Cheaper alternative to Everdrive GB

[tarator]

Hi, I found my old Game Boy pocket and I’m looking for a cartridge, where I can upload ROM’s and play them on the Game Boy.

The only thing I found is the Everdrive GB [1] which is not that cheap in my opininon. Has anybody experience with this cartridge? Are there any cheaper alternatives?



[1] https://krikzz.com/store/home/8-everdrive-gb.html

 

[EvilDragon]

The Everdrives simply are the best flashcarts out there, that's why they're not cheap.
They have a pretty good hardware, a very nice menu and basically run all roms without issues and without any patching.

Not sure if there's a cheaper one out there - but it probably will have worse features

 

[levi]

Must admit, the flashcarts have always seemed kind of pricey for what they do, and my Pandora has reassured me that emulation can handle my needs well enough these days.

If I had a game room set up, then perhaps I'd be able to get the use out of an everdrive to make it worth the money, but as is a Pandora plus a Retrode has given me a game room that fits in my coat pocket. It's certainly not in the impulse buy price range, but perhaps not everything needs to be.

Does the SNES Everdrive handle SuperFX cart images okay, out of interest?

 

[EvilDragon]

No, SuperFX might be possible with the sd2snes in the future (if someone codes it for the FPGA) but not right now.

Still, it's more fun to play on the original systems

 

[tarator]

Hmmm... ok then the everdrive it will be!
Is there anything I should watch out when buying an Everdrive GB? As I’ve seen there are different versions and even manufacturers(?) out there.
I suppose since it’s using a SD-card for operation I wouldn’t need any Windows-PC for update/activation or whatsoever for the Everdrive GB (I don’t have any Windows at home anymore...)

@EvilDragon do you plan to stock it up in your shop, or - even better - could I order one right now?

 

[EvilDragon]

You can order it right now, it's just hidden. Usually a google search on my site (everdrive.de) will find it.

There is only one official manufacturer (Krikzz, who is the developer) with various distributors (the official ones are listed in his shop).
The chinese remakes often aren't 100% compatible and a lot of games won't run.

 

[rygD]

Since the original question about cheaper alternatives doesn't seem to have been answered, the only one that comes to mind that is usually readily available is the EMS one, which has two pages where you can store a couple games, but it only has one save slot, so if you save a second game your original save is lost. They also require proprietary Windows software to add the games. I think someone made something so you could add games to the first page with *nix (including OS X), but that is a bit of a waste. I have a couple of these full of music software. They can be a headache.

There are other options, but I don't know if they will be cheaper when all is said and done. These are pure flash carts, and will require a way to flash them. I can think of a few people making them, plus you have some old ones, like the official "Nintendo Power", or whatever it was called, from Japan (this one is white, and the label has a place for you to write the games that are on it or something). Apeshit/ASM makes some carts and flashers, and everything I have ever purchased from him was great quality, so he gets a recommendation from me (he may not have a web shop right now, as he is changing some stuff with his business to focus more on gaming and less on chip music, and he is dropping product lines that others have started copying, which was mostly stuff for modding, like backlights, cases, buttons, etc., some of are now available from Rose Colored Gaming). There are also schematics available online to make your own.

I think the Smart Boy flash cart is made using those schematics, which were released specifically for non-commercial use. I may be wrong about that, but I am pretty sure they are in a legal grey area even more than most flash carts that people use for playing pirated games. I don't remember the price on them, as I was not interested after I found out about whatever it is. They are not always available.

Another kinda pricey option, designed mainly for the chip crowd, is the Drag and Derp, which you connect to a computer via USB. It will show up as a flash drive and you can easily add or remove stuff, but I don't think it has any sort of menu, so it is really only for one thing at a time. It will be particularly useful if you want to make backups of your saves.

A cheap option that probably won't fit your needs is something like this. You will need some eproms and a way to flash them, so it may be more expensive in the long run, plus it is quite limited.

If you want more details on anything I mentioned, let me know. I think the Everdrive is the best bet for gaming, and I will probably eventually pick one up myself if I ever come across a game that is pointlessly expensive that I want to play (I am looking at you Pokemon, despite the fact that I got a copy of red for free, and probably have my original cart from back in the day somewhere).


Off-topic:
Which Pocket do you have? I never had one back when they were released, as I was still rocking my grey brick, then the translucent purple Color, and eventually the original silver GBA SP. When I got back into them I stuck with mostly the original ones, but I did pick up a couple more Colors for customizing, and an original GBA because it fit my hands better than the SP.

I had long wanted an Extreme Green N64 controller (still don't have one), and since it is an awesome color, and I didn't have a Pocket, I waited for a cheap one and finally added one to my collection a few years ago. They really do have much better LCDs than the bricks. I then swapped out my buttons for clear ones when I had to buy a replacement battery cover that it lacked.

I still carry it when I think I might get a chance to play games (mostly Metroid for this beauty), as the small size and great screen make it a winner for me, even if it is a bit small in the hands. As dorky as it is, I sometimes hold it and admire it.

