RTC Solution for flashcart users (Ruby)

*not sure if this is the right section*

If any of you guys have played Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald on a GBA Flashcart (such as an EZFlash 3-in-1), then you'll notice how you'll get the internal battery message.

Now, for Ruby & Sapphire, I'm sure you guys have come across the partial solution, the program called, "gbata" which patched your Ruby/Sapphire rom to get the RTC working (but only while the game is being played). Well, I've come up with an almost complete solution to that, too.

Basically, I've added a clock to every Pokemon Center, which you can reset as necessary.


If you choose Yes, then you get to reset the clock. If you choose No, then you get another question:

If you choose Yes, you view the time. If you choose No, then you exit.

Now unfortunately gbata still doesn't work with Emerald, which is why I only did this with Ruby. I got the idea from a certain G/S/C hack someone did at another forum, where you can reset the PokeGear clock (that was before GBC Emulators for DS supported RTC).

If only people can figure out how to get gbata to work with Emerald...

That's an interesting approach. Another option, if you don't already have a 3in1 or are willing to invest $20 is to get an M3 GBA Expansion Pack. It's like a 3in1 but has a RTC built-in.

Poryhack said:

That's an interesting approach. Another option, if you don't already have a 3in1 or are willing to invest $20 is to get an M3 GBA Expansion Pack. It's like a 3in1 but has a RTC built-in.

Click to expand...

I'm assuming this would also "fix" the Shoal Cave problem, but I don't know if this also fixed Trainer's Eye's/Match Call, Berry growth, and Lottery tickets.

You know, there's a GBC emulator for DS flashcards called Lameboy. When playing G/S/C, the RTC works completely fine because it syncs the clock with the DS clock. Is there anyway to do that with R/S/E?

There wouldn't be problems with anything time-related, because as far as the game is concerned it's a retail cart with a clock feature (which it basically is).

GBA games aren't really emulated in the same sense that GBC games are when played on the DS. There's not really anywhere to put the code to do something like that besides the ROM itself, and I'm not sure that that's even remotely feasible.

On the other hand, since the latest DS model no longer plays GBA games, some newer slot-1 flashcards are getting features (an extra processor) that support GBA emulation.

You know what's the problem? Resetting the clock won't change the date at all. So I doubt berries etc. would work.
I cannot test it myself because my cart has a built-in RTC :P

Chaos Rush said:

Now unfortunately gbata still doesn't work with Emerald, which is why I only did this with Ruby. I got the idea from a certain G/S/C hack someone did at another forum, where you can reset the PokeGear clock (that was before GBC Emulators for DS supported RTC).

If only people can figure out how to get gbata to work with Emerald...

Click to expand...

I will figure that someday, eventually. I just need enough time. And some people willing to help me test it.

HackMew said:

You know what's the problem? Resetting the clock won't change the date at all. So I doubt berries etc. would work.
I cannot test it myself because my cart has a built-in RTC :P

Click to expand...

I kinda figured that, but I'm assuming that Shoal Cave, Espeon, and Umbreon should work properly now, since those are entirely dependent on what time it is. Technically you can change the date by setting the time one minute before midnight, but that would be a little tedious...

HackMew said:

I will figure that someday, eventually. I just need enough time. And some people willing to help me test it.

Click to expand...

Which one are you trying to figure out? Getting gbata to work with Emerald, or getting GBAExploader to load the DS time like Lameboy?

Chaos Rush said:

Which one are you trying to figure out? Getting gbata to work with Emerald, or getting GBAExploader to load the DS time like Lameboy?

Click to expand...

The first one, just not right now. I don't own a DS at all, anyway.
Like I said, even if I found a way, I couldn't be sure it's actually working on the actual cart.

That's good.

I am planning to get an EZ Flash, so this will be good for me.

Thanks very much.

NatureKeeper said:

That's good.

I am planning to get an EZ Flash, so this will be good for me.

Thanks very much.

Click to expand...

Did you not see my first post?

NatureKeeper said:

That's good.

I am planning to get an EZ Flash, so this will be good for me.

Thanks very much.

Click to expand...

Don't get EZ Flash. I made the mistake of getting one, and I assumed that there was no Slot 2 flashcart with RTC.

Chaos Rush said:

Don't get EZ Flash. I made the mistake of getting one, and I assumed that there was no Slot 2 flashcart with RTC.

Click to expand...

