Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

----You can just browse to the "Problems" part directly to skip the introduction----

Hi everyone! Actually I really appreciate Dolphin team's effort on the development of this excellent emulator, and thanks to your good work we can emulate the GameCube Pokemon series better than ever on PC, like Pokemon Box Ruby & Sapphire the USA version, Pokemon Colosseum and so on. Especially Pokemon Box USA version can now be emulated nearly perfectly on Dolphin, with normal gameplay and connection to GBA (via VBA-M). 
Unfortunately, I meet some difficulties in running the Japanese version Pokemon Box on Dolphin, which doesn't work well in even normal gameplay (can't enter storage system without special Memory Card 59) or connection to GBA (stop on the step launching the GBA bios unlike the USA version). It's a regret that JPN version of GEN3 Pokemon series (RSE/FRLG) thus can't link to Pokemon Box on Dolphin ... I'm looking for your help and below are the details of the problems about the JPN version Pokemon Box emulation on Dolphin:

----Problems----

1. To normally play the JPN version of Pokemon Box RS on GameCube, a special memory card with 59 blocks called "Ruby and Sapphire Memory Card 59" is required just unlike the USA version, and without it we can't start the storage system gameplay (pic 1).

However, I haven't figured out any Dolphin's function to produce this special memory file, which the USA version doesn't require (pic 2).


2. Dolphin works well on connection to VBA-M using Pokemon Box USA version with Ruby/Sapphire USA version, and we can see the introduction part of Ruby/Sapphire will play normally after the GBA bios finishes its launching on the GC screen (pic 3&4).


But Pokemon Box JPN version doesn't work with JPN version of Ruby/Sapphire, because the GBA bios running screen will stuck and lack the "Nintendo" logo below (pic 5). 

I try to enable the Panic Handlers (go to "Options" -> "Configuration" -> "Interface", and leave "Use Panic Handlers" checked), finding it generate error logs continuously like "Invalid read from 0x900000b4, PC = 0x800b6084" the instance you close it (pic 6). 

Same situation takes place in the Europe version of Pokemon Box and Ruby/Sapphire too. Similarly, someone with the same problems had also posted his question, and more details can be found on this link.

Additionally, the dolphin version I'm using is 5.0-2510 x64, and the VBA-M version is 2.1.4-36e61d76, both of which works well and stably with the USA version of Pokemon Box and Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire, but doesn't with the JPN version. In the end, I look forward to your reply.  

Oh this is interesting, I do have a Japanese copy of Pokémon Box and its red/blue clear plastic memory card but I had no idea that it was flagged as special. I'm gonna see if I can figure out what is different about it...

Actually it looks like any 59 block card works for the Japanese version, just not anything bigger than that. Weird requirement, but okay.

https://i.imgur.com/CI9OUEI.png
https://i.imgur.com/eMtiqxN.png
https://i.imgur.com/vCPagyj.png
https://i.imgur.com/0WUnhtZ.png

We should probably add an exception for this for the GCI folders though.

Haven't tried if it actually connects to GBA afterwards though, but that's always been a bit flakey in my experience anyway...

(07-13-2020, 11:25 AM)AdmiralCurtiss Wrote: [ -> ]Actually it looks like any 59 block card works for the Japanese version, just not anything bigger than that. Weird requirement, but okay.

https://i.imgur.com/CI9OUEI.png
https://i.imgur.com/eMtiqxN.png
https://i.imgur.com/vCPagyj.png
https://i.imgur.com/0WUnhtZ.png

We should probably add an exception for this for the GCI folders though.

Haven't tried if it actually connects to GBA afterwards though, but that's always been a bit flakey in my experience anyway...

It works! Thank you sooooooo much for the solution!

So it's 59 block memory card that matters whether it is specific or not. Hmm... Due to the system compatibility issues, the latest version of Dolphin cannot be run on my PC, so I've tried to generate a 59 block memory card file (512 KB) with Nintendont on Wii, rename it to "MemoryCardA.JAP.raw" on PC (if you can see the attachment) and replace the old one in "\Dolphin Emulator\GC" folder. Finally I started the storage system gameplay connecting to Pokemon Sapphire successfully and got the False swipe Swablu egg! 

It's just exciting to make it through, and again I'd really appreciate it if you bros have any advice on skipping the numerous error logs and the stagnant "GAME BOY" launching which only appears on the Japanese and the European versions. Since 4 exclusive bonus eggs are included in "Storage System Mode", for me the "Adventure Mode" is somehow different and important for it generates more optional individuals of Pokemon which the GBA gameplay can't do. 

Sincerely, thanks for your reply!

I'm afraid you're not gonna get much support for a build that is 10k revisions old. Why exactly can't you use newer builds?

(07-14-2020, 03:09 AM)AdmiralCurtiss Wrote: [ -> ]I'm afraid you're not gonna get much support for a build that is 10k revisions old. Why exactly can't you use newer builds?

Emm... When I try 12k+ build Dolphin, several error logs occur saying "The program can't start because VCRUNTIME140_1.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem." But 2510 build works normally on my PC, that's ... At present I'm not sure new build can prevent that bios error on Japanese version, since I can play the USA version pokemon box on 2510 build Dolphin successfully on "Adventure Mode".

(07-14-2020, 10:26 PM)ExtremeDude2 Wrote: [ -> ]https://dolphin-emu.org/docs/faq/#program-cant-start-because-vcdll-is-missing

Thanks a lot! I've downloaded Visual C++ 2019 and now 12296 build just runs well, but sadly the problem still exists in the PMBOX JPN version...





The USA version is just fine as before.

Does this problem fix itself when you switch the DSP emulation to LLE? If not, how about when using a dumped DSP ROM with LLE?

(07-20-2020, 12:36 PM)AdmiralCurtiss Wrote: [ -> ]Does this problem fix itself when you switch the DSP emulation to LLE? If not, how about when using a dumped DSP ROM with LLE?

Nope, it didnot skip the BIOS screen as before with DSP LLE recompiler, neither did the setting of dumped DSP ROMs (dsp_rom.bin, dsp_coef.bin) into "Dolphin Emulator\GC\"...  Maybe I shall try looking for some tricky ways though.