Hardware Backup GB saves?

[Saitalv4.0]

Ikz, does that work for EEPROM based games? I'm learning that all the methods I've tried (eepinator, gba backup tool, and the GB Transferer 2) doesn't work on EEPROM based games (i.e. Zelda: the Minish Cap, Zelda: A link to the Past)

I've also tried cart_save.gba, but anyone who's tried it with an EZ Flash V 3-in-1 knows my pain.

Is there anywhere in the manual that says the types it can backup, or any intel you have on this? I was actually checkin this out the other day, but I'd hate to sink in even more funds into something that doesn't do the job.

A converter DOES exist at: http://shunyweb.info/convert.php

(under DS-Xploder | Gameshark for NDS - .gds)

 

[santorix10]

You can get Chishm's save transfer app here: http://chishm.drunkencoders.com/SendSave/i....html#cart_save

 

[golden]

You can get Chishm's save transfer app here: http://chishm.drunkencoders.com/SendSave/i....html#cart_save

I don't think that works for GBC saves. In fact, I tried it and it erased one of my games' saves.

 

[Ikz]

Ikz, does that work for EEPROM based games? I'm learning that all the methods I've tried (eepinator, gba backup tool, and the GB Transferer 2) doesn't work on EEPROM based games (i.e. Zelda: the Minish Cap, Zelda: A link to the Past)

I've also tried cart_save.gba, but anyone who's tried it with an EZ Flash V 3-in-1 knows my pain.

Is there anywhere in the manual that says the types it can backup, or any intel you have on this? I was actually checkin this out the other day, but I'd hate to sink in even more funds into something that doesn't do the job.

A converter DOES exist at: http://shunyweb.info/convert.php

(under DS-Xploder | Gameshark for NDS - .gds)

I think this topic was originally about GBC and GB, not GBA. The Gameshark I had was for Game Boy Color. So no, I have no intel about anything regarding the compatibility for GBA save types. All I do know is that a Mega Memory Card (I have that yellow one) and a Game Boy Color Gameshark do NOT store save files as VBA-compatible GBC saves.

There might be a converter, but that wouldn't help you anyway because they're not for GBA games.

 

[Jordan10la]

My pokemon crystal has nearly 500 hours of gameplay on it and I was in the same boat as you guys wanted desperately to back it up so I found a cheap under $5 solution called the Mega Memory Card. I bought it and tested it myself and it worked great! Unfortunately it can't be hooked to the computer but it will save your game with no battery needed so your save file is safe for all eternity!

QUOTE(golden @ Aug 2 2008, 03:59 PM) Actually, among further inspection of my mega memory card there is no battery to be found. I was worried about the exact thing you said so when I got it I made sure it didn't use the battery mechanism and right now, I just checked it all over again and I can confirm it still doesn't have a battery. The shell is see through yellow so you can see perfectly into the cart and there is no battery unless you are tell me the battery is invisible.

See for yourself:

So how long will it last? I'm a little lost. Also I've had one of those for a while but it doesn't seem to work anymore. I'll have to test it again.

 

[golden]

My pokemon crystal has nearly 500 hours of gameplay on it and I was in the same boat as you guys wanted desperately to back it up so I found a cheap under $5 solution called the Mega Memory Card. I bought it and tested it myself and it worked great! Unfortunately it can't be hooked to the computer but it will save your game with no battery needed so your save file is safe for all eternity!

QUOTE(golden @ Aug 2 2008, 03:59 PM) Actually, among further inspection of my mega memory card there is no battery to be found. I was worried about the exact thing you said so when I got it I made sure it didn't use the battery mechanism and right now, I just checked it all over again and I can confirm it still doesn't have a battery. The shell is see through yellow so you can see perfectly into the cart and there is no battery unless you are tell me the battery is invisible.

See for yourself:

So how long will it last? I'm a little lost. Also I've had one of those for a while but it doesn't seem to work anymore. I'll have to test it again.

