New Nintendo 3DS Max: how to play GBA and GB/GBC games?

legolas119

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hi, i have a 3DS MAX updated to the latest firmware. Currently i'm using 3DS games and DS games using the 2 specific R4 cards. But i would like to play GBA and GB/GBC games too. I know that the only way is to hack it. I suppose I have to follow this guide: https://3ds.hacks.guide/get-started
I have a couple of questions:
1) after havinh hacked the console, is there any risk to be banned? I'm using in the Nintendo eshop the same account i'm using in every Nintendo console (Switch, Wii U, nintendo 3DS) so i have to absolutely avoid to be banned!

2) After the hack, how can i play GBA and GB/GBC games? I suppose that i will be able to play 3SD and DS games too, without using the cards anymore. But is it necessary to install some emulator like Retroarch in ordert to play games for all the Nintendo portable console? If so, is there a good guide to install Retroarch and configure it?

thank you
 

CoolMe

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What's a "3DS MAX" ? Anyway, for GBA you have the option to use the official VC releases or VC injects which has the best compatibility, or if you want to avoid that there's mGBA that runs pretty well IMO. Then there's GB & GBC VC releases or you can also use mGBA to run roms instead. I have no experience with Retroarch in the 3DS so i can't say.
For your 3DS getting banned, there's very small risk, as long as you don't try to mess with people online or hack/cheat online i think you'll be safe, you should also disable "sending information to Nintendo " & "Showing what title you're playing".
 

NewGBAXL

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You can unlink your acct if possible

I used FBI to uninstall the eShop to avoid the eShop risk

To use GBA games use New Super Ultimate Injector, or Ultimate GBA VC Injector (my preference, however is not kept up)
This is native / official backwards compaibility

GB & GBC are emulated and you can also use official VC and NSUI to play them

The GBA internal firmware is beautiful and work really well for me.
However, the 3DS doesn't have an GBA extension port (obviously), so you can't play multiplayer
You can use GBArunner2 to play GBA games, it is a GBA emulator/loader for DS & DSi and works with 3DS as well.
There is not currently a patch as far as I know to use AGB_FIRM for multiplayer
 

splapoon102

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hi, i have a 3DS MAX updated to the latest firmware. Currently i'm using 3DS games and DS games using the 2 specific R4 cards. But i would like to play GBA and GB/GBC games too. I know that the only way is to hack it. I suppose I have to follow this guide: https://3ds.hacks.guide/get-started
I have a couple of questions:
1) after havinh hacked the console, is there any risk to be banned? I'm using in the Nintendo eshop the same account i'm using in every Nintendo console (Switch, Wii U, nintendo 3DS) so i have to absolutely avoid to be banned!

2) After the hack, how can i play GBA and GB/GBC games? I suppose that i will be able to play 3SD and DS games too, without using the cards anymore. But is it necessary to install some emulator like Retroarch in ordert to play games for all the Nintendo portable console? If so, is there a good guide to install Retroarch and configure it?

thank you
nope no ban, i have done experiments on my main and thankfully it has not been banned, just dont cheat online
 

Huneter

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hi, i have a 3DS MAX updated to the latest firmware. Currently i'm using 3DS games and DS games using the 2 specific R4 cards. But i would like to play GBA and GB/GBC games too. I know that the only way is to hack it. I suppose I have to follow this guide: https://3ds.hacks.guide/get-started
I have a couple of questions:
1) after havinh hacked the console, is there any risk to be banned? I'm using in the Nintendo eshop the same account i'm using in every Nintendo console (Switch, Wii U, nintendo 3DS) so i have to absolutely avoid to be banned!

2) After the hack, how can i play GBA and GB/GBC games? I suppose that i will be able to play 3SD and DS games too, without using the cards anymore. But is it necessary to install some emulator like Retroarch in ordert to play games for all the Nintendo portable console? If so, is there a good guide to install Retroarch and configure it?

thank you
There isn't any chance of being banned. I have been playing online on a hacked 3DS and nothing has happened (for me at least)

Retroarch is pretty easy to set up. I believe if you follow that tutorial it should install FBI which you can use to install Retroarch to the homescreen. You just put the CIA file on your sd card (I like to make a cia folder if there isn't one already) and put the Retroarch cia into that folder. Then when you open FBI you just navigate to the Retroarch cia an select it and choose Install & Delete, which installs the cia, then deletes the cia off your sd card. After it installs it should be on your home screen.

