Homebrew Sega CD/Mega CD 3DS CIA maker tutorial

Tyrony · Jan 31, 2021

Has anyone had this issue where if I rebuid a CIA after editing, Hackingtoolskit3DS V9 doesn't create a CIA in the PackHack folder? For me it just creates these 3 files:

CustomExeFS.bin
CustomPartition0.bin
CustomRomFS.bin

But no output CIA from what I can find.

Anyone an idea? Or need I look somewhere else (as in, another directory, although that would be odd)?

EDIT: Ok so I kept dabbling a bit with this and I tried RomFS Builder. I specified the ExtracterdRomFS folder with the edited files and everything and saved as ''romfs.bin'' in the PackHack folder. I then retried building a .cia and it worked...? I'll report back once I tested the CIA on my system, don't have it with me atm.

EDIT 2 :the CIA worked but the game (Popful Mail) ran quite slow. At least it worked...

Deleted member 565038 · Jul 29, 2021

Deleted

placebo_yue · Jul 29, 2021

I suppose the 3DS scene slowed don't considerably, to avoid saying it's dead out of respect of the people still working on it.. So hopes of seeing a fowarder or any kind of software to help this process are slim eh? a shame, although understandable

ellectroide · Aug 25, 2023

I followed your instructions to inject Popful Mail, using Ristar as my dummy game, except I used New Super Ultimate Injector's .cia extract/rebuild tool, since I could only find HackingToolkit9DS, and I saw that it won't work in your reply to jzam74. Once I installed the .cia though, it just booted up Ristar.

I've done a lot of looking around, and the only other detailed tutorial on this I've found gives the same instructions as you. Do you know what the cause of this problem might be? I've verified that the game backup works in Kega Fusion.

ellectroide · Sep 19, 2023

ellectroid said:
I followed your instructions to inject Popful Mail ...

I'm not sure what I'm doing differently, but now I'm getting the following error:

Code:

An exception occurred

Processor:          Arm11 (core 0)
Exception type:     data abort
Fault status:       Translation - Section
Current process:    Retroarch (0004000000AE7200)

If I keep rom.bin (the original, the one containing Ristar) inside the .cia, it just crashes and boots back to the Home Menu instead.

GameBobbyColor · Apr 11, 2024

I struggled with getting this to work, but I finally managed it. Specifically, I got Snatcher working. I thought these instructions might be helpful to anyone who's running into issues:

#1: Use a known, tested and working Sega Genesis backup (a .md file). I used my Streets of Rage backup.

#2: Get These Programs: Ultimate GEN-MD Forwarder Maker for 3DS, HackingToolkit3DS, XVI32 and Notepad++

#3: Open "Ultimate GEN-MD Forwarder Maker for 3DS". 1.3 confirmed working.

Select Open GEN-SMD File and select Sega Genesis rom.

Rename the game's name & publisher to that of the Sega CD game's name and publisher.

Set Icon Artwork (40x40), then Select Banner artwork (if you want it to be different than the icon artwork), set name and publisher to that of Sega CD game you intend to create a .cia for.

Set Resolution to 256x224 (pixel perfect). This results in no stretching/distortion on the 3DS screen.

Click Finish, save the .cia file as the name of the Sega CD game you intend to create a .cia for.

#4: (for US/English users) Extract HackingToolkit3DS > HackingToolkit3DS-9 > PackEnglishV9

Enter "PackHack" folder

Run SetupUS.exe if first time using application.

Then open HackingToolKit3DS.exe once, then close it.

Drop the .cia file created in step #3 into the "PackHack" folder and leave it there for the remainder of the process.

Open HackingToolKit3DS.exe

Type CE to "extract the .CIA file", press Enter

Enter the name of your .cia file WITHOUT the .cia extension. Ex: Snatcher.cia = Snatcher

Type "y" for "Decompress the code.bin file.

Hit Enter to continue then close the application.

Three folders "ExtractedBanner", "ExtractedExeFS", and "ExtractedRomFS" will have been extracted into the PackHack folder.

#5: Open XVI32 (or any other Hex Editor program you installed instead) and load the "code.bin file" from the ExtractedExeFS folder created in step #4.

Click on the magnifying glass icon. Type rom.bin in the text string box then click OK.

The results will take you directly to text on the right side that reads "romfs:/rom.bin".

Change the rom.bin text line to rom.cue

The line should now read "romfs:/rom.cue". Save and exit the app.

#6: Enter the "ExtractedRomFS" folder created in step #4.

Open retroarch.cfg using Notepad++.

Click search, then type "sdmc".

Once located, rename system_directory = "sdmc:/" to system_directory = "romfs:"

Save and close the application.

#7: Locate your Sega Saturn bios. Be sure the bios matches the region of the Sega CD game.

Rename bios file to bios_CD_U.bin

Add bios_CD_U.bin to the "ExtractedRomFS" folder.

Add the all the .cue and .bin files for the Sega CD game directly to the "ExtractedRomFS" folder.

Change the name of the .cue file to "rom". Example: Snatcher.cue = rom.cue

#8: Open HackingToolkit3DS.exe.

Type CR for "rebuild a .CIA file".

Type the name of the game WITHOUT spaces or special characters. Hit enter.

Minor version enter "0".

Micro version enter "0".

Hit Enter to create the new .cia file.

The new file will appear in the "PackHack" folder as GAMETITLE_Edited.cia, example: Snatcher_Edited.cia

You're done!

-Save file directory for Sega Games: sdmc:/retroarch/forwarders/<CIA Title ID>/savefiles.

Thank you to Impossible_Ignitz for writing the original guide!!

Homebrew Sega CD/Mega CD 3DS CIA maker tutorial

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