Every so often I pick up my unmodded GBA-SP (AGS-101) (though with a replaced battery that has the same specs as the original, Im pretty sure) to play some games, mostly Pokemon hacks (though sometimes also games like Megaman Battle Network series or Yu-Gi-Oh).
Since I might end up not playing for a whole year (or even two at rare times) but really enjoy and play it intensly when I finally do, I run into the problem of the button cell battery possibly running dry without me knowing and the possible buzzkill in having to go to the store to buy a new battery first to be able to save (my GBA-SP is like my once-a-year "snuggle blanket", so to speak, if that makes sense XD), something that the if Im understanding things correctly, the EZ-F ODE would solve because of the FRAM, no?
So, then onto the second part, since I do play a bunch of Pokémon hacks it is inevitable that I would need some sort of RTC functionality, which the Everdrive GBA x5 Mini I own already provides, but that one does not have isolated RTC settings for different games, meaning that not only do I have to use something like Boktai to set the time and date properly before I start a new save on an RTC-enabled game, it seems like I cannot even switch between two such games with existing saves without risking the RTC clock for one or both games screwing up sometimes, which, if I have understood things correctly, the Everdrive GBA Pro would solve.
The EDGBA Pro does not have something like FRAM afaik, but I am wondering, does the EZ-F ODE also provide so called "RTC Isolation" (feature list only mentions RTC in general), if yes, then, based on features alone, choosing the EZ-flash would be a no-brainer, if no, then I am leaning heavily in favour of the ED, since the battery thing is more a peace-of-mind thing, while the RTC shenanigans can actually be annoying to the point of crippling any enjoyment, though on the other hand, I usually do not play for long enough of a period for RTC to make that much of an impact, but some games do not really work properly without it, so it would still be nice to have, also I already own two Krikzz products so they already have my trust as a brand.
Are there any relevant known major issues with rom hacks, quality control etc that I should be aware of? Or known deficienscies like the button cell battery passively draining in just like a year or two, or things like that?
For me additional features like cheats, rumble, DS connectivity, save states etc are of no concern, what Im basically searching for is an Everdrive GBA x5 Mini but where RTC doesnt risk screwing up because of changing between two RTC-enabled games, and also where there is some sort of save functionality not dependant on a perishable battery (or alternatively where the button cell battery drains so slowly they last somewhat close to how long the battery would last in lets say, a real Pokémon Emerald cartridge).
If not for both being kind of pricy and the fact that I already own a flashcart that technically works perfectly fine (even if not optimally), I wouldve just ordered both, always nice with a backup, heh, but as things are Im not really in the position where I would like to spend money on a product just to find out it overall doesnt do things any better than what I already have >_<'
This was all spurred when earlier today I remembered I actually had a flashcart for the GBA and wanted to try out a Pokemon hack (I cant really play on pc emulator, it is hard to explain, but I just dont get the right authentic feeling when not playing on real hardware), only to find that the internal battery had died (which means I cannot save properly since the EDGBA x5 Mini saves to the SD Card on Boot-up, and needs to be power-cycled to get back to the boot-menu), which was a bummer even when happening while stores are open etc.
So now I am kind of looking for some input on this.
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TLDR: GBA Flashcart with isolated RTC for games so switching between RTC-enabled games does not risk screwing things up or needing to manually set time and date with something like Boktai just to even play after switching, and a little less important: A Flashcart that drains the coin cell battery very slowly (preferably close to how slowly a real Pokemon Emerald cartridge would drain or something), or at least some sort of save functionality that does not rely on a perishable battery at all, even if just for emergency or failsafe purposes. I do not need any other features like rumble or DS connectivity. (EDIT: Although, now that I think about it, not many of the Pokemon hacks I play do actually need RTC at all, so maybe FRAM is actually still the more attractive thing after all...)