To configure it, there isn't much you need to do. It make take a while to load but after that just download the emulators that you want by pressing "Load Core" and to play your roms you press "Load Content" and open the rom. You can just put your roms on a separate folder on your sd card
 

godreborn

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speaking of banned, I finally got up the nerve to test my friends' list on the 3ds. it worked! not banned error. it's been years, and I've never tested it. I thought maybe I had checked a game before release, but I wasn't sure.
 
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placebo_yue

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Don't worry about getting banned, i CFWed my 3DS as soon as i brought it second hand in 2019, i've been playing all kinds of games, and i never had any issues, i "hacked" pokemons into my account and then traded them, i've used fake amiibos on animal crossing and SMASH, and gotten online on both, no issues whatsoever. As long as you don't try to hack into other people's consoles, do something game-breaking in front of other players, or something along the lines, it should be ok.
I assume 3DS MAX is how it was marketed on.. some country..? sounds like one of those honest mistakes you do when you translate something from your native language thinking it's the same everywhere
 

Kwyjor

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Does anyone know if open_agb_firm can be started from ntrboot? Not that there's really much point in doing that, but that would technically make it possible to run GBA games without persistent hacks.

Currently i'm using 3DS games and DS games using the 2 specific R4 cards.
If you can run DS games with an R4 card, you can run GB and GBC emulators written for the DS.

I used FBI to uninstall the eShop to avoid the eShop risk
I'm really not sure what that's supposed to accomplish? Certainly, I've never heard of anyone else doing that.
 

chrisrlink

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You can unlink your acct if possible

I used FBI to uninstall the eShop to avoid the eShop risk

To use GBA games use New Super Ultimate Injector, or Ultimate GBA VC Injector (my preference, however is not kept up)
This is native / official backwards compaibility

GB & GBC are emulated and you can also use official VC and NSUI to play them

The GBA internal firmware is beautiful and work really well for me.
However, the 3DS doesn't have an GBA extension port (obviously), so you can't play multiplayer
You can use GBArunner2 to play GBA games, it is a GBA emulator/loader for DS & DSi and works with 3DS as well.
There is not currently a patch as far as I know to use AGB_FIRM for multiplayer
not for multiplayer but there is something called open agb firm if you install fastboot3ds you can launch the .firm no need to convert gba files to cia's
 

splapoon102

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Does anyone know if open_agb_firm can be started from ntrboot? Not that there's really much point in doing that, but that would technically make it possible to run GBA games without persistent hacks.


If you can run DS games with an R4 card, you can run GB and GBC emulators written for the DS.


I'm really not sure what that's supposed to accomplish? Certainly, I've never heard of anyone else doing that.
https://3ds.hacks.guide/flashing-ntrboot-(3ds-single-system) rename the open_agb_firm .firm to boot9strap_ntr.firm and pop it in the ntrboot folder. hen run the flasher and enter the key combo. it should work.
 

legolas119

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thank you. Well, i'm sorry, i don't know why i have a doubole post :(
I'm wrong, i made a typing error: I have a Nintendo 3DS XL (not a 3DS max) :D

ok first i have to follow the guide https://3ds.hacks.guide/get-started in order to hack it. After that, is there a guide to learn how to install/configure the emulators/Retroarch you are talking about? I haven't never tried to hack the Nintendo 3DS so i'm not an expert.. I hacked a lot of my console, but not 3DS..
thanks!
 

placebo_yue

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thank you. Well, i'm sorry, i don't know why i have a doubole post :(
I'm wrong, i made a typing error: I have a Nintendo 3DS XL (not a 3DS max) :D

ok first i have to follow the guide https://3ds.hacks.guide/get-started in order to hack it. After that, is there a guide to learn how to install/configure the emulators/Retroarch you are talking about? I haven't never tried to hack the Nintendo 3DS so i'm not an expert.. I hacked a lot of my console, but not 3DS..
thanks!
There's not really need for a guide. Each emulator has it's thread with whatever instructions are needed, but it mostly consists of:
*Installing FBI (crucial homebrew to install everything else)
*Strongly suggest you also install FTPD pro, to move files without taking ur SD card out of the console (optional tho)
*Download CIA files into your SD
*Install them with FBI

Try installing 3DS games first as it's easier than emulators, if you succeed go ahead and try with bubble's standalone emulators for genesis, NES and SNES, since those work well and are simple to set up.
If you're ok with that, then move on to DS games, and DS emulators (as in, emulators for other consoles made for DS which can run on 3DS) like gameyob, gbarunner2 and NGPDS. These don't use CIA method so you'll have to research a little bit, but it's easy once you get the hang of it
If you manage to do all that you're good to keep investigating what u want or need on your own i'd say, like N64, PS1, retroarch, and other useful homebrew
 

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