[Famicom] RA isn't creating a save file while using an ips patch

RetroArch Nintendo consoles
#1

I’m playing the first Fire Emblem, everything works fine if I use the raw Japanese rom but patching it with an ips translation file stops the game from creating a save file when saving manually in-game. I tried both soft and hard patching and Mesen and Nestopia cores but the effect is the same. Any ideas?

#2

Are you sure you’re using the newest version of the patch? it seems this was a problem in earlier versions that has since been fixed (see first post here: https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=10647.0)

Other than that, have you tried FCEUmm? If it’s a weird mapper issue, that core supports many funky mappers.

#3

I’m using an updated version of that translation:

I didn’t try FCEUmm, I thought Mesen supported ALL mappers. I’ll check it now.

EDIT: FCEUmm doesn’t create a save either.

#4

saves fine here:

Screenshot_2019-08-21_07-39-47
Screenshot_2019-08-21_07-39-47.png882×433 8.99 KB

(screenshot is taken after saving the game, restarting retroarch and then re-loading game. rom is soft patched with the patch linked above )

[libretro INFO]  ROM CRC32:  0xe2cf01d6
[libretro INFO]  ROM MD5:    0x209dc1bcd5bc0992e2b4c7a0d71831ba
[libretro INFO]  PRG ROM:   16 x 16KiB
[libretro INFO]  CHR ROM:   16 x  8KiB
[libretro INFO]  Mapper #:  10
[libretro INFO]  Mapper name: MMC4
[libretro INFO]  Mirroring: Horizontal
[libretro INFO]  Battery-backed: Yes
[libretro INFO]  Trained: No
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#5

That’s weird, I’ll try again on fresh RA install without touching any settings.

EDIT: I followed your steps and indeed, if you save and restart the game you will be able to continue but after quitting the save is gone.

Curiously, my log says the game is not “battery-backed”:

[libretro INFO]  ROM CRC32:  0xe2cf01d6
[libretro INFO]  ROM MD5:    0x209dc1bcd5bc0992e2b4c7a0d71831ba
[libretro INFO]  PRG ROM:   16 x 16KiB
[libretro INFO]  CHR ROM:   16 x  8KiB
[libretro INFO]  Mapper #:  10
[libretro INFO]  Mapper name: MMC4
[libretro INFO]  Mirroring: Horizontal
[libretro INFO]  Battery-backed: No
[libretro INFO]  Trained: No
#6

So do you have an actual save file or was it purged just like I said?

#7

you rom is incorrect, battery bit should be enabled hence why you games keep disappearing, they were never dumped to disk. Use NES header editor and enabled the battery bit and you should be fine.

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#8

I checked it with goodtools and romcenter so it should be fine but you’re absolutely right. Everything works fine now, thanks :slight_smile:

#9

rom verification tools such as clrmame, romcenter using official DATs only verifies rom data, meaning it will only check checksums for PRG and CHR(if it used one), and ignores the header, so the battery bit is never checked (ot the first 16 bytes are never checked if its a NES header, which all NES rom should have and any emulator should be able to play without the need for a database.)

So, to correct my statement above, i should have said, your rom is correct( rom data that is), but your header is not. Its like having the right car but with the wrong engine…or something.

(thanks for the post approval, but how many times would it need to be before this goes away?)

1 Like
#10

The more you know :slight_smile: Thanks again!