Just A Couple Questions!


meko

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just a few nooby questions :) sorry if they are dumb, but I haven't seen a faq that answers these yet! I'd like to get a GP32, but I just wanna check these first...

1) I don't know anything about these cards they use.. do you just connect your gp32 with the card in it to your computer through a usb port and it writes that way? or do the cards themselves just plug into the usb port? also, can games create save data on the gp32? on th gba, I know they have a seperate flash chip or RAM powered by a battery reserved for saving games, but I assume SMCs don't, right? So do games just not save, or do they save directly to the card along with all the other files?

2) every place selling them has a picture of a white gp32, and that's what most sites show too. But I've seen pictures of a green gp32, a black gp32, and a really nice semi-transparent blue, white, and black gp32. is there a store that sells different face plate colours?

3) how's gbc emulation? is it full speed with sound and save support?

okay, thanks a lot for reading! :)
 
just a few nooby questions :) sorry if they are dumb, but I haven't seen a faq that answers these yet! I'd like to get a GP32, but I just wanna check these first...

1) I don't know anything about these cards they use.. do you just connect your gp32 with the card in it to your computer through a usb port and it writes that way? or do the cards themselves just plug into the usb port? also, can games create save data on the gp32? on th gba, I know they have a seperate flash chip or RAM powered by a battery  reserved for saving games, but I assume SMCs don't, right? So do games just not save, or do they save directly to the card along with all the other files?

2) every place selling them has a picture of a white gp32, and that's what most sites show too. But I've seen pictures of a green gp32, a black gp32, and a really nice semi-transparent blue, white, and black gp32. is there a store that sells different face plate colours?

3) how's gbc emulation? is it full speed with sound and save support?

okay, thanks a lot for reading! :)

Hello, first of all I do hope you buy a GP32, it's the best thing you can get if you're into homebrew games and emulation.

1) Well there are several methods. But first of all the card itself doesn't plug to the USB port :p You can either (In order of preference): A ) Get a card reader and read/write it from there B ) Use GPDRIVE and the GP32 with the card on it and you'll be able to use it as a Mass Storage Device on windows so you can just drag & drop the files to where you want it inside the card. C ) Use the GP32 with the PCLINK software (the original method) and copy files through Gamepark's software interface.

As for the games saving question, an SMC is just like any other digital-camera-type card, you can read/write at will. And yes, you can save the games. Most emulators have a save function, and I believe if the games have their own save function it will save it too (never tried it though, but they are created for instance on RPG's when you begin a new game).

2) Well the most probable is that you will get a white one. AFAIK the other ones are quite rare. However you can mod your GP and paint it / alter it in any ways you want - if you're careful and minimally skilled to do it of course. Don't expect to find any other model than the white one unless you're really looking carefully on ebay and other auction and selling websites for it (and probably pay quite an handsome amount unless you're lucky).

3) GBC emulation is pretty much near perfect, and it can only get better with the upcoming fDAY and the official fDAY release of Ryleh's fGB emulator. It's pretty much (if not for sure) fullspeed with sound, and DOES support savegames, either internal or external to the game itself - as I explained above - .

Besides that I can only enlighten you on the different models:

NLU: Non Lit Unit (name says it all)
FLU: Front Lit Unit (same)
BLU: Back Lit Unit (same)
and BLU+: New Back Lit Unit model with a Taiwanese screen.

There's a lot of topics on which one is best and all of that,so if you want more opinions on that please do refer to one of those topics.
However, it's more probable you get your hands on a BLU+, which are the latest models, (I'm the happy owner of one of those), however there is some older software that doesn't support this new model. Most of the importat stuff and pretty much every new game do support it though, so it isn't that much of a big issue anymore.

Also if you want to know more on the BLU+ compatibility issues please do refer to the countless number of topics about it around. As for myself I love my BLU+ and have any problems with it.

Also, if you're planning on buying one, I can also recommend you either GP32z.com (in the US) and GBAX.com (in Europe). But if you wanna risk it on eBay, well it's up to you.

