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gba-ezflash-iv-emulators

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Various emulators for Gameboy Advance, exit-patched for EZ-Flash IV flashcarts

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# EZ-Flash IV Exit-Patched Emulator Collection
This is a collection of emulators for the Gameboy Advance, SRAM-patched and exit-patched to function optimally with the EZ-Flash IV flashcart. Modern cross-platform compilation builder scripts are also included.

Emulator|Target System|Author(s)|1st Release
:-------|:------------|:--------|:---
[PocketNES 1-4-2020](https://github.com/Dwedit/PocketNES/releases)|Nintendo NES|Loopy, later FluBBa, Dwedit|Jan 2001?
[ZXAdvance 1.0.1a](https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/ZXAdvance_GBA)|Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K|TheHiVE|May 2001
[PCEAdvance 7.5](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|NEC PC Engine / Super CD-ROM²|FluBBa|Apr 2003
[Goomba Paletted 2.40](http://goomba.webpersona.com)|Nintendo Gameboy|FluBBa|Oct 2003
[PocketBeeb 1.01](https://web.archive.org/web/20171216184403/http://www.geocities.ws/quirky_2k1/emulation/index.html)|Acorn BBC Micro Model B|Quirky|Sep 2004
[HVCA 1.40](https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/HVCA_GBA)|Nintendo NES / Famicom Disk System|outside-agb?|Sep 2004
[Wasabi 0.23](https://github.com/FluBBaOfWard/WasabiGBA)|Watara Supervision|FluBBa|Nov 2004
[SNESAdvance 0.1F](https://web.archive.org/web/20080208234615/http://www.snesadvance.org/index.html)|Nintendo SNES|Loopy, FluBBa|Feb 2005
[SMSAdvance 2.5](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|SEGA Master System / Game Gear / SG-1000|FluBBa|Jul 2005
[Cologne 0.8](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|ColecoVision|FluBBa|Jan 2006
[Goomba Color 2019_5_4](https://www.dwedit.org/gba/goombacolor.php)|Nintendo Gameboy / Gameboy Color|FluBBa, Dwedit|Jan 2006
[MSXAdvance 0.2](https://github.com/patters-syno/msxadvance)|MSX-1 (*version 0.2 is most compatible*)|FluBBa|Mar 2006
[Murdoc 0.3](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|Mr. Do! Arcade|Flubba|May 2006
[Snezziboy 0.26](https://sourceforge.net/projects/snezziboy/files/snezziboy%20%28binaries%2Bsource%29/v0.26/)|Nintendo SNES|bubble2k|May 2006
[NGPGBA 0.5.5](https://github.com/FluBBaOfWard/NGPGBA)|SNK Neo Geo Pocket / NGP Color|Flubba|Jul 2008
[GhostsnGoblinsGBA 0.1](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|Ghosts'n Goblins Arcade|Flubba|Apr 2009
[YieArKungFuGBA 0.1](https://web.archive.org/web/20150430211123/http://www.ndsretro.com/gbadown.html)|Yie Ar Kung-Fu Arcade|Flubba|Apr 2009
[Jagoomba 0.5](https://github.com/EvilJagaGenius/jagoombacolor/releases)|An enhanced Goomba Color fork|FluBBa, Dwedit, Jaga + various|Nov 2021

## Background
These emulators were originally designed to be used in a number of ways: 
1. assemble many game ROMs into a large ```.gba``` compilation and browse the games from a menu upon launch  
   - *slow to load into EZ-Flash PSRAM before execution, single 64KB SRAM save may constrain*  
2. as plugins for the Pogoshell file manager  
   - *only supports much older flashcart devices e.g. Flash2Advance*  
3. bundle each game ROM with its own copy of the emulator into a standalone ```.gba``` file  
   - *best for EZ-Flash IV - plenty of SD card storage, quick to load, can use save states since each game has its own 64KB of SRAM*

## Purpose
This collection serves use case 3 above. In each emulator folder the build script will iterate through the ROMs in the current folder, building a ```.gba``` executable for each title. The build scripts invoke my own Python 3 [gba-emu-compilation-builders](https://github.com/patters-syno/gba-emu-compilation-builders) scripts, which may also serve use case 1 if required. Run the compile script with ```-h``` for more information.

Each emulator's Exit function in the L+R menu was typically intended for Pogoshell-era flashcarts. Where needed, this function has been manually patched so that Exit actually returns to the EZ-Flash IV menu.

