Development: Pokemon games save fix (white screen, 1M sub-circuit, Elite four save) Any device/flashcard/3DS GBA VC

This Hack is a saving function fix for all the pokemon gba games, for all languages, for all versions (1.0 / 1.1).

[Fire Red, Leaf green, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald]

This hack was initially made by RIKU (gbatemp) then dumped and improved by Yafee and AmeenX!

Usage:

Warning: Don't use Sram patch, just apply this hex mod and you're good to go



Open the desired ROM in a hex editor and find the following string:




Note: This string can be found in two different locations in some ROMs, make sur you find and edit both of them!

Also the strings can be found in two different lengths:


Or


Edit stricly what's between
Replace the xx by 00



Exemple:



Note: No technical information available as it was a pure hex editing!

Team Fail said:

So I've been using the GBATA SRAM patcher to overcome this issue. What exactly does this do though? Does it maintain the 128KB save size or is it reduced to just 64?

Click to expand...

This reduces the save to 64K without using sram patch.(not sure)
Skip save backup up memory check
Fixes fr, lg & emerald white screen and elite four save issue

So this doesnt require extra patching when ROM used on a ez flash iv, correct? Or does it still require the client's patch to be able to save properly?

Don't use Sram patch, just apply this hex mod and you're good to go!

This doesn't cause any problems when the save is downsized, does it?

Projectwolfie said:

This doesn't cause any problems when the save is downsized, does it?

Click to expand...

No side effects, it's 100% safe.

But this will remove the backup save that is used when you corrupt your primary save file, right? Still, this is super useful for playing on my flashcart, so thanks!

Would someone mind giving me the offset(s) so I can find the code easier? Seriously, it's gonna take FOREVER to find one line of code among THOUSANDS more. :(

Between this and SRAM patching, which is better/safer? The broken backup save seems a bit... extreme.

blureshadow said:

Between this and SRAM patching, which is better/safer? The broken backup save seems a bit... extreme.

Click to expand...

this: better
sram patch: likely "safer"
the broken backup is a result of doing what the game tells you not to: turn off the power while saving. and besides, most emulators (pc, wii, android, maybe not 3ds tho) have a workaround in save states. used in discipline, nothing is different <3

BluRose said:

this: better
sram patch: likely "safer"
the broken backup is a result of doing what the game tells you not to: turn off the power while saving. and besides, most emulators (pc, wii, android, maybe not 3ds tho) have a workaround in save states. used in discipline, nothing is different <3

Click to expand...

I'll be using this with EZ Flash IV on an original console, so no save states.
Could you explain to me the differences of this "hack" and sram patching?

If i did the SRAM patch method, does that mean that After the Elite Four my game will be unable to save??

This thread is hella old at this point and should be mothballed. We know how to get the 3DS's GBA firmware to use a 1MB save, so the games can run unpatched. Even if we needed to patch the game to make it run, there's better ways to do it than this, which I explained in exhaustive detail on Reddit two years ago.