Hacking R4 can now use expansion pack for EZV

[celentt]

Has anyone tried GBA - NDS linkage with this expansion cart?

 

[Destructobot]

Has anyone tried GBA - NDS linkage with this expansion cart?

It works.

 

[celentt]

Has anyone tried GBA - NDS linkage with this expansion cart?

It works.

sorry for repeating myself but -

So after you copy a GBA game into the cart, you can boot a NDS game with the M3 Simply and it will recognise the GBA game on the expansion cart?

 

[Destructobot]

sorry for repeating myself but -

So after you copy a GBA game into the cart, you can boot a NDS game with the M3 Simply and it will recognise the GBA game on the expansion cart?

Yes.

 

[celentt]

thanks

 

[cory1492]

@cory1492: Would it be possible to just prepend a bit of generic code to an .nds file that would turn on the rumble, and then load the appended file? If that would work, I'd think that it would be a lot easier than patching.

Tell me how to do it so that the game is still compatible with a direct .nds loader and it will be possible (slot 1 does not load .nds like slot 2 loads ds.gba, they seem to directly load it just like the NDS would - so adding code would have to be done within the ARM binary).

Using M3dip and a bit of code that continues to load the ROM after doing what it's gotta do (like dipstar does) may be a possibility too (it is something I considered previously), though it would disrupt GBA linking and dipstar type applications. A program that enables rumble and soft resets to main menu would be the most expedient method, though soft reset is something that so far all S1 cart makers have not shared for use in homebrew (it has been tough enough convincing most of them to share a pre-made dldi, let alone other stuff that may reveal inner works). Currently there is only around 20 known games that support rumble, to me that is far less to deal with than catering to specific card soft resetting.

 

[Destructobot]

I don't actually know much of anything about programming, it was just a thought I had. I based the idea on the (apparently incorrect) assumtion that when the system loads the .nds file it would execute the first bit of code, which would turn on rumble, then procede on to the next bit of code, which would be the actual game. Most likely, I just don't know what I'm taking about.

Will the built in soft reset routines not work with homebrew? Most flashcarts already let you soft reset games, why not just soft reset the rumble enabler the same way?

 

[aslacker55]

BigBoss from the EZ-flash forum has released his new and improved copyTest program:

Here we go again! TR3 is ready for testing. This version cleans up the code a little and adds automated SRAM managment. The saves are stored in /GBA/Save, and you may need to create that folder for this to work. I'll look into creating it automaticly. Other than creating the folder, the program does everything it needs to.

It's pretty simple, when you write a ROM, it attempts to read an INI file it stores in the Save directory. If it finds it, it reads the name of the ROM you wrote last time and writes a SAV file for it. This is a plain SRAM image, nothing fancy. It then writes the ROM, reads the save if it can find one, and updates the INI file for next time.

I also added the ability to manually save the SRAM if you want to, select "B" at the main screen and it will write the save, again based on the INI file.

Known bugs:

The save directory must exist prior to trying to save.

The save files don't have a date/time stamp on my system. This doesn't effect the DS any, but some Windows programs don't like it. Copy the files to your hard drive and Windows will assign a date to make those programs happy.

When reading in the SRAM save file, if there is an error opening the file it assumes there isn't one and blanks the SRAM. This could be a bad thing. I need to figure out if the file is there or not first. Make backups of your SRAM save files once in a while, please.

I only save 64KB of SRAM. That's all a GBA game that doesn't know about bankswitching will be able to see anyway. It looks like there are 128KB save files in commercial games, but it sounds like they are rare. I'm also not sure what the save patch does in this case. I might need to extend the size of the files. Please report any problems and I'll look into it.

You can download the new copyTest here:http://www.tabbal.net/copyTest-TR3.zip. With this new one, make a folder inside the GBA folder and name the new folder Save. That's where the saves will be written and stored.
Thanks to BigBoss for working hard to improve the program.

 

[ejp]

This is great news - just ordered myself a 3 in 1.

Thanks for the hard work Cory and Bigboss

 

[fli_guy84]

Argh dammit, this makes really want to buy the expansion pack from Bamboogaming since I don't own any slot-2 devices.

;;

 

[-EX-]

Got the expansion pack today.

However, gba linkage doesn't seem to work though. I tested Rockman Zero 3+Rockman ZX. Rockman ZX kept on asking to insert the RMZ3 cart. Although, RMZ3 boots and plays just fine on its own, just like a retail GBA cart. Strange stuff. I used my R4 to flash the RMZ3 rom to the expansion, the rom was patched with EZ4 client. Any ideas?

 

[Destructobot]

Try it without patching?

I'd expect problems if the DS game is trying to read the save from the GBA game, as the patched GBA rom probably doesn't keep it in the same place as the original.

 

[-EX-]

Huh?

Not patched game wouldn't save at all! EZ5 flashes roms patched with EZ4 and it works. There's no other way around. Be sure to read the review of the EZ 3-in-1 pack.

 

[jelbo]

Huh?

Not patched game wouldn't save at all! EZ5 flashes roms patched with EZ4 and it works. There's no other way around. Be sure to read the review of the EZ 3-in-1 pack.

Could you look if it's possible to place the 3in1 expansion in the original DS Lite dust cover? From what I've seen in pics it may be possible, but the rumble motor may need readjustment or even removal..

Having a 3in1 in a dust cover would be awesome.

 

[-EX-]

Huh?

Not patched game wouldn't save at all! EZ5 flashes roms patched with EZ4 and it works. There's no other way around. Be sure to read the review of the EZ 3-in-1 pack.

Could you look if it's possible to place the 3in1 expansion in the original DS Lite dust cover? From what I've seen in pics it may be possible, but the rumble motor may need readjustment or even removal..

Having a 3in1 in a dust cover would be awesome.

Nah, I don't want to mess up with my precious hardware, sorry.

 

[celentt]

it's just US$22 =P


hrmmm if linkage doesn't work all the time i'll probably hold back buying one

 

[Destructobot]

Huh?

Not patched game wouldn't save at all! EZ5 flashes roms patched with EZ4 and it works. There's no other way around. Be sure to read the review of the EZ 3-in-1 pack.

You didn't ask how to play a GBA rom, you asked how to get a DS game to recognize a GBA rom. It seems to me that the logical course of action is to try the clean GBA rom and see if that works.

Also, if a GBA rom has an intro or some other mod, it is highly unlikely that a DS game will recognize it.

EDIT: If the rom name or game code in the header of the .gba file has been changed for whatever reason, that could also prevent it from being recognized.

 

[-EX-]

I checked GBA linkage with a clean rom, it didn't work. Dammit.

To all, who wants to buy a EZ 3-in-1. BEWARE, IT DOESN'T SUPPORT GBA LINKAGE WITH R4 (OR MAYBE WITH OTHER SLOT-1 CARDS TOO). Retail carts link with the expansion pack just fine.

 

[archagon]

Does Pogoshell have ANY chance of working with this?

 

[khan]

Any reliable/cheap UK based site from where i can purchase this 3 in 1 pack? BTW i do not have PAYPAL account otherwise I would have gone with Gameyeeeah.