How To: Playing GBC ROMs on 3DS
Note from Wololo: This tutorial was initially published by /Talk member memeoverlord, as part of our monthly tutorial contest. Memeoverlord won the best 3DS tutorial prize in March (a $10 PSN Code) for his entry. You can find the original post here.
Before you begin, please note that this requires an original 3DS or 3DS XL, the n3DS will not work. Secondly, this requires a firmware version on or before 9.5.0-22. And finally, you will already need to own a GBC game. That includes games from the ambassador program. There will be a list of required materials at the bottom.
To begin, you will need to remove the SD card from your 3DS, and insert it into your computer. Next, you will need to download GBCRomSwap from the link at the bottom of the post, and copy the file code.bin to the root of your SD card(that means its not in a folder, its directly on the sd card). You will also need to copy a GBC rom, with the filename “rom.gbc” (without the quotes, also into the root of the sd card).
Next, you’ll have to put the SD card back into your 3ds, and turn it on. Open a Virtual console Gameboy Color game, and open the virtual console menu (Tapping the touch screen). Reset the game (You will lose your save data, so make sure to use a game you don’t care about) and push home. Open the browser, and go to http://loadcode.projectpokemon.org . Your ds will pause and hang for a moment, and you will see a color on the touch screen. Red means the VC ROM was not found in the RAM. Yellow means the ROM you were injecting is too large, either try a smaller ROM or a VC game with a bigger ROM. Finally, Green means it was successful.
Go back into the game after your 3DS crashes back to the home menu with an error, and reopen your VC game. Open the VC menu, and touch reset once more. When it resets, it should load the GBC game!
This process can also be done with Gameboy (Not advance) games! Just make sure to use a VC Gameboy game as the base for your ROM.
Requirements:
- Original 3DS/3DS XL
- Firmware 9.5.0-22 or lower
- SD Card with enough space for the ROM and exploit file
- Computer with working internet connection & a way to transfer files to the SD card
- VC Game from the eShop, GBC for a GBC ROM, or GB for a GB ROM.
- A GB or GBC ROM to load
Links:
GBCRomSwap: http://www.mediafire.com/download/0583oa67e42jyqf/GBCRomSwap.rar
Exploit Loader (Using the one for pokemon ROM hacks, just repurposed): http://loadcode.projectpokemon.org
Thank you for reading, please leave comments and such below if I messed anything up!
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Please tell me there are plans of releasing one for newer firmwares.
That all depends on if they can bypass the block for the exploit in 9.6 and 9.7 firmware a. It’s not as easy to do as you think it is..
Is there a way to restore the original oficially bought ROM of the VC GB game? Or the ROM game is replaced forever? Do we need to swap the ROM everytime? The replaced ROM is able to save for later playing?
The tutorial says the new rom is loaded into Ram. Where Ram is volatile memory it would make sense that on every reboot the original rom is restored and the new rom will have to be reenabled by following the tutorial again.
That makes sense. Thank you. I’ll try it next time
FIRST, be jealous you pissy other people
What’s the reason for no n3ds support? I have firmware 9.1. Thanks
Internal differences between the old & new 3DS.
I tried to use the Blue Card of GateWay to play NDS Roms on my New 3DS. But it doesn’t work. When I chose a ROM, an error message just always come out.
I don’t know why. The Blue Card works normally when I use the old 3DS.
If I remember right, that is because the blue card uses the same or a similar web browser exploit as this GB rom swap does , so the Hardware differences The Z is talking about blocked that exploit from running on N3DS, and FW 9.5 patched the software side of the exploit for the older systems as well.
Will this lead to homebrew.
You do know that there’s already a homebrew enabler hack right? All you need is a 3ds on 9.2 or lower and the game cubic ninja.
It’s not available for the N3DS due to it using a completely different web browser that the exploit doesn’t run on.
perhaps true, but afaik you can swap out the browser with the old3DS spider browser.
Actually, you can install the old browser (spider) but it will not be able to open, as the icons to launch the internet, still point to the new browser (skater).
I almost bricked my N3DS looking for a workaround.
This is kinda pointless and a lot of effort not to mention homescreen spam and the hassle of having to swap out rom.gbc every time you want to change the game… if you’re already able to run homebrew and exploits, I think gameyob is 10x better than this method. And yes, gameyob supports sound. (atleast in CFW, dunno about ninjhax)
Rgernis Cheats.