I'm building a more 'modern' flash cart for the GB. The question is, would you prefer it USB like a Drag'n'Derp? or SD card based like an Everdrive?
SRAM will be 128k to satisfy the LSDJ folk, what is the maximum ROM size you would like it to support?
4Mbytes is the most cost effictive, this would cover 99% of GB/GBC games.
The cart price is targeted at $50 but hopefully strong support will bring the price down.
Let me know your thoughts!
the decision is probably been made already, but i’d like to call for a feature on your next project.
so far the only flash cart that works with the monster brain and the mega memory is the GB USB smart card 64M because of the auto boot property.
wouldn’t be nice to have a menu/autoboot switch on the cart in case needs to work in tandem with these backup tools?
Since this thread is 13 months old, please forgive me these questions: Are you still working on it? Is there any ETA? Oh, and SD would be fine! Thanks!
Depends on usage, I guess.
For people that just want to use one ROM and seldomly change it, USB+Flash is best.
If you want to load a bunch (or a truckload) of ROMs, then mass storage is needed.
As a completists who prefers no-compromise products, I would go with both!
I would like to have both USB and a microSD slot, and, also, both RAM (for fast SD loading) and some non-volatile memory (flash or whatever) so that you can load stuff from USB, which should also be flashable from the menu.
A switch would select what is booted on powerup, either NV or menu.
RAM could also be made to be writeable from USB for quick loading in development and ROMhacking, and it would become direct-boot if USB is plugged (like the 64drive). Once USB is no longer plugged, it boots from whatever the switch says.
This would cover all possible use cases and not compromise on anything.
As for max ROM size loadable… well, there should be room enough for the largest licenced ROM, of course, at least in RAM. I guess the Flash side could be limited to whatever is the largest thing that would benefit from not having to load a menu. I have no information on what would that be.
Needless to say, all MMCs should be supported, enough SRAM for any game’s saves, save management should be in the menu, and any extra features needed for compatiblity: RTC, tilt(?)… I’m not all that familiarized with all the extra features in GB carts, so I don’t know what else is there that would be reasonable to add. I suppose rumble is not xD… I don’t know if there’s any rumbling game where such functionality adds anything to the gameplay (like the stone of agony in N64’s Zelda OoT, warning of nearby secrets), or it’s all just “oh, it rumbles”…
That’d be the kind of cart I would like to have. I wouldn’t mind paying premium for it IF all of this is supported, or enough of it.
+1 for SD. I’ve had a lot of faulty SD cards and USB drives over the years. How reliable will the flash memory you use be? I’d rather have a way to replace it and have the flash cart live forever.
+1 for RTC – Pokemon Silver and Gold were very popular titles and can’t be completed without that functionality.
I was thinking about that though… With your existing Everdrive, in firmware you could implement a faked RTC whereby time advances while the unit is powered on and kept saved to the SD card. At next boot, it could advance by 4 hours (or by a configurable period) so you can simulate the passage of time by powering off/on the GB. The clock doesn’t need to be correct it just needs to simulate the passage of time so you can access areas of the game at certain times.
…Also, that’ll be MicroSD, yee?