Identify my flash cart?

[kilo__]

Today was White Elephant gift exchange and I got a GameBoy Color with a flash cartridge! There are no stickers on it, and I've been researching for hours and I just can't figure this thing out! I'd like to change ROMS on this thing, but I don't even know to change it. When I start it up, it says

Code: Select all

GB Downloader V1.0am
(+ pad=Select, A=run)

1.     ZELDA
2.     GAME




(Page No. 1 of 1  )

It came with a parallel (or is it serial?) -> Gameboy (EXT.) cable.
The screen comes up the same whether It's connected or not
I have some pictures attached. If you could help me identify the card and software to use, I would greatly appreciate it!

[REPO Man]

It reminds me of a GameDownloader, but the cart doesn't have a slot to put in a GB/GBC cart to bypass the copy protection. It never worked right for me.

[SnowKitty]

you need PC side software to copy roms to it. i beleive ucon64 should work for your particular cart. also, judging by the flash chip, it appears you have a 16mbit cart (2Mbyte)

[kilo__]

It reminds me of a GameDownloader, but the cart doesn't have a slot to put in a GB/GBC cart to bypass the copy protection. It never worked right for me.

Hm, I'll look for that. How would I connect to it?

you need PC side software to copy roms to it. i beleive ucon64 should work for your particular cart. also, judging by the flash chip, it appears you have a 16mbit cart (2Mbyte)

Ucon64 uses a "--cart" argument based on who made it. I'm not having any luck with the ones on it =(

[Anapan]

I don't recognize the cart. You might track it down on Robert Webb's archived flash cart guide here
http://web.archive.org/web/201004070642 ... uk/backup/
Depending on your OS you might need a program (GiveIO/Userport) to allow the proper hardware access to your parallel port (as well as the correct bios option - EPP I think).
I tried several flashing programs to get my Bung Dr. GB going, and finally got it working right using GBXTool 1.8 with Userport, tho my friend never got his working on XP so I just gave him an old laptop with Windows 98 on it for his flash carts.
I dug up some GBC flashing software and put it on my FTP for ya. I think I have more somewhere, but GBXtool should work with more carts than the others. Let me know how you make out.
ftp://gb:[email protected]:6872/gb_LPT.zip

There's a bit of info on working with GiveIO and other tips
http://littlesounddj.wikia.com/wiki/Backup_Gear
More misc info and links to software here:
http://filetrip.net/oldies-downloads/gb-gbc/
http://www.pocketheaven.com/ph/wiki/ind ... ry:Gameboy

edit - Waha!:
It's officially called a "Pelican Game Downloader" - the website is www.mp3games.com - it's down but bits of it are on www.archive.com
Someone posted about one here:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthr ... oader-quot
Sounds like he has the software you need
http://gametz.com/forum/Portable_Market ... 32900.html

[kilo__]

I don't recognize the cart. You might track it down on Robert Webb's archived flash cart guide here
http://web.archive.org/web/201004070642 ... uk/backup/
Depending on your OS you might need a program (GiveIO/Userport) to allow the proper hardware access to your parallel port (as well as the correct bios option - EPP I think).
I tried several flashing programs to get my Bung Dr. GB going, and finally got it working right using GBXTool 1.8 with Userport, tho my friend never got his working on XP so I just gave him an old laptop with Windows 98 on it for his flash carts.
I dug up some GBC flashing software and put it on my FTP for ya. I think I have more somewhere, but GBXtool should work with more carts than the others. Let me know how you make out.
ftp://gb:[email protected]:6872/gb_LPT.zip

There's a bit of info on working with GiveIO and other tips
http://littlesounddj.wikia.com/wiki/Backup_Gear
More misc info and links to software here:
http://filetrip.net/oldies-downloads/gb-gbc/
http://www.pocketheaven.com/ph/wiki/ind ... ry:Gameboy

edit - Waha!:
It's officially called a "Pelican Game Downloader" - the website is http://www.mp3games.com - it's down but bits of it are on http://www.archive.com
Someone posted about one here:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthr ... oader-quot
Sounds like he has the software you need
http://gametz.com/forum/Portable_Market ... 32900.html

A few things:

• A. Are you sure about it being a pelican? I can't find pictures of it anywhere.
  2. By the way, Archive.com redirects to arabs.com
  III. Neither forums have active downloads.

Besides that, I'll work on some of your pre-edit stuff, see if it works

[noiseredux]

probably means archive.org (AKA: The Wayback Machine).

