News
Two useful upgrades for Game Boy Advance SP.
For a shell replacement: an eXtremeRate shell for Game Boy Advance SP.
Officially the best battery for Game Boy Advance SP — FunnyPlaying, 1040 mAh!
FunnyPlaying’s 1040 mAh GBA SP battery is now on AliExpress
I previously wrote about a FunnyPlaying battery for Game Boy Advance SP that had become available on AliExpress. That was the 950 mAh version. Readers rightly pointed out that FunnyPlaying also makes a higher-capacity model rated at 1040 mAh.
That version is now available on AliExpress too: the FunnyPlaying Volta 1040 mAh battery for Game Boy Advance SP.
P. S. I’m ordering this version right now!
EZ-Flash Air firmware issues: a rollback method is now available
The latest EZ-Flash Air update to Firmware 4 / Kernel 1.05 seems to have caused trouble for some owners.
I tested the new firmware recently, and everything worked fine for me. As it turns out, I was simply lucky.
Back on July 31, an EZ-Flash Air owner started a GBAtemp thread after games began freezing regularly on FW4/K1.05. The trouble started within minutes of the update; before that, the cartridge had worked normally.
More complaints followed. Users described freezes, memory errors, graphics glitches, and sound problems. In a separate thread, one owner's Air stopped being recognized by either a GBA or a DS after a game froze.
Not every cartridge appears to be affected.
But what can the unlucky owners do?
The obvious answer would be to reinstall Firmware 3 / Kernel 1.04. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple.
Installing the original Kernel 1.04 rolls back the kernel alone. The firmware stays at version 4, leaving the cartridge in an odd FW4/K1.04 state.
In early September, GBAtemp user GamerMlg investigated why. They found that Firmware 3 is already embedded in the ezairkernel.bin file, but the cartridge checks its current version and refuses to flash older firmware over a newer one.
GamerMlg changed a few bytes in Kernel 1.04 to make the Air flash Firmware 3 over Firmware 4. More importantly, it worked.
Games that had been freezing on their GBA and DS Lite ran normally again after the rollback. The original poster tried the method and confirmed a return to FW3/K1.04. Another user later reported a successful rollback too.
At first, owners had to edit Kernel 1.04 themselves in a hex editor. That step is no longer necessary.
On September 19, community member ViniciusR0 uploaded a ready-made rollback archive. It contains both a modified and an original Kernel 1.04. Install the modified file first to restore Firmware 3, then the original kernel. The final result is FW3/K1.04.
Each file in the archive must be renamed to ezairkernel.bin before its turn on the SD card. The author of the method also recommends backing up the SD card first, then deleting and rewriting the games in NOR after the rollback because FW4 changed how NOR is managed. If the firmware does not change, do not keep reflashing. See GamerMlg's full instructions for the procedure.
And EZ-Flash's response? Owners reported the problem, worked out why a normal rollback fails, made a forced downgrade possible, and prepared a ready-to-use file. EZ-Flash has not replied in that thread so far.
If your Air works fine on FW3/K1.04, I wouldn't rush to update it. If you have already updated and haven't noticed any problems, perhaps you were as lucky as I was.
FunnyPlaying GB Mini: lovely, but unfinished
Retro Dodo reviewed FunnyPlaying GB Mini, a compact $69.99 handheld. GB/GBC cartridges use FPGA; microSD ROMs use an emulator.
The reviewer likes its IPS display, design and main buttons. Their unit has a lifting screen, unreliable power switch and broken menu button. Camera and rumble cartridges do not fit the shell.
It looks lovely, but this first version clearly needs more work.
emibios: an open GBA BIOS replacement
@RealYoti tipped me off about emibios, an open BIOS replacement for Game Boy Advance.
It aims to reproduce the original BIOS accurately and takes the place of gba_bios.bin in an emulator.
It cannot currently be installed on a normal retail GBA. Still, an interesting idea :) Source and downloads are on the project’s GitHub.
EZ-Flash Junior mod 4.3 adds clock backup and fixes
lukesau continues improving the custom EZ-Flash Junior kernel. Mod 4.3 brings several useful changes.
It fixes EZGB.CFG writes, clock restoration and RTC data handling, and guards against overly long paths.
Additions include microSD clock backup and restoration after battery depletion, last-game recall, file icons and the mod version in HELP. Hold START to cancel Fast Launch.
Support now includes 1.04e/FW4 alongside two 1.05e variants. See the mod-4.3 release for patches and compatibility details. Choose the patch matching your original kernel.
Croco: an open Game Boy cartridge brought to life
Our friend @shar34 managed to build a Croco Game Boy cartridge and even sold one to me. Huge thanks!
I both love and struggle with open projects. Publishing schematics and firmware so anyone can reproduce a device is wonderful. In practice, though, there can be quite a gap between “everything is available” and “I can actually build it”.
The build required a long list of components, followed by careful soldering. The RP2350B chips were especially awkward: they could not be bought separately, so they had to be desoldered from ready-made boards.
That is probably why I like dspico’s approach so much. It is open too, but you can also buy a finished cartridge without thinking about soldering or sourcing rare parts.
NileSwan: an open-source WonderSwan flash cartridge
Here is an interesting WonderSwan flash cartridge: NileSwan by 49bitcat.
It loads games from microSD and supports WonderSwan, WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal. The design includes SRAM, EEPROM, a real-time clock and save backup to the memory card.
Hardware and firmware are open: explore the project on GitHub. Ready-made cartridge and batch information is on the creator’s website.
It is good to see new hardware being made for WonderSwan.
While we were asleep, a new DSpico arrived — DSpico IR
The biggest change is the built-in infrared port. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver running from the flash cartridge can now work with a real Pokéwalker. The developers claim support for around six games with IR features.
The hardware has been heavily reworked too: the RP2040 has been replaced with the more powerful RP2350, USB-C has been added, and RAM has jumped from 264 KB in the original DSpico to 8 MB.
The extra memory also enables support for compressed ROMs in the .ndz format. For example, Pokémon White can be compressed from 256 MB down to 78 MB. A compressed game does take a little longer to launch, but once it starts there is no noticeable difference.
Power consumption has gone down as well. In the test shown, DSpico IR used roughly one-eighth as much power as the original DSpico, although a full comparison of console battery life is still needed.
The developers are currently choosing between two versions: a standard-size shell with 8 MB of RAM and a slightly larger shell with 32 MB. The expected price is around $30, with the first units due to ship in November.
Pre-order DSpico IR from Phenom Mod.
And as usual, that same damn question remains: how do I actually get hold of one? :D
A custom kernel makes EZ-Flash Junior easier to use
EZ-Flash Junior has a custom kernel based on the official 1.05e release. It makes the menu much more convenient.
Folders and games are sorted alphabetically, scrolling works beyond a single screen, and new rows appear without a slow full-menu redraw. The file browser also hides .gba files and macOS clutter such as .DS_Store, ._* and .Trashes.
The most interesting addition is Fast Launch: Junior can start a selected game immediately, skipping the menu. A lone game on the card can launch automatically too.
Installation takes some work. Apply an IPS patch to the matching official kernel or build the mod yourself. Instructions and source code are in lukesau’s repository.
This version does not fix the battery issue. Still, sorting and direct game launch are welcome improvements for the old Junior.
A Boxy Pixel metal shell for EZ-Flash Omega DE
Look what I found! Boxy Pixel makes a metal shell specifically for EZ-Flash Omega Definitive Edition.
There are silver and black aluminium options, plus a brass version. Prices started at $28 when I posted this. The cartridge itself is not included.
Now I want one :) I just need to work out payment and delivery.