Again, I checked the device for a battery and there is no battery so assuming that it doesn't function like the pokemon carts and save the files based on a battery, your save files should last as long as the device itself lasts, so if you keep the device in working order forever, your back up saves should last forever also. At least that's how mine are currently. As long as my mega memory card is working, every time I turn it on, my pokemon saves are still there.

 

[Saitalv4.0]

I don't have a crystal cart to test it with, but I have successfully tested the GB Transferer II with pokemon gold, and pokemon yellow. No problems. The save transfered over without a hitch. And the offer I made earlier still stands You, or anyone else interested, PM me, or AIM me at Saitalv4.

I am a little curious as to how the mega memory card works, though. Flash memory like a flash drive, maybe?

 

[Jordan10la]

Again, I checked the device for a battery and there is no battery so assuming that it doesn't function like the pokemon carts and save the files based on a battery, your save files should last as long as the device itself lasts, so if you keep the device in working order forever, your back up saves should last forever also. At least that's how mine are currently. As long as my mega memory card is working, every time I turn it on, my pokemon saves are still there.

Nice. I just tested my MegaMem and it seems to work still. It worked instantly with Red but for some reason with Crystal it takes some jiggling. I got it to work and it did back up my save. So now at least it is backed up in two places. It would be nice to be able to play it on Lameboy but as long as I have it backed up I'm happy.

 

[redviper]

My pokemon crystal has nearly 500 hours of gameplay on it and I was in the same boat as you guys wanted desperately to back it up so I found a cheap under $5 solution called the Mega Memory Card. I bought it and tested it myself and it worked great! Unfortunately it can't be hooked to the computer but it will save your game with no battery needed so your save file is safe for all eternity!

QUOTE(golden @ Aug 2 2008, 03:59 PM) Actually, among further inspection of my mega memory card there is no battery to be found. I was worried about the exact thing you said so when I got it I made sure it didn't use the battery mechanism and right now, I just checked it all over again and I can confirm it still doesn't have a battery. The shell is see through yellow so you can see perfectly into the cart and there is no battery unless you are tell me the battery is invisible.

See for yourself:

So how long will it last? I'm a little lost. Also I've had one of those for a while but it doesn't seem to work anymore. I'll have to test it again.

Again, I checked the device for a battery and there is no battery so assuming that it doesn't function like the pokemon carts and save the files based on a battery, your save files should last as long as the device itself lasts, so if you keep the device in working order forever, your back up saves should last forever also. At least that's how mine are currently. As long as my mega memory card is working, every time I turn it on, my pokemon saves are still there.

Guys, the Mega Memory has a 8MB flash ROM built in (like some GBC games, too), so it lasts nearly forever.

 

[lovablevillain]

Hey guys. I know I'm late to the party, but I have a question about the GB Transferer 2-do you need a smart card if you want to back up a save? I don't want to shell out extra money to find out I bought a translucent paperweight.

 

[qgpr]

I got the GB Transferer 2 from hkems and it works wonders with my GBx games (can't speak for ALL GBx games though), it also managed to backup a GBA game (rom) but haven't got to test if it backups/restores the game saves correctly.

It didn't help the "drivers" for GBA are in engrish, but the GBx side like I said is perfect, at least on winXP (there is also winME and 98).

You need a 25 pin printer plug on your computer, I'll test by using one of those 25pin to USB cables.

No the smart card is only if you want to use roms on your gb.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

you need a real motherboard with a printer port, it doesn't work with a printer port to usb converter.

 

[qgpr]

yes, didnt work, ill try to get a rs232 PCI card otherwise this only works on old motherboards.

Game saves backup/restore for GBx works, on Pokemon Gold/Silver it doesn't keep the clock, you have to set it again.

 

[gumbyscout]

I have an old gbc color gameshark and the cable that came with it, I just don't have the disc with the transfer software on it anymore. Is there a program that uses this 25 pin cable to backup gb/gbc saves? The xlinker program that you download from here http://home.clara.net/robwebb/shop/copiers/copiers.htm recongnizes the cart is insterted, and can download a save, but it is probably not the right kind (doesn't work with vba and I doubt it tried to grab the correct save).

