[RESOLVED] SNES - Illusion of Gaia [NTSC-U] - SRAM

[starlightknight]

It seems that the Retrode cannot read the SRAM from Illusion of Gaia. It correctly identifies it as 8KB of SRAM, but the save data does not show up in the emulator. Putting the cart back in the SNES, the save data is still there.

Is there any hope for being able to fix this in a future firmware update? This is the only game I have that I could not back up my save :-(

Thanks for you time

-SLK

EDIT:

The solution is to use "[filenameChksum] 0" in the retrode.cfg for this game - some crazy bug in Snes9x makes it not read the save correctly when this game is read with the checksum in the filename. Odd since it doesnt seem to happen with other games I have. But I can play direct off the Retrode now so I am happy :-)

[Matthias_H]

Hi,

Could you please send the srm file to support at retrode dot org? Thanks.

Cheers,
Matthias

[starlightknight]

Done - thanks for the response, appreciate it :-)

Also included a pic of the saves showing on the real snes, so you'd know what I was expecting to show up in the emulator if it was working. Instead, I just get all blanks (Snes9x).

[starlightknight]

Ok... I have some interesting info for you on this. You are right - the SRAM file is good! Its the ROM from the retrode that is bad! If I download a good rom dump, the SRM file works with it - just the dump from the retrode does not.

This is crazy though - the file size is the same on disc and the header info matches? What the heck? Byte size is exactly the same, but again - Snes9x CANNOT see the SRM file with the ROM from the Retrode, only with the reference one I got online. I don't know what to make of this.

Good dump:

File: C:\SNES\I\Illusion of Gaia (U).smc
Name: ILLUSION OF GAIA USA
Speed: 31/FastROM
ROM Map: HiROM
Type: 02
Kart contents: ROM+RAM+BAT
Header ROM Size: 16Mbits
Calculated ROM Size: 16 Mbits
SRAM size: 64Kbits (64Kbit)
Actual Checksum: BEA9
Header Checksum: BEA9
Header Checksum Compliment: 4156
Output: NTSC 60Hz
CRC32:    1C3848C0
Licensee: Nintendo
ROM Version: 1.0
Region: USA/Canada

Retrode Dump:

File: C:\SNES\I\Illusion of Gaia.smc
Name: ILLUSION OF GAIA USA
Speed: 31/FastROM
ROM Map: HiROM
Type: 02
Kart contents: ROM+RAM+BAT
Header ROM Size: 16Mbits
Calculated ROM Size: 16 Mbits
SRAM size: 64Kbits (64Kbit)
Actual Checksum: BEA9
Header Checksum: BEA9
Header Checksum Compliment: 4156
Output: NTSC 60Hz
CRC32:    1C3848C0
Licensee: Nintendo
ROM Version: 1.0
Region: USA/Canada

[Matthias_H]

.smc is really a bad, bad choice for a file extension, since it implies the presence of an additional Super Magicom header in the file. Have you tried the extension .sfc?

[starlightknight]

Sorry - I had renamed the version in that folder after dump so the SNES powerpak would take it. In the original *.sfc i get the same result - and same result when its direct off the retrode

[starlightknight]

Oy - it looks like a whacky SNES9x bug with how the file is named.

Direct off the retrode the file name is "IllusionOfGaiaUsa.4156.sfc" and "IllusionOfGaiaUsa.4156.srm" - if i copy them to HDD and rename them both to be "IllusionOfGaiaUsa.sfc" and "IllusionOfGaiaUsa.srm" it works.

Whats crazy is it doesnt mind the checksum in the header for any of my other games.

Oh well, crazy issues are crazy. I'm so sorry for wasting your time, but thank you so much for helping me with this. I guess once and awhile we just see crazy things x___x;

P.S: Your dedication to support is awesome. Thanks so much for being so responsive and helpful

[starlightknight]

On that note - I can play directly off the Retrode with [filenameChksum] 0

So I guess this is resolved :-)

Sooooooooooooooooo weird though