Bootleg With Save Chip

[Maratux]

On 3/31/2020 at 9:14 PM, theSLAYER said:

I used the these bytes to try to find the save

from here

Once I find that part in your save, I take the first address of the 0xFF, and minus 0x1E000 from said address, so that I find the starting address of the save. That's how I got the two locations in prev post.

(not sure you saw it, but I added in a part that both saves seems to be the same)

 

I'm also not sure that the saves are in fixed spots. Any further dumps may have them in a different point, so you can use that method to search.

Anyhow, the two files
test.sav
test2.sav

once the program has been used and the games extracted in the complete search. Then how can I get the game modified in pkhex back to the game cartridge again?

[theSLAYER]

2 minutes ago, Maratux said:

once the program has been used and the games extracted in the complete search. Then how can I get the game modified in pkhex back to the game cartridge again?

I get the feeling you didn't read page one.

Below contains my reply to someone also asking how to reinsert an edited save back into the bootleg cart.

On 8/13/2020 at 10:57 AM, theSLAYER said:

As in back into a Bootleg GBA cart? I'm not sure if you want to.
I'm unsure if the bootleg GBA memory [for that particular kind of bootleg] (which stores the ROM + save) can be reflashed.

Given that it can be reflashed by the cart itself to store the save, you would think that the memory chip can be reflashed.

However if you screw up, you'll also lose any playability (cause the sector that contains the game is gone).

If you want to risk it, you'll gonna have to place the edited save back into where part of the ROM dump where it was stored,
then use whatever tool you used to dump the ROM to restore the ROM.

Basically not a methodology I'll recommend to people who don't know what they're doing.
Stick to real carts, not bootleg carts..

Once again, if your bootleg cart stores the save as part of the ROM, refer to the first part of my answer.
Treat it as impossible for your technical level.

 

[Maratux]

3 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

I get the feeling you didn't read page one.

Below contains my reply to someone also asking how to reinsert an edited save back into the bootleg cart.

 

What happens in my case is that when I go to load the game already inserted in the cartridge, I load the old one and not the modified one taken from it.

 

[theSLAYER]

Just now, Maratux said:

What happens in my case is that when I go to load the game already inserted in the cartridge, I load the old one and not the modified one taken from it.

 

You make it sound as though you expect the edits on your computer to magically influence the save in the cartridge. Am I reading that right?
Is there another way I can read this?

[Maratux]

4 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

You make it sound as though you expect the edits on your computer to magically influence the save in the cartridge. Am I reading that right?
Is there another way I can read this?

What I mean is that I do the search with your program and it gives me the file, so to speak, fixed. Then once that file I modify it I pass it to the DS and from there I pass it to the game boy hack cartridge, but once the game is entered it does not load me and the old game loads the one that is not modified. It's like the modified one stays in the air.

[theSLAYER]

Just now, Maratux said:

Then once that file I modify it I pass it to the DS and from there I pass it to the game boy hack cartridge, but once the game is entered it does not load me and the old game loads the one that is not modified.

You do understand that you you didn't use the "dump the save" option right?
That also means that the "restore the save" option won't work.

That's because for bootleg carts, the "save" isn't stored in the save partition that retail carts normally use.

[Maratux]

2 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

You do understand that you you didn't use the "dump the save" option right?
That also means that the "restore the save" option won't work.

That's because for bootleg carts, the "save" isn't stored in the save partition that retail carts normally use.

So is there any way I can edit my game from the hack cartridge and then pass it to the cartridge again?

[theSLAYER]

5 minutes ago, Maratux said:

So is there any way I can edit my game from the hack cartridge and then pass it to the cartridge again?

read my first reply to you.

 

and if it seems like a rather complicated response, focus on the last line of that reply

[Maratux]

2 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

read my first reply to you.

the truth sincerely I tell you I already read it but I do not understand very well how to do it, you know but thanks for the help.

[theSLAYER]

Just now, Maratux said:

the truth sincerely I tell you I already read it but I do not understand very well how to do it, you know but thanks for the help.

I've edited that reply to you. I'm guessing you didn't see it. ><

[Maratux]

19 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

I get the feeling you didn't read page one.

Below contains my reply to someone also asking how to reinsert an edited save back into the bootleg cart.

 

this is the answer?

[theSLAYER]

2 minutes ago, Maratux said:

this is the answer?

To put it nicely and in a plain fashion:

If you couldn't understand what I said in that reply, I can only assume you aren't technically skilled when it comes to the likes of GBA games and fake carts.

As such:

On 8/13/2020 at 10:57 AM, theSLAYER said:

Treat it as impossible for your technical level.

