Hacking Nintendont

[bobmcjr]

well I did release a stupid amount of gamecube game exploits over the past few weeks so theres that

Got Swiss booting via Smash, although I can't copy the IPL to my memory card. It either says "Wrong Device Inserted" and then crashes, or it freezes. At least I confirmed my Gamecube is an IPL 1.2. I'm going to try to get an SDGecko (need one anyway if I want to flash my WASP).

 

[FIX94]

Got Swiss booting via Smash, although I can't copy the IPL to my memory card. It either says "Wrong Device Inserted" and then crashes, or it freezes. At least I confirmed my Gamecube is an IPL 1.2. I'm going to try to get an SDGecko (need one anyway if I want to flash my WASP).

I might write some small IPL dumper which can save on memory card directly for you

 

[niuus]

it was already stated that ipl 1.2 is needed each ipl has diferent unlock codes and aparently only ipl 1.2 works with real memory cards.Also yeah the mic is abit wierd you should just plug it ingame.

Do you happen to know if IPL 1.2 comes in the GCNs without Digital Port? (commonly, the Silver Gamecubes). Is there any homebrew to dump it to an SD card?

I might write some small IPL dumper which can save on memory card directly for you

EDIT: aaaaaand this could be my definitive answer for the problem.

 

[FIX94]

well so here is my small ipl dumper, its quite a mess but gets the job done:
https://github.com/FIX94/gc-ipl-dump/releases
you have to run a wii and a gc at the same time if you have a memory card smaller than 256 blocks because at that point I split it up to two 128 blocks. basically you just have to run it with one of the gamecube game exploits, then just follow the on-screen instructions. The actual IPL data starts at 0x40 so with a hex editor you have to cut it together afterwards, I verified it with my PAL v1.0 IPL and the SHA1 matches the official dump so it should produce good files.

 

[Clutz450]

What exactly is IPL? I hear you guys taking about but not sure what it is.

 

[bobmcjr]

well so here is my small ipl dumper, its quite a mess but gets the job done:
https://github.com/FIX94/gc-ipl-dump/releases
you have to run a wii and a gc at the same time if you have a memory card smaller than 256 blocks because at that point I split it up to two 128 blocks. basically you just have to run it with one of the gamecube game exploits, then just follow the on-screen instructions. The actual IPL data starts at 0x40 so with a hex editor you have to cut it together afterwards, I verified it with my PAL v1.0 IPL and the SHA1 matches the official dump so it should produce good files.

Almost dumped my 1.2 IPL. I had to take my memory card out and reinsert it to get it to open it. It also wrote only 0x00's after 0x3FFF. This is with a 2048 block memory card. The header seems correct. My only other memory card is 59 blocks so I can't use that unless I split the IPL into more pieces

 

[daxtsu]

What exactly is IPL? I hear you guys taking about but not sure what it is.

It stands for Initial Program Loader. It's basically the BIOS/bootROM of the Gamecube, and provides that transparent cube menu when you turn the Gamecube on without a game.

 

[FIX94]

Almost dumped my 1.2 IPL. I had to take my memory card out and reinsert it to get it to open it. It also wrote only 0x00's after 0x3FFF. This is with a 2048 block memory card. The header seems correct. My only other memory card is 59 blocks so I can't use that unless I split the IPL into more pieces

I tested it only with a old 251 block memory card so really I could not quite tell you what went wrong for you there, I assume it just stopped properly using the card API.

 

[sonictopfan]

I could try to dump mine but my Gamecube is chip-modded, does this affect the dumping process? I can't do anything atm because I have a few busy days at work but maybe I can give it a try around next week, unless someone else manages to get it to work before then, btw how can I tell if my IPL is 1.0 or 1.2?

 

[FIX94]

It also wrote only 0x00's after 0x3FFF.

I would try to maybe raw backup that card then, format it and only install whatever hack you use and the dumper back on it and then try again, sometimes the card api does some incorrect sector writes. oh and a modchip or whatever does not affect this, also in the header of the ipl it says the ipl revision.

 

[bobmcjr]

I tested it only with a old 251 block memory card so really I could not quite tell you what went wrong for you there, I assume it just stopped properly using the card API.

Formatted the memory card and it worked. IPL1.2 in Nintendont reads my 1st party Memcard. One thing to note. When I deleted the IPL.bin with GCMM, it corrupted the card a bit. Deleting it in the IPL/on a gamecube seems safe. I'm going to dump my 1.0 cube now.

I could try to dump mine but my Gamecube is chip-modded, does this affect the dumping process? I can't do anything atm because I have a few busy days at work but maybe I can give it a try around next week, unless someone else manages to get it to work before then, btw how can I tell if my IPL is 1.0 or 1.2?

What color is the "Press Start" thing in in the gamecube IPL? Purple is 1.2, Red is 1.0. I think 1.1 is also purple?

