Hacking Linking FlashCarts

[Rubyheart]

Ok so, I have two EZFlash 3-in-1s, for the original DS, not the lite. I put a game on each, and threw them in a pair of SPs. The two games are supposed to be able to connect with a link cable, but every time I try, it gives a connection error. The same is true when trying to connect to the Wii running a Gamecube game through Nintendont. I've be able to connect retail gba carts to ds flash carts, and ds flash carts to both retail games and other ds flash carts, is there any reason why I'm not able to connect two gba flash carts to each other, or to the wii/cube?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Your issue would have to be game specific. GBA gamelink games like golden sun and GS:lost age work fine even on two flashcarts. Without knowing what games you tried specificaly, your not going to get a good answer to why your having those issues.


As for GC/gba links, if your game isn't on this list then your the one doing it wrong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_GameCube_–_Game_Boy_Advance_link_cable

 

[FAST6191]

The Wii/GC stuff (though I am not sure about Nintendont) is usually that if it tries to read from the GBA cart's Flash or EEPROM save memory that was in the retail game and can not find it (all GBA carts use SRAM type save memory, that is what patching the games changes and why they batteries when original carts might not). Assuming it is not also Nintendont having an issue then you tend to have to hack the GC game, and to the best of my knowledge nobody has bothered to do this for any GC game -- it was done for the pokemon pal stuff on the DS and that is about it.

The GBA-GBA stuff is usually more people using bad cables (though that is probably not the case here) or the patching troubling the timings of the games. We occasionally see similar things with other GBA flash carts. The solution there seems to be disable as many patches as you can (especially sleep and soft reset) or even try disabling all patches but if you need one to help the game save then try http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=17714
You will need a method of getting the GBA game over to the 3 in 1 without anything being changed on it, I am not sure what the various cart management tools have the option for these days, though you might be able to get away with one of the older tools.

 

[Rubyheart]

I'm trying to use Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission on the SPs, and Metroid Prime on the Cube. Fusion should be able to connect to both.

I haven't added any patches, I just used GBA Exploder on a ds flash cart to flash a clean rom to NOR memory.

 

[FAST6191]

In this case patches does not mean hacks but the things done to the ROM to allow it to save. GBA Exploder handles this for GBA games.

GBA games have three types of broad save type (four if you count none/password but let us not go there) and many sub types. When you use a flash cart for the GBA (all presently known ones) they alter the games to use a different type of save memory than they did originally (a type of SRAM, hence the need for a battery to hold saves). These minor alterations seem to occasionally trouble link cable connections.

If a DS game tries to access the save (like in Pokemon Pal park, some megaman stuff and bit more besides) it will not respond when it sends Flash memory access commands as it is quite literally not there. You can alter the DS game to send SRAM commands instead, as indeed was done for Pokemon on the DS ( http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/rom-hacks/download-pokepatch-4-2-f27240.html ).
Gamecube GBA linkup games will also suffer a similar problem if it needs to access the save. Most GBA-GC linkup games on the GC just needed a GBA and a cable, a handful more needed a game (which the 3 in 1 using the NOR could handily fake) and a even smaller selection of those try to access the saves (and will fail because it is a different type of save). I do not know whether the GC games will use GC powerpc code or send something down the GBA's multiboot cable to launch (and thus be GBA code that tried to read save memory) but to the best of my knowledge nobody has ever altered or even explored this.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

gba to gba link from fusion and zero only check for the game to be there, it should have unlocked the bonus on zero for you from the menu. If you have to , try playing both games and saving the game before trying the link again.

In the Prime Fusion GC/GBA link, I think it looks for the save. For this you would have to at least played fusion for a bit and saved to get the unlock in Prime. The save type on fusion is SRAM so there shouldn't have been any issues for Prime to check the game.
I sold off my gamecube a while ago, this means I can't verify it for you.

 

[Rubyheart]

Both Fusion and Zero Mission have completed saves.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Is your gba to gba link cable a 3rd party make?

 

[Rubyheart]

I think it's a madcatz brand, yeah. I've used it between retail carts before though. The gcn to gba cable is 1st party though.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

madcatz should have worked. Let me go try mine, will have to charge my gba systems to try. Will get back to this later when I can try.

 

[Rubyheart]

No worries, I'm at work anyway so I can't test too much. I'm currently working on getting pokemon fire red far enough to connect to a retail ruby, to see if the cable will work between a retail game and one flash cart

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

pokemon games tend to access the save data directly, it is best to use a gba flashcart that has flash support built in like the supercard to do the transfer from a gba flashcart to a legit DS cart.

 

[Rubyheart]

I'm not worried about connecting to the DS games just yet, I've already gotten the palpark transfer stuff working before. Ruby and Fire Red are both gba games. This would be a test to see if the retail gba game could connect to the flash cart gba game, using my current cable.

 

[Acidflare]

I'm trying to use Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission on the SPs, and Metroid Prime on the Cube. Fusion should be able to connect to both.

I haven't added any patches, I just used GBA Exploder on a ds flash cart to flash a clean rom to NOR memory.

Try using Wood to install the games to the nor, I tried using GBAEXPloader for pkmn ruby it wouldn't boot but wood made it work no problem now I can play ruby, I guess try it see if it works

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

I'm not worried about connecting to the DS games just yet, I've already gotten the palpark transfer stuff working before. Ruby and Fire Red are both gba games. This would be a test to see if the retail gba game could connect to the flash cart gba game, using my current cable.

The retail ds pokemon game physically accesses the flash memory direction on a legit GBA pokemon game. You wouldn't be able to access it a gba flashcart if save data unless you got the Action Replay equivalent of the palpark patch running on a Action Replay DS to access the save on a gba flashcart. I would recommend using pokegen, it is going to likely be faster for you in that case.

http://www.projectpokemon.org/pokegen/

To down/up-load your save from the retail without a action replay ds, you can use the NDS backup tool to manage your save to and from the retail cart.

http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/applications/download-nds-backup-tool-3in1-0-31-f32853.html


Or you can try it with the gba flashcart first to see if you get it working on the DS retail game.



---

I recommend use of pokegen if you got alot of pokemon on the gba save, since your limited to 5 or so pokemon every 24 hours.

 

[Rubyheart]

I don't need to worry about connecting the gba flash cart to a retail ds game. I have a ds flash cart as well. I've been able to connect the gba flash cart to the ds flash cart with no problems, and then connect the ds flash cart to a retail ds game with no problems.

I'm not able to connect a gba flash cart to another gba flash cart for whatever reason.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

To do the fusion and zero link correctly you have to do these steps:

Turn the game boy with metroid fusion in it on and hold both select and start. The game boy will make a little chirp and appear to freeze on the screen with the game boy logo. Turn on the game boy with metroid: zero mission and go to opions, where you highlight and activate "Metroid Fusion Link" it will go through the animation, and you will have access to the metroid fusion gallery.

 

[Rubyheart]

I tried that when linking to Prime with no luck, I'll try it with Zero Mission when I get home

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

One of the other options is to use the save off of gamefaqs with the gallery already unlocked.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/914982-metroid-zero-mission/saves

I think the saves are in sps format, you will need to use vba to convert them to a save you can use on the flashcart.

 

[Rubyheart]

Eh, that's alright for this specific case, but doesn't really solve the underlying problem. What if I wanted to copy over a Chao from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic Advance? I'd still need the flash cart running Advance to be able to connect to the wii, there won't be a save with something as unique as a Chao.