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[hairypeckpeck]

my EZ flash IV finally shipped from real hot stuff.

anyone have experience with the thing?

i know there's some work involved in setting it up but i'm reading over some guides and it doesn't seem too bad...

 

[soxinthebox]

my EZ flash IV finally shipped from real hot stuff.

anyone have experience with the thing?

i know there's some work involved in setting it up but i'm reading over some guides and it doesn't seem too bad...

Yeah mine did yesterday too, the estimated 3 weeks seems excessive from HK to Australia but I'm still amped

 

[A Black Falcon]

I've never heard of these games but I want them so bad now!

If you want the most girl/girl stuff, make sure to end up with Sugar as the summon partner in the first game. Pratty (that's the female MC's official name)/Sugar's interactions are often pretty funny. (Basically, Sugar hits on the MC equally, regardless of your gender.) Otherwise choose any of them; it's a great game with any summon.

On that note, yes, I forgot to mention your summon ally. The "Summon Night" name is meaningful, you have a summon ally who you talk to and such. They can help you in battle a bit too. "Swordcraft Story" refers to that you make weapons this series. The main characters in all three games are both warrior and blacksmith.

As far as the characters go, the male and female MCs in the first game are in front (center and left of course), surrounded by the various summon options. You'll only have one protagonist and one summon partner in each game, of course; you choose your summon through some questions at the beginning.

The box for the second game has the female MC in the center. The male MC is the one in the lower left. The rest are summons and a character from the story. And yeah, now that I think about it, SNSS2 did have a good story too; it's not quite as great as the first game overall, but it does have a decent plot. It definitely has better graphics too; I like the first games' floating city setting more, but they did upgrade the visuals. The third game looks similar to the second.


The main Summon Night series was a Japan-only strategy ('SRPG') game series, but none of those were released in English, only those two and a DS action-RPG. In Japan only there are also a couple of traditional RPG Summon Night games on the DS, as well as remakes of the two PS1 Summon Night strategy games. Unfortunately the DS game we did get, Summon Night: Twin Age, isn't nearly as good as the GBA games. It's alright, a decent top-view hack and slash game, but it isn't nearly as great as the Swordcraft Story series unfortunately. It's not quite as funny or well-written, either. Feels more generic. I still liked it, but not as much. Oh, one Flight-Plan SRPG did get an English-language release, Eternal Poison (PS2); it's not a part of this series, though, that's a separate game. I haven't played it.

 

[Mzo]

If you want the most girl/girl stuff, make sure to end up with Sugar as the summon partner in the first game.

It's like you can see inside my soul.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

my EZ flash IV finally shipped from real hot stuff.

anyone have experience with the thing?

i know there's some work involved in setting it up but i'm reading over some guides and it doesn't seem too bad...

I've had mine for a little over a month now. First step was replacing the terrible Darth Vador skin the software uses, the transferring games one by one using the terrible PC software making sure the names were in right. After that, everything is set up basically for good unless a new fan translation comes up.

For the most part its pretty good. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Everdrives, but there are a few quirks that kind of annoy me. The cart is really slow to do anything off the sd card, loading games to NOR takes an eternity (running from RAM is much quicker but not an option for Mother 3), and the save backup system is kind of annoying leading to some unfortunate save mishaps.

 

[Het_Nkik]

my EZ flash IV finally shipped from real hot stuff.

anyone have experience with the thing?

i know there's some work involved in setting it up but i'm reading over some guides and it doesn't seem too bad...

I've had one for a couple years now I think. Got it for the Mother 3 fan translation (after trying to play the game on emulators and getting annoyed that the battle rhythm timing wasn't working right). The good news is the game runs flawlessly on the EZFIV.

Only other game I've played on it is the English translation of Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru. Which is a Game Boy game, so the good news is is that it also runs GB and GBC games.

Haven't touched it over a year, though, as those are the only two GB/C/A imports I have that I've needed to play translated. Probably won't use it again until I get around to buying the Glory of Heracles game on GB.

Also, the Star Wars GUI is lol.

 

[soxinthebox]

I've had mine for a little over a month now. First step was replacing the terrible Darth Vador skin the software uses, the transferring games one by one using the terrible PC software making sure the names were in right. After that, everything is set up basically for good unless a new fan translation comes up.

For the most part its pretty good. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Everdrives, but there are a few quirks that kind of annoy me. The cart is really slow to do anything off the sd card, loading games to NOR takes an eternity (running from RAM is much quicker but not an option for Mother 3), and the save backup system is kind of annoying leading to some unfortunate save mishaps.

I thought you could just drag and drop your games to the sd card?

Do you guys think the ez flash board would be able to fit into a standard GBA game cartridge?

