Posts by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
(DIR) Post #AiOKv0RBSoWQg7yXya by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:43:00.691Z
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I had already expected the cart to have some sort of mapper though, so I went to take a look at the code with a disassembler. (3/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv1BGhTNwz3XLo8 by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:43:13.387Z
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What I found was that the main ROM (internally named GASA_MENU), after showing the splash, actually copied a secondary, multi-boot (link cable boot) ROM (GASA_ENG) into the memory of the GBA and then executed that ROM. (4/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv1hskDTOcCnOds by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:43:22.340Z
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The trouble was, on analysing this second ROM, it seemed to only have around 0x8000 bytes of code. This is far less than would be needed to implement a full blown Genesis emulator. Furthermore, the code seemed to loop infinitely and never return execution back to the cart. (5/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv2LENuwsaFCoyW by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:43:31.566Z
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This means that there was no way it could, for instance, be loading a new bank onto the cart to jump back to the code there. At this point I was stumped, I had no idea how this could be working, and I figured there must be something I was missing in the code. (6/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv3ClAtlbGGFZPU by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:01.369Z
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While I was analysing the code, I had the game on in the background when I accidentally jostled the cart a little bit. Suddenly the screen and audio were completely filled with static. I reinserted the cart, and the game immediately started working again. (7/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv41o76bFoa8Kye by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:17.458Z
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This took me by surprise, as usually if the data lines of the cart are disconnected at all the game should completely crash, but instead it seemed to be working as if nothing had happened! (8/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv4ukooYIYzqDce by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:28.023Z
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So I tried it again, deliberately this time, and found that not only did the game not crash, it actually continued running the entire time the cart was partially disconnected! (9/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv5mzZ9wBHDDXA8 by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:39.564Z
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At this point I finally realised what was going on. The GBA was indeed just running a small amount of code from RAM in a loop. That code though, was interfacing with the cartridge to receive audio and video from A GENESIS ON A CHIP IN THE CART. (10/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv6UEyMX3RLS4Zc by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:49.801Z
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When the cart was disconnected, the audio+video was just reading off an open bus instead, which caused the static to appear. Meanwhile the game itself continued to run on the cartridge hardware. (11/14)
(DIR) Post #AiOKv7AQRWHBYBBlKK by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-05-29T13:44:59.753Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
Turns out this wasn't a software emulator at all, but a hardware clone packed into a tiny chip. I have never seen such a tiny chip for this before, but it is the only reasonable explanation. I'm honestly incredibly impressed that they could pull this off. (12/14)
(DIR) Post #AitZLaJxKqkfwmKRXs by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-06-13T09:01:48.132Z
0 likes, 2 repeats
Desperately trying to search for an old Win3x era widgets library called WinWidgets; can't seem to find it anywhere. Please let me know if you have it! Reposts are appreciated!
(DIR) Post #AizHKMtT8hHtmryAPQ by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-06-16T14:04:08.714Z
2 likes, 5 repeats
Does anyone know if Ubisoft developed any true 3D games for the Game Boy Advance? Asking because RayCarrot discovered that there is code for a full 3D renderer in Rayman 3 GBA, but the only place it's used is this moving wheel in the credits screen.The renderer has capabilities far beyond what would be necessary for that (including skeletal animation), so there's no way they developed it just for this, but I can't find a single example of where it could have been used.
(DIR) Post #Ajvdin192qgpwHyo6K by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-07-07T18:35:47.817Z
0 likes, 2 repeats
Ah yes Windows, I'm sure the issue with my Xbox 360 controller is that the door may be open or no disk is inserted.
(DIR) Post #AlqukSh8OY2EWIEb56 by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-09-10T06:43:27.980Z
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@nytpu learned recently that Retro Game Mechanics Explained is too and he even draws furry porn
(DIR) Post #AlxsNHKpclZKpHL7UO by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2024-09-13T15:22:28.803Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@nytpu en.wiktionary.org/wiki/windfucker
(DIR) Post #As9rgPE5kWlvvNWRQu by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2025-03-17T21:26:22.454Z
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@foone now I'm curious whether analog Macrovision counts as a technical protection measure
(DIR) Post #AtJ0Bqy6jui2yWZQRc by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2025-04-02T00:12:36.102Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
Found a debug cheat in the new Croc remaster!To enable, enter the following codes one after the other in the password entry screen:1) Right, Up, Left, Up, Left, Right, Right, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, Down, Left, Down2) Right, Left, Left, Right, Down, Right, Up, Up, Up, Left, Left, Left, Up, Down, Right3) Down, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down, Down, Right, Left, Down, Left, Up, Down, Right, UpThe debug menu should appear in the options.
(DIR) Post #AtOBsAuF4YngG8weJM by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2025-04-23T16:51:07.439Z
23 likes, 25 repeats
Today Melissa Lewis over on BlueSky pointed out that the font used in the infamous "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy campaign was actually designed by Just van Rossum, whose brother, Guido, created the Python programming language (bsky.app/profile/melissa.news/post/3ln7hx5rhcj2v)She also pointed out that the font had been cloned and released illegally for free under the name "XBAND Rough". Naturally, it would be hilarious if the anti-piracy campaign actually turned out to have used this pirated font, so I went sleuthing and quickly found a PDF from the campaign site with the font embedded (web.archive.org/web/20051223202935/http://www.piracyisacrime.com:80/press/pdfs/150605_8PP_brochure.pdf).So I chucked it into FontForge and yep, turns out the campaign used a pirated font the entire time!
(DIR) Post #AtRoAcuo3NP64aJXYO by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2025-04-23T18:40:15.427Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@breizh they may as well be the same
(DIR) Post #B3RiiFrak8PuerhKXw by Rib@fedi.rib.gay
2026-02-18T10:34:23.306Z
1 likes, 2 repeats
Introducing OmniDrive! A firmware modification for MediaTek MT1959-based optical disc drives manufactured by Hitachi-LG Data Storage that enables features that allow for better, more complete reading of discs, including proprietary game discs.github.com/RibShark/OmniDrive