Feedback GBA Real-Hardware Save Editor?

[RAHelllord]

GBxCart RW is definitely the easiest way to dump all GB/A cart in existence including basically all reproductions and fakes. Connect via USB, open the software, click a button to dump, click another to restore it. The sanni Cardreader can dump almost all carts from every console and handheld, but is a diy projects and thus not as easy to setup as the GBxCart RW, but worth consideration if you'd like to be able to dump more things.

 

[duwen]

The method I use is the previously mentioned gbabackuptool.nds homebrew on my acekard in a DS/DSLite to dump/rewrite the save, and I do any save editing/hacking via an emulator on pc.
Worth noting, you can't dump GB or gbc carts though... but the same is true for the GC GB player method. For those carts you'll definitely need one of the devices mentioned above.

 

[N7Kopper]

The trouble on multiboot is not accessing the data as that is proven by GBI but logistics. There is no mass storage on the GBA whatsoever and some bigger saves wont fit entirely in RAM so you have to get quite creative on how to store the data.

Rather than hotswapping the cartridge for dumps, send a multiboot to a second GBA and have the slave transfer ROM and save data to the master, just like how FIX94's GCN-GBA link cable dumping program works, but between two GBAs. Remember to hold Start and Select!

If there is a programatic way to instruct GBI to dump GB and GBC, I don´t know how. The multiboot thing is just a visual interface to instruct GBI what to do. Care to share any link or documentation on that?

I admit I know little about the inner workings of the GBP (I know that the splash screen on compatible games is responsible for initialisation, and I also know "haha little switch in link cable port blocks multiboots from the hi-speed port") and would love to see documentation. It's... fascinating to me. I would think that the multiboot program actually does something, otherwise if it was just on the GCN end, dumping of GB(C) ROMs would exist, however impractical it is. After all, dumping a 32 MB GBA ROM via the link cable port takes about forty minutes.

 

[Kwyjor]

Further Googling suggests that a jailbroken Retron5 is also useful, but that would definitely not be a cheaper option.

I admit I know little about the inner workings of the GBP (I know that the splash screen on compatible games is responsible for initialisation, and I also know "haha little switch in link cable port blocks multiboots from the hi-speed port") and would love to see documentation. It's... fascinating to me. I would think that the multiboot program actually does something, otherwise if it was just on the GCN end, dumping of GB(C) ROMs would exist, however impractical it is. After all, dumping a 32 MB GBA ROM via the link cable port takes about forty minutes.

That line "Using the SM83 CPU is impractical" is infuriatingly vague.

 

[rantex92]

another obscure way would be via raspberry pi https://github.com/mstroh76/GBxDumper

sadly the instructions are only in german maybe if theres enough interesst i would translate them

 

[Kwyjor]

... Except "Sender Method 3 Installation and Bootup" there plainly states that GBI can write GB save data, so what's the deal..?

Just in case anyone else is still stuck on this: it looks like the installer writes the data to a GB cart using ordinary button inputs, so it's definitely not writing the save data directly.