PSX GameShark Pro...Info and Tools

[lee4]

Try
PCSX Reloaded its has built-in cheat search.
and No$psx has built-in debugger.

[OrigamiBushi]

If you want a mod chip and don't know how to get one hooked on your psx. How do go about getting one?

[Helder]

You can them online and from chinese site, then get a person with good soldering skills to hook it up. It's only 7-8 wires which isn't hard at all as I should know I installed many of these as well as newer chips and systems.

[OrigamiBushi]

How to update firmware and/or use downloaded saves and emulator saves on the V-Mem. Can also revive a corrupt GameShark Pro firmware.

First off:
Any fat PSX (with the GameShark port in the back) can do this, mod-chip or not.
Any model PSX can boot backups, mod-chip or not!

Q: Why use the GSP to boot backups instead of disc swapping?
A: Normally, you are swapping while the disc is spinning. Using the GameShark will save your PSX from wear and tear, since it stops the disc from spinning allowing you to swap.

What you will need:
1. If no mod-chip, knowledge on how to disc swap to boot backups. (GoogleTube is your friend...)

2. A blank CD-R.

3. A standard Male 25-Pin D-Type to Female 25-Pin D-Type parallel (printer) cable hooked to your PC and GameShark Pro (or AR3)!



Firmware Choices:
1. If you boot backups with your GameShark Pro and want to use the V-Mem feature, use version 3.0 firmware.
See this post for more info on 3.0 and backups.

2. If you have a mod chip, or don't run backups, use the version 3.2 firmware (ar3stop replaces v-mem).

3. Don't care about using v-mem?
Want to boot backups on version 3.2?
Use this firmware instead, but never click on v-mem or you will have to reflash to boot backups again.

[Anyone have the version 3.1 for me to test out?]

How to use downloaded saves, without a DexDrive, or a PS2 capable of running uLaunchELF.

Step 1: Extract your firmware for editing using these tools, make a backup too. Or, just choose one of the above firmware files.
Note: You must boot the CD with the GameShark plugged in, but disabled!

Step 2: Use the program 'MemcardRex' to export your emulator/downloaded saves to the .bin pSX emulator format. Name the file MC.bin.

Using this method you can convert these formats to the v-mem:
RAW single Save (PS1 memory card in a PS2 with uLaunchElf installed) or
(.mcs) (.psx) (.ps1) (.mcb) (.mcx, .pda) (.psv) (.mcr) (.gme) (.bin) (.mcd) (.mem, .vgs) (.mc) (.ddf) (.ps) (.psm) (.mci) (.vmp).

Step 3: Split your firmware file at 128 KB using the program HJsplit.exe.

Step 4: Firmware Info:

512 KB raw firmware file divided by 4 parts equals:
128 KB SECTION 1 = GS Firmware Part 1 of 3
128 KB SECTION 2 = GS Firmware Part 2 of 3
128 KB SECTION 3 = GS Firmware Part 3 of 3
128 KB SECTION 4 = Virtual Memory Card (pSX Emulator Format).

Why pSX format?
Because "The goal for pSX is to make an accurate emulator that reproduces the gaming experience from the real PlayStation.".

To merge your firmware files for flashing make a new text document and rename the extension from .txt to .bat and put this code into the text file:

[COLOR="Red"]@ECHO OFF
COPY /B *.001+*.002+*.003+MC.BIN EXPORT.RAW
DEL *.001 *.002 *.003 *.004
PAUSE[/COLOR]

Now run the .bat/.cmd file and you will have an updated firmware file named EXPORT.RAW ready for flashing.

How To Flash Firmware onto an AR3/GSP.

Step 5: Flash your firmware using the command line tool 'AR3FLASH.EXE' and the PSX CD 'ar3flash.bin'.
Note: You must boot the CD with the GameShark plugged in, but disabled!



That's all, your GameShark should be the way it was when you extracted your firmware, besides your custom memory card inserted into it.


Notes on step 1 & 5:
You have to boot the PSX CD with the GameShark plugged in the back, but disabled!
There are a few ways to go about doing this.

