How to program a NINTENDO POWER Cartridge ?

[allstone]

infinest does it also work with SF Memory as basically its the same chip ?

Nope the information written on the SF Memory is very different from the GB Memory from what I've seen in earlier posts.
Somebody else would have to program another application for that.

Hm, interesting. Ok then, can this GB Memory Cart hold GBA (advance) games ? Or only GB and GBC?

[BlockOutGuy]

infinest does it also work with SF Memory as basically its the same chip ?

Nope the information written on the SF Memory is very different from the GB Memory from what I've seen in earlier posts.
Somebody else would have to program another application for that.

Hm, interesting. Ok then, can this GB Memory Cart hold GBA (advance) games ? Or only GB and GBC?

Only GB(C) games. The GBA cartridge interface is completely different (voltage, data bus, cartridge shape, etc).

[skaman]

Made a couple edits to the GB Memory News Ticker text.

The Puyo Puyo/5in1 had a typo at the end of the 5th line and the 2in1 Harvest Moon text was incomplete. The Harvest Moon News Ticker text lists the top 5 rewrites for first half of 2000. Super Mario Brothers Deluxe, Legend of Zelda DX, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby's Dream Land, and Metroid 2.

I've dumped about 50 GB Memory carts with menus and the news ticker text is always one of the 5 variations posted. I can also confirm the news ticker text that was posted on the Japanese BB.

Code: Select all

Puyo Puyo/5in1:
ニュース！
大好評！サービス実施中のニンテンドウパワー・ゲームボーイ用ソフト書き換えサービス！！
ローソンだけで販売中のニンテンドウパワー・オリジナル新作ソフトから、
なつかしいあの名作ソフトまで豊富なラインナップが勢揃い。
1つのカートリッジに複数のゲームを入れて、あなただけのオリジナル・カートリッジを作っちゃう、
といった楽しみ方もオススメです。 

2in1 Harvest Moon:
ニュース！
ラインナップがますます充実！
絶好調サービス実施中のＮＩＮＴＥＮＤＯ　ＰＯＷＥＲゲームボーイ書き換え！！
2000年上半期の書き換え回数べスト5をご案内します。
第1位：スーパーマリオブラザーズデラックス(任天堂)
第2位：ゼルダの伝説DX(任天堂)
第3位：星のカービィ2(任天堂)
第4位：星のカービィ(任天堂)
第5位：メトロイド2(任天堂)

[Kangsteri]

Seems like this can be done with "Super Ufo Pro 8". Here is the instructions and programs for it:
Rewriting
Menu entry offset
Source page and other stuff for Super Ufo

I would be very happy to see some more clearer and simplified English instructions on this for regular us people.. I would also be interested to know if anyone has tried to populate the missing mx29f1601mc for these?

[moldov]

Colleagues,

what is the format of map file. Which being dumped along with ROM. How can I create my own?

[skaman]

GB Memory mapping details here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=11453&start=135#p161062

[moldov]

Colleagues, thanks to Infinest, I forked his GB Memory solution and adopted it for SF Memory.
So now You can easily create ROM and map file for Your SF Memory cart.

Obviously the code is a bit messy, so I will clean it up ASAP. Also bugs are expected, so I will try to fix them also.

https://github.com/moldov/SF-Memory-Binary-Maker/ if You need binary it's on "Release" tab.

Don't forget to put "Menu.sfc" 512Kb Menu file from NP cart in the same directory with program.

Thanks to:

sanni - for his masterpiece which gathered all the community solutions for scattered ROMS and platforms

skaman - SNES rom and mapping details

alex_n00b - bitmap letters for Menu

and all community's creative work which allows to find those hidden gems and undocumented abilities in retro platforms

[jamiecruickshank]

Hi,

Thank you guys for the amazing work everyone put in. I have been working on some Gameboy Nintendo Power cartridges and have been able to Read/Write the Flash and the Mapping and everything works perfectly. The only thing I would like to do is Read and Write the SRAM for saves. None of the code available for the GB NP cart seems to show how to manage the SRAM save data.

I am looking to replace the aging batteries on some of the carts but don't want to lose all my save data.
I have BennVenns Joey Joebags, GBxCart RW by Inside Gadgets and also the Sanni card reader.

If there is any options or settings for either of these, please let me know.

Kind Regards
Jamie

[AlexiG]

The only thing I would like to do is Read and Write the SRAM for saves. None of the code available for the GB NP cart seems to show how to manage the SRAM save data.

If you are using the cartridge for a single game then you would access the SRAM like a regular cartridge, depending on the MBC.

If you had it as a Multi-game cart, then you need to switch to each game like you were selecting it on the GB, probably wait a little bit, read the game header to check it's changed and read the SRAM like a regular cartridge once again.

To switch between each game, you send these commands:
// Enable flash chip access
0x120, 0x09
0x121, 0xaa
0x122, 0x55
0x13f, 0xa5

// Switch to game 1
0x120, 0x81
0x13f, 0xa5

For game 2, it would be 0x82, etc.

[darby]

Seems like this can be done with "Super Ufo Pro 8". Here is the instructions and programs for it:
Rewriting
Menu entry offset
Source page and other stuff for Super Ufo

I would be very happy to see some more clearer and simplified English instructions on this for regular us people.. I would also be interested to know if anyone has tried to populate the missing mx29f1601mc for these?

