Hacking Saving progress in GBA games?

[Psy-T]

How do I save my progress in GBA games on the DS?

I just did the following to verify that it's not working the way I'd expect it to: I loaded Fire Pro Wrestling (0042), created a wrestler, saved it, and shut down the DS.
When I turned the DS on again, the akaio software asked me if I want to back up the save (for fire pro wrestling) - I clicked yes.
I loaded Fire Pro wrestling again (akaio asked me if I want to load the savegame, to which I clicked yes) and went to load my created wrestler, but the list (of saved wrestlers) was empty

So what gives? Any tips?

I'm using a DS Lite with an AceKard 2.1, with Akaio 1.5 firmware, and an EZV 3in1.

 

[penthaler]

Maybe you could make a save file in that game LATER than you did... Some games could save anytime, some only on exact point... so maybe this is the problem...

There should be one more problem - your backup batery in ezflash is gone...

Or one more trouble - wrong settings in AKAIO... Try another set up for ezflash in it...

I got the same items as you and NEVER GOT SAVE PROBLEMS...

 

[Psy-T]

Maybe you could make a save file in that game LATER than you did... Some games could save anytime, some only on exact point... so maybe this is the problem...

I doubt this is the problem, but I'm willing to try pretty much anything - so please suggest me a game where you know from experience that you can save the game early and it works, and I'll try it.

There should be one more problem - your backup batery in ezflash is gone...

The EZ 3in1 is brand new as are the DS and the AceKard... I just got them about a week ago.

QUOTE(penthaler @ Dec 9 2009, 10:14 PM)

Or one more trouble - wrong settings in AKAIO... Try another set up for ezflash in it...

I got the same items as you and NEVER GOT SAVE PROBLEMS...

I have the following settings in the 3in1/FAS1 menu:
Rumble level - Low
NOR mode - Auto
Backup GBA save at startup - Enabled
Prompt before Save/Load - Enabled
GBA Universal Sleep - Enabled

 

[penthaler]

Oke, the same settings as me... so there is no problem...
try game GOLDEN SUN, Yuyu hakusho - Tournament Tactics, Need for speed porsche...
These three tested last time, so if you have a problem with them, maybe there could be any other reason...

I have to ask you - do you convert gba games? (I am using 3in1 Tool to convert them before putting them on card and playing on ds...)

 

[Psy-T]

I have to ask you - do you convert gba games? (I am using 3in1 Tool to convert them before putting them on card and playing on ds...)

No, I don't. I didn't know of the 3in1 Tool till you mentioned it just now - but I tried using it with fire pro wrestling, and still saving/loading didn't work.
Strangely, the DS didn't generate a .sav file even (although it did ask me if I want to back up the save, as it normally does)

QUOTE(penthaler @ Dec 9 2009, 11:36 PM) try game GOLDEN SUN, Yuyu hakusho - Tournament Tactics, Need for speed porsche...
These three tested last time, so if you have a problem with them, maybe there could be any other reason...

I've tested with these, and it still didn't work: For instance, with Golden Sun, I let it play until the part where I'm free to move, pressed start, and saved the game; after it saved, I shut down the DS, and started it again. When I loaded Golden Sun, the akaio asked me if I want to load the save, I clicked Yes, and when it started, there was no option to load a saved game - it proceeded as though it's my first time playing it.

 

[RchUncleSkeleton]

not sure if tis applies to acekard or the ez 3 in 1 but with my m3real and m3 gba expansion some games will not save unless I run them at least once in patch mode(instead of fast load) so it can create the save file....had this problem with mother 3 when I first tried it.

 

[penthaler]

PSY-T -> with golden sun I did it in same way, after that playing over an hour and still got the sav file with latest posititon in game - so I dont know where is the problem.
Maybe you should try -
- switch off vibration (rumble)
- change type of save for nds (game.nds.sav)
- donwload latest loaders for akaio

btw. how you start the games? Do you see them in AKAIO menu?

It is wierd, that one man could play it without prob and another with same items cant...

 

[Psy-T]

I guess something must be wrong with my EZ 3in1.

So far I tried saving with akaio 1.5, AK2 4.18, 3in1 ExpPack Tool 1.9d, and GBA ExpLoader 0.58b.
They all generated save files, but I looked at the save files they generated, then looked at save files downloaded for the same games from gamefaqs and such in notepad, and they looked nothing alike; of course, they didn't work, and the games all started up as if without a save.

I am going to re-format the mSD now, and hope for the best, if I still can't save gba games.. I'll just send the 3in1 back to the retailer to be fixed/replaced (already gave them a call reporting the problems).

Edit: It didn't work.


On another note: I downloaded a savegame for Golden Sun off of gamefaqs, it was in .sps format, so I used VBA to import it and exporeted it as a battery file, I copied that over to the mSD, and when I loaded the game (and was asked if I want to load the savegame, saying yes) the saved game actually worked, and I could continue the quest from the save file.