Would A GBA Slot Be Possible?

[louist103]

From what I have read online it only has 3DS firmware for playing 3DS games. DSi firmware for playing DSi games and original DS firmware for the download play and the games.
Hope that helps.

Here is a quote from Wikipedia. "The Nintendo 3DS firmware can run in four different modes. NATIVE_FIRM is the native running firmware for Nintendo 3DS software (including the Home Menu). SAFE_MODE_FIRM is used for safe mode applications, such as the System Settings and System Updater. TWL_FIRM is the Nintendo DSi's native firmware and it is used for Nintendo DS/DSi backward compatibility. Finally, AGB_FIRM is the Game Boy Advance's native firmware and it is used to run Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. The NATIVE_FIRM is different for the New Nintendo 3DS"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_3 ... m_software
Louis

[jayare]

Or get a GameCube Game Boy Player.

That's the most inferior way to play GBA games though, for the following reasons:

1. Added motion blur.
2. Really annoying framerate stutter every 5 seconds (I counted it)
3. You would need an HDTV to get a decent image... on older TVs it will be interlaced (480i) and it looks fugly, cause the games are designed for 240p, which the SNES already did with the Super GameBoy but somehow Nintendo forgot to make it this way for the GameBoy Player.
4. Gamecube controllers... not everyone is happy with them for GBA, needs a GBA with a cable.
5. There's a digital cable that apparently fixes the framerate stutter and image quality, but needs a GameCube with a Digital output port, which was removed from later GameCube consoles... and the cable goes from in between $150 and $300 online now, because it was discontinued too early.

The best way to play GBA on a bigger is with the DS capture card. All pixels sharp, comfortable control, etc.
The only problem is a frame tearing problem I have which I could never fix. It's like an emulator without the VSYNC option, except you can't VSYNC it. I heard you can modify the video driver settings to allow it, but this never worked for me. There's an issue with the Windows Aero, like with that enabled it will be VSYNCed i think, but will skip some frames. With Aero disabled, the framerate is smooth, but will cause tearing.

[Greenalink]

1. Motion blur can be disabled through settings and select SHARP.
2. The framerate of a Game Boy Player is a TAD slower than an actual GBA (https://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/Game_B ... Boy_Player)
3. My big CRT looks fine but there is a way to force 240p by using an SD Loader like WiiKey SD and use a program called Swiss.
4. GBA SP is fine or go to RetroUSB and get a SNES/NES controller.
5. I got the cable and I don't think it makes a difference.... the stutter is very likely due to the lower framerate.

Fun facts.

Game Boy B/W can use a Super Game Boy 2 that runs at 240p and an accurate framerate(?)
Game Boy colour, especially the pure colour games like Crystal, Wario Land 3 and Zelda Oracles cannot work on a Super Game Boy 2.
Game Boy Player is the only solution for now.

DS capture method is a piece of cake and should be used.

[jayare]

3. My big CRT looks fine but there is a way to force 240p by using an SD Loader like WiiKey SD and use a program called Swiss.

WHAT are you serious? *searches for it* Holy crap, this JUST became available.
Thats not fair. It's been over 10 years since the GameBoy Player came out. Everyone already played their games the wrong way arrrrrg.
It still doesn't even fix the bad framerate, right? But holy crap thats awesome.

5. I got the cable and I don't think it makes a difference.... the stutter is very likely due to the lower framerate.

Are you serious???? You have the component digital cable, and there is framerate stuttering still?
Ughhhhh.

What I do is I use a modded GBA with the TV Out thing, its not 240p, but I pass it through the computer, a converter software, a converter device, and it will give me a 240p image. Of course, quality won't be perfect, but it's great for me, no framerate stuttering or anything.

[Guest]

Ok, The 3DS does have a FIRM for playing GBA games, that is how the ambasitor GBA games work. In theory you could make an interface over the I2C bus that could read the ROM and do I/O on the SRAM/flash. This would be slow and a huge pain though.

[LVNeptune]

1. Motion blur can be disabled through settings and select SHARP.
2. The framerate of a Game Boy Player is a TAD slower than an actual GBA (https://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/Game_B ... Boy_Player)
3. My big CRT looks fine but there is a way to force 240p by using an SD Loader like WiiKey SD and use a program called Swiss.
4. GBA SP is fine or go to RetroUSB and get a SNES/NES controller.
5. I got the cable and I don't think it makes a difference.... the stutter is very likely due to the lower framerate.

Fun facts.

Game Boy B/W can use a Super Game Boy 2 that runs at 240p and an accurate framerate(?)
Game Boy colour, especially the pure colour games like Crystal, Wario Land 3 and Zelda Oracles cannot work on a Super Game Boy 2.
Game Boy Player is the only solution for now.

DS capture method is a piece of cake and should be used.

DS capture method removes your ability to play GB(C) games, technically. You could use a flash card with a GB(C) emulator but that defeats the whole purpose of playing on the handheld. Might as well just use your PC and capture from an emulator.

[Myria]

Ok, The 3DS does have a FIRM for playing GBA games, that is how the ambasitor GBA games work. In theory you could make an interface over the I2C bus that could read the ROM and do I/O on the SRAM/flash. This would be slow and a huge pain though.

This. It's possible, just complex as all hell. You'd have to program Home Menu to recognize that a GBA cartridge is inserted, program it to launch AGB_FIRM with a special flag, program AGB_FIRM to know that flag, and program either TWL_FIRM or AGB_FIRM to know how to dump a GBA cartridge over the I2C bus into RAM so it can be run by the hardware.

It can be done, it's just insane.

[Guest]

sounds like finding a way to read GBA carts from the SD Card slot would be easier.

[somethingdarkside]

sounds like finding a way to read GBA carts from the SD Card slot would be easier.

Wow that's actually a really good idea

[Technicmaster0]

Well there are already ways to read GBA games from the SD. Just use NINJHAX and an emulator or maybe there's even a way to use the virtual console.