There's the bootgod site for NES/FC PCB scans already, although since you mention NES Guide I guess you're thinking of something else?
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GB/GBC/GBA Collecting Thread
- Thread starter tiggerkiddo
- Start date
There's the bootgod site for NES/FC PCB scans already, although since you mention NES Guide I guess you're thinking of something else?
RadarScope1
Member
First of all, thanks for that tip.
Would love to have a really comprehensive NES site that has a lot of the facts you see on Nintendo Age (plus more), the general format of NES Guide (only better) with HD 60fps vids of every game, embedded pricing info, manual scans, modern impressions/reviews ... just everything in one place.
I recently picked up Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, but it's having some trouble saving. It freezes for 1-2 seconds every time I activate a save statue.
Did I get a bootleg cart? I can't find any pictures online of the Aria of Sorrow PCB, so if someone could confirm, that'd help me out a lot!
Putting it next to other carts, that ESRB logo is a dead giveaway. Yeah it's fake
Bummer that I didn't spot it earlier, but at least it's within the eBay refund period! Thanks for your help, y'all
Ah yes. I think the simplest would be if Nintendo Age expanded their database a bit to include all that. It's weird for sure that they don't have PCB scans at least, since that seems like a given. Maybe they didn't want to compete/partner with bootgod or something.
Haha, and it seems like the save chip is also offset to the left. Sorry you got a bootleg alecfa. Hope the return process is smooth. :/
Ben Morales
Member
Here is my legit copy for reference:
Would love to help donate pcb pics of GBA games to a website or something. It would be a really helpful resource!
Would love to help donate pcb pics of GBA games to a website or something. It would be a really helpful resource!
CrashPrime
Member
So I was looking for a way to play a few titles out of my reach like ninja five o (price) and earthbound 3 (its official existence). I was almost sold on the GBA X5 Everdrive but actually the old EZ Flash IV is in a state where not many people are talking about the fact that:
1) It doesn't need patched roms anymore. As of earlier this year it just takes roms as is.
2) It has 32mb NOR so you can have games instantly load. Mother 3 is loaded in my NOR and it takes mere seconds to boot.
3) It doesn't take that long at all to load up roms. Ninja Five-O takes maybe 10 seconds to boot up.
4) They take Micro SDHC now. As of 2015 they got rid of the whole Mini SD format support.
5) They are CHEAP. $30 or so. 1/3rd the price of an everdrive.
6) Fits flush in the GBA slot so no bulky pokey-outy look.
7) Global sleep/soft reset support was recently added as well as the ability to fill a folder with 334 roms.
What you need to be ready for:
32mb games only work when loaded to NOR. It takes like 20min to load a game but when it is loaded its done and then boots instantly. Kingdom Hearts and Mother 3 are really the only games in my opinion worth playing that are 32mb in size so that really doesn't bug me.
Games do take a little time to load when selecting. Upon first boot they take a little longer and then after that first time the loads are almost cut in half.
No RTC which means basically the Pokemon games clock doesn't work right. They can still be played but with a patch. I don't care to revisit the GBA Pokemon games so that didn't really affect me and I don't have advice. As I understand it, only Pokemon had an RTC so it isn't a hugely missed feature.
1) It doesn't need patched roms anymore. As of earlier this year it just takes roms as is.
2) It has 32mb NOR so you can have games instantly load. Mother 3 is loaded in my NOR and it takes mere seconds to boot.
3) It doesn't take that long at all to load up roms. Ninja Five-O takes maybe 10 seconds to boot up.
4) They take Micro SDHC now. As of 2015 they got rid of the whole Mini SD format support.
5) They are CHEAP. $30 or so. 1/3rd the price of an everdrive.
6) Fits flush in the GBA slot so no bulky pokey-outy look.
7) Global sleep/soft reset support was recently added as well as the ability to fill a folder with 334 roms.
What you need to be ready for:
32mb games only work when loaded to NOR. It takes like 20min to load a game but when it is loaded its done and then boots instantly. Kingdom Hearts and Mother 3 are really the only games in my opinion worth playing that are 32mb in size so that really doesn't bug me.
Games do take a little time to load when selecting. Upon first boot they take a little longer and then after that first time the loads are almost cut in half.
No RTC which means basically the Pokemon games clock doesn't work right. They can still be played but with a patch. I don't care to revisit the GBA Pokemon games so that didn't really affect me and I don't have advice. As I understand it, only Pokemon had an RTC so it isn't a hugely missed feature.
NormalFish
Banned
Literally my only complaints with the EZFIV are build quality and lack of RTC.
I'm perfectly happy using emulation for the handful of games I give a shit about RTC for (pokemans for instance, which I'd emulate to some extent anyway to make RNG abuse less frustrating) and the build quality isn't much of an issue when inside my gameboy, so they're both fairly minor issues.
Micro + EZFIV will keep me entertained for quite a while. Just hope someone finds a more modern battery that's compatible since finding good batteries is becoming increasingly problematic.