[Anapan]

A:No, I'm not sure. I was half asleep when posting, and didn't notice that yours doesn't have the top cartridge slot.
2: I did mean archive.org.
III: No, but aPM to the author of the post might get you a copy of the software so you can attempt to use it. One of the links has instructions on using the software without using the homebrew selection on mp3games.com - worth a shot.

It is probably the same technology as the Pellican; At least, I saw that someone had built the same Parallel-to-link port with the same pinout (someone posted that their homemade one worked on a pellican). The schematics for it are on devrs.com - http://www.devrs.com/gb/files/gb2pp7.gif. Knowing that the Game Downloader just used the top cart slot to pass through the header & boot logo of another game to bypass legal issues I figure that yours just uses the ones in the roms you load into it.

Possibly working software here:
http://www.reinerziegler.de/readplus.ht ... nk%20cable

[gwhiteside]

Hey, I just happened to dig up your forum post here in the middle of a related search I've been making every few months for the past couple years. While I still haven't found what I'm looking for, I definitely have some very helpful information for you!

I'm not sure if the cart itself actually has a name, but it's definitely a "16M Flash" of some sort--that's what the missing label would have said. I have one that says "16M Flash Pro for PC-Linker," but I think those are the only two variants. But the important thing is that they were sold together with that linker cable and a software CD, and the whole thing is simply called "PC Linker." It's a unique flash cart with an onboard boot ROM that allows it to program itself in a GBC, whereas all the other carts need a standalone programmer unit... so to the best of my knowledge and experience, none of the other programs mentioned in this thread work with it.

Anyway, I won't continue rambling on about it, you can read more about it here. On the sidebar there's a copy of the transfer program you need, "Coder PC Multi-File Version 1.0." (Don't ask--I wasn't the one who named it!) Honestly I have to say, getting this one specific flash cart as a gift without the necessary software or identifying information makes it a total lump of coal.

Now, even with the correct software, it's still going to be a bit finicky. You'll probably need an older PC (with a parallel port obviously), Win95/98 would be helpful OR Win2k/XP with the necessary port drivers (which I think someone pointed out higher up in the thread), and make sure you fasten the two screws on either side of the plug. One time I drove myself crazy for an hour trying to figure out why it suddenly stopped working, and apparently that's where the cable shield is grounded or something. Aaaand you may need to mess with the timing to get a stable transfer. I've even read tales of people transferring ROMs from a floppy disk drive to slow down the data stream adequately; your mileage may vary. But yeah, just give it a shot, might as well see what happens before worrying about troubleshooting.

Aaand to follow up on my story that brought me here in the first place... I inherited one of these things from a friend about 7 years ago, no software, but I at least had the label on the cart to tip me off. Fortunately, at that time, the software was much easier to track down. But there are actually two versions out there: the aptly named "Version 1.0" and "Version 2.0." Version 1.0 works fine for programming the cart, and that's probably all you need. But if you want to copy the ROM back off the cart on to your PC, or more importantly, copy the save RAM to your PC, you need version 2.0. I only use my cart for LSDj (it's a gameboy music tracker), but the SRAM is only large enough to accommodate one saved song, so I would of course save my compositions back to my PC before starting new ones. Fast-forward several years, I lost most of my hard drives and data in a flood (d'oh!). And as it happens, one of the most annoying things I lost amongst hundreds of gigabytes of other stuff was PC Coder Multi-File Version 2.0. I can still find Version 1.0 floating around on the 'net, but not a trace of Version 2.0 any more. Consequently, I can program my flash cart all I want, but that's not helpful because I already have what I want on there. I'm not willing to start working on more stuff until I can save it back to my PC when I'm done, so, I haven't used it in a couple years now. I should just spring on one those newer USB-enabled ones and be done with it, but meh, every time I'm about to get one I convince myself that it's not really in my budget.

SO I GUESS what I'm trying to say is... if you ever happen to run across Version 2.0, do consider shooting a message my way eh?

Oh, and Merry Belated Holidaysmas to you, consider this your secret Santa gift, internet-stranger!

[Goldy]

Hi, I also have this cart, only my cable is broken (missing the GB connector) so was wondering if anyone could post the schematic for this cable, even a high quality photo of the gameboy end, which the wires are visible would be a huge help.

Also gwhiteside, I have the version 2, with read capability of the software


So if you could help me, I would be happy to send this copy of the software