 

[DanTheManMS]

Open up the save file in a hex editor like XVI32 and see if it's just empty data or if it actually contains some useful stuff in it. Perhaps it's a simple matter like every 8 bytes being flipped or something.

 

[gumbyscout]

Open up the save file in a hex editor like XVI32 and see if it's just empty data or if it actually contains some useful stuff in it. Perhaps it's a simple matter like every 8 bytes being flipped or something.

It's empty. the file is just a bunch of hex 7's. It would be nice if you could download the gbc gameshark/action replay software, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

 

[qgpr]

GBSWPre.exe is the "driver" for gb/gbc on Transferer II. Download it from hkems. Or buy the Transferer II since it works with gb/gbc games.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

I'm probably going to buy the Transferer II from that ConsoleGoods website... though from googling a bit, the few guides I've seen for using it seem to only show it with the GB Smart Card inserted, for uploading ROMs to them.

I'm wondering if you can also plug retail GB/GBC carts into the Transferer II, and backup save data directly from that to your PC? Also, can it write save data back to a retail cart? And can it be used to dump ROMs from retail carts to your PC?

 

[InsaneNutter]

I'm probably going to buy the Transferer II from that ConsoleGoods website... though from googling a bit, the few guides I've seen for using it seem to only show it with the GB Smart Card inserted, for uploading ROMs to them.

I'm wondering if you can also plug retail GB/GBC carts into the Transferer II, and backup save data directly from that to your PC? Also, can it write save data back to a retail cart? And can it be used to dump ROMs from retail carts to your PC?

Yes, Yes and Yes

Using the Transferer 2 software you can dump saves from your retail cart, you can also write the saves back and dump a Rom of the cart if you want.

Any saves you dump will work perfectly with a emulator as well, the reason I purchased one was to backup my saves and GB/GBC games.

I have created a guide if youre interested of how I backed my GB/GBC saves up, have a look if you like: http://digiex.net/guides-tutorials/1187-ho...cartridges.html

You can also backup GBA SRAM saves and dump a Rom image of GBA games, the included software will only backup 64KB GBA saves and not 128KB saves, so it wornt be any good for Pokemon Ruby for example. It also carnt dump any GBA saves that use EEPROM but there is homebrew software out for the DS that can do a much better job when it comes to GBA stuff anyway!

For anything GameBoy or GameBoy Colour related the Transferer 2 is perfect.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

I have created a guide if youre interested of how I backed my GB/GBC saves up, have a look if you like: http://digiex.net/guides-tutorials/1187-ho...cartridges.html

That's great, thanks. No doubt I could've muddled through it eventually, but the Transferer II software isn't exactly the most intuitive (or in perfect english

).

It would've been a shame to lose my older saves... full pokedex, PC boxes organized by type, everyone level 100.

QUOTE(InsaneNutter @ Apr 22 2009, 07:32 AM) You can also backup GBA SRAM saves and dump a Rom image of GBA games, the included software will only backup 64KB GBA saves and not 128KB saves, so it wornt be any good for Pokemon Ruby for example. It also carnt dump any GBA saves that use EEPROM but there is homebrew software out for the DS that can do a much better job when it comes to GBA stuff anyway!

Yeah, I've started looking into that. I've got a CycloDS, so I'll probably just pick up a slot-2 device and use one of the homebrew apps that've been designed to dump GBA saves. I thought the Pokemon GBA games used Flash for saving, though, as opposed to SRAM (or FeRAM in the later GBA titles, because apparently SRAM was eventually supplanted with this type). Either way, though, I think I'll use my DS to dump GBA saves or ROMs.

Good to know the Transferer works as advertised, though. And thanks for replying

(sorry, there was no GB or GBC yay emoticon, lol; I just went with the oldest one there)