Running GBA's e-Reader on the Nintendo 3DS!
This isn't too hard to figure out but I figured I might as well make a guide to make it easy to do.

Note that you cannot use the actual e-Reader due to the fact that the 3DS lacks the GBA cartridge slot.

Spoiler: Using TWiLight Menu++ & GBARunner2 instead of AGB_FIRM injects

If you do not use AGB_FIRM (native GBA support on 3DS) for whatever reason or you are using a DS or DSi, you can also use this guide for TWiLight Menu++ & GBARunner2. Follow Step (2), then copy the e-Reader save of your choice to the directory of your GBARunner2 saves and rename to *I think* ereader.sav or whatever the name of your ROM is.

Requirements:
FBI
GodMode9
e-Reader GBA ROM

(1) Inject the e-Reader ROM into a .cia
You can use Ultimate GBA VC Injector or New Super Ultimate Injector.
Select the e-Reader ROM.

The injectors incorrectly identify the save type.

I got it to work with NSUI using Flash save type.

• Short Name: e-Reader
• Long Name: e-Reader
• Publisher: Nintendo

If you are using NSUI, delete `Banner text (2)`

In case it cannot get the title screen banner, I like to download one from here: http://offlinelistgba.free.fr/index.php

(2) Put the saves on your SD card

Spoiler: Getting your saves

Use a GBA emulator for PC and load the e-Reader "cards". Once all cards are loaded and you have unlocked your game, copy the .sav file and put it somewhere you'll remember. And rename it to the name of the unlocked content.

I am not sure if sharing e-Reader saves are against GBAtemp's ToS. Please let me know if they are OK.
I included Air Hockey-e.sav for now.

The file you may have is "GameBoyAdvance(e-cards)05-April-29"
Assuming that that is your source, extract the following and put them in your SD card.

• Memory Dumps - Mario Party-e (USA).zip
  
• Memory Dumps - NES-e (USA).zip
  
• Memory Dumps - Pokemon Battle-e (USA).zip
  
• Memory Dumps - Pokemon-e TCG (USA).zip
  
• Memory Dumps - Promotional (USA, Australia).zip

I made a folder in the root of my SD card simply called "e-Reader saves". Put your .sav files in your SD card somewhere you can find them.

(3) Install the e-Reader.cia

Spoiler: Open FBI & install the e-Reader.cia

(4) Restoring the e-Reader saves

• Boot e-Reader. You can only modify the save file of the last opened game.
• Reboot into GodMode9 (Power off, then Power + Start)
• Copy the .sav file from your SD card of your choice. ('Y' to copy file)
• Find agbsave.bin in SYSNAND VIRTUAL
• Press 'A' on it, -> AGBSAVE OPTIONS -> Inject GBA VC save

Full tutorial on how to restore GBA saves: https://digiex.net/threads/3ds-gba-save-backup-and-restore-with-godmode9.15395/

Every time you want to "change" the e-Reader cards, you must first boot e-Reader (unless it was your last booted GBA game), then shut down & reboot into GodMode9, then restore save of your choice.

 

[WG481]

That's smart. It'll up the functionality of some official and self-made 3DS V-Console games. Bravo!

 

[NewGBAXL]

That's smart. It'll up the functionality of some official and self-made 3DS V-Console games. Bravo!

Thanks! This does not help e-Reader compatible games because they require multiplayer functionality of AGB_FIRM. As far as I know, GBA firmware has not been reverse-engineered to that extent. However, if you want to read Animal Crossing text, or play simple NES games, or a Kirby Slide Puzzle or Air-Hockey, you are in luck!

Again, anyone with (a lot of) patience who wants to troubleshoot and get past the save error screen would help a lot.

 

[WG481]

Thanks! This does not help e-Reader compatible games because they require multiplayer functionality of AGB_FIRM. As far as I know, GBA firmware has not been reverse-engineered to that extent. However, if you want to read Animal Crossing text, or play simple NES games, or a Kirby Slide Puzzle or Air-Hockey, you are in luck!

Again, anyone with (a lot of) patience who wants to troubleshoot and get past the save error screen would help a lot.

Stuff like this needs more attention. A fully complete version of this (in terms of multiplayer AGB_FIRM) would be about as cool as wumiibo amiibo emulation (unless you hate amiibo, in which it would be infinitely cooler.)

An idea I had would be to add this as some patcher functionality with NTR stuff to make it work within these programs, or form an XDELTA/IPS patch that lets you use it. I dunno.

But still, great homebrew! I might try this out sometime.

