Hacking Ninjapass - Direct Boot Up Passcard

[Lily]

With so many NDS flash devices lacking GBA support, an NDS-mode GBA emulator is bound to happen.

*hope hope hope*

With so many GBA flash devices lacking GBC support, a GBA-mode GBC emulator is bound to happen..

..oh wait, it did..five years after the introduction of the GBA, and still lacking in compatibility.

Don't get your hopes up, emulator authors will rarely develop an emulator for functionality already built into the hardware. An NDS mode GBA emulator would be ridiculous, considering any GBA flashcart and many NDS carts support GBA natively.

 

[Jackbauerx]

i doubt it! if you want to play GBA games then buy a flash card that supports it! all the other cards are for people who want to play NDS roms and aren't interested in GBA support.

 

[Veho]

I agree with ShaolinMonk more than I do with Qrayzie.
The GBA and NDS processors are compatible, and can run the same code. You would have to fiddle with the adressing, and adjust the graphics to compensate for the bigger screen (add a black frame around the GBC graphics; a computer-fbased patcher would do that), but most GBA code could be run on the ARM7 of the DS (and the ARM9) without translation.
The code itself would be loaded into RAM, with the essentials (sprites, behavioural functions, etc.) kept in the RAM constantly, and the ARM9 swapping the temporary stuff (level maps, between the flash card and the remaining RAM. The ARM7 would only access the DS' RAM.

Option 2: convince the DS to enable GBA execution (quasi-GBA mode) while running in DS mode. The ARM7 is enough to run GBA code, it just needs to be tricked into accessing the rest of RAM instead of Slot2, while the ARM9 is free to do the aforementioned swapping.

The problem with GBC on GBA is that they have different, not-so-compatible processors, so that every line of code has to be translated "on the fly" to match the GBA processor. That's why Goomba Color still isn't fully functional, and I doubt it will ever be.




I admit to a poor choice of words. As Qrayzie said,

emulator authors will rarely develop an emulator for functionality already built into the hardware

The functionality is there, we just need a way to abuse it.

 

[Redux]

emulator authors will rarely develop an emulator for functionality already built into the hardware.

Let's hope so. The last thing the homebrew community needs is talented programmers wasting time on writing a GBA emulator for the DS slot. (wtf)

 

[Deleted User]

The problem with GBC on GBA is that they have different, not-so-compatible processors, so that every line of code has to be translated "on the fly" to match the GBA processor. That's why Goomba Color still isn't fully functional, and I doubt it will ever be.

way wrong, dude! the original gba included the z80 processor of the gbc (hence why you could insert the gbc game carts). and nobody made use of that 'translation' method you mentioned for gba on ds back then so why should they do so now?
in my opinion it's best to have a dedicated flashcart for each of them (gbc, gba and ds)

src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gba

 

[Veho]

I know. GBA has a GBC processor built in.
I was talking about the GBC emulators on the GBA (run in GBA mode), not the built-in GBC support.
That's the same reason the GBMicro can't run GBC games: they've removed the GBC processor.

GBA can run GBC code directly through the GBC processor, without translation.

However, GBA flash cards can only run in GBA mode, i.e. on the GBA processor. That's why an emulator is needed. The GBA processor does not "understand" GBC code, so the emulator has to translate the GBC ROM to the GBA ARM7 code.

This is why GBC emulation on the GBA is neccessairy, but faulty. The "translation" method (i.e. emulation) is used in the Goomba Color GBC emulator.

I just didn't word it right

 

[Lily]

The innards of the GBC were included in the GBA up to the SP - and amongst other issues, there's a voltage difference between GBA & GBC carts. However, the point I (somewhat rudely I admit) was trying to make was that you didn't see GBC emulators for GBA popping up all over the place - only Goomba Alpha at the end of the line, and it's compatibility is so/so and probably will forever only be that way.

