How-to Use VBA Emulator Online to Trade/Battle with People

[ThatIceman]

You're going to need three programs; the Visual Boy Advance, the VBA Link (which in the download includes the VBA), and LogMeIn Hamachi.

First download VBALink/VBA here: https://vbalink.info/download/vbalink180b0.zip

Then you'll need Hamachi from here: https://secure.logmein.com/products/.../download.aspx You'll want the unmanaged version. (I haven't tried the managed version but I'm sure it works the same just with more options to controls multiple computers through it's program. I'll give it a try ASAP for this tutorial's sake.)

Quick description of these programs to ease your worried mind; Hamachi is a program that acts as a virtual LAN port. Don't worry it's safe, I've used it for a long time and Hamachi reassures you with saying that not even THEY can view any personal info of yours.

As for Visual Boy Advanced it's a GBA emulator and VBALink is the program that lets you link 2-4 VBAs together.

Now that you've got them downloaded, open Hamachi and install it onto your computer. After it's all finished, Launch Hamachi and you'll be prompted to put in a username. Choose whatever you'd like and you'll see something like this...

Now that you've got your Hamachi "account" up and running unzip your VBALink V1.8. And you'll see something that looks like this...

You and a friend should now download yourselves an amazing game .(maybe pokemon Emerald? :P) Now that you've got your game, open up VisualBoyAdvance and go to Options - Emulator - uncheck 'Pause when inactive window'

(MAKE SURE EVERYONE THAT YOU'LL BE PLAYING WITH HAS THIS UNCHECKED!)

Now, moving on... Go to Options - Link - 'Settings...' and you'll see this window...

Choose Network and the person that will be hosting the server will click the Server tab while the other player(s) will go to the Client tab. In server you'll see a 'Start!' button...

Which you press and wait for your friend(s) to join. If you're not the host, from 'client' type in the host's Hamachi LAN number and click "Connect"...

After everyone's in it'll tell you everyone is connected, click okay and then hit okay out of the "Settings..." box. Finally to start your game go to File - Open and open the game you and you're friends are about to enjoy in multilayer mode!
For your first try I'd suggest Mario Kart - Super Circuit because it works perfectly with VBALink. Also remember that not all games will run smoothly on VBALink. This is not a problem with your emulator or your Rom, but with VBALink's compatibility with that game.
NOTE: If you are attempting to play Four Swords make sure you put the Link Timeout (in milliseconds) at 10000 or above OR 200 or below. Link Timeout can be found in Options - Link - Settings... - General tab. Also know that Four swords WILL run a bit laggy but it IS still very playable. (I've only tried it with two players so if anyone has played it with 4 let me know how it works)
NOTE: Some people have found that checking the 'Wireless Adapter' in Options - Link and/or unchecking 'Synchronize' in Options - Emulator, has improved performance. If your rom crashes and is officially supported by VBALink then try this minor adjustment for some, hopefully, big changes.

If you noticed I missed anything (or if I do after reviewing it twenty more times) let me know so I can update it ASAP.

BTW this is my first tutorial so if you feel that I didn't go into enough detail, or whatever, let me know so I can make sure everything is very newbie friendly.
Also, if you liked it... Hook a brotha up with some likes!

Visual Tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju1KOnfv4Nw

Errors : If you encounter a game freeze after you enter the single battle coliseum when it says "Please Wait, B Button: Cancel"
Then watch this video for a fix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gLGwPHP98

ATest Network : User : PokeCommunityVBA
Pass : 123
Up to : 5 members 4 guest 1 host
This is a hamachi network to test the connection only cuz i can not seem to test it by using 2 VBA emulator on the same computer cuz my laptop sucks (:
So join that network and test the connection with me or some one else in the same network >.> so we can all make sure that Battle/trade thingy works and we all can have fun

 

[Based]

Awesome tutorial. I need to try this with someone one day.

 

[PikaSaiyan]

lol man that's sick! XD
Maybe future hacks would be able to add an online feature...?
Nice tut. ^_^

 

[ThatIceman]

Thanks every one (: i hope you all enjoyed with the tutorial and actually tested it (:

OH MY GOD OMG OMGO MG OMG OMG OMMGMOGMOMGOMG IT WORKS [sorry for the OMG spam lol] i just tested it with 2 emulators on my laptop and it really works i am freakin happy :D :D :D btw updated a new video for helping on how to

 

[Autophobic]

This is pretty cool. Now I can battle others on Pokemon Crystal. :D

 

[timson733333]

Doesn't work. The other person keeps hanging and never connects, and this happens no matter how many times we try. I've set up the Hamachi network, set up the VBAlink server, we both have unchecked Pause when inactive window... We're doing nothing wrong, so what's wrong?

 

[ThatIceman]

Doesn't work. The other person keeps hanging and never connects, and this happens no matter how many times we try. I've set up the Hamachi network, set up the VBAlink server, we both have unchecked Pause when inactive window... We're doing nothing wrong, so what's wrong?

ummm the IP that appears when you are in the Server [you are the host] make the guest use it and if it fail then use the Hamachi ip >.>

 

[Elements1]

Could you please send me the link of the video as I can't play it on pokecommuinty. I have the problem with ruby/sapphire but not with FR/LG.

 

[ThatIceman]

Could you please send me the link of the video as I can't play it on pokecommuinty. I have the problem with ruby/sapphire but not with FR/LG.

updated the video link >.> check it out :P

 

[Gamer2020]

This is actually very old. This does work but the settings for everything must be exactly right.

 

[Elements1]

Thank you so much!!! Great tutorial!!!

 

[ThatIceman]

Thank you so much!!! Great tutorial!!!

No problem (: oh and remember to have fun and to try to test it using hamachi and if it DID really work with other people by using hamachi then please tell me by commenting on this tutorial

 

[Naruto200]

any chance of this working with regular games
IE: connect a vba to an actual gameboy/DS/ 3DS ?

 

[ThatIceman]

any chance of this working with regular games
IE: connect a vba to an actual gameboy/DS/ 3DS ?

uhhh .. i think tho ,, >.>

 

[ThatIceman]

just reviving the thread lol >.> oh and By the way can some one test the tutorial and actually make a hamachi network so people can play in it? :P oh and this tutorial works with ALL games that works for VBA emulator so all GBA games that can use Link ability / wireless ability will work on the tutorial and all the pokemon games for GBA will work too and also pokemon hacked roms will work :P

 

[TheOriginalOne]

UPDATE: Wait, does the VBA-M alternative have the wifi functionality? In that case, this will have ben solved... So does it?

Hi people! Sorry for bringing back this 5 year-old thread, but as I see no other place where I can post it, I'm gonna post a question about this here to see if someone notices -.-

Ok, the thing is, before I noticed this tutorial, I had 2 downloaded Emerald ROMs, and one of them worked perfectly on the original VBA. However, before I started to actually play it, I still wanted to configure the communication stuff, and so this thread comes in and I replace VBA with VBALink.

The problem is: I get the classical white screen with the "Loaded battery" message, and even though I switched the save type to 128k, it still won't open any of the ROMs! I googled extensively, but nothing, absolutely nothing provided any useful info.

Does anyone know how to solve this??