Hacking Question about emuNAND and retail carts

[Dragaan]

I was wondering, how exactly does one use retail carts on EmuNAND? Does EmuNAND run off the 3DS's SD card/N3DS's microSD card, allowing you to put retail carts in and play them?

I currently have a N3DS, a Gateway, and a retail copy of Smash. I'd like to be able to keep my save and to be able to play online, with my linked NNID, after support comes out. Could someone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

 

[MattKimura]

I was wondering, how exactly does one use retail carts on EmuNAND? Does EmuNAND run off the 3DS's SD card/N3DS's microSD card, allowing you to put retail carts in and play them?

I currently have a N3DS, a Gateway, and a retail copy of Smash. I'd like to be able to keep my save and to be able to play online, with my linked NNID, after support comes out. Could someone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

Gateway classic mode allows you to use retail carts. This mode disables the cart updates and allows you to play the game on emunand.
Regular emunand can't play retail carts and is only for the Gateway red card.
Classic mode is there so you won't have to play games on sysnand, which will ask you to update before playing.

 

[Codename]

Gateway classic mode allows you to use retail carts. This mode disables the cart updates and allows you to play the game on emunand.
Regular emunand can't play retail carts and is only for the Gateway red card.
Classic mode is there so you won't have to play games on sysnand, which will ask you to update before playing.

If I get a Gateway and downgrade from SysNAND 9.x to 4.x, will my Smash 4 retail save be compatible with Classic Mode EmuNAND 9.x? I heard that downgrading the SysNAND causes the EmuNAND to use the save decryption keys from the downgraded SysNAND, which would render higher firmware version saves corrupt. How could I preserve my Smash 4 retail saves (along with some other retail saves) while still being able to launch the DS Profile Exploit (aka launching Gateway offline)?

 

[Dragaan]

Gateway classic mode allows you to use retail carts. This mode disables the cart updates and allows you to play the game on emunand.
Regular emunand can't play retail carts and is only for the Gateway red card.
Classic mode is there so you won't have to play games on sysnand, which will ask you to update before playing.

so there isn't a way to play online with a retail card through gateway? Would be best bet be at that point dumping the rom and injecting my header? Or does the dumped rom come with the header?

 

[MattKimura]

If I get a Gateway and downgrade from SysNAND 9.x to 4.x, will my Smash 4 retail save be compatible with Classic Mode EmuNAND 9.x? I heard that downgrading the SysNAND causes the EmuNAND to use the save decryption keys from the downgraded SysNAND, which would render higher firmware version saves corrupt. How could I preserve my Smash 4 retail saves (along with some other retail saves) while still being able to launch the DS Profile Exploit (aka launching Gateway offline)?

I'm not sure how save encryption works entirely, im on the same page as you on that one

so there isn't a way to play online with a retail card through gateway? Would be best bet be at that point dumping the rom and injecting my header? Or does the dumped rom come with the header?

Roms you dump from the cartridge, already come with the header. So it will play exactly like your cartridge. Only problem is the save, you may or may not be able to dump the save, since not every save you dump from the cartridge will work with gateway.

If you update the game to the latest via eshop on emunand, then you should be able to play the retail copy of smash in classic mode online. Classic mode is still emunand 9.5

 

[Dragaan]

Thanks! Also, does the dump go to the 3DS's sd card? Do you have to move it from there to the gateway's microsd to play it?

 

[SomecallmeBerto]

If I get a Gateway and downgrade from SysNAND 9.x to 4.x, will my Smash 4 retail save be compatible with Classic Mode EmuNAND 9.x? I heard that downgrading the SysNAND causes the EmuNAND to use the save decryption keys from the downgraded SysNAND, which would render higher firmware version saves corrupt. How could I preserve my Smash 4 retail saves (along with some other retail saves) while still being able to launch the DS Profile Exploit (aka launching Gateway offline)?

If you downgrade you will kill your smash save as it uses the 7.x encryption agro you MUST be at min 7.x to avoid this issue. If you downgrade it will kill your save however from now on that save will use the 4.X encryption and once you upgrade again it will kill your save again.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Im confused about this too because my copy of Monster Hunter just got formatted when I booted it in classic mode.

I played for a few hours on a New 3DS and then switched to my gateway system to see how it played.

 

[MattKimura]

Thanks! Also, does the dump go to the 3DS's sd card? Do you have to move it from there to the gateway's microsd to play it?

Yep, games you dump with Gateway menu go to the SD card as XXXX.3ds
it'll contain the header from the cartridge.

Then you can move it to your micro SD to play it, yes. I recommend using one header on all your roms, even personal dumps. Not unless you plan on keeping the games you dump.

Im confused about this too because my copy of Monster Hunter just got formatted when I booted it in classic mode.


I played for a few hours on a New 3DS and then switched to my gateway system to see how it played.

Definitely something to do with save encryption. Possibly because emunand and sysnand saves are different. This is something I don't entirely understand and I hope to never run into problems with this myself. I guess I see why my saves for Bravely Default and Fire Emblem didn't work. when I dumped them.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

If you downgrade you will kill your smash save as it uses the 7.x encryption agro you MUST be at min 7.x to avoid this issue. If you downgrade it will kill your save however from now on that save will use the 4.X encryption and once you upgrade again it will kill your save again.

It's minimum 6.x. The 7.x encryption is only for the rom itself.

 

[Dragaan]

I'm not sure how save encryption works entirely, im on the same page as you on that one


Roms you dump from the cartridge, already come with the header. So it will play exactly like your cartridge. Only problem is the save, you may or may not be able to dump the save, since not every save you dump from the cartridge will work with gateway.

If you update the game to the latest via eshop on emunand, then you should be able to play the retail copy of smash in classic mode online. Classic mode is still emunand 9.5

Another question: because Gateway stated that they wouldn't be able to support 9.5 or above EmuNAND on N3DS support release, does that mean that updating through the eshop in classic mode is not an option for playing the retail cart online?

 

[MattKimura]

Another question: because Gateway stated that they wouldn't be able to support 9.5 or above EmuNAND on N3DS support release, does that mean that updating through the eshop in classic mode is not an option for playing the retail cart online?

When we get emunand support for N3DS and we have to stick to 9.4 (Basically 9.0 because there's no way to update from 9.0 to 9.4), we can install game update cia files instead of getting them from Eshop. Then you should be able to play your retail carts in classic mode online. Only a few games have update patches though.