 

[tarator]

@rygD Thanks for your detailed answer!

For the sake of ease I ordered the Everdrive GB, although it's not quite cheap in my opinion. But all the other options seem to be quite cumbersome regarding their handling.
I just realize, that I'm getting in the age where time of pleasure is more worth than money

I've the transparent version oft the Gameboy Pocket

Unfortunately I can't find some of my old games. I suppose they are hidden somewhere in the attic or basement.
I also had the original grey Gameboy, but I can't remember what happened to it. I really liked the color of it! A Pyra in the classic Gameboy Grey would be my first choice!

 

[rygD]

Good choice with the Everdrive. It will make things easier, and you can easily carry all your games at once.

The clear one is also nice, and it gives you some options (which is why some people want a clear case for the Pyra). I thought I had seen replacement sets for the pocket to give it the look of the original grey one, but it was for the Color. If you care enough you could look for one of these:

Even if it doesn't work, you could swap the guts (prolly need a triwing and other screwdrivers).

While looking, I came across some more cases I want. @Grench would probably approve of that last one.

I really need to avoid Game Boy discussions for now. I could easily spend more money than the cost of a Pyra.

 

[Grench]

Good choice with the Everdrive. It will make things easier, and you can easily carry all your games at once.

The clear one is also nice, and it gives you some options (which is why some people want a clear case for the Pyra). I thought I had seen replacement sets for the pocket to give it the look of the original grey one, but it was for the Color. If you care enough you could look for one of these:

Even if it doesn't work, you could swap the guts (prolly need a triwing and other screwdrivers).

While looking, I came across some more cases I want. @Grench would probably approve of that last one.

I really need to avoid Game Boy discussions for now. I could easily spend more money than the cost of a Pyra.

Yes - that glow in the dark one is what I dreamed of for a prototype Pyra. Unfortunately it wasn't an option as it would have been prohibitively expensive.

 

[rygD]

There is also one that glows blue (see below), however I prefer the normal light look of the other one.

I was kinda given permission to get a new case for my GBA, eventually, after showing the pics in the dark. (I think I will try to twist that around so I can put more money toward my Pyra, as my GBA doesn't have a display that is usable in the dark, so the glowing case can only be enjoyed when I am not playing a game.)
[doublepost=1479234558,1479234451][/doublepost]Does anyone else notice the face where the screen would be?

 

[tarator]

Hab den Everdrive GB heute bekommen. Funktioniert ausgezeichnet! Yay!

 

[Grench]

There is also one that glows blue (see below), however I prefer the normal light look of the other one.

I was kinda given permission to get a new case for my GBA, eventually, after showing the pics in the dark. (I think I will try to twist that around so I can put more money toward my Pyra, as my GBA doesn't have a display that is usable in the dark, so the glowing case can only be enjoyed when I am not playing a game.)
[doublepost=1479234558,1479234451][/doublepost]Does anyone else notice the face where the screen would be?

Yes - I see it, though it doesn't anthropomorphize nearly as well as the Pyra keyboard.

In my imagination, a Pyra case made out of glow-in-the-dark polycarbonate would get 'charged' by the backlighting and LEDs resulting in a 'fall off' glow after LED pulse. Any light leakage around the keyboard into the case would give the case a halo. The area around the screen would softly glow. The nub caps would pick up a bit of light and remain ghostly visible if the screen went dark. Of course I don't know if the wavelengths of light being emitted by the LEDs could even 'charge' the material, but it's a fun dream.

Yes, it's cheesy. No, I'm not advocating for 'glow in the dark' as a production color. Yes, I think it would make an awesome prototype case. No, it is not likely to happen as the material to do it is expensive and only available in bulk quantities.

Still, if the plastics producer in Greece just happens to have a few kilos of the glow in the dark stuff lying around as leftovers from another project - yeah, I'd gladly take a glow in the dark prototype.

 

[rygD]

The face kinda looks like a blocky our stylized Homer Simpson to me, but not quite the fish bulb we are familiar with.

@Grench, the glowing Pyra is still a fun idea, and I would like to see you get one. If clear cases happen would one of those painted on the inside with glow in the dark paint be acceptable to you?

 

[Grench]

The face kinda looks like a blocky our stylized Homer Simpson to me, but not quite the fish bulb we are familiar with.

@Grench, the glowing Pyra is still a fun idea, and I would like to see you get one. If clear cases happen would one of those painted on the inside with glow in the dark paint be acceptable to you?

It wouldn't be quite the same effect. Glow in the dark polycarbonate looks clear in normal light and is mostly transparent even when emitting photons in the dark. If I simply painted the inside of a clear case, it would add an opaque layer making it less interesting in lit environments and loose some of the envisioned characteristics in the dark.

At this point I would take anything but pink if it helped the project move forward. No, I don't think the prototype buyers colors have anything to do with the recent delays. There always seems to be a few 'gotcha' elements that spring up.