1. Slowly press down the power button of the psx, this sometimes makes the bios boot up instead of the gameshark trainer.



instead of GSP trainer...



Mod chip users: That's all...(lucky you).
No mod chip: disc swap to boot the ar3flash.bin CD

2. Mod chip users: Hold the button in on the side of the GameShark while turning on the system with the burnt cd in.



3. No mod chip [easiest way for me]: Insert retail psx cd and turn on the system, go to v-mem and then press select to enter the bios.



Disc swap like normal to boot the disc (any time you enter the bios from the v-mem menu, the GameShark is disabled to prevent bios dumping I would presume).

Downloads

All files mentioned above [1.02 MB] - [URL="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5WH198GB"]http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5WH198GB[/URL]

GameShark Reflash Tool (Complete).zip
--ar3flash.bin
--ar3flash.cue
--AR3BKUP.EXE
--AR3FLASH.EXE
GSP30.RAW
GSP32.RAW
AR3STOP.RAW
HJsplit.exe
MemcardRex v0.8.zip

Optional - [URL="http://mezmorizingmage.com/GSHI/BiosDump.psx"]BiosDump.psx[/URL]
[URL="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TS9C9XKD"]http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TS9C9XKD[/URL]

I have no parallel for my printer.What can I do?

[Lazy Bastard]

I wonder if a USB to parallel adapter would work...otherwise, you might be able to find a parallel card (PCI/PCMCIA/USB, etc).

[Mezmorize]

I wonder if a USB to parallel adapter would work...otherwise, you might be able to find a parallel card (PCI/PCMCIA/USB, etc).

I've never tried an actual PCI card, but when I did test out a cheap USB to parallel adapter, I had no luck.

[Mezmorize]

2.0 to 2.1 Upgrade CD for InterAct GameShark cartridges.

Here is a disc image of a 'GameShark Upgrade CD' that is useful only for upgrading a PlayStation version 2.0 GameShark cartridge to version 2.1.

So far I've only tested it out by burning the image to a CD and seeing if a version 3.2 GameShark Pro cartridge would recognize it, and it did. I have ordered a dirt cheap version 2.0 GameShark and plan to record the upgrade process.

To use the disc, you must go to the 'Explorer' menu of an InterAct GameShark.

Here is a little info from the inside of the case that the disc came in:
If the GameShark main menu fails to appear do the following
1. Check the GameShark switch is in the up position and reset the PlayStation.
2. Switch off the PlayStation. Hold down the control pad buttons "L1, L2, R1, R2 and START" together, and switch the PlayStation on.

You should now be in the "Explorer" menu. Select the option "Use Enhancement CD".
Now select the option "Go - Read CD".
Wait while the CD loads.

[lee4]

how you attachment is 1.04 mb meanwhile LiquidManZero and mine are 10+ mb?

[Mezmorize]

Hmm, I guess it's just because it was the first upgrade CD and it must be very little change from 2.0 to 2.1.
Since it don't contain all the other cartridge firmwares like your upload, makes since to be smaller.
Also, by default, I have WinRAR setup to do max compression when creating a .rar archive.

Instead of a .bin .cue it's a CloneCD image, but I doubt that has anything to do with it.
I actually picked that rip to test out because it was larger (because of the .sub file) than the other rip I made (.bin .cue).

The image decompresses to 115mb+

[Mezmorize]

Flash v2.x GameSharks to 2.42 Without Parallel Cable

I have ordered a dirt cheap version 2.0 GameShark and plan to record the upgrade process.

Unfortunately the seller listed the GameShark cartridge as v2.0 when it was actually v2.3.
I still tried both the backup and the original disc of the 2.1 'Enhancement CD' and could not successfully do much of anything.

Frustrated at that, I then tried the other two enhancement CD's, one being called 'BigWave 4'.
Basically had the same results with those, the GameShark would detect the disc, but would not proceed to the process of upgrading the cartridge.