 

[NewGBAXL]

I looked into AGB_FIRM further, and there seems to be n emulation layer called 'AgbBg' (& TwlBg for DSi Mode). AgbBg handles Circle Pad, X & Y, sound, etc. TwlBg is how we got widescreen DS games, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So theoretically AgbBg could be patched to send frequencies using NFC. Only problem: this would only allow up to 2 3DS's to play. Still.

 

[WG481]

I looked into AGB_FIRM further, and there seems to be n emulation layer called 'AgbBg' (& TwlBg for DSi Mode). AgbBg handles Circle Pad, X & Y, sound, etc. TwlBg is how we got widescreen DS games, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So theoretically AgbBg could be patched to send frequencies using NFC. Only problem: this would only allow up to 2 3DS's to play. Still.

AgbBg handles all of the system tools? If you can get it to loop into the game itself, then yeah, I suppose it would work.

 

[NewGBAXL]

I just updated the guide! @WG481 it should work now! I successfully got past the save error and got into Air-Hockey-e and everything else! Enjoy!

 

[WG481]

I just updated the guide! @WG481 it should work now! I successfully got past the save error and got into Air-Hockey-e and everything else! Enjoy!

Heck yeah! This is bound to be awesome for 3DS homebrew. Great job!

 

[iruden]

OMG, I didn't expect this to be done on the 3DS...

 

[enderer]

also works on twilightmenu++
<3 having mario party-e games on my dsi

 

[NewGBAXL]

nice! glad to know it works!

 

[Blakejansen]

Wow, I can't imagine what e-readers and cards must be going for nowadays.

 

[MikaDubbz]

Just discovered this, it's great, I just wish switching .sav files wasn't so impractical. This isn't exactly something you can casually give your little bro and tell them to have fun exploring all the old ereader experiences. Though I'm not sure there really can be anything more done to make it more streamlined and user friendly.

 

[Aheago]

Just discovered this, it's great, I just wish switching .sav files wasn't so impractical. This isn't exactly something you can casually give your little bro and tell them to have fun exploring all the old ereader experiences. Though I'm not sure there really can be anything more done to make it more streamlined and user friendly.

Could you reinstall the EReader app with a different title ID for each save? Effectively having each “card” a different icon on your home screen(since new save data will be installed to that matching TID)

 

[MikaDubbz]

Could you reinstall the EReader app with a different title ID for each save? Effectively having each “card” a different icon on your home screen(since new save data will be installed to that matching TID)

I imagine that should be possible. Seems a little silly for how small many of these experiences were, but it does seem more practical than making sure it was the last title you launched and then restarting your 3DS and entering Godmode and swapping the GBA save. Perhaps I'll fiddle around with this later tonight.

 

[BETA215]

I'm sure OPEN_AGB_FIRM makes this way easier. Take a look at it.

 

[enderer]

i'm telling you. just use twilightmenu++ with each .sav having its own e-reader.gba file (with different names)

i still play that air hockey game all the time on my dsi/3ds

 

[MikaDubbz]

Does anyone have a solution for getting the Pokemon Ereader Minigames to work on the 3DS? They don't save the game to the ereader like the classic NES games would after you scan them in, so you can't really get a working .sav file for those minigames. I thought maybe if I just start up the game on mGBA on my PC, and then do a save state for the ereader after the game has loaded into the ereader and then copy that save state to the 3DS that that would work, but when you load up the ereader rom in mGBA on the 3DS, and you load the save state, it shows the image of where you saved state on the PC, but as soon as you push a button, you're back in the ereader main menu with no way to get to that minigame.

I'm really stumped here, I would think there should be a way to get these Pokemon minigames on the 3DS, but I'm not finding a way. Is there any way to enable the 3DS build of mGBA to use the same .raw ereader file reading that the PC version of mGBA can do? Cuz that would be fine if I could just put all the ereader card files on my SD card and then load them up in the ereader rom through the mGBA emulator on the 3DS.

EDIT: Nevermind, got it to work, just had to get the latest version of mGBA on my 3DS, which I apparently didn't have.

 

[enderer]

that's odd. i use save states for mario party-e minigames on my 3ds with mGBA, made save states with pc just like you said.

 

[MikaDubbz]

that's odd. i use save states for mario party-e minigames on my 3ds with mGBA, made save states with pc just like you said.

hmmm, I'll give it another go, but I've had no luck. Do those games save to the ereader though? Cuz it would seem there is a different way in which these Pokemon games function with the ereader.

Post automatically merged: Nov 23, 2022

that's odd. i use save states for mario party-e minigames on my 3ds with mGBA, made save states with pc just like you said.

Oh! You're right, the save state method does indeed work, I was just using an outdated version of mGBA for the 3DS. The latest version does the trick. Thanks!