GBC GameShark 'Upgrade' feature! (Possible repair method)

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

So I was poking around on the internet a couple of days ago, once again attempting to find a solution to my GameShark's problem, and I ran across this:

http://web.archive.org/web/200810011.../upgradgs.html

This of course makes me wonder — would anyone here (who also lives in the U.S.A.) who has the latest-version GBC GameShark be willing to let me send my GameShark to them to get it 'upgraded' (if it's possible)? I'd be willing to pay for the return shipping as well. And if you have two Game Boy Colors, you can take whatever codes from my GameShark you want.

…It's also pretty much the last hope I have of being able to properly repair MY GameShark.

[rimsky82]

I'd be happy to do it for you, though I'm not sure which versions I have. I have a black GS Pro with a 3.0 sticker on the back, and a clear one that I have no idea what version it is. I'm guessing a 3.1 or higher (It has 230 Games on it). The clear one has a similar menu as the one in the link, but with a black background.

I wish I knew a way to identify the version. As you probably know, there isn't a whole lot of info on the gbc gs's.

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

Well, as far as I can tell from that article, only the 3.1 version and up have the Snapshot feature. Additionally, it was possible (via the PC software and the PC-to-GBC link cable thing) to change the backgrounds on the GameShark (though according to various reviews on Amazon, there was a high probability of the GameShark getting 'bricked'), but I've noticed that when running the GameShark with an original-Game Boy game rather than a GBC game, the background of the menus IS all-black. Apparently the special background only shows when running it with a GBC game on a GBC/GBA.

Anyway — I just downloaded a GameShark ROM and opened it up in a hex editor; near the top of the ROM, along with the Upload Snapshot and Download Snapshot strings is 'Action Replay V4.01'. Its game list is also uncompressed, so I counted all the games it has: 234.

…To attempt to get to the point: it sounds like your GameShark — assuming it has the Snapshot feature — is new enough to me; I'd be glad to send mine to you! Though I probably won't get to it for about a week or two. If you PM me your address, though, I'll let you know when I send it off.

[rimsky82]

Well, as far as I can tell from that article, only the 3.1 version and up have the Snapshot feature. Additionally, it was possible (via the PC software and the PC-to-GBC link cable thing) to change the backgrounds on the GameShark (though according to various reviews on Amazon, there was a high probability of the GameShark getting 'bricked'), but I've noticed that when running the GameShark with an original-Game Boy game rather than a GBC game, the background of the menus IS all-black. Apparently the special background only shows when running it with a GBC game on a GBC/GBA.

Anyway — I just downloaded a GameShark ROM and opened it up in a hex editor; near the top of the ROM, along with the Upload Snapshot and Download Snapshot strings is 'Action Replay V4.01'. Its game list is also uncompressed, so I counted all the games it has: 234.

…To attempt to get to the point: it sounds like your GameShark — assuming it has the Snapshot feature — is new enough to me; I'd be glad to send mine to you! Though I probably won't get to it for about a week or two. If you PM me your address, though, I'll let you know when I send it off.

I was testing it with a gameboy game, I'll try it with a gbc game tonight. I'll look for the snapshot feature as well. In the meantime, I'll send you a pm.

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

Okay, cool.

All you have to do to find the Snapshot feature is press the button during normal play after starting the game; the Snapshot thing should be an option on the first menu that comes up. That's where I remember it being, anyway — I know for certain that it's accessible only after pressing the button while playing a game, though. :P

[rimsky82]

Tested with Zelda OOA tonight to find that my clear GS does have the snapshot feature. So, I believe it is the version you want, or at least close to it.

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

Yes! All right — I'll let you know when I get my GS sent out.

Out of curiosity, is the plastic on the connector clear as well, or is it black? Just curious — mine's clear with a clear connector.

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

(TWENTY-TWO DAYS LATER)
Okay, so — um. It turns out I won't actually have to send my GameShark to you after all — apologies if you were looking forward to that. ^^'

However, I decided to buy a spare GameShark with which I could then back up my codes to before I sent my old GS off to you. The new one arrived yesterday, and — amazingly enough — it was the exact same version (software-wise) as my old GameShark; so now, after having copied the codes from my old GS to my new GS, I have TWO perfectly-functional GameSharks at my disposal!

My new one is a Pokémon Crystal Edition one, and from what I'd heard from someone else who'd had one, I was thinking it'd be an older software version than the GameShark I already had — but I figured that after I got my other one reflashed, I could just copy my backed-up codes back onto my old GS and reflash the P.C.E. GS with a newer copy of the software.

What's odd is, when I was testing it out — after I managed to get the games to connect better onto the thing, anyway — it refused to save Snapshots for Super Mario Bros. Deluxe or Magical Drop. When playing Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, it wouldn't even let me flip the switch (with or without codes active) without freezing the game and blacking out the screen, which I thought was a bit odd (perhaps anti-cheating measures instituted by Nintendo?), but I figured that it would be a minor sacrifice.

After copying all of my old codes onto the P.C.E. GS and then reflashing my old GS with the P.C.E. one, though, suddenly those odd glitches ceased to occur. ò.O I am baffled and mystified — but also grateful — that they no longer happen.

Anyway, I just thought I'd post a small update here about this. Apologies for the rambling — I've not had much sleep. I stayed up all night backing up over 450 GS codes (366-ish of them being for Pokémon Gold/Silver). XD

WOO!

[dlevere]

I decided to buy a spare GameShark

Where are you buying these GameSharks from? Please provide a link.

[Kizul Emeraldfire]

I just bought it on ebaY. Sadly, getting a specific version (of the software) — at the very least, the newest one — is a chore, and a very hit-or-miss affair, mostly because the version number isn't listed anywhere except inside the ROM itself, and in order to see the precise version number, you'd need a cartridge dumper or something.

Somewhat disappointingly, the Pokémon Crystal Edition GameShark seems identical in every way to a regular GBC GameShark. The only difference is it sells for even more on ebaY than the regular GBC GameShark (even the GameSharks made for the original Game Boy), and its cartridge plastic is the same sparkly-and-transparent blue stuff that Pokémon Crystal's cartridge is made out of.

At least, those are the only differences I could find. I presume that it also came pre-loaded by default with only codes for all of the Pokémon games (Red/Blue, Yellow, Gold/Silver, Crystal, Pinball, Trading Card Game, and Puzzle Challenge), since those were the only games listed on the one I bought. I dunno.

Again I ramble. I'll cut my post off here.

[rimsky82]

(TWENTY-TWO DAYS LATER)

It's no problem, it's just been in the back of my mind. I'm glad you got it all figured out.