 

[Rich!]

I thought you could just drag and drop your games to the sd card?

Do you guys think the ez flash board would be able to fit into a standard GBA game cartridge?

The EZFLash IV cannot create it's own saves. The clunky software literally just drag and drops the roms but creates a save file for each too for it to save to.

If you drag and drop yourself, even with a required save, it won't work.

And yes, it will fit, as far as I remember.

 

[plc268]

I thought you could just drag and drop your games to the sd card?

Do you guys think the ez flash board would be able to fit into a standard GBA game cartridge?

No. The screw hole is in a different spot, it wouldn't work in a normal cartridge without major modifications.

 

[soxinthebox]

The EZFLash IV cannot create it's own saves. The clunky software literally just drag and drops the roms but creates a save file for each too for it to save to.

If you drag and drop yourself, even with a required save, it won't work.

That sucks, I thought because it had the SD card I would be fine with my MacBook. Bummer.

 

[finalflame]

This baby just came in the mail. Trying to expand my HM collection into the JP titles as well.

EMS was particularly expedient, too. Bought it on Monday! That's faster than I've gotten some things from 1 state away...thanks USPS.

 

[Rich!]

I just bought this. What do you guys think?

 

[Teknoman]

Speaking of Japanese games, what are some must haves? I own a complete boxed edition of Rhythm heaven, and am looking to pick up Mother 3 at some point. I'm going to Japan this summer, what else should I be on the lookout for?

Someone said Samurai Kid was pretty cool, cant find a copy though.

 

[n64coder]

I just bought this. What do you guys think?

Looks great!

 

[Rich!]

Looks great!

hell yeah

It's got a brand new outer shell fitted, looks brilliant. I just need a suitable case for it now...I'll be scared of getting that screen scratched. A DS Lite case should work fine - IIRC, it's the same size as a GBC.

 

[Rich!]

awww yeah

 

[Gunsmithx]

Ok, sorry this took a while, busy week.

Conlcuding Castlevaina bootleg gate!

 

[Rich!]

more everdrive progress!

 

[Peagles]

more everdrive progress!

Are you building your own, or? I'm intrigued.

 

[Rich!]

Are you building your own, or? I'm intrigued.

haha, I wish I was that smrt - I mean smart

https://twitter.com/krikzz/

Nah it's the work of coding god Krikzz, author of the everdrive line of flashcarts. I'm just excited.

also, I got these two today/yesterday:

heavily reccomend Looney Tunes. It's great.

 

[Jamix012]

Does anyone know which is better for playing GB games, the Gameboy Player or the Super Gameboy? Anyone have any comparison shots?

 

[Peagles]

haha, I wish I was that smrt - I mean smart

https://twitter.com/krikzz/

Nah it's the work of coding god Krikzz, author of the everdrive line of flashcarts. I'm just excited.

Interesting! I wonder what advantages it'll have, if any, over the ones already out there.

 

[Rich!]

Does anyone know which is better for playing GB games, the Gameboy Player or the Super Gameboy? Anyone have any comparison shots?

For GB games?

The Super Game Boy 2 (correct speed, and of course proper SGB colour/border support which the Game Boy Player does not have)

For GBA and GBC games, it's the Game Boy Player. Obviously.

Interesting! I wonder what advantages it'll have, if any, over the ones already out there.

Surprised you're asking. Drag and drop SD support up to 32GB (the entire GB/GBC catalogue is only about 2gb lol), near perfect compatibility and eventual cheat code support.

And unlike the other crappy GB flashcarts out there, this is an everdrive. That means it's fucking quality. Well made, built to last with continual support.

 

[tokaio]

Ok, sorry this took a while, busy week.

Conlcuding Castlevaina bootleg gate!

That's a pretty well-made fake cart. I'm actually suprised by the quality of the pcb. Also the sticker looks decent (not counting the rating ).

 

[baphomet]

Oh shit son, gameboy everdrive would be excellent. My current flat cart is such a hassle to use. And only 1 game can be saved at a time.

 

[Peagles]

Surprised you're asking. Drag and drop SD support up to 32GB (the entire GB/GBC catalogue is only about 2gb lol), near perfect compatibility and eventual cheat code support.

And unlike the other crappy GB flashcarts out there, this is an everdrive. That means it's fucking quality. Well made, built to last with continual support.

Don't be surprised, I'm more of a collector than a flash cart gal to be honest.

One day I might be able to afford something from krikzz, lol. My knock off Mega Drive cart is awesome though.

 

[ZealousD]

Does anyone know which is better for playing GB games, the Gameboy Player or the Super Gameboy? Anyone have any comparison shots?