Would the Everdrive GBA Pro or the EZ-Flash Omega Definitive Edition be a better fit? The RTC Isolation (ED Pro) and the FRAM functionality (EZF ODE) both call to me, haha.
Since I might end up not playing for a whole year (or even two at rare times) but really enjoy and play it intensly when I finally do, I run into the problem of the button cell battery possibly running dry without me knowing and the possible buzzkill in having to go to the store to buy a new battery first to be able to save (my GBA-SP is like my once-a-year "snuggle blanket", so to speak, if that makes sense XD), something that the if Im understanding things correctly, the EZ-F ODE would solve because of the FRAM, no?
So, then onto the second part, since I do play a bunch of Pokémon hacks it is inevitable that I would need some sort of RTC functionality, which the Everdrive GBA x5 Mini I own already provides, but that one does not have isolated RTC settings for different games, meaning that not only do I have to use something like Boktai to set the time and date properly before I start a new save on an RTC-enabled game, it seems like I cannot even switch between two such games with existing saves without risking the RTC clock for one or both games screwing up sometimes, which, if I have understood things correctly, the Everdrive GBA Pro would solve.
The EDGBA Pro does not have something like FRAM afaik, but I am wondering, does the EZ-F ODE also provide so called "RTC Isolation" (feature list only mentions RTC in general), if yes, then, based on features alone, choosing the EZ-flash would be a no-brainer, if no, then I am leaning heavily in favour of the ED, since the battery thing is more a peace-of-mind thing, while the RTC shenanigans can actually be annoying to the point of crippling any enjoyment, though on the other hand, I usually do not play for long enough of a period for RTC to make that much of an impact, but some games do not really work properly without it, so it would still be nice to have, also I already own two Krikzz products so they already have my trust as a brand.
Are there any relevant known major issues with rom hacks, quality control etc that I should be aware of? Or known deficienscies like the button cell battery passively draining in just like a year or two, or things like that?
For me additional features like cheats, rumble, DS connectivity, save states etc are of no concern, what Im basically searching for is an Everdrive GBA x5 Mini but where RTC doesnt risk screwing up because of changing between two RTC-enabled games, and also where there is some sort of save functionality not dependant on a perishable battery (or alternatively where the button cell battery drains so slowly they last somewhat close to how long the battery would last in lets say, a real Pokémon Emerald cartridge).
If not for both being kind of pricy and the fact that I already own a flashcart that technically works perfectly fine (even if not optimally), I wouldve just ordered both, always nice with a backup, heh, but as things are Im not really in the position where I would like to spend money on a product just to find out it overall doesnt do things any better than what I already have >_<'
This was all spurred when earlier today I remembered I actually had a flashcart for the GBA and wanted to try out a Pokemon hack (I cant really play on pc emulator, it is hard to explain, but I just dont get the right authentic feeling when not playing on real hardware), only to find that the internal battery had died (which means I cannot save properly since the EDGBA x5 Mini saves to the SD Card on Boot-up, and needs to be power-cycled to get back to the boot-menu), which was a bummer even when happening while stores are open etc.
So now I am kind of looking for some input on this.
---
TLDR: GBA Flashcart with isolated RTC for games so switching between RTC-enabled games does not risk screwing things up or needing to manually set time and date with something like Boktai just to even play after switching, and a little less important: A Flashcart that drains the coin cell battery very slowly (preferably close to how slowly a real Pokemon Emerald cartridge would drain or something), or at least some sort of save functionality that does not rely on a perishable battery at all, even if just for emergency or failsafe purposes. I do not need any other features like rumble or DS connectivity. (EDIT: Although, now that I think about it, not many of the Pokemon hacks I play do actually need RTC at all, so maybe FRAM is actually still the more attractive thing after all...)
Would the Everdrive GBA Pro or the EZ-Flash Omega Definitive Edition be a better fit? The RTC Isolation (ED Pro) and the FRAM functionality (EZF ODE) both call to me, haha.
Last edited by Swedra,