[Maratux]

On 6/13/2021 at 7:08 PM, theSLAYER said:

To put it nicely and in a plain fashion:

If you couldn't understand what I said in that reply, I can only assume you aren't technically skilled when it comes to the likes of GBA games and fake carts.

As such:

bro, i use your program in the option full search. Now, What do have I do?

[theSLAYER]

43 minutes ago, Maratux said:

bro, i use your program in the option full search. Now, What do have I do?

You can load the saves into PKHeX?

[Maratux]

Only sav 1 and sav 3. Sav 0 and 2 no.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Maratux

[theSLAYER]

31 minutes ago, Maratux said:

Only sav 1 and sav 3. Sav 0 and 2 no.

 

 

I'm sorry, before we move on, what is it you want to do with the saves?

[Maratux]

11 hours ago, theSLAYER said:

I'm sorry, before we move on, what is it you want to do with the saves?

What I want is to place some pokemon in the saves and then have them in the game cartridge.

You understand me?

[theSLAYER]

23 minutes ago, Maratux said:

What I want is to place some pokemon in the saves and then have them in the game cartridge.

You understand me?

And I told you at your technical level, it's impossible. You get me?

[Maratux]

1 hour ago, theSLAYER said:

And I told you at your technical level, it's impossible. You get me?

Let's see, I'm a computer engineer but this is giving me problems, the only thing I want is someone who knows how to do it.

Can you help me?

[theSLAYER]

1 hour ago, Maratux said:

Let's see, I'm a computer engineer but this is giving me problems, the only thing I want is someone who knows how to do it.

Can you help me?

It's not about you being a "computer engineer". Read again:

On 6/14/2021 at 3:08 AM, theSLAYER said:

I can only assume you aren't technically skilled when it comes to the likes of GBA games and fake carts.

Skills relating to being a "computer engineer" weren't the kind of technical skills I was referring to; I was referring to the fact that you didn't understand me previously, which would imply that you have 0 knowledge when it comes to GBA games and fake carts. That's what I meant.

Thankfully, being a "computer engineer" would probably help, since you probably have experience with hex editing and what not. However, if you don't know how to handle GBA data (especially a bootleg version of it), or how to reflash it properly, it is possible you'll mess up
(Also, the fact that even though the save backing up feature didn't work, yet you somehow thought the save restoring feature would work, does not inspire confidence in me).

The only help I'll be giving you, is rather simplified instructions, and I'm only doing it once. If you cannot figure it out, then there's that. And it's all at your own risk (including the fact that you may brick the cart).
I'm also gonna put a disclaimer that I've never tried it on my own hardware before, cause I don't have it atm.

You're gonna need to find a homebrew or specific hardware that allows you to restore GBA ROMs too.
If you can't find it, treat it as "impossible to achieve". Else:

1. Back up the bootleg ROM (presumably using a NDS flashcart homebrew that can dump ROMs)
2. Extract the saves. (My tool should auto dump the saves in your bootleg ROM, and tell you the offsets [it is in the filename]. Keep in mind of the offsets for later).
3. Keep an extra safe backup of the bootleg ROM somewhere on your computer. This may be useful to reflash the cart if anything goes wrong (not guaranteed tho).
4. Pick one of the saves, and edit it with PKHeX.
5. Open the bootleg ROM in a hex editor.
6. Open the edited save in a hex editor.
7. Remember the offsets in part 2? These are offsets for the location of the saves in your bootleg ROM.
Check the size of the save in those offsets. (Might be full size, might be halved)
8. If the size found were halved, then reduce the size of your save (the data opened in the hex editor).
Try matching the save structure as found in your ROM:
(Existing data structure here: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Save_data_structure_(Generation_III)#File_structure)
Note: Bootleg ROMs might forgo Game save A, but have everything else intact.
9. Replace every instance of a save on your bootleg ROM with the data of the edited save.
10. When done, save the bootleg ROM.
11. Now try restoring the edited bootleg ROM into your bootleg cart. All done at your own risk.
12. Now try launching the game, see if it works, see if the edited save is in your game.

 

This post sure seems wordy, I hope it can be of some help.

[Maratux]

On 6/15/2021 at 3:30 PM, theSLAYER said:

It's not about you being a "computer engineer". Read again:

Skills relating to being a "computer engineer" weren't the kind of technical skills I was referring to; I was referring to the fact that you didn't understand me previously, which would imply that you have 0 knowledge when it comes to GBA games and fake carts. That's what I meant.

