#5246 - joemmac - Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:25 pm
Does anyone out there know the basics of programming for both the GBA and Gamecube?
If so, it would be interesting to write a program/bootdisc for the Gamecube that basically shows a menu of a bunch of GBA multi-boot roms stored on the disc. The user can then select one and transfer it to a GBA via the commercial GBA-to-Gamecube adapter.
This would be great, because then people can store GBA programs on a regular mini-cd-rom. Then they can transfer programs to the GBA without having to buy any exensive hardware. The commercial GBA-to-Gamecube adapter is less than $10.
Another option would be to incorporate the sleep function into the GBA programs. Then one could use a Gamecube to transfer a program to the GBA, and keep it there for weeks (I dunno how long the batteries last in sleep mode).
There are many 8-bit NES games that will fit into the GBA RAM along with the PocketNES emulator. So one could take Nintendo games with them on cd-rom and download them to the GBA without a PC or expensive flash-cart.
I am a hardware guy, so I have no idea how one might go about doing this, or if it is even possible. But it sounds very useful, and relatively easy to do. What does anyone else think about it?
#5247 - niltsair - Wed Apr 23, 2003 7:36 pm
How do you go about burning the data on the GameCube disk?
Appart from that, i'm guessing it is do-able. You just need to communicate with the GBA Link port. Never did it though.
What would be the advantages over doing so with a PC and a multiboot cable (which can't be that expensive)?
#5250 - Touchstone - Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:06 pm
I don't think that would be that great. :)
_If_ the gamecube got cracked so you could run your own mini-dvd's it's likely you'd have to solder some kind of modchip into the gamecube and from experience I'd say a GB<->GBA cable + GameCube modchip would cost more than your avarage MBV2 cable. Every other household has a PC you can use as host for your MBV2 cable.
It would be really really fun though! I wish the Cube was cracked so I could run pirated and homebrewed games. And no, I'm not gonna discuss piracy. :)
And to answer your question, I know the basics of programming for both the GBA and GameCube. That don't help me much since I cannot run anything on my Cube.
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#5251 - joemmac - Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:16 pm
Can the gamecube read mini-cd-roms? They only have a capacity of 185mb, but that's plenty for GBA applications.
And if so, is it possible to write something that will boot the Gamecube without a mod-chip? Ie. Is it possible to mimic a regular Gamecube game to the piont that no additional hardware is needed?
Also, what about the sleep-mode and mutli-boot combo? Has anyone combined these features into a useful GBA program/game?
#5255 - Torlus - Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:54 pm
For participating a few to a community which goal is allow gamecube development, I think I can say something about it :
- For now, there is no way to allow a "homebrew" cd/dvd to run on gamecube.
- At the moment, most people are still looking for a way to run a single line of homebrew code on GC.
- Some ways seem to exist to run some code, but for a very small amount of code, and this information is not public (as info for GBA development is). and these ways involve some money...
Apart from that, I don't think this idea will stand existing solutions based on PC and existing carts/ link cables.
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#5346 - joemmac - Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:30 pm
Okay, so maybe the GameCube idea is out. But, has anyone put any serious thought into the multiboot/sleep mode combination? GBA devrs could create some pretty powerful and more useful apps with this method.
Basically, write a mutliboot game/prog that takes advantage of the sleep mode. Then users can download the prog to a GBA and keep it there in memory for extended periods of time. This would be useful for any mutliboot prog, but particularly for those used on-the-go, when the user will be away from a pc or other downloading device. And isn't that one of the primary advantages of a small, battery powered, handheld system?
#5347 - niltsair - Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:43 pm
How long can a Gba last on Sleep Mode?
#5350 - joemmac - Fri Apr 25, 2003 9:45 pm
I couldn't find the battery life in sleep mode anywhere on Nintendo's website. When not in sleep mode, the batteries last about 15 hours for the GBA, 11 hours for the GBA w/ afterburner, 18 hours for the GBA SP, and 10 hours for the GBA SP with the light off. I'm not sure how much current the systems draw in sleep mode, but I would expect that one could last a week or two if it were used sparingly.
I'm going to do a couple expereiments tonight to find out exacltly how much current my GBA draws in sleep mode. That should give a good idea of how long the batteries will last. I'll let you know what I find out.