Super Gameboy is better for the cartridges it's compatible for. Some games had enhancements for the SGB that the GBP wouldn't be able to unlock.

The speed issue is very minor, as games basically run 2.4% faster on a SGB. Not particularly noticeable unless you're doing something like speedrunning.

 

[Rich!]

Super Gameboy is better for the cartridges it's compatible for. Some games had enhancements for the SGB that the GBP wouldn't be able to unlock.

The speed issue is very minor, as games basically run 2.4% faster on a SGB. Not particularly noticeable unless you're doing something like speedrunning.

And the speed issue is fixed on the Super Game Boy 2.

 

[ZealousD]

And the speed issue is fixed on the Super Game Boy 2.

Yeah but you'd have to mod your console to accept imports, right? If you haven't already. Seems like a lot of effort to go through unless you're a purist.

 

[Rich!]

Yeah but you'd have to mod your console to accept imports, right? If you haven't already. Seems like a lot of effort to go through unless you're a purist.

no, not quite.

Just get a passthrough device such as an action replay, or simply open up your american SNES and take out the tabs. Literally a two minute job.

Obviously if you have a PAL console, you'd need to mod it a bit.

 

[Jamix012]

Huh, I didn't know there was a speed issue. I'm not really into modding consoles if it can be avoided, but is there any way to mode the SGP2 itself to fit in a US SNES?

 

[ZealousD]

no, not quite.

Just get a passthrough device such as an action replay, or simply open up your american SNES and take out the tabs. Literally a two minute job.

Obviously if you have a PAL console, you'd need to mod it a bit.

Ha, putting a Super Gameboy on top of an Action Replay is almost Sega Genesis levels of stacking.

 

[Rich!]

Ha, putting a Super Gameboy on top of an Action Replay is almost Sega Genesis levels of stacking.

I didn't even think of the height of it lol

but either way, it'd work.

Huh, I didn't know there was a speed issue. I'm not really into modding consoles if it can be avoided, but is there any way to mode the SGP2 itself to fit in a US SNES?

USA consoles can play SFC carts with no issues at all. Just need to remove the tabs or use a passthrough, like I said before. The SGB1 can actually be modded to gain the correct speed, but you're better off just buying a SGB2.

 

[Jamix012]

Ok, so would a game genie work as a passthrough?

I'm only really asking these questions because of these pictures:

3 of those are from a Gameboy Player and the RGB one is on a modded GBA. Apparantly though the Gameboy player looks better in motion because the GBA outputs in 480i. Either way it's clear that the Gameboy Player could do a better job in picture quality. Obviously the Super Gameboy can only play gameboy games, but I'd be intruiged to see if it outputs a better picture for those games.

 

[Rich!]

GG would work fine.

And the Super Game Boy looks fucking fantastic through RGB scart.

 

[baphomet]

I really wish I could find one of those TV out devices for the GBA to mod for rgb.

Edit: found and ordered!

 

[Rich!]

I'm thinking of doing this mod in a few days (frontlit GBC)

http://kyorune.com/modding/article.php?id=94

What's the best way of keeping dust out from the screen?

 

[plc268]

A few weeks ago, I took some comparison pictures of a SGB2 running Dragon Warrior with RGB out versus a Gamecube running it on the GBPlayer with 480p component. In terms of image quality, the SGB2 spanks the GBPlayer, but in fairness, I didn't change the XRGB Mini settings for optimal 480p upscaling.

On the SGB2:

On the GBPlayer:

Also, the SGB2 has a pretty rad border with the circuit board of a Gameboy Pocket:

I'm thinking of doing this mod in a few days (frontlit GBC)

http://kyorune.com/modding/article.php?id=94

What's the best way of keeping dust out from the screen?

It's a terrible mod, IMO. I've done it (twice, actually), and the results just don't look good. You'll get washed out colors, and internal reflections (that's the vertical line you see in the screen pictures).

If you insist on doing the mod, instead of tearing apart a gba sp, use the frontlight kit from here:
http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/frontlight-kits

 

[Rich!]

Ah yeah that does seem better. Thanks.

But still, what's the best way of keeping dust out?

Edit: fucking hell, shipping costs £7 and it still takes up to five weeks to arrive in the UK?! My XRGB from Japan cost £10 for shipping and that only took three days!

Ah well. I'll do without, I guess.

 

[-KRS-]

Oh shit son, gameboy everdrive would be excellent. My current flat cart is such a hassle to use. And only 1 game can be saved at a time.

Is it the EMS USB 64M SmartCard? If so, you can download a modified flasher by MottZilla that allows you to have multiple saves here: http://thegaminguniverse.org/ninjagaiden4/mottzilla/smartcard.html

But yeah the Everdrive will be a much better piece of hardware. Just the fact that it uses microSD cards means it'll be infinitely better than the SmartCard. It's kind of strange actually that there hasn't been a flashcart for the Game Boy using microSD until now.