Which one do you recommend? Or which Slot 2 carts have RTC?

pokeyou said:

Which one do you recommend? Or which Slot 2 carts have RTC?

Click to expand...

Well I said not to get EZ Flash over 2 years ago, and I should have mentioned the M3. But last time I checked it's no longer in production, so it's really hard to come across by one, and you'd have to spend at least $100+.

Times have changed (you bumped a 2-year old topic), so I now recommend EZ Flash 3in1 if you want to play GBA games on your DS without RTC, or EZ Flash IV if you want to play GBA games on a GBA (no RTC). Unfortunately there are no flashcarts currently in production with RTC, but anything that has a GBA emulator almost always has RTC (such as the GBA emulator for PSP, or the GBA emulator for DSi in conjunction with SupercardTwo or something like that)

Thank you. I have EZ Flash IV already.

I tried your clock patch. With Pokemon - Ruby Version (U) (V1.1).gba and Pokemon - Ruby Version (E) (V1.2).gba gameplay seemed to work until I entered the Pokemon Center and then the screen got garbled.

It seems to work fine with Pokemon - Ruby Version (U) (V1.0).gba. What are the differences in the versions? When I searched Google, some said a berry growth problem was corrected in 1.1 and 1.2, others said it was only a region difference. But if your patch works on 1.0, but not 1.1 and 1.2 it seems there must be more than only a region difference?

I planted some berries and then set the clock to just before midnight and waited for the day change, but the berries did not sprout. I've never played the game before so I don't know if that is normal. Is there a way to check the date? How long should they normally take to sprout?

Any suggestions?

pokeyou said:

I planted some berries and then set the clock to just before midnight and waited for the day change, but the berries did not sprout. I've never played the game before so I don't know if that is normal. Is there a way to check the date? How long should they normally take to sprout?

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

That's not how berry growth works. My patch already includes another patch within it - the gbata Clock Fix patch, which makes the clock run in-game. My patch allows you to reset the clock so you can make it the right time every time you play (though it's a bit tedious).

Berry growth does not work by having the day change, each berry has a certain amount of hours you have to grow. Here is how berry growth would work depending on conditions (using Cheri Berry as an example):

1. Legit Pokemon Ruby cart that still has a working internal battery: 12 real-life hours

2. Legit Pokemon Ruby cart with internal battery no longer working: it will never grow

3. GBA Flashcart with Pokemon Ruby rom: it will never grow

4. GBA Flashcart with Pokemon Ruby rom with the gbata patch or my patch: 12 in-game hours

Thank you. It works! Great patch. Using your patch I had set the clock to midnight and let the time pass and repeated it again a second time. Then I let the game sit for about an hour and a half and my first berries (Pomag) sprouted. Previously even with the GBATA patch none of my berries had sprouted, so I think it must be a combination of day change and time? Or maybe I just didn't wait long enough. But the good news is, moving the clock forward works, at least if set before the day change. Is there a way to check the date?

And, did you see my question about the Pokemon 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 versions?

pokeyou said:

Is there a way to check the date?

Click to expand...

No, as there is no date setting in the GBA Pokemon games. Only in the DS games.

pokeyou said:

And, did you see my question about the Pokemon 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 versions?

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I have no idea about the differences between Ruby 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2. I'm assuming one of them fixes the berry glitch.

Chaos Rush said:

Now unfortunately gbata still doesn't work with Emerald, which is why I only did this with Ruby.

If only people can figure out how to get gbata to work with Emerald...

Click to expand...

Sorry, one final question, do you know if there ever was an RTC patch eventually created for Pokemon Emerald?

pokeyou said:

Sorry, one final question, do you know if there ever was an RTC patch eventually created for Pokemon Emerald?

Click to expand...

No patch for Emerald was ever released.

I tried your patch on several different versions of Sapphire and couldn't get it to work. It won't even load it just freezes at a white screen on all of them. Was your patch ever tested with Sapphire or is it only for Ruby?

What is the difference between Sapphire and Ruby anyway?

pokeyou said:

I tried your patch on several different versions of Sapphire and couldn't get it to work. It won't even load it just freezes at a white screen on all of them. Was your patch ever tested with Sapphire or is it only for Ruby?

What is the difference between Sapphire and Ruby anyway?

Click to expand...

It's Ruby only. Of course it won't work on Sapphire, Sapphire has different offsets for everything. That's just how the games were compiled.