Good luck and do hope you join the GP32 scene :D
 
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You're welcome, I hope I have explained everything you wanted to know :D
Any other questions, feel free to use the forums but also remember to use the search function, as it might already been answered (or thoroughly discussed) before ;)
 
wow :blink: that has to be the nice-est, most too the point answer to a noobie's question ever exael. good job! :)

anyway meko, the gbc emu pretty much is perfect as of now and "can only get better with the upcoming fDAY and the official fDAY release of Ryleh's fGB emulator." as exeal stated. I myself have a BLU model and have an entire SMC filled with GB/C roms. My only complaint is that the SNES emu has much more potential than what is currntly availible (although I can't code anything more than a "hello world" program so I prbably shouldn't be complaining :lol: )

I'm sure you'll love your new gp32(hopefully)

feel free to ask any other questions no matter how stupid as we are usually a pretty nice community
 
just a few nooby questions :) sorry if they are dumb, but I haven't seen a faq that answers these yet! I'd like to get a GP32, but I just wanna check these first...

1) I don't know anything about these cards they use.. do you just connect your gp32 with the card in it to your computer through a usb port and it writes that way? or do the cards themselves just plug into the usb port? also, can games create save data on the gp32? on th gba, I know they have a seperate flash chip or RAM powered by a battery reserved for saving games, but I assume SMCs don't, right? So do games just not save, or do they save directly to the card along with all the other files?

2) every place selling them has a picture of a white gp32, and that's what most sites show too. But I've seen pictures of a green gp32, a black gp32, and a really nice semi-transparent blue, white, and black gp32. is there a store that sells different face plate colours?

3) how's gbc emulation? is it full speed with sound and save support?

okay, thanks a lot for reading! :)

Hello, first of all I do hope you buy a GP32, it's the best thing you can get if you're into homebrew games and emulation.

1) Well there are several methods. But first of all the card itself doesn't plug to the USB port :p You can either (In order of preference): A ) Get a card reader and read/write it from there B ) Use GPDRIVE and the GP32 with the card on it and you'll be able to use it as a Mass Storage Device on windows so you can just drag & drop the files to where you want it inside the card. C ) Use the GP32 with the PCLINK software (the original method) and copy files through Gamepark's software interface.

As for the games saving question, an SMC is just like any other digital-camera-type card, you can read/write at will. And yes, you can save the games. Most emulators have a save function, and I believe if the games have their own save function it will save it too (never tried it though, but they are created for instance on RPG's when you begin a new game).

2) Well the most probable is that you will get a white one. AFAIK the other ones are quite rare. However you can mod your GP and paint it / alter it in any ways you want - if you're careful and minimally skilled to do it of course. Don't expect to find any other model than the white one unless you're really looking carefully on ebay and other auction and selling websites for it (and probably pay quite an handsome amount unless you're lucky).

3) GBC emulation is pretty much near perfect, and it can only get better with the upcoming fDAY and the official fDAY release of Ryleh's fGB emulator. It's pretty much (if not for sure) fullspeed with sound, and DOES support savegames, either internal or external to the game itself - as I explained above - .

Besides that I can only enlighten you on the different models:

NLU: Non Lit Unit (name says it all)
FLU: Front Lit Unit (same)
BLU: Back Lit Unit (same)
and BLU+: New Back Lit Unit model with a Taiwanese screen.

There's a lot of topics on which one is best and all of that,so if you want more opinions on that please do refer to one of those topics.
However, it's more probable you get your hands on a BLU+, which are the latest models, (I'm the happy owner of one of those), however there is some older software that doesn't support this new model. Most of the importat stuff and pretty much every new game do support it though, so it isn't that much of a big issue anymore.

Also if you want to know more on the BLU+ compatibility issues please do refer to the countless number of topics about it around. As for myself I love my BLU+ and have any problems with it.

Also, if you're planning on buying one, I can also recommend you either GP32z.com (in the US) and GBAX.com (in Europe). But if you wanna risk it on eBay, well it's up to you.

Good luck and do hope you join the GP32 scene :D


Very well said and that was a very nice complete post, couldn't have said it better my self... :D
 
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For smart media cards, check ebay, and I think amazon or some other site like that sells them. Don't buy them at the store, they're like 60 bucks, but I got mine on ebay for about 12-15 plus shipping, which ended up being about 20 total for a 128mb card. Also, you unfortunately can't use a smart media card with capacity larger than 128 megabytes(it has something to do with the voltage, or so I've heard... perhaps someone else could elaborate?). If you go to www.gp32z.com, you can get a gp32 that'll clock up to 166mhz, 2 games, a screen cleaner, and a carrying case for a little over 200 US dollars. And the owner of the site also offers to paint the GP32 for you, for a little extra money. I forget what he charges for painting. I just painted mine by myself, but if you suck at painting and aren't careful, like me, you can screw it up. My paint job is horrible. Oh well. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your GP32(if you get one) as much as I love mine.
 
If you're in the UK, ebuyer.com sell the cheapest SMC cards.
 
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