GAMEBOY advanced SP hacking

[omega59]

Hi guys, I wanna buy a GBA SP but I want to play homebrew if any . What is the latest you guys recommend, and which version of GBA SP console do I need. Thank you!

 

[froggestspirit]

Flashcart is your only option as the GBA doesn't have onboard storage for roms. Any GBA model will work, although with SP go for the backlit screen

 

[omega59]

Ok, which latest flashcards and how do I know about the backlight ?

 

[gamesquest1]

yeah specifically it should be listed on eBay etc as an AGS-101 model, unless you feel like trying to stalk new listings looking for someone to list one on a BIN and don't know the difference as the AGS-101 is fairly more expensive than a regular AGS-001 model which is front lit

not that i follow the GBA stuff too much last i heard there was aftermarket backlit screens but quality varies with some having blurring apparently

 

[FAST6191]

Your only real option is a flash cart.

Top of the line these days are the EZFlash Omega and the Everdrive lines. Both should be in the review section here.

You might still find an EZ4 out there in some shop. They might not have as much in the way of features but "can they play essentially every game as it would on hardware, and the exceptions https://gbatemp.net/threads/buying-a-gba-flash-cart-in-2013.341203/page-18#post-4756995 being fairly readily managed?" "Yes, yes they can".

Everything else. If it is for a GBA-SP then don't bother. If it was for a DS a DS flash cart and a 3 in 1 might be an idea but this ain't that and it will not be easy to use with a SP.

SP model? None ever saw blocks on anything, however the AGS 101 model came with a backlight and thus is the more sought after revision of the device (naturally it was released before the whole thing was shut down and in fairly limited numbers). There are some methods to retrofit 101 screens to other GBAs (most go for the original GBA but you should be able to get kits for the normal GBA-SP too). Don't quote me on this but you should be able to mix and match case parts if you did decide you wanted a nice older colour scheme which the 101 never got released in.
Alas with the typical quality of online photos you are not going to be able to tell that easily, indeed even in person it can be hard. To that end you are left with looking at serial numbers for such a thing. You might get lucky and find some clueless kid at a yard sale (our show off your new crap thread has several such occurrences) to flog you one for $10 or something but don't count on it.

 

[omega59]

Where would one find one of those flashcards. I used a site dealextream long ago but it doesn't sell anything

 

[Ryccardo]

Where would one find one of those flashcards. I used a site dealextream long ago but it doesn't sell anything

Ebay and Amazon often have them, despite their own rules that say they are not supposed to be sold there
As for dedicated websites, a few great classic ones like nds-card, shop01media, ... are still going fine

 

[gamesquest1]

Where would one find one of those flashcards. I used a site dealextream long ago but it doesn't sell anything

there is some really cheap ones on eBay (supercars gba), not sure of build quality or compatibility, but i would imagine if homebrew is your main priority they should be fine

there is also EZflashcards on there but they are about triple the price but should be better quality and use microSd instead on mini SD like the cheapo carts and seem to come with a nice half size adapter so they can sit flush in a NDS

 

[omega59]

Ok thanks I will take a look.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Where would one find one of those flashcards. I used a site dealextream long ago but it doesn't sell anything

For GBA flashcarts the EZFlash Omega is your best bet these days.
They have a reseller list here:
http://www.ezflash.cn/dealers/
Most of those stores are not well known and might be dodgy but you can even find it on eBay and out of the rest of the stores, the only one that is reputable and well known is shop01media.

 

[omega59]

is it possible to swap out the old screen without the back light, for a AGS-101 screen?

 

[Plstic]

yes it is but i think you need an adapter cable.

 

[omega59]

ahh, okay thanks again.

 

[Plstic]

ahh, okay thanks again.

Doesn't look like you need an adapter but you need a board to correctly control the backlight. https://bennvenn.myshopify.com/products/backlit-sp-lcd-101-led-driver-board

 

[contezero]

There are many ways to load small homebrew on your gameboy advance without a flashcart. They involve building a cable to connect the multiplayer port to PC. With the right software you can even dump your games. If you have a gamecube and a GBA-GC cable you can load homebrew to the GBA from the gamecube (assuming that you have a way to boot homebrew on the cube). I think you can do the same with a wii thru the gamecube ports. Another way is to use an e-reader and load homebrew thru printed cards (yes, printed with paper) and probably it should be possible to load something also using the official MP3 adapter called play yan altough I never see an homebrew for this device.

 

[Spokenlastchance]

I know they have some sellers of the OMEGA on ebay that are from the US I bought one myself might as well just go there. The problem with the Chinese dealers is mostly you're looking at 1-2 months for it to get to you, and since you're not trying to get an R4 card not need to buy directly from China.

 

[zxr750j]

You can just buy a 001 model, it saves you a lot of money and it works fine.

 

[Spokenlastchance]

You can just buy a 001 model, it saves you a lot of money and it works fine.

If they plans to use a flash card he might as well just get a DS lite, and use the OMEGAS GBC/GB emulation. 40 dollars for the ags-101 screen. They can also buy a R4i card and play all the DS games.

 

[zxr750j]

If they plans to use a flash card he might as well just get a DS lite, and use the OMEGAS GBC/GB emulation. 40 dollars for the ags-101 screen. They can also buy a R4i card and play all the DS games.

Sure! Thwe only reason to go for the SP is the form-factor. My girlfriend says size does matter... (I'm in the sp category)

 

[Spokenlastchance]

Sure! Thwe only reason to go for the SP is the form-factor. My girlfriend says size does matter... (I'm in the sp category)

I couldn't imagine holding that for an extended period of time.