Table of Contents
ChisFlash — A New Flash Cartridge
Friends, AliExpress now has:
Cool metal labels for Game Boy Advance consoles.
Cool eXtremeRate cases for GBA SP.
Friends, help me buy (if you have) various old stuff: Help me buy.
Despite the Game Boy Advance debuting back in 2001, interest in this portable console hasn't faded—on the contrary, recent years have seen its second revival. Enthusiasts, collectors, and indie developers continue to explore new facets of the GBA, from re-releases of classics to entirely new games. This renaissance is supported in part by the emergence of new flash cartridge models.
While the flash cartridge market experienced a real boom in 2003–2005, today it has stabilized but continues to be enriched with interesting and unconventional solutions. Large manufacturers have been replaced by independent projects: from insideGadgets solutions to lesser-known but promising devices like ChisFlash. This guide will focus on the latter.
The ChisFlash flash cartridge was developed by a Chinese enthusiast under the pseudonym ChisBread, inspired by the OpenCartGBA project, which first appeared in August 2022. Despite the similarities between these two solutions—both are minimalist, open-source, and designed to run ROMs on real hardware—there are two fundamental differences.
1. Bank Memory Support
ChisFlash implements bank switching, allowing the same memory chip to emulate saves for non-standard cartridges requiring 128KB of memory. This provides greater flexibility and compatibility, including with games that require non-standard memory schemes (e.g., Pokémon).
2. Ambitious Plans for "Special" Cartridge Support
ChisBread has announced intentions to release a full range of "special" GBA cartridge variants, including those used in original Nintendo games with additional components:
1. Cartridges with RTC (real-time clock, as in Pokémon Emerald);
2. Gyroscopes (e.g., WarioWare Twisted!);
3. Solar sensors (Boktai);
4. Vibration (Drill Dozer);
And other exotic configurations.
This initiative largely mirrors the path taken by insideGadgets, which also creates clones of special GBA cartridges. However, ChisBread's goal is to make them significantly cheaper while maintaining compatibility and functionality. This is especially relevant given that insideGadgets has faced supply issues for several years—for example, gyroscope cartridges have been unavailable for over five years despite constant demand.
The version of ChisFlash reviewed here is a relatively rare variant for GBA flash cartridges, featuring FRAM memory and built-in vibration. Similar functionality is only found in models like the EZ-Flash Definitive Edition (approximately 7,000 rubles) and insideGadgets (around 4,500 rubles, excluding shipping from Australia).
Meanwhile, the cost of ChisFlash with vibration and FRAM memory is currently about 3,300 rubles, making it very attractive in terms of price-to-quality-to-functionality ratio.
Package Contents
Specifically, my version, found on Avito, includes the flash cartridge itself and a flashing reader (without a cable).
This configuration is rare—usually, only the flash cartridge itself is sold, without the reader.
Where to Buy?
It includes the ChisFlash flash cartridge and a reader for flashing—a rare and advantageous option, especially considering that such a reader alone costs no less than 2,000 rubles.
💬 Bonus: The seller on Avito is willing to offer a small discount on shipping if you mention that you learned about the cartridge from this site. Just let them know you came from here.
It's important to note that this version (from Avito) uses FRAM memory, making it universal: after a simple ROM patch, you can run almost any game, including demanding titles like Pokémon, Boktai, and others.
Meanwhile, other versions of ChisFlash have begun appearing on AliExpress.
But it's important to understand the difference:
The AliExpress version uses RTC and a Flash chip, not FRAM.
This means it's primarily designed for running Pokémon games that require real-time clock (RTC), but other games won't be able to save since there's no patching software for them.
So when purchasing, it's important to consider which version you need:
- FRAM version (Avito)—universal, runs almost everything after patching
- Flash + RTC (AliExpress)—good for Pokémon but with limited compatibility.
To use the reader, you'll also need a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable. If you don't have one, it's easy to find and order, for example, on AliExpress—it's inexpensive and compatible with most modern devices.
How to Use?
Although my set includes a reader that allows rewriting the cartridge, ChisFlash is also compatible with other flashing methods: using third-party readers (GBxCart RW or Flash Boy Cyclone Dumper) or a Nintendo DS / DS Lite with Burn2Slot.
If you have a set with a dumper, download the archive: ChisFlashBurner.zip.
Game patching program: gbata7a-en.zip.
Step 1.