Thankfully, being a "computer engineer" would probably help, since you probably have experience with hex editing and what not. However, if you don't know how to handle GBA data (especially a bootleg version of it), or how to reflash it properly, it is possible you'll mess up
(Also, the fact that even though the save backing up feature didn't work, yet you somehow thought the save restoring feature would work, does not inspire confidence in me).

The only help I'll be giving you, is rather simplified instructions, and I'm only doing it once. If you cannot figure it out, then there's that. And it's all at your own risk (including the fact that you may brick the cart).
I'm also gonna put a disclaimer that I've never tried it on my own hardware before, cause I don't have it atm.

You're gonna need to find a homebrew or specific hardware that allows you to restore GBA ROMs too.
If you can't find it, treat it as "impossible to achieve". Else:

1. Back up the bootleg ROM (presumably using a NDS flashcart homebrew that can dump ROMs)
2. Extract the saves. (My tool should auto dump the saves in your bootleg ROM, and tell you the offsets [it is in the filename]. Keep in mind of the offsets for later).
3. Keep an extra safe backup of the bootleg ROM somewhere on your computer. This may be useful to reflash the cart if anything goes wrong (not guaranteed tho).
4. Pick one of the saves, and edit it with PKHeX.
5. Open the bootleg ROM in a hex editor.
6. Open the edited save in a hex editor.
7. Remember the offsets in part 2? These are offsets for the location of the saves in your bootleg ROM.
Check the size of the save in those offsets. (Might be full size, might be halved)
8. If the size found were halved, then reduce the size of your save (the data opened in the hex editor).
Try matching the save structure as found in your ROM:
(Existing data structure here: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Save_data_structure_(Generation_III)#File_structure)
Note: Bootleg ROMs might forgo Game save A, but have everything else intact.
9. Replace every instance of a save on your bootleg ROM with the data of the edited save.
10. When done, save the bootleg ROM.
11. Now try restoring the edited bootleg ROM into your bootleg cart. All done at your own risk.
12. Now try launching the game, see if it works, see if the edited save is in your game.

 

This post sure seems wordy, I hope it can be of some help.

 

I have already done everything and in the bootleg save I have the pokemon that I put for the bootleg cartridge. The only thing that happens to me is that the file has been reduced to 64kb when 128kb is needed, what I have to do to make it 128kb. It is the only thing I need to be able to put the game

 

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Maratux

[theSLAYER]

18 hours ago, Maratux said:

 

I have already done everything and in the bootleg save I have the pokemon that I put for the bootleg cartridge. The only thing that happens to me is that the file has been reduced to 64kb when 128kb is needed, what I have to do to make it 128kb. It is the only thing I need to be able to put the game

 

 

Instead of answering your questions (this and the one you originally had, before the edit), let me ask you this:

Were you able to find homebrew or specific hardware that allows you to restore GBA ROMs to bootleg carts?

[humble]

Has anyone figured out how to find the save file in a bootleg gen1 cart?  I tried searching for patterns from the beginning or ending of my legit cart`s save file (same edition), but nothing I`m searching for is discoverable in the ROM of the bootleg cart.  I`m reasonably confident it is flashing to the ROM too, because a ROM rip, when booted by itself in virtual boy, includes the saved game.

[theSLAYER]

4 hours ago, humble said:

Has anyone figured out how to find the save file in a bootleg gen1 cart?  I tried searching for patterns from the beginning or ending of my legit cart`s save file (same edition), but nothing I`m searching for is discoverable in the ROM of the bootleg cart.  I`m reasonably confident it is flashing to the ROM too, because a ROM rip, when booted by itself in virtual boy, includes the saved game.

I haven't. However based on what you're saying, it probably is in the ROM. You can't send it to us, but maybe if you know hex editing, maybe we can find data that is of some use.

Let's use some known data as a pointer. What is the full (including actual capitalization) of your rival's name in your game?
If in doubt, you can take a photo of the signboard in front of their house.

[humble]

GARY

Doing a search for that string in ASCII, ANSI, and EBCDIC in my legit save file and the bootleg ROM returned no results.  I`m guessing Nintendo is using some other encoding scheme but I admittedly have not investigated that deeply.  I`m hoping this won`t take too much of a more experienced person`s time.   

Not sure if this would affect it or not, but I`m using a Flash BOY with ``GBX Driver 2.0 build - Mar 29 2017`` to take save file and ROM downloads.  Am I allowed to upload my legit save file and the upper 1MB of the bootleg ROM (which I`ve verified does not include the original game code) to this forum?  It may make things easier.    Both files I`m working with are in a fresh 0:00 game timer state. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by humble