Ok, as you are well aware, I have been working on a table of Sega CD BIOS files. Well, that isn't the only system out there with multiple BIOS versions. If anybody has anything that is missing on the Sega Saturn or Dreamcast wiki pages, or something missing from here, please let me know.
XD Awesome Borisz, I have been meaning to ask you about a few things for a while. Thanks for that list btw, the only one on that list of undumped ones I didn't know about was the SGX. I am in contact with someone with 3 Samsung Saturns, so we might see a dump of that one. He also has a HiSaturn navi, but until he can dump it without taking the EPROM off, its a nogo. I do have some other questions for you though, the SSF part of evilborisz, do you plan on updating that/passing it on to someone, because I have recently done some digging in SSF and got the video codec to work, that info would be perfect for the SSF page.
While it doesn't have any that you're missing, I always found this site to be helpful: http://web.archive.org/web/20050204112356/...shouse.free.fr/ (Last I tried, Archive.org did have most of the downloads archived)
The SGX was a saturn used in hotels, I know very little specifics of it, and even those come from Yakumo who saw one 10 years ago in a love hotel (and Yakumo is a retard when it comes to facts, AND he is a liar asshole). So for all we know, that machine may have been just a stock saturn in a different box. I'll update the ssf page when it adds something major, it has been stagnating with the same issues for years now. The video recording thing is pretty fucking straightforward if you read the docs, for which you only need to punch the readme into google translate (or the translator at excite, which is like 10 times better). If I add info about it, it'll be mostly about the readme file or whatever is written about it on the SSF site, which is for everything else I added there too. The mod-free method for ripping the saturn bios involves the action replay with a transfer cable, and an old PC that can work with that stuff (I think it still used ISA connection). You can dump the memory of the saturn using that, it is how the existing bios files were all dumped (twelve years ago!). Outside that, I know a guy who could possibly release a dumping app that doesn't require any kind of PC connection, but you'll still need to mod the saturn so it can run cdrs (may not be possible on a hisaturn navi, except maybe a swaptrick, provided you are even willing to tinker with the insides of a 2000$ console).
Well, he said he is willing to open it up (he has before), he just doesn't want to render it useless by unsoldering the BIOS. Thanks for that info though, I will be sure to let him know about that. I also am curious to see that Samsung BIOS, I wonder how different it is from the regular. I would just assume the startup screen is different and maybe some tiny region settings.
I may or may not do that one, I am trying to stick with systems that don't have an upgradable firmware (I.E. No psp's) but I haven't worked with a DS, so I don't know if the BIOS is updatable.
From what I understand, it is possible to flash a new BIOS/firmware to the DS, but it involves disassembling the DS. As far as I am aware, there is no built-in firmware update method, and the only way for them to issue a new firmware is to issue a new run of hardware to accompany it.
I guess, I just don't really know if a bios database of those is necessary. There aren't any dev bios dumps, all the existing bios are floating around on the hardware, and from what I know, there aren't any DS releases outside of nintendo, Sega however outsources to JVC, Samsung, Hitachi, and the such for stuff all the time. The only reason I have the PS1 section is because of the rare dev hardware.
And speaking of Nintendo portable BIOSes... Is the known GBA BIOS that's circulating around the internet the real one? I was wondering since no emulators can play the boot up sound properly. Also, are there any known dumps of the original GB/GBP/GBC BIOS? I've always found it strange that no emulators gave the option to show the Nintendo logo on startup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzN1b4baUww...re=channel_page Recorded with VBA and the BIOS for GBA that I have, is there anything wrong with that, or do I have a good dump? As for GB/GBC I will look into that. Edit: K, I couldn't find any info on it, I have my GBC here, I dunno if I could rig a bios dumper, or that I even know where its stored. Edit2: http://segaloco.spinfxrocks.com/gba_bios.bin http://segaloco.spinfxrocks.com/DMG_ROM.bin (Gameboy Advance, Gameboy) I don't know if the Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Color, or Gameboy light have been dumped. Also, the Gameboy Loud as well, I need to make this my next project. I did some reading, and it turns out that GB bios are pretty fucking hard to dump. They are weirdly enough stored deep inside the CPU, in some special register or something that can't be accessed by programs.
Well... Turns out the BIOS I've used since the very first GBA emus was indeed wrong. Thanks a lot for the clean dump!
This is what the "bad" BIOS sounds like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqXl5xSjjT8 ...I wonder where it really came from.
Ya know what, that actually sounds familiar, is that from the Micro or something, or gameboy player?? Can anyone with one of these confirm. Edit: GerbilSoft said that is due to a bad emulator. Whatever.
It might've been corrupt, or fan made - I've read that GBA bios are so well known that the official BIOS aren't needed anymore. Might be bullshit. Who knows?
Just a corrupt audio core in whatever emu it was in. It was a good copy. As for not needing BIOS, you are right, most emus don't need them, although some want them as a formality like gpSP.
Well, the BIOS does contain some functions for games to use (mainly math functions), and VisualBoyAdvance will attempt to emulate them if the BIOS isn't present, so that might be what you've understand as not needing the official BIOS :P
