Hacking GBA mode problem (specifically relating to Mother 3)

[Kohmei]

I've been playing a lot of GBA games on my N3DS as of late, the most current one being Mother 3. I thought I was just having a really hard to learning the rhythm combos because they seemed random at best, and impossible at worst. Every bit of advice someone would give me just would not work, and I was becoming increasingly frustrated that someone would design such an imprecise mechanic.

I figured the 3DS was the best (most accurate) platform to play this on, as it has actual GBA hardware, and apparently the game has historically had problems being emulated, specifically in regards to combo timing. None the less, I decided to dump my save and load it up in mGBA, and the combo problem I was having is completely gone. I can routinely get 10+ every single round, exactly as I expected the system should work. Load it back up on the N3DS, and it's still impossible to even get a combo started.

I've seen people swear by playing it on the 3DS and others who are in my boat, so this raises an odd question: what would cause this GBA mode error such that it affects some and not others? And what would cause such a trivial discrepancy that doesn't completely break the game, or all GBA games for that matter. I went so far as to create my own injection of the ROM, suspecting a problem with the original injection, but it's still broken. Perhaps there are different versions of the AGB_FIRM or something?

I realize there's probably not much to do in this situation but shrug and move on, but I thought maybe someone might know something who can possibly solve why this is happening.

 

[kuwanger]

The only way to answer your question is the obvious: record your fingers pressing the buttons while the combo goes on each and see what the timing is like. Odds are good they don't have identical latency.

 

[Kohmei]

The only way to answer your question is the obvious: record your fingers pressing the buttons while the combo goes on each and see what the timing is like. Odds are good they don't have identical latency.

The emulator definitely has some small amount of input lag, whereas it seems to be completely absent from the 3DS's GBA mode. But... this should work in favor of playing it on the 3DS, not the emulator. And yet it's opposite. Even if I accept that the input lag is working in my favor, it would mean that my reaction time + the input lag is offsetting my inputs by an entire beat (otherwise it wouldn't line up), and I'm just not that bad at video games. Something else must be going on.

One interesting thing I've noticed is that If I hypnotize the enemies to get the heartbeat, that I CAN get a combo going on the 3DS version. But I can just listen to the rhythm of the music on the emulator and do it without the heartbeat. It seems like somehow the game logic is not sync'd to the music when the track without the heartbeat is playing

 

[JellyPerson]

No, no, no. You're doing it all wrong. You need to find a VC inject of this game in order to take advantage of the hardware.

 

[ThoD]

Exactly as said right above ↑

mGBA is an EMULATOR, that means it runs the games via software, not hardware. You need injects to use the hardware. I have Mother 3 as inject for example and never had any issues like you are having, because there's no latency or issues whatsoever.

 

[Yepi69]

I've played the VC injection version of the game and the rhythm combos were spot-on, as spot-on as my GBA SP with EZFlash IV.
Coming from a fan boy of the franchise, this game requires pin point ''emulation'' to run at its best, something the 3DS does it with ease (because it doesn't emulate it)

 

[kuwanger]

One interesting thing I've noticed is that If I hypnotize the enemies to get the heartbeat, that I CAN get a combo going on the 3DS version. But I can just listen to the rhythm of the music on the emulator and do it without the heartbeat. It seems like somehow the game logic is not sync'd to the music when the track without the heartbeat is playing

That should be trivial to prove if you recorded with audio. Just slow down playback to 1/4th speed or more and play a play battle with the same music, one with hypnotize and without side-by-side. What I vaguely recall (been a while), hypnotize makes it easier to combo. But, then, I'm not sure how much of that is clearly hearing the beat. Regardless, it sounds like you're at least 50% towards answering your own question.

 

[Kohmei]

No, no, no. You're doing it all wrong. You need to find a VC inject of this game in order to take advantage of the hardware.

Exactly as said right above ↑

mGBA is an EMULATOR, that means it runs the games via software, not hardware. You need injects to use the hardware. I have Mother 3 as inject for example and never had any issues like you are having, because there's no latency or issues whatsoever.

The problem I'm having is with GBA mode on the 3DS. The actual hardware GBA mode, not mGBA running on the 3DS. For the sake of comparison, I also loaded up mGBA on my PC and the combos work as expected. But they don't on the 3DS, on the allegedly "real hardware".

I realize most people have no problems with this, which is what prompted this thread. I am not crazy. I've seen several people on Reddit had this exact problem and no one believed them either, because "it works fine for me".

There must be some fundamental underlying problem for why some people are experiencing problems and others aren't.

 

[ThoD]

The problem I'm having is with GBA mode on the 3DS. The actual hardware GBA mode, not mGBA running on the 3DS. For the sake of comparison, I also loaded up mGBA on my PC and the combos work as expected. But they don't on the 3DS, on the allegedly "real hardware".

I realize most people have no problems with this, which is what prompted this thread. I am not crazy. I've seen several people on Reddit had this exact problem and no one believed them either, because "it works fine for me".

There must be some fundamental underlying problem for why some people are experiencing problems and others aren't.

Could just be that the people experiencing the issue have a bad ROM, can happen with any game. Remake the inject and try again.

 

[Feffe]

How large is your SD card?

 

[Kohmei]

Could just be that the people experiencing the issue have a bad ROM, can happen with any game. Remake the inject and try again.

I've both downloaded a pre-made one and made my own. I know my ROM is working, because as I said, I've tested it on several PC emulators and getting combos going is actually quite easy :/
I've pretty much exhausted what I can test (change) myself and I realize there isn't going to be an easy answer here, if any answer at all. Even for a more technically inclined person, they would only be able to figure this one out if it was personally affecting them

I'm probably just going to play it on my PC since it's running perfectly there.

How large is your SD card?

128GB. I tried a 32GB card and it doesn't have any effect.

 

[FateForWindows]

I have a 16gb card and I also have issues with the combo system.

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[Tac 21]

The problem I'm having is with GBA mode on the 3DS. The actual hardware GBA mode,

that's just plain weird... cause also have nothing but praise for 3DS GBA VC injection. It would be prefect (but its missing the link future, so did the DS GBA as well)

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

If you're having problems and others aren't, perhaps the host game's emulation code you're using isn't ideal for M3.

 

[Kohmei]

After spending more time with the game, I'm going to chalk this one up as user error. The input lag of the PC emulator was (for some reason) making the combos easier, but I've got the swing of it on the 3DS now.