com/product/gb/gba-tr.htm

and I have no idea if the Smart Boy linker is still available anywhere.

 

[popinadam]

Getting the sav file onto the computer is not my problem, it's converting it to work with goomba on a flash cart. That's the part I can't figure out.

 

[Achilles]

Oh oh oh... my apologies! Can't help you there unfortunately, though it seems like something that should be do-able, right?

 

[popinadam]

No problem, i'd like to think it is do-able but i've tried and searched many different things and haven't come up with a solution yet. Thanks for trying to help though!

 

[Achilles]

Have a look at this thread, I think it'll lead you in the right direction:
http://www.pocketheaven.com/ph/boards/viewtopic.php?t=3648

This post also seems very valuable:
http://www.scdev.org/forum/index.ph...3d55caa12385f1e8&topic=8264.msg64768#msg64768

 

[DanTheManMS]

Yep, that would be how you do it. I'm the "dantheman" from both of those links, so please let me know if you have any issues with the instructions and I'll try to help troubleshoot.

 

[popinadam]

Yep, that would be how you do it. I'm the "dantheman" from both of those links, so please let me know if you have any issues with the instructions and I'll try to help troubleshoot.

Here's what i've done so far:

1. Created retail cart game .sav (128KB, tested and works in VBA)
2. Rename game .sav to .dmp
3. Created goomba (v2.0) compilation (single game, no splash)
4. Open compilation in VBA (new 64KB .sav is created automatically, game loads fine)
5. Open memory viewer, load .dmp to 02038000, hit close (game reboots)
6. Hit L+R which brings up Goomba's menu (easy enough)
7. Close VBA, open VBA and load goomba compilation (game loads, no save data though)

So im still not able to get it to work, any ideas what might be the issue?

PS: Hey dan, I used to frequent scdev back when it was popular. Glad you're still around when I need help lol

 

[popinadam]

Have a look at this thread, I think it'll lead you in the right direction:
http://www.pocketheaven.com/ph/boards/viewtopic.php?t=3648

This post also seems very valuable:
http://www.scdev.org/forum/index.ph...3d55caa12385f1e8&topic=8264.msg64768#msg64768

Btw, thanks for the links Achilles. Definitely is what i'm looking to do!

 

[DanTheManMS]

You might be using an older version that has the memory layout different. Use the latest version of Goomba Color, available at http://www.dwedit.org/gba/goombacolor.php , for best results.

It also might have something to do with the size of the originally-extracted .sav file.

 

[popinadam]

You might be using an older version that has the memory layout different. Use the latest version of Goomba Color, available at http://www.dwedit.org/gba/goombacolor.php , for best results.

It also might have something to do with the size of the originally-extracted .sav file.

That suggestion seemed to work, I was able to get VBA to recognize the sav loaded into memory this time around. Now I'll have to see about getting the flash card running it but this does look promising. I thought goomba color had issues with saving though?

 

[Jayro]

Every game you convert to goomba overwrites the save goomba.sav file, so you should edit each goomba rom's "header" separately, to something distinct. Otherwise it will save ALL of your goomba roms as goomba.sav, overwriting the previous game's save file. As a general rule of thumb with goomba, I tend to also pile the gb/gbc games that don't save into one goomba rom, and the games that write save files in their own goomba rom. Just make sure you edit the headers, as mentioned above.

 

[popinadam]

Every game you convert to goomba overwrites the save goomba.sav file, so you should edit each goomba rom's "header" separately, to something distinct. Otherwise it will save ALL of your goomba roms as goomba.sav, overwriting the previous game's save file. As a general rule of thumb with goomba, I tend to also pile the gb/gbc games that don't save into one goomba rom, and the games that write save files in their own goomba rom. Just make sure you edit the headers, as mentioned above.

That makes sense, thanks. Right now I just have one game in my goomba color compilation and it's not saving. It loads my original sav just fine but will not over-write it with the new one when I try to save in-game. What would be the fix for this or what might I be doing wrong?

EDIT: This method seemed to force the game save - http://www.dwedit.org/dwedit_board/viewtopic.php?id=483. Unless there's any better options available? I also forgot to run the goomba compile gba file through the flash carts client which obviously was a noob mistake but that shouldn't happen again lol