Firstly before I start off this review I’d like to give a big thank you to Mr. BennVenn for sending these items out for review quite some time ago. Ok to start off with, these guys have the best names for some of their products, my favorite would have to be “The joey-joebags”. The joey-joebags is the name for the universal Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance reader / writer unit. The housing for The joey-joebags, also known simply as Reader/Writer Gen3, is 3D printed (this is actually the first 3D printed thing I’ve seen in person, believe it or not!) The physical construction although quite sturdy and by the looks of it made from ABS plastic, cosmetically could do with a bit of cut and shine. The cartridge edge connector looks to be a modified DS/DSLite slot 2 connector, I am yet to have any read/write errors, however some sort of cover would have been nice as the contacts feel a bit exposed to the elements (so to speak).. One small detail that I am very happy with is the USB connector, why? you may ask.. A small feature but in my eyes a great one! The connector is a mini USB, nowadays maybe not as common as MICRO USB, however it is much more durable! Just a small note from the BennVenn site: *Modified USB cable is STRONGLY suggested when working with GBA carts. 2 diodes (1N4007 etc…) In series with the 5v USB supply will reduce the voltage to the cart to an acceptable level. I have not had any issues operating my GBA carts at 5v however no guarantee is given on the safety of yours! BennVenn GBA carts are 5v tolerant, so no need to use modified cable when flashing them with Joey. This is kind of odd, if this mod is recommended, then why isn't it implemented into the programmer somehow?? Software The gen3 reader/writer uses it’s own custom software too that, well as it’s name suggests, read and write various carts. The Gen3 software (and the actual hardware) supports, as expected, all the BennVenn flash carts as well as flashing support for EMS 64/32 megabit, BV64/256 megabit, Nintendo Power Cart and Shark MX flash carts. BennVenn has stated that both Bung and Fightercart support will be added soon, for people rocking those awesome flash carts. The Gen3 isn’t just limited to flash carts, it also supports dumping retail and I assume most prototype game cartridges also. You can dump both the game ROM and SRAM (static ram, where saves are stored) from Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance. With the Gameboy Advance games, the Gen3 also supports dumping of EEPROM and FLASH based save memory, AWESOME! The Gen3 also has support for reading and writing the SRAM in the Gameboy Camera, extra awesome! (do I say awesome too much? maybe.. bah who cares!) At the time of writing I am yet to be the proud owner of a Gameboy camera, cries in corner, so I have not personally tested this feature. However the Gen3 supports sending images from the Gameboy camera IN REAL TIME! Currently the image transfer rate is 5fps but still that’s still really neat, perfect as a webcam! haha As far as read and write speeds go for game cartridges and the BennVenn flash carts, here is my experience: Dumping Gameboy Color SRAM: About 20 seconds Writing Gameboy Color SRAM: About 25 seconds Dumping Gameboy Color game: About 10 minutes ! (Rom Size 1MB) Now as for the timing, I am going to have to check some things with my system, as this seems way to long to be normal. More than likely just a bug with my specific system, so please take these times with a fist full of salt! Once I have determined whats going on here I’ll update this review, BennVenn I think it’s me not you.. BennVenn also includes a multi rom tool for use with their 256 megabit Gameboy/Gameboy color flash cartridge. This tool is pretty self explanatory but for those in the back of the class, put simply it joins multiple games together with a simple menu system that’s loaded up when you boot the cartridge.. Tool-tip popups or a local help/user guide would be handy here. The Gen3 software is obviously still under development, that is clearly stated when you launch the program, however from a user experience standpoint it can be a little confusing. Most menu options are abbreviated and with no included local help system, tool tips or actual help file, it CAN be a bit of a learning curve for some. There is a pretty good user guide written by a chap called Sandman here More Hardware BennVenn also sent me some good old home grown flash carts for me to take a look at.. First up is the BennVenn 256 MegaBit Gameboy/Gameboy Color Flash cartridge, boy that’s a mouthful! Exterior build quality is pretty good, the cartridge shell is a aftermarket one but the actual plastic molding is fairly good, odd hole in the front though?.. The shell does bulge out slightly due to the internal battery holder but it doesn’t bulge enough to rub or get stuck in the console. Internal build quality is very nice, the SRAM battery is removable (meaning solder-less replacement), the PCB is double sided with a gold plated edge connector (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold, “ENIG”), gold tends to be more resistant to dulling, meaning more reliable reads (original cartridges use gold also). The glob-top and and glass diode are interesting, didn’t expect that This flash cart has worked flawlessly in every Gameboy device I’ve got, GameCube Gameboy player, N64 Transfer pack, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Advance SP. As far as the console is concerned, these are ‘real’ cartridges. The GBA Flash Cart This little fella is similar to the 256megabit GBC flash cart, in terms of exterior build quality, again it looks like BennVenn have gone with a third party shell for the cartridge and there is nothing wrong with that either. Internal build quality is much the same with this guy, however the only potentially negative difference being the PCB edge connector, it appears to not be ENIG plated, instead looks to be HASL (Hot Air Solder Levelling) plated. HASL is where the copper pads on the PCB are coated with a very thin layer of solder, this does still protect the copper underneath, however solder does ‘dull’ easier than gold. Will this make any real world difference? I doubt it, with frequent heavy use you may find you have to clean this cartridge a little more often than the 256 megabit GBC cartridge above.. This is a 128 megabit cartridge, it’ll hold pretty much any retail Gamboy Advance game, this cartridge however does only support SRAM. For games that are EEPROM based, you will need to patch them first. Final Thoughts? In this day and age where everyone is focusing on just emulation, it is very refreshing to see a product cater to the hardware enthusiast. Someone looking for an old school one to one flash card solution, BennVenn has accomplished this by going with a bare-metal simple approach. The software does need some work yes but I feel that shouldn’t bring the score down because the hardware is close to perfect, in terms of what and who it’s designed for.. These flash cartridges and programmer are ideal for independent developers and those into LSDJ music creation . I honestly like this product and can recommend picking one up, find links to BennVenn’s store below.. BennVenn's Store: http://bennvenn.myshopify.com/ PROS High Compatibility Good Exterior Quality Nice looking Hardware Replaceable battery (Gameboy cart only) CONS Software needs a little work GBA edge connector could be higher quality http://www.slot1gamer.com/reviews/gaming-hardware-reviews/bennvenn-gba-gameboy-flash-cart/
I suppose for just getting the job done the 3D printed case is fine, but man that print quality is not settling well with me. I'm certain it's fine but cosmetically it could be better.
I agree! These were printed after just building my printer. A bit of a learning curve! Current enclosures have a gloss finish with a fine print resolution. Pics up on my store. The plating on the GBA cart is Nickle, not HASL. Nickle is a very hard wearing material and somewhat resistant to oxidation. These are from the manufacturer and although I would prefer hard gold electroplating, we want to keep the cost down. Since shipping these out almost a year ago, they have been discontinued and replaced with SD equipped flash carts. Much more user friendly.
Thanks alot for this detailed review Might have to get one of those flashcarts one day, they looks great.
Hmm... as a GameBoy Camera aficionado, I am very interested in the readers ability to dump images, will bookmark the site and hopefully grab one when they are in stock and I'm feeling flush. Great review!