I'm perfectly happy using emulation for the handful of games I give a shit about RTC for (pokemans for instance, which I'd emulate to some extent anyway to make RNG abuse less frustrating) and the build quality isn't much of an issue when inside my gameboy, so they're both fairly minor issues.
Micro + EZFIV will keep me entertained for quite a while. Just hope someone finds a more modern battery that's compatible since finding good batteries is becoming increasingly problematic.
Looking through my collection, I came across a copy of Ducktales that I had absolutely ZERO CLUE where it came from. Im guessing someone gave it to me because it didnt work. I opened it up, and it was DISGUSTING inside.
Ive seriously never seen a PCB that messy before, something had obviously spilled on the cart years and years ago, seeping through at the contacts and the screw hole of the cart. It looked pitch black, as if the board has been dipped in oil. However, alcohol wipes did their magic, rubbing off whatever was stuck on there (it rubbed off dark brown, so coke maybe?), leaving the PCB shiny and clean.
And it works! Game rescued.
Ive seriously never seen a PCB that messy before, something had obviously spilled on the cart years and years ago, seeping through at the contacts and the screw hole of the cart. It looked pitch black, as if the board has been dipped in oil. However, alcohol wipes did their magic, rubbing off whatever was stuck on there (it rubbed off dark brown, so coke maybe?), leaving the PCB shiny and clean.
And it works! Game rescued.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
I'd put money on cola.
D.Lo
Member
Best version too, tighter than the NES game. And the crap remake is crap so better than that too.
Ben Morales
Member
It would be perfect if Capcom had a better grasp of the sound chip back then (check out the GB Bionic Commando from the early 90s for some seriously impressive remixes and original tracks). But yeah, it's an awesome version for sure.
that's awesome! what are you playing on, btw? I could do with a backlit gameboy playing thing.
A couple weeks ago I modded my original GBA with a backlit screen. Bought everything I needed off of AliExpress. I absolutely love it.
I recently picked up Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, but it's having some trouble saving. It freezes for 1-2 seconds every time I activate a save statue.
Did I get a bootleg cart? I can't find any pictures online of the Aria of Sorrow PCB, so if someone could confirm, that'd help me out a lot!
This looks like a fake based on the label, I made a small guide a while back that goes over a few points (some of which the counterfeiters seems to have picked up on): http://imgur.com/a/DTdzc
You'll notice on Ben Morales' copy the code for the game (on the front before USA) is also on the chip, this is a level of detail that seems too inconvenient for the counterfeiters I'd imagine:
PumpkinSpice
Banned
The glob top was already a dead giveaway. If you see that in any GBA game it's fake.
Indeed. I'm surprised they're bothering to counterfeit these games - how much money could possibly be in it for them?
PumpkinSpice
Banned
You'd be surprised.
It's pretty easy to make fake GBA games since they use common nand chips and the board is very simple & small. If you are in China getting up to scale on that kind of thing would be pretty simple and I'd bet the mold for the bootleg cart shells have existed for a long time. So even if you're selling for cheap (say $5-10 each like a lot of Pokemon fakes) or for a bit more with a good fake you could make quite a bit of money fairly easily.
socksfelloff
Member
I have a bootleg of "cars the movie" for gba. IGN gave it 3/10
Not only is it a terrible game but it's the worst bootleg I've ever seen!
Well, in that sense it is fitting, no?
Also why do you have it if it is such a terrible game?
socksfelloff
Member
Got it with a bundle off Kijiji.
Pics or it didnt happen.
So, I was able to use some contact cleaner (Similar to DeOxit) on the power switch of my GBA, and it's cleared up all the crackling and hum issues I was having with the headphones on the system! I took the system apart, put a few drops of the cleaner into the power switch, then turned the switch on/off about 100 times. Then a bit of alcohol and compressed air to clean the switch, put the system back together, and viola!
Now to finish Castlevania Circle of the Moon!
Now to finish Castlevania Circle of the Moon!
DJtheVideoGamer
Neo Member
Can anyone link me to a new battery for the SP 101? Thanks.
DunDunDunpachi
Banned
The best/cheapest way is to buy an original GBA, a donor SP-101, and to mod the original GBA. They sell kits with shells, ribbon cables, new screen glass, etc.
Maguro
Member
I was playing Metroid fusion first time and already half way through... Changed the game from my ds to my advance sp to fight a boss (cause my r button is kinda broken), suddenly my save file is gone. What the hell happened? Is the battery to weak?
BTW this is my cart.. It's not a counterfeit isn't it? I bought it complete in box in my country.
https://ibb.co/hKn85hN
https://ibb.co/vj5XF98
BTW this is my cart.. It's not a counterfeit isn't it? I bought it complete in box in my country.
https://ibb.co/hKn85hN
https://ibb.co/vj5XF98
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
or get a fake one on ebay i found a pre modded ld gba for 40 euro's its a legit purple gba shell and hardware the screen is just a fake 101 but it looks great !
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
Only way to know if its real is to open it