Also, richisawesome, weren't you going to post that N64 homebrew for backing up GB saves?
No rush though, because I'm currently not around my N64 so I won't be able to try it out until in a few days anyway.

Also when I changed the plastic screen protector on my Pockets and Colors, I used one of those hand blowers that you traditionally use for cameras. It's great for blowing away any dust specs from areas you don't want to touch with your hands.
https://www.visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=503

 

[Zalman]

Wow, I had no idea that Aladdin was ported to the Game Boy Advance. How does this version hold up compared to the original? I assume it's inferior, but is it one of those unplayable ports or is it actually decent?

 

[Rich!]

Is it the EMS USB 64M SmartCard? If so, you can download a modified flasher by MottZilla that allows you to have multiple saves here: http://thegaminguniverse.org/ninjagaiden4/mottzilla/smartcard.html

But yeah the Everdrive will be a much better piece of hardware. Just the fact that it uses microSD cards means it'll be infinitely better than the SmartCard. It's kind of strange actually that there hasn't been a flashcart for the Game Boy using microSD until now.


Also, richisawesome, weren't you going to post that N64 homebrew for backing up GB saves?
No rush though, because I'm currently not around my N64 so I won't be able to try it out until in a few days anyway.

Also when I changed the plastic screen protector on my Pockets and Colors, I used one of those hand blowers that you traditionally use for cameras. It's great for blowing away any dust specs from areas you don't want to touch with your hands.
https://www.visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=503

Well, I actually can't find the software anymore - the only version I can find is the original which only works on a 64Drive, not the modified one I had (if it was even the same app) which worked with the Everdrive 64.

Kicking myself now that I know an Everdrive GB is coming out. godfuckingdamnit. I only backed up a few games, not all of them.

Also, Micro SD for the everdrive GB is going to be brilliant. Means I can put it into this clear GBC cart I have ready with no modifying or cutting of the sort. It'll look fucking amazing, and won't even need a label due to the transparent-ness. yeahhhh

 

[-KRS-]

Ah I see. Bummer. I'll ask around for it in the #n64dev irc channel next week.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

Super Gameboy is better for the cartridges it's compatible for. Some games had enhancements for the SGB that the GBP wouldn't be able to unlock.

The speed issue is very minor, as games basically run 2.4% faster on a SGB. Not particularly noticeable unless you're doing something like speedrunning.

The speed issue is immediately noticeable since it increses the pitch of all the music as well. If you're used to the way your favorite game sounds, it will just sound weird on the original (or unmodded) Super Game Boy.

He doesn't really call it out in this video, but try this comparison of the opening of Link's Awakening, paying attention to the audio from the game:

Super Game Boy (unmodded):
http://youtu.be/IJMcq_R24hM?t=5m55s

Super Game Boy 2 (equivalent to original with speed fix):
http://youtu.be/IJMcq_R24hM?t=9m22s

 

[-KRS-]

I don't think the speed issue is that much of an issue really. I don't think it affects the music enough to be an annoyance. Sure if you make a side-by-side comparison, of course you're gonna hear the difference. The only thing that's definitely noticeable to me without doing comparisons is when you have pitch-bend effects in your music. That effect sounds pretty wildly different on the Super Game Boy compared to my Pockets, although mostly only when it's a very dramatic pitch-bend.

 

[ZealousD]

Yeah I had trouble telling a difference even with the side-to-side difference.

 

[Rich!]

Yeah I had trouble telling a difference even with the side-to-side difference.

I wasn't even able to hear the difference due to the guy talking his ass off. I already know the difference, but still.

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

Wow, I had no idea that Aladdin was ported to the Game Boy Advance. How does this version hold up compared to the original? I assume it's inferior, but is it one of those unplayable ports or is it actually decent?

Loved the original. Wrote this review years ago. Might be helpful.

http://nerdmentality.com/article/4986/disneys-aladdin/

 

[Zalman]

Loved the original. Wrote this review years ago. Might be helpful.

http://nerdmentality.com/article/4986/disneys-aladdin/

Very helpful, thanks. I only really played the PC version (which was based on the Genesis one), so I guess this release is perfect for me. Especially because I don't have an SNES right now.

 

[Artorias]

Very helpful, thanks. I only really played the PC version (which was based on the Genesis one), so I guess this release is perfect for me. Especially because I don't have an SNES right now.

Man, I just found the GBC version of Aladdin at a pawn shop, and its apparently based on the Genesis version? Now I have to get a GBA copy as well I guess, I had no idea that existed!