Before writing a game to the cartridge, you need to patch it to use SRAM instead of the original save system (e.g., Flash 128K, as in Pokémon). This is especially important for ChisFlash versions with FRAM, which work as SRAM.
1. Download the gbata7a-en.zip archive and extract it.
2. Run the GBA Tool Advance (GBATA) program.
3. Click the SRAM Patcher button.
4. Drag and drop your ROM file directly into the program window.
5. Click the Patch button.
6. The program will create a new file—its name will start with output-...—this is the file we'll write to the cartridge.
Step 2.
Extract the ChisFlashBurner.zip archive. Connect the dumper to your computer. It will be recognized automatically. Run the program. You'll see this menu:
After launching the program, the first step is to select the correct port for connecting the device. The list will include at least two options:
1. Serial port (COM1)
2. USB serial interface device (e.g., COM5)
There's no point in choosing COM1—it's for old physical COM ports, which are practically unused on modern computers and irrelevant to the reader. So confidently select the second option—USB (COM5) (the port number may differ in your case, but look for the name mentioning USB).
Step 3.
After connecting the device, click the Read ID button—this command reads information about the flash chip installed in the cartridge.
If everything is connected correctly, the program will identify the chip, and its name will appear in the lower part of the window.
In my case, it was: S29GL256.
This means the connection is established, the cartridge is recognized, and you can proceed to the next steps—reading, writing, or erasing the contents.
Step 4.
Now that the cartridge is recognized and the game is pre-patched, you can proceed with writing.
1. Click the Browse button in the main program window.
2. In the window that appears, select the ROM image of the game—the file you obtained after patching (e.g., output-Lost Vikings.gba).
Make sure you select the patched ROM file—this is crucial for save functionality on ChisFlash.
After selecting the file, it will appear in the path field, and you can proceed to the next step—writing to the cartridge.
Step 5.
When the ROM is selected, click the Write ROM button, and the process of writing the game to the flash cartridge will begin.
Note: You don't need to manually select the game size—the program will automatically determine the required volume and write the file correctly.
For example: I wrote Mother 3 (about 32 MB), and the entire process took 5 minutes and 27 seconds. The time may vary depending on the ROM size and the reader's speed, but overall, the process is straightforward and requires no additional configuration.
After the writing is complete, you'll have a ready-to-use cartridge.
Other Features
After writing a game to the flash cartridge, you can start playing, but it's useful to familiarize yourself with the program's other capabilities.
Refresh—clears the program interface and resets all fields (handy for quick updates).
Full chip erase—should completely erase the cartridge contents, but in practice, this function crashes the program. However, this isn't critical since the cartridge is automatically erased with each game write.
The program menu also includes an MBC5 option—designed for writing Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. However, such cartridges aren't yet available for purchase, so this feature is currently unavailable to most users.
The ROM size (MiB) field consists of five buttons:
1. ROM file size—displayed automatically after selecting the game image. Shows the actual file size.
2. Dropdown menu with hieroglyphs—allows manually setting the size allocated for the game in flash memory. The purpose of this isn't entirely clear, as the program usually correctly determines the required volume on its own.
3. Write ROM—starts the process of writing the selected ROM file to the flash cartridge.
4. Export ROM—reads the ROM file from the cartridge and saves it to the computer.
5. Verify ROM—checks whether the ROM written to the cartridge matches the original file. Useful for diagnostics if there are doubts about the write accuracy.
The Save size (KiB) field also consists of five windows:
1. Save size—can be selected manually (64 or 128 KB), but if you pre-select a save file (via the Browse button), the program will determine the size automatically.
2. Memory type—SRAM or FLASH. This parameter must be specified manually, as it depends on the specific cartridge version:
—the Avito version uses FRAM (and SRAM must be selected for writing);
—the AliExpress version uses FLASH, so Flash must be selected.
3. Write Save—writes the selected save file to the flash cartridge (the file is selected in the Save field).
4. Export Save—reads the save from the flash cartridge and saves it to the computer (you need to create a text file and select the address in the Save field, or it won't work).
5. Verify save—checks whether the save was written correctly from the computer to the flash cartridge and whether there are any errors.
Epilogue
ChisFlash opens a convenient path for Game Boy Advance enthusiasts, allowing them to easily flash games to flash cartridges and run their favorite ROM files on real hardware. It's an excellent solution for those who want to breathe new life into GBA classics, create their own collections, test homebrew, or simply enjoy games as intended—on the original console.