Has anyone successfully done this? I have a Super Ufo Pro 8 and Nintendo Power Cartridge here but the translation leaves a lot to be desired given the complex nature of the process.

[d4s]

Seems like this can be done with "Super Ufo Pro 8". Here is the instructions and programs for it:
Rewriting
Menu entry offset
Source page and other stuff for Super Ufo

I would be very happy to see some more clearer and simplified English instructions on this for regular us people.. I would also be interested to know if anyone has tried to populate the missing mx29f1601mc for these?

Has anyone successfully done this? I have a Super Ufo Pro 8 and Nintendo Power Cartridge here but the translation leaves a lot to be desired given the complex nature of the process.

I've done that successfully.
It works fine, but is time-consuming and requires lots of manual input.

Basically you compile the flasher program 4 times for banks $c0,$d0,$e0,$f0 and include the hidden sector data in there, resulting in 4 8mbit ROMs.
Then, you create a binary file that contains your NP Menu ROM and your game ROMs.
This is then split into 4 8mbit chunks which are in turn appended to the flasher program of their respective bank, resulting in 4 16mbit ROMs.
You then start these 4 ROMs sequentially, manually erasing and flashing main flashROM and hidden sector as required.

I had to program 30 Nintendo Power cartridges, so I ended up using Revenants great roswell for Super Ufo Pro 8 and wrote a python script that implements Nintendo Power support for that instead.

In general, I consider the Super Ufo Pro 8 ideal for this task. It's cheap, readily available and has a cartridge slot. Because it runs on the original system, there's no hassle with CIC communication, clock signals and the like. Also, there's no soldering required.

Something I thought about but haven't tried yet is installing the roswell server software directly in the Super Ufo firmware ROM to avoid having to load it manually.
I don't know if this is possible.

[darby]

Seems like this can be done with "Super Ufo Pro 8". Here is the instructions and programs for it:
Rewriting
Menu entry offset
Source page and other stuff for Super Ufo

I would be very happy to see some more clearer and simplified English instructions on this for regular us people.. I would also be interested to know if anyone has tried to populate the missing mx29f1601mc for these?

Has anyone successfully done this? I have a Super Ufo Pro 8 and Nintendo Power Cartridge here but the translation leaves a lot to be desired given the complex nature of the process.

I've done that successfully.
It works fine, but is time-consuming and requires lots of manual input.

Basically you compile the flasher program 4 times for banks $c0,$d0,$e0,$f0 and include the hidden sector data in there, resulting in 4 8mbit ROMs.
Then, you create a binary file that contains your NP Menu ROM and your game ROMs.
This is then split into 4 8mbit chunks which are in turn appended to the flasher program of their respective bank, resulting in 4 16mbit ROMs.
You then start these 4 ROMs sequentially, manually erasing and flashing main flashROM and hidden sector as required.

I had to program 30 Nintendo Power cartridges, so I ended up using Revenants great roswell for Super Ufo Pro 8 and wrote a python script that implements Nintendo Power support for that instead.

In general, I consider the Super Ufo Pro 8 ideal for this task. It's cheap, readily available and has a cartridge slot. Because it runs on the original system, there's no hassle with CIC communication, clock signals and the like. Also, there's no soldering required.

Something I thought about but haven't tried yet is installing the roswell server software directly in the Super Ufo firmware ROM to avoid having to load it manually.
I don't know if this is possible.

Thanks for the detailed response.

How does one extract the hidden sector data?

I remember trying to dump the cart using the standard ufo functions but of course it wouldn't dump. I'd like to create a full backup of the current contents before doing anything first.

The npflash.zip on that Japanese website contains npflashC.smc npflashD.smc npflashE.smc npflashF.smc which I assume are the 4 banks you are initially referring to.

As for the game menu generation I assume you can use the previously posted SF Memory Binary Maker?

Are you willing to share the mentioned python script for roswell? I didn't know this existed. I stopped investigating of the ufosd after helping get the conversion utils working in ucon64.

[DevenNES]

I have a NP Fire Emblem edition on the way.

The Freq module in the larger Sanni models I guess help with the timings on this and the BSX and SA1.

The mini SNES reader is absent the freq module, however is SUPPOSED to work via the dongles I tossed together.

I cant wait to test.

[DevenNES]

https://github.com/moldov/SF-Memory-Binary-Maker


Was able to easily read and write with the larger Sanni, testing smaller in morning. I dig the menu music.



*edit
Lorom works great on large Sannis with SFBinary
Moldov, the SFBinary maker has issues with Hirom it appears?

*more edit
Yeah If I make my own Hirom binary works a treat.... Without menu.. I gotta play more.


*last edit.

For the most part SFBinary works great. Some games.. oddly enough the first highrom games I picked , ie Captain Commando, Contra 3 and Super Nova dont load proper so wont boot proper. Only certain roms though... Super Bonk works a treat. I think its a header issue, and I got really unlucky my Hirom choices

If you fill the SF Cart with the full 4mb these "troublesome/headerless?" hirom games will work absent menu. So just one game.

Now that I have bearings centered will test on the Mini SNES sanni

[DevenNES]

None of the Metroid Rom hacks appear to work with SF cart. FYI

Ran burn in. SFC is perfect.