Exporting ROMHack Saves

[DarkPhoenix911]

Hey. So, I'm running into an odd issue that I can't seem to find any answers for or any documentation. I'm playing a Pokemon RomHack on my 3DS that I installed from a CIA File that I created using New Ultimate Super Injector (using FBI). Anyway, using JKSV or Checkpoint to export the save from this game (it's a .gbc file if that matters) exports 3 different files; rsm1.dat, rsm2.dat, and SAV.dat. When I change the SAV.dat file to a .sav file (so I can load it onto mGBA on my laptop to use GameShark codes), it loads up just fine in the emulator. The issue comes when I try to take that save file that was changed with mGBA (I used a code to inject a single item into my bag for a test), I have to change it back to a .dat file. When I use either program to restore this edited file, the save data becomes corrupted. mGBA doesn't need the rsm1 or rsm2 files to load the save so I'm wondering if those files are 3DS specific. And what they are/represent. In my test, I did not even change the position of my character in the game (saved directly in front of a pc in a Pokemon Center, deposited additional copies of a single item, closed the pc, reorganized the items in my bag so that the useless item was the one being overwritten, turned on the code, checked for the item, turned the code off, saved game) so I can't figure out what those files do or why the edited save keeps becoming corrupted. The devs from the ROMhack haven't even seen anything like this (mostly because hardly anyone uses the 3DS's native hardware to run emulation). Can anyone help me out here? Anyone have any ideas? I'd like to have a better understanding of this for the future, even if there's no way around this.

 

[Kwyjor]

I expect you'd have the same problem even if you created a CIA with an unmodified game and that the hack has nothing to do with it. And I expect other people have encountered similar problems.

Is the save data still exactly the same size after you change it with mGBA as it was beforehand?

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

The devs from the ROMhack haven't even seen anything like this (mostly because hardly anyone uses the 3DS's native hardware to run emulation).

this is because Virtual console injects in general aren't the optimal way to play any game on the 3DS anymore because of things
like this, most people only used it around when Prism's final build got leaked and whatnot because at the time iirc gameyob and Lameboy weren't that great (lameboy still isn't) if you can get your save to be exported safely then you're better off using gameyob and making a cheat file for your game, if it's a decomp hack like prism or coral you might have a harder time getting cheats to work regardless of what method you're using to play it and using a save editor can be risky in some cases, if it's a binary one then you should be fine.

 

[DarkPhoenix911]

I expect you'd have the same problem even if you created a CIA with an unmodified game and that the hack has nothing to do with it. And I expect other people have encountered similar problems.

Is the save data still exactly the same size after you change it with mGBA as it was beforehand?

You know, I’ve never thought to check that. I saw in another thread someone said that mGBA adds an unneeded line of hex at the end of a file and I could use a hex editor to remove those extra 16 bits. I haven’t tried this yet but it’s something I’m gonna look into.

Post automatically merged: Feb 25, 2025

this is because Virtual console injects in general aren't the optimal way to play any game on the 3DS anymore because of things
like this, most people only used it around when Prism's final build got leaked and whatnot because at the time iirc gameyob and Lameboy weren't that great (lameboy still isn't) if you can get your save to be exported safely then you're better off using gameyob and making a cheat file for your game, if it's a decomp hack like prism or coral you might have a harder time getting cheats to work regardless of what method you're using to play it and using a save editor can be risky in some cases, if it's a binary one then you should be fine.

I’m playing Polished Crystal 3.1.1 and it’s a .gbc hack based on crystal’s decomp. But it’s made a ton of changes to the overall engine (natures, EVs, abilities, all have been added for example) so save editors like pkhex can’t read the save file. (If you know of a better one I’m all ears—I’m smart enough to back up my save file in multiple locations before attempting any edits)

I’ll check into gameyob tomorrow. I know checkpoint has built in cheat files but those are Gamegate codes and the only thing I’ve got working so far is GameShark codes in mGBA on my PC. Is the cheat system in gameyob the same way? I’ve tried to find ways to convert the GameShark code into a style that would work with checkpoint (and roselia (?) menu) but I can’t find any good resources to convert said codes.