Hacking GBA Compatibility

[mr_blonde_88]

Im getting GBA games that don't work on the G6!!

Both Metroids dont work, WarioWare isnt working

is it cus i manually trimmed them???

But if i play them on VisualBoy Advanced they work fine

whats the problem?

also, not all GBA games have pictures, instead the just have the G6 logo??

and the names arnt what ive named them, can i change this?

 

[Destructobot]

Im getting GBA games that don't work on the G6!!

Both Metroids dont work, WarioWare isnt working

is it cus i manually trimmed them???
Probably. Warioware and Zero Mission both work. I haven't tried Fusion. The vast majority of GBA roms do work.

also, not all GBA games have pictures, instead the just have the G6 logo??
The manager assigns icons based on the rom name if the file header, and it chooses wrong or doesn't find an icon quite often. I reccomend switching to small icon mode in the G6 GBA options. This will give you a list without the pictures.

QUOTE

and the names arnt what ive named them, can i change this?

The G6 displays the rom name from the file header, not the file name. You can change the name in the header with a hex editor, the
Flash Advance Toolkit, or a number of other programs. Every rom you change the rom name for will get the G6 icon instead of the one for the game.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

cheers

lots of help

ill re-download the 'back-ups' and not trim them
and ill change the names
if the names r right, the pictures wont matter
so ill make them small too

can i change the header of a game thats patched to my card? or do i have to do it to the rom b4 i patch it to my G6?

 

[Destructobot]

can i change the header of a game thats patched to my card? or do i have to do it to the rom b4 i patch it to my G6?

I've always changed the header first then loaded the game onto the cart, but it should work either way.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

cheers man :-)

*goes off to redownload and rename 30+ gba backups*

ohh, one last thing, the editor u recomended, if i used that to trim the roms would they work on my G6?

 

[Destructobot]

I've never trimmed a GBA rom, so I have no idea. I just use FAT to rename the games.

I was just assuming you screwed something up when you trimmed the roms because they work for me.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

aye, i probably did

though i dont get why they work with visual boy?!?!

anyways, im waiting for a Slot1 flashcard, probably the minininja or wat ever its called, and then im guna use my G6 for GBA gaming

cheers for you help

 

[Moneo]

Metroid zero mission works with the default settings (no real-time saves, no trimming, hardware+software patch).

Real-time saves are known to cause compatibility problems, it's recommended not to use that option.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

Metroid zero mission works with the default settings (no real-time saves, no trimming, hardware+software patch).

Real-time saves are known to cause compatibility problems, it's recommended not to use that option.

aye, i never touch the setting, just leave em b

 

[Destructobot]

If you aren't using real time saves you can delete the real time save files (.is0 .is1 & .is2) from the GBA folder on the G6. This will probably free up a lot more space than trimming would; about 1.5 megs per game.

 

[Hypnotoad]

If you aren't using real time saves you can delete the real time save files (.is0 .is1 & .is2) from the GBA folder on the G6. This will probably free up a lot more space than trimming would; about 1.5 megs per game.

Yea, that's real space saver if you dump these files. Especially if you play lots of gba on the g6.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

yeah, i delete all the RTS and the .1 and .2 saves, so i only have 3 files per game

Just wondering, after the game name, u get a random 4 or 5 string of letters, like ABSE or something like that
can you get rid of this?

 

[Destructobot]

Just wondering, after the game name, u get a random 4 or 5 string of letters, like ABSE or something like that
can you get rid of this?

Not that I know of. The GBA loader seems to think that the rom name in the header is four letters longer than it actually is, and they don't seem to be in any hurry to do any work at all on the GBA side of things.

You could try replacing the four characters after the rom name with a hex editor and see if the rom still works, but I don't think it would be worth the trouble. Other than that, just deal with it.

 

[outphase]

Those 4 letters are also part of the header.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

Those 4 letters are also part of the header.

but when i check the header with the editor, it doesnt show the 4 letters, if i just opend the rom in a normal hex editor, can i get rid of them?

 

[outphase]

Much like the header you see in a rom editor, they are an identifier. Those 4 chars are the ones printed on the back of the physical cartridge.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

but can i remove them? or have it so the G6 doesnt show them?

 

[Destructobot]

I just now tried using a hex editor to overwrite those characters with spaces. The characters were gone from the G6 menu and the game (SMB2) still loaded & played. I'll try more games later.

 

[mr_blonde_88]

I just now tried using a hex editor to overwrite those characters with spaces. The characters were gone from the G6 menu and the game (SMB2) still loaded & played. I'll try more games later.

soo, you just deleted the for characters, and then inserted spaces, as in pressed the spacebar 4 times?
cus i replaced them with for . thinkin that was just a space, but it didnt work

 

[Destructobot]

The rom name + the four characters = 16 characters total.

In the text side of the editor I selected the character after the last letter in the rom name, and pressed space until the end of the 16 characters.

The name showed up as "SMB 2 ÌÌÌÌÌÌABSE" (or somthing similar) and I changed it to "SMB 2 Â Â Â Â Â "

I just tried it with SMB 3 and it also worked.