Hacking Can the R4 boot GBA games?

[Aamto12]

Because mine can't. So is one of those passme or what have you required to boot even a legit slot 2 games? When I put in Minish Cap, for example, and select load slot 2 on the R4 menu, it won't load. It just goes a white screen. Now, the DS reads the game, as evidenced when I boot without the R4 in.

EDIT: I'm mostly concerned with Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. I know that you can use your old GBA games to transfer over pokes. So, even if my R4 can't directly read a GBA game (or boot it, I dunno), will I still be able to transfer pokes from my (legit) Ruby copy to a flashed Diamond/Pearl?

 

[dunderhead]

There's an nds file called gbaswitch that's floating around somewhere; i'm sure if you look around you can find it.

 

[Aamto12]

Hunh. I read (after perusing this site) that the new 1.08 firmware makes it so it can read stuff from the GBA slot. My only question is...how exactly do I update my firmware? I have no clue how to do it.

Goodness gracious, no one can answer

 

[jelbo]

Just download the files from http://www.r4ds.net/ and replace the old ones on your MicroSD with the new ones from the .zip file.

1.08 can boot GBA games using the Boot Slot-2 button.

 

[myclock]

ahh kool, it uses and emulator im guessing?

 

[Tikker]

my R4 has always booted retail games, even from firmware 1.05

what's new is the GBA link (ie it recognizing the GBA game when you're playing a DS game, eg pokemon, castlevania, etc)

 

[knilsilooc]

my R4 has always booted retail games, even from firmware 1.05

No way, not with the slot-2 option built into the R4 firmware at least. I got the R4 when v1.06 was the latest, and it just booted to a white screen of death. I used to have to use GBAswitch or whatever...

 

[Superstarsaga]

whoa, eveybody is saying how it is impossible to play gba games with a slot 1 device, is it? am I just misunderstanding what people are saying?

 

[knilsilooc]

whoa, eveybody is saying how it is impossible to play gba games with a slot 1 device, is it?

You can play retail carts just fine. However, GBA ROMs cannot be played without the aid of a slot-2 flash cart.

 

[Rayder]

The R4 has always booted legit GBA games for me. It's just that now with the latest update, it puts a frame around the border of GBA games, that's all.

I wonder if firmware revisions in the DSlite have changed or something.....my R4 ALWAYS worked with legit GBA games and not just with the latest update.

 

[knilsilooc]

The R4 has always booted legit GBA games for me. It's just that now with the latest update, it puts a frame around the border of GBA games, that's all.

I wonder if firmware revisions in the DSlite have changed or something.....my R4 ALWAYS worked with legit GBA games and not just with the latest update.

My DS Lite's R button broke for the third time, haven't sent to Nintendo yet. I use a DS Phat with the original DS firmware, got it the first day it came out. Like I said, it always booted to two white screens in previous R4 firmwares, now it works just fine.

EDIT: I think I've gone quote-happy tonight. =P

 

[Goofy Time]

*Doesn't have an R4 but is getting one*

Uh...wouldn't just taking out the R4 from the DS slot allow you to play GBA games in the GBA slot, or does the R4 firmware apparently overwrite the DS firmware on the system itself?

Or..am I totally not understanding what you guys mean?

 

[knilsilooc]

Well yeah, you could take it out, but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to? That way you don't either...
(A) Have the R4 partially sticking out of the DS, but not fully inserted or
(B) Taken out completely.
Depending on the way you do it, of course. It's nice to just be able to keep things like they are.