Hacking RELEASE: GATEWAY 2.2 "OMEGA" - Homebrew and Online support

[FR0ZN]

This just came in my e-Mail inbox:

Today we are very proud to present Gateway firmware 2.2 "OMEGA" which is packing quite a few of highly anticipated features!
(Links on bottom of this email)

So let's take a look:

* Online support

That's right, now you can play online with your friends!

As we hinted in our previous firmware release, the current "scene" dumps are missing critical data which is needed for online support.
Our game card dumper however does create proper dumps, and will allow you to play online.

To play online you will need a game dumped with our Game Card dumper and you must rename the file extension from .3DS to .3DZ in order to avoid
accidental activation of online support.

As always, use online play at your own risk. Since online play is linked to a genuine Game Card,
we do not recommend that multiple users go online with the same game dump simultaneously as it will most likely result in a future online ban.
We cannot help you if your 3ds console gets banned from online play.


* Homebrew support

It was about time this happened, so now you can develop and run homebrew games and applications just like the real deal!
In particular, we would like to thank smea for his contributions, otherwise none of this would be possible.

You can find a sample homebrew 3ds game in our downloads section, and we hope to see many more!
Note that the ctrulib homebrew library is not yet completely stable, as can be seen in the graphical artifacts and when closing the homebrew application.

* Savegame backup and restore

Some users have requested the ability to backup and restore savegames from retail cards, so here it is!
Simply launch the Gateway menu by holding L and you will see two new icons for savegame backup and restore.
The savegame will be stored on the regular 3DS SD card.


* Improved Game Card Dumper

We fixed a minor bug that caused some Game Cards not to be detected by our dumper. This should now work.

ADDED 9.5.2014 by Qtis:

Failure to mention in any of the documentation is the oversight I'm referring to, as pertinent information regarding a major game changer like this should be laid out completely to accommodate the lowest common denominator in terms of subject matter knowledge. It would have taken them a couple seconds to type out the following sentence (which needs to be added to the OP), and everyone would have known about the issue.

WARNING: Personal dumps will not read the saves of scene dumps and will overwrite the existing save file.

Not everyone knows every little detail about the inner workings of the 3DS, and Gateway should take that into consideration when drafting their documentation.

Added 10.5.2014 by Cyan:

saves made on gateway with games in .3ds format can be shared no problem as we always have but only for people using the game in .3ds format

saves made on gateway using .3DZ format must be shared with the unique cart ID that was used to make the save

saves dumped from a retail card can be used on gateway if shared with the unique cart ID but this one is where it gets most confusing firstly for 6.x crypto saves this only applies if the game was run in emunand only, also the saves have to be from a game that usually uses either nand saving OR a 512kb save chip i.e mario Kart will work if dumped from retail and shared with unique cart ID but ocarina of time will not as its save chip is 128kb and gateway only uses 512kb for all games

 

[Barta]

LOL:

As always, use online play at your own risk. Since online play is linked to a genuine Game Card,
we do not recommend that multiple users go online with the same game dump simultaneously as it will most likely result in a future online ban.
We cannot help you if your 3ds console gets banned from online play.


Sorry guys, only one user at a time may go online. Where can I reserve a time window?

 

[ResleyZ]

Very interesting. I've been thinking to maybe purchase a Gateway with a 4.5 3DS, but I currently already have a Pokemon 3DS XL (red one) and a normal black 3DS, which I had since the 3DS came out. Mainly interested in dumping game cards and eventual homebrew.

 

[Arras]

LOL:

As always, use online play at your own risk. Since online play is linked to a genuine Game Card,
we do not recommend that multiple users go online with the same game dump simultaneously as it will most likely result in a future online ban.
We cannot help you if your 3ds console gets banned from online play.


Sorry guys, only one user at a time may go online. Where can I reserve a time window?

You can go online if you dump your own game card

 

[ResleyZ]

You can go online if you dump your own game card

But what would happen if you were to dump your own game, and share it with someone else? Doubt that gateway would make a connection between the game and 3DS.

 

[Arras]

But what would happen if you were to dump your own game, and share it with someone else? Doubt that gateway would make a connection between the game and 3DS.

If you dumped it, went online and simultaneously someone went online with the actual card, you'd get your ass just as banned as someone who shared the rom, so don't do that

 

[Snailface]

HOMEBREW?!

faints...

 

[gamesquest1]

yeah but then if it becomes a "thing" and people dump loads of roms and resell the carts......it could end up being too much of a headache for nintendo to enforce the bans

 

[ResleyZ]

If you dumped it, went online and simultaneously someone went online with the actual card, you'd get your ass just as banned as someone who shared the rom, so don't do that

Thought that would be the case. Can't wait to see the threads about 'Gateway banned me, I just wanted to play pokemon online, and now I can't do anything.'

 

[Arras]

yeah but then if it becomes a "thing" and people dump loads of roms and resell the carts......it could end up being too much of a headache for nintendo to enforce the bans

Who knows what they'll do? I wouldn't risk it myself

 

[kublai]

I do not see the new firmware on their homepage yet?

 

[Runehasa]

I just wonder if scene releases really would trigger a ban or even work for that matter. Nintendo has yet to ban anyone so Its hard to know for certain and the simple fact that people could dump their cards and sell them Nintendo may be hesitant about that.

 

[Snailface]

This just came in my e-Mail inbox:

Did they specify this as a private beta? If you've tried it, any thoughts?

Spoiler

leaky plox

 

[Taik]

Nintendo never bans do they ? I mean they never did with the DS nor the Wii so I don't see why they would start now

 

[gamesquest1]

never say never, but oh well im sure the majority of gateway users have no need for online without roms anyway

 

[temp1312]

The only thing I care about is the brick code.
Ver 2.1 is enough for me.
Does the release of 2.2 mean the brick code in 2.1 will be triggered soon? Just like some software, beta2 comes out then beta1 expires.

 

[gamesquest1]

always with the secret links

 

[nervx]

Nintendo never bans do they ? I mean they never did with the DS nor the Wii so I don't see why they would start now

they haven't but anything is possible. if each copy has a unique code its possible Nintendo has a system that will kick people offline if more than one copy of that code is detected.

To play online you will need a game dumped with our Game Card dumper and you must rename the file extension from .3DS to .3DZ in order to avoid accidental activation of online support.

any idea what they mean by activation of online support?

As we hinted in our previous firmware release, the current "scene" dumps are missing critical data which is needed for online support.
Our game card dumper however does create proper dumps, and will allow you to play online.

I wonder if theres any truth to this or if their dumper adds something so the gateway will let it play online.

 

[cearp]

nice! excited for it

 

[heartgold]

Nintendo never bans do they ? I mean they never did with the DS nor the Wii so I don't see why they would start now

It's possible, they can detect if mutiple roms of that 3DS card are used and block that users online. Mostly likely by having track of that 3ds's serial number.

I know Smash bro's 3DS will use NNID to ban users, dunno if Pokemon uses NNID.