Started looking around at some files I backed up from the internet years ago and came across an archive called 'x-flash-v1.2 beta-3.zip'.
Even though it's mostly for Xplorer cartridges, the included .txt document mentioned being able to flash GameShark/Action Replay carts and without the need for a parallel cable.

I luckily also already had a batch of decrypted firmwares for various carts, so I used X-Flash and ImgBurn to create a disc image with GameShark v2.42 firmware included.
Booted the disc on the PlayStation and it indeed flashed the GameShark from version 2.3 to v2.42! (Although it detected the cartridge as Xplorer and said the upgrade failed.)

I'll attach the exact disc image, ready to burn, to this post.
It will upgrade v2.x GameShark's to v2.42.

To make your own upgrade CD, you'll need the following files:
The archive I created when I backed up files from a now dead Xplorer website, that contains X-Flash.
ImgBurn (or similar) to build the disc image. [Note: Choose 'Create image file from files/folders' Then under the Options tab, select MODE2 as the Data Type.]
bootedit2.zip to properly license the disc image output by Imgburn. [It's important to use both the delete key and backspace to delete the text, see this post.]
Decrypted firmware files with a .rom extension. Here is the decrypted GameShark firmware for v2.42.
Also note that you'll either need to do the disc swap trick to boot the CD, or use a PlayStation with a mod-chip installed.

[Mezmorize]

By the way, there is someone selling all the Enhancement CD's (except for the v2.1) for PlayStation GameShark cartridges:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=160970996814

They are asking way to much for me to be interested though.

[rimsky82]

I would love to gather up every cheat enhancement CD. We should make a section for it on downloads, or maybe even it's own page. Is there any question of the legality of these discs, considering most companies are no longer around and many of them were available free of charge?

Mez- I got those discs in that auction, so I'll get dumps and scans if we decide to do this. I have a few other images, like the gameboy gameshark disc and others.

We should also consider gathering scans of code pages, game genie books, sharkbyte issues (which I think are available on retromags), and so forth.

[Helder]

I would like these images if you ever upload them somewhere.

[Mezmorize]

I would love to gather up every cheat enhancement CD. We should make a section for it on downloads, or maybe even it's own page. Is there any question of the legality of these discs, considering most companies are no longer around and many of them were available free of charge?

Mez- I got those discs in that auction, so I'll get dumps and scans if we decide to do this. I have a few other images, like the gameboy gameshark disc and others.

We should also consider gathering scans of code pages, game genie books, sharkbyte issues (which I think are available on retromags), and so forth.

I wouldn't think that legality of these would be a problem.
Awesome you bought the disc's, thought someone might want to.
While interesting, it was just not worth $35 bucks to me personally.
A couple days before posting the link here, I sent the seller a question telling them that the disc were not actual GameSharks, trying to get the price reduced lol.

I scanned a few instruction manuals in the past for various cheat devices, I believe I posted most of them here.
I'll see about gathering it all together.

Edit:
Here's a few of the things I scanned and posted here, I believe I put more up on my site though:
SNES PAR
Genesis PAR
Genesis Game Wizard (Not scanned, the paper I received was a bad scan, so I typed out the text.)
PS1 GameShark Pro
PS1 Gold Finger/Game Booster

PAR Images
GameShark Pro

And not that it's a cheat device:
PocketStation Chocobo World

[rimsky82]

The GameShark Upgrade CDs I've accumulated so far are as follows:

• Upgrade CD v2.1
• Upgrade CD v2.2
• Upgrade CD v2.3
• Upgrade CD v2.41
• Upgrade CD v2.42 (from lee4)
• Big Wave 2
• Big Wave 3
• Big Wave 4 (from liquidmanzero)

There are other images I have, like the gameboy gameshark code browser, the gba arm (aka arv3/4) disk, Cheats N' Codes v1, a gs sampler, shark link v3.3, gameshark v4, gs2 code archive disk, gs cdx v3.3, gs cdx v3.4, and codebreaker disks v1 and v3.

I'm not sure I want to host any images with the actual gameshark engine, though it may be safe... not sure about that one since they were commercially available.