## Usage
- Install Python 3 if not present
- ```git clone https://github.com/patters-syno/gba-ezflash-iv-emulators```
- Add games to the chosen emulator folder
- See notes on firmware versions below
- Run **build.bat** from a Command Prompt (Windows), or **build.sh** from a Terminal session (macOS / Linux)
- Copy the resulting ```.gba``` files to the EZ-Flash IV SD card

## EZ-Flash IV Versions
#### Firmware 2.x
- The build scripts will generate the required patch files to force 64KB SRAM saves for each executable, to be placed in the PATCH folder on the SD card.
- It is recommended that you disable the firmware's integrated GSS patcher (Global Soft-reset and Sleep) for the emulators. Add exclusions for the following GAME_IDs to the bottom of **KEYSET.CFG** at the root of your SD card:
  ```
  #GAMELIST TO SKIP GSS AUTOMATICALLY
  #EMULATORS
  BEEB = 1   #PocketBeeb
  COLG = 1   #Cologne
  GGAC = 1   #GhostsnGoblinsGBA
  GMBC = 1   #Goomba Color/Jagoomba
  GMBA = 1   #Goomba
  HVCA = 1   #HVCA
  MSXA = 1   #MSXAdvance
  MRDO = 1   #Murdoc
  NGPE = 1   #NGPGBA
  PCEA = 1   #PCEAdvance
  PNES = 1   #PocketNES
  SMSA = 1   #SMSAdvance
  SNAV = 1   #SNESAdvance
  SNZI = 1   #Snezziboy
  WSBI = 1   #Wasabi
  YIAC = 1   #YieArKungFuGBA
  ZXAV = 1   #ZXAdvance
  ```
#### Firmware 1.x
- The ```.gba``` files produced by this collection are ready to be copied directly onto the SD card. Do not use the EZ4 Client to patch them.
- The emulators in this collection have all been header-patched to force 64KB SRAM saves, using cory1492's v2 patcher (EZ4-64-2). The 1.x firmware reads some metadata from the GBA ROM header to determine save size, and without this fix many homebrew binaries will default to 32KB.
- gbata7 was used to fix the GBA ROM header after these patches (emulators crash on some firmwares without this fix).
- You will need to edit **build.bat** (for Windows) and **build.sh** (for macOS and Linux) to change the compile script options from ```-pat``` to ```-sav``` so that the blank save files are generated for each executable, to be placed in the Saver folder on the SD card.

## Exit-Patching Method
Each of the emulators uses some variation of the **visoly.s** source file which was designed to exit back to early flash card menus or Pogoshell. Since they are not identical, it is not trivial to make a binary patcher. The following sample files are included to facilitate patching additional binaries:
File|Description
:---|:----------
ez4/reset_ez4.s|Code to reset into ez4 loader; copies itself into ewram before running
ez4/reset_ez4.bin|Binary to reset into ez4 loader
ez4/reset_ez4-2.s|Code to reset into ez4 loader; switches from arm to thumb and runs in-place
ez4/reset_ez4-2.bin|Binary to reset into ez4 loader
ez4/visoly.s|Code to reset, as used in many of FluBBa's emulators
ez4/visoly.bin|Binary to reset, as used in many of FluBBa's emulators

My own method for patching additional emulators was to check that their **visoly.s** was indeed mostly consistent with the versions in other emulator source code. Then I used a hex editor to compare exit-patched emulator binaries with their unpatched originals so I could determine the initial state of the replaced section (usually **visoly.bin**).

I found that by progressively trimming both ends of this sequence, I was able to successfully locate the equivalent section in the new binary, even if there were sometimes minor differences. Then it was a case of selecting the most appropriately sized variant of the *reset_ez4* binary code to overwrite (usually **reset_ez4.bin**).

--------
## Emulator Tips
#### Cologne
- Find the BIOS rom with the no-delay patch to speed up the boot time: "ColecoVision BIOS (1982) (No Title Delay Hack)"
- R+Start to bring up the virtual controller keypad
#### MSXAdvance
- The BIOS you need is "MSX System v1.0 + MSX BASIC (1983)(Microsoft)[MSX.ROM]"
- R+Start to bring up the virtual keyboard
- Early [compatibility list](https://web.archive.org/web/20070612060046/http://boards.pocketheaven.com/viewtopic.php?t=3768)
- Versions 0.3 and 0.4 [significantly broke compatibility](https://gbatemp.net/threads/msxadvance-compatibility-many-games-in-gamelist-txt-dont-work.609615/)
#### PCEAdvance
- Audio tends to work pretty well in mixer mode, but you do need to restart the emulator after enabling it
- [CD-ROM ISO extracting info](https://github.com/patters-syno/pceadvance#pc-engine-cd-rom-support), and [this forum thread](https://gbatemp.net/threads/pceadvance-cd-rom-support-howto-required.610542/)
- [CD-ROM² / Super CD-ROM² / Arcade CD-ROM² titles lists, and TOCs](https://www.necstasy.net/)
- [Speedhacks howto](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508083011/http://boards.pocketheaven.com/viewtopic.php?t=27)
- EZ-Flash IV & EZ-Flash 3in1 PSRAM is now enabled for Super CD-ROM² support and, in theory, Arcade CD-ROM²
- CD-ROM ISOs should include 'CD', 'SCD', or 'ACD' in their filenames to indicate their type
#### SMSAdvance
- BIOS booting (effectively a blank 16KB ROM image) requires the system type to be hard set to Master System, assuming Master System BIOS games, because without a ROM the emulator cannot guess which system BIOS (SMS or GG) should be loaded
- "Lock toprows" is an option for Full Screen display mode useful for certain Master System games, such as Outrun, which can keeps the score/speedometer on screen despite cropping the image to the GBA resolution
#### SNESAdvance
- Start+Select+A+B for the emulator menu
- Select+Up/Down to change screen offset
- [List of best functioning games](https://web.archive.org/web/20050305113636/http://ygodm.tonsite.biz/snesadv/snesadv_gamelist.html)
#### Snezziboy
- L+R+Start for the emulator menu
- L+R+Select+Up to cycle BG Priority Sets
- L+R+Select+Down to cycle Forced BG Modes
- [Wiki page](https://web.archive.org/web/20090503124323/http://wiki.pocketheaven.com/Snezziboy)
- [Compatibility list](https://web.archive.org/web/20090508192702/http://wiki.pocketheaven.com/Snezziboy_Compatibility_List)
#### YieArKungFuGBA
- The emulator menu is broken unless you build a compilation with both ROM variants
#### HVCA
- Hold L+R in the menu to exit back to the flashcart menu
- A .cfg filename must match the filename of the game it targets
#### ZXAdvance:
- ZXA.INI has a \[section\] for each game filename (lower case without file extension), the 'filename=' key is in fact how the game title will be displayed in the ZXAdvance ROM list. 'Config' can be Custom, or can refer to one of the sections prefixed with 'Config_' at the top of the file - e.g. Config=Kempston
#### PocketBeeb:
- The original builder command line tool can be compiled on macOS using  
  ```clang -Dlinux pbappend.c -o pbappend```

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