I just don't see any of the programmers in our community (the gba/ds community at large) wasting their time emulating something on the DS that it already performs natively with a GBA flash cart. I will agree with you in that anything is -possible-, and maybe if the right person came along that was interested in a 'because I can' type of programming you would see such a thing - but other than that, it just wouldn't happen. Why go to the effort? We now have GBA carts that fit flush with the GBA/SP/DS/Lite, and we're beginning to see NDS carts with flash memory embedded on them. A flash cart manufacturer wouldn't waste their time reinventing the wheel by trying to get GBA code running from the NDS slot - it's already a business where margins are low, GBA flash carts already exist and do a wonderful job - the money is now in who can make a NDS cart with enough flash memory embeded inside to please the masses.

/my two cents

 

[Veho]

Very true.

 

[abc978]

http://www.winsunx.com/list.php?mod=728

Ninjapass has a new member - Ninjapass junior.
It comes without the multi-game function.

If you have ever went to www.ndsgba.net, you can know Ninjapass = Ultrapass.
And, from the forum Eric said their ultrapass final version come with multi-game function.
Ninjapass seem sell both the old(Ninjapass junior) and latest version(with multi-games function)

I think I will buy one Ninjapass Junior and Ewin2 mini-sd.

 

[Darth_Small]

http://www.winsunx.com/list.php?mod=728

Winsunx now claims to ship the Ninjapass Junior (512 mbit w/o multiboot) and the Ninjapass Media Launcher, but not the Ninjapass DS Flash (that features 512mbit and multiboot). I am tempted to order the Ninjapass Junior as a stop-gap solution until a single-slot solution with more memory arrives.

 

[nl255]

How much longer do you think devices that support GBA games will continue to be made? Just look at how hard it is to get a device that works with GBC games, only one place has it and you have to mess around with Western Union for payment. Even for the GBA slot devices the trend is to remove GBA compatability, just look at M3 Pro.

 

[bullet007]

Well, I just ordered my Ninjapass junior from winsunx.

Questions:

1. Does the NinjaPass junior load the game on the cart and any game on a GBA flash cart? (Like, a menu that says "Load game on NinjaPass" and "load game from flash cart")

2. Does Moonshell work on this?

3. Can i use the USB writer to rip my DS games?

 

[Lily]

Nobody can answer your questions, as no-one has received one yet as they haven't shipped yet.

 

[bullet007]

Nobody can answer your questions, as no-one has received one yet as they haven't shipped yet.

When you mean "haven't shipped", do you mean that no one has bothered getting one yet OR that people ordered it and have not recieved it yet. (because Winsunx says that NPJ ships within 24 hours)

 

[sirdaver]

Nobody can answer your questions, as no-one has received one yet as they haven't shipped yet.

When you mean "haven't shipped", do you mean that no one has bothered getting one yet OR that people ordered it and have not recieved it yet. (because Winsunx says that NPJ ships within 24 hours)

As in "haven't shipped". People have ordered them, and they've not yet shipped.

 

[bullet007]

Nobody can answer your questions, as no-one has received one yet as they haven't shipped yet.

When you mean "haven't shipped", do you mean that no one has bothered getting one yet OR that people ordered it and have not recieved it yet. (because Winsunx says that NPJ ships within 24 hours)

As in "haven't shipped". People have ordered them, and they've not yet shipped.

Alright, cool. I just confirmed my order with winsunx, so hopefully I get it soon!

EDIT: I just got an email that it will ship on the 3rd. now to wait....
and keep myself entertained till then

 

[manueld64]

looks like they made an update today that ninja pass jr is now shipping

 

[bullet007]

looks like they made an update today that ninja pass jr is now shipping

Hmm. The site said that 4 days ago

 

[Lily]

I received an e-mail confirmation yesterday that my package had already shipped (I ordered the regular NinjaPass). I expect to receive it on Monday.

 

[wabo]

Some guy on Player advance got one. He says it takes 15 minutes to fully write the cart. ( 512 mbits - 64 megs).