Pocket Heaven

karl_oz · Member Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 5

(I apologize, if this has been an issue before, but I just don't know how to search/google for it properly)

I just finished creating single file ROMs for each GB game in my collection (thank god, that this can be done using the command line!). But while having tried them on my flash cart, I've noticed that some of them don't start up as they should. I mean, the emulator (Goomba) boots up fine. But then the first thing I get is the (multiple ROM) game selection menu - showing the ROM's header name twice - instead of just running the game without having to select one of the entries.

I assume, that for these cases there's something wrong with my original .gb ROMs, right? I simply don't have the slightest idea, what it could be...

Any help?
Thanks.

kuwanger · Member Joined: 11 Mar 2004 Posts: 280

Probably not.
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Asaki · Member Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 88

Ah, thanks.

Was wondering about this, I read somewhere else that it was just bad dumps, so I ignored it.

Dwedit · Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:12 pm Post subject:

An overdump could cause a game to appear twice, assuming this file is just two copies of the same file stuck together with duct tape.
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karl_oz · Member Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 5

kuwanger · Member Joined: 11 Mar 2004 Posts: 280

AFAIK, all gbc roms are 1MB or more (or more precisely, I've never seen one that was less than 1MB). So, I don't see that as probable. If worried, of course, you can always do the same padding thing since gbc and gb roms have virtually the same header and goombacolor uses the same property as goomba does.

As for gg, the simple answer is no. For gg, sms, nes, etc roms, their respective emulator smsadvance, pocketnes, etc requires a special crafted "rom header" for each rom append to the emulator; this rom header inherently offsets all untrimmed, uncompressed rom so none would appear double under any other emulator (ie, the rom header + rom would never be exactly 131072 bytes).

The less simple is answer is yes, but only under very improbable circumstances. It'd require for a single rom header + rom or collection of rom header + roms to equal exactly 131072. Coupled with rom trimming, nespack7's ability to compress many nes roms, and a massive possible combinations of roms, it's not impossible. Having said that, I've never actually see it happen.

However, I did end up updating my compilation tools to add some extra padding to make sure the resulting emulator + [rom header +] rom always had enough padding at the end to overlap whatever each emulator would be checking for for more roms. I just never got around to uploading them since apparently no one else was having any problems and I, admittedly, was too lazy to edit my post again.

If you want, I'll upload them and update my post on the ezflash forum.

Edit: So, I decided to do the update anyways. I've combined all the independent compilation python scripts into one single one for pocketnes, smsadvance, cologne, goomba, and goombacolor. It uses the emulator name that is specified to guess what you're trying to do. I haven't tested it out extensively (only a little toying with single rom nes and multirom gg and sms with a splash screen), so I've probably forgotten something silly. Feel free to comment if you have a problem.

Download: all compile, your many compilations maker
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karl_oz · Member Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 5

Conclusion for everyone:

Goomba/GoombaColor (*): For 128KB ROMs follow these instructions, in order to build proper standalones for EZ-Flash IV
SMSAdvance: No problems with .gg ROMs (I recommend "smsabuild" for batch compiling)

(*) actually there are a few (very few) 128KB .gbc ROMs Wink