 

[FIX94]

Formatted the memory card and it worked. IPL1.2 in Nintendont reads my 1st party Memcard. One thing to note. When I deleted the IPL.bin with GCMM, it corrupted the card a bit. Deleting it in the IPL/on a gamecube seems safe. I'm going to dump my 1.0 cube now.

awesome, and yea the whole CARD API is a complete mess so wrong writes like that are fully expected, thats why you should always do raw backups before messing around with the homebrew implementation of it also only for personal interest, is the 1.2 sha1 you have ef9194ab4804aa0aa8540d846caf291b28331165? cause the dump I worked on is not from me and I would like to know if its a perfect dump

 

[VinsCool]

well I did release a stupid amount of gamecube game exploits over the past few weeks so theres that

Wow what?!

So I could load homebrews on my gc using one of these?
Damn, A dream come true. I never get the sd-loader or the compatible action replay version, but I do have a sd gecko, hahaha

 

[bobmcjr]

awesome, and yea the whole CARD API is a complete mess so wrong writes like that are fully expected, thats why you should always do raw backups before messing around with the homebrew implementation of it also only for personal interest, is the 1.2 sha1 you have ef9194ab4804aa0aa8540d846caf291b28331165? cause the dump I worked on is not from me and I would like to know if its a perfect dump

Yep same sha1. I also finished dumping my IPL1.0 cube and it matches some Dolphin hash so I think it's good.

 

[FIX94]

Yep same sha1. I also finished dumping my IPL1.0 cube and it matches some Dolphin hash so I think it's good.

the 1.0 versions I have got a sha1 of 015808f637a984acde6a06efa7546e278293c6ee or
a1837968288253ed541f2b11440b68f5a9b33875 and from what I can see only the last few bytes seem to differ. Also just as a sidenote for anyone who is interested, my ntsc 1.1 sha1 is 239eacd86527ff9a75aeb7282da65797baeef010 The only IPL version I am missing is pal 1.1, thats the last version nintendont does not support.

 

[bobmcjr]

the 1.0 versions I have got a sha1 of 015808f637a984acde6a06efa7546e278293c6ee or
a1837968288253ed541f2b11440b68f5a9b33875 and from what I can see only the last few bytes seem to differ. Also just as a sidenote for anyone who is interested, my ntsc 1.1 sha1 is 239eacd86527ff9a75aeb7282da65797baeef010 The only IPL version I am missing is pal 1.1, thats the last version nintendont does not support.

My sha1 for 1.0 is a1837968288253ed541f2b11440b68f5a9b33875.

Also, GCMM failed to restore my 2043 block card's raw image. It stopped at block 1024 (Hmm...), so I had to use Dolphin to export all my saves as GCI and batch import them to the card. I don't suppose you know of a utility that will quickly dump GCI's of all the saves in a raw image?

 

[sonictopfan]

Formatted the memory card and it worked. IPL1.2 in Nintendont reads my 1st party Memcard. One thing to note. When I deleted the IPL.bin with GCMM, it corrupted the card a bit. Deleting it in the IPL/on a gamecube seems safe. I'm going to dump my 1.0 cube now.


What color is the "Press Start" thing in in the gamecube IPL? Purple is 1.2, Red is 1.0. I think 1.1 is also purple?

I don't really remember as I haven't used my Gamecube since... well since 2008 I think when I bought a Nintendo Wii, lol, I guess it's not important anymore since you got it working, thank you very much

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Wow what?!

So I could load homebrews on my gc using one of these?
Damn, A dream come true. I never get the sd-loader or the compatible action replay version, but I do have a sd gecko, hahaha

This is been the case for a while, I agree it's a dream come true... only thing is it came a bit too late, if only time machines are a thing I'd so go back in time and treat myself with this baby

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My sha1 for 1.0 is a1837968288253ed541f2b11440b68f5a9b33875.

Also, GCMM failed to restore my 2043 block card's raw image. It stopped at block 1024 (Hmm...), so I had to use Dolphin to export all my saves as GCI and batch import them to the card. I don't suppose you know of a utility that will quickly dump GCI's of all the saves in a raw image?

Well SaveGameManagerGX is currently working on that, though it's still not implemented and progress is a bit slow.

 

[MjSonic]

Is it possible to use AR Codes on Nintendont? All I want to do is use the X,Y,Z Mod in Super Mario Sunshine. If it's possible can you please give me specific step by step instructions please? Thank you.

 

[pedro702]

I'm pretty sure that Virtua Striker 4 has a memory card coded, because during the game it says in the bottom left of the screen "card not accepted temporally", and with all the other triiforce games i'm able to save emulating the real arcade cards using MCEMU (for single game, not multi) block size 256.

No it doesnt, ask fix or crediar, crediar never got the hardware for Card saving to VS thats why he never reverse engenired it to work.

 

[Zonta85]

Ah ok. In your last reply i understood that isn't possible to save for all triiforce games. Then, if now i understand correctly, isn't possible only for VS4, correct?