The Powerpak Thread

[buttheadrulesagain | 41]

This post has been pinned in NA Gamer's Gauntlet for years, and I am proud of it, so I do not want it to be lost. Here it is, I will update this information soon, to avoid reference to NA threads (because who knows what will happen with that anyways). Feel free to ask questions on PP issues. Since I have many other flashcarts now, I will try to include them here too!

INTRODUCTION

This thread pretends to be a complete account of all the relevant information which isn't in Retrozone (from the POV of people who aren't developers or modders), related to the NES Powerpak (and a SNES Powerpak information link). Within this thread you will find the necessary files and help to make your Powerpak much more functional. After reading this thread, you will be able to use savestates as in emulators, have maximum compatibility (even with many pirate games), load save files and savestates automatically, among other things. It includes the following:

1. Incompatibility list

a) US Licensed Games that don't work (complete list)

b) US Unlicensed Games that don't work (complete list)

c) Pirates, Hacks and Homebrews that don't work (partial list)

d) PAL games that don't work on a NTSC console (partial list)

e) Japanese games that don't work (partial list)


2. List of non-licensed, and non-US games tested so far that work

a) Demos, hacks, pirates, homebrews and protos that work

b) European exclusive games that work

FDS GAMES WORK, BUT ONLY IF THEY MEET THE CRITERIA DESCRIBED IN RETROUSB.COM


3. Powermappers compatibility list

4. Mapper releases (official and unofficial).
At the end of this section there's a link to download a cocktail of mappers so you can get 100% features and compatibility. Also includes slot files for powermappers to save games for all US licensed releases.

5. Resources - include very useful NES and SNES Power Pak utilities and fixes.

6. Troubleshooting

7. SNES Powerpak Information, here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=248125#sdd1
-Unofficial SNES Powerpak firmware, with better capabilities, here: http://manuloewe.de/main/index.php?/pages/snespowerpak.html

8. 64drive information, here: http://gbatemp.net/topic/309492-64drive-review/
NEWS: new menu version allows to copy controller pak  memory contents to the microSD and CF card. Also no RESETTING needed to save.  That way, you only need one controller pak, and archive save games any time you need. http://64drive.retroactive.be/support.php

9. Everdrive64 information, here: http://micro-64.com/features/everdrive64.shtml

10. SLOT FILES for all the licensed NTSC games. Find link at end of section 4. Mapper Releases. Sorry, had to do it that way because I couldn't paste it again, it shows a non-working link (NA issues). This file has also the mapper cocktail to get all features and compatibility.

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1. INCOMPATIBILITY LIST

All ROMS were previously repaired with NEStoy, and the ones that didn't work were tried with emulator FCEUX. Games were tried exclusively with an american NES (toaster), USING A COMBINATION OF MAPPERS (not the ones available in retrousb.com, links in section 4). 

a) US LICENSED GAMES THAT DON'T WORK

Uncharted Waters (MMC5)


SPECIAL CASES

Super Cars - This one works, but in most cases you have to fix it with Nestopia. Download Nestopia at http://nestopia.sourceforge.net/ (choose binaries). Run program, select File> Edit INES header. Only change mirroring to vertical, save, and voilá.

Action 52 - This one works partially (ROM too big for the Powerpak), some games won't load, including Cheetahmen. I'll leave it out of the final count.

Cybernoid - The Fighting Machine - Has severely glitched graphics with the official, beta, and loopy's mappers. The newest thefox savestate mappers fix it (link at "resources" section). If you don't want to use those, you can play normally with game genie code SXZNZV .

Karnov - same as Cybernoid, this one is only fixed in thefox's mappers.


b) UNLICENSED GAMES THAT DON'T WORK

Racermate Challenge II


c) PIRATES, HACKS AND HOMEBREWS THAT DON'T WORK (FROM THE TRIED SO FAR)
*many pirates and hacks have custom mappers, which the POWERPAK doesn't support

LUNAR IPS PATCHING PROGRAM HERE: http://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/lips/

100 in 1 contra function (bad mapper 15)
22 in 1
3 in 1
6 in 1 Gamestar
Aladdin (glitches)
Aladdin 3
Buzz and Waldog (proto) - this one works if you apply this patch to the ROM http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/424/
Final Fantasy VII
Lolicats
Streetfighter 3
Streetfighter alpha zero
Streetfighter II YOKO
Streetfighter zero 2
Study and Game 32 in 1
Super 8 in 1 fighting (?)
Super Contra 7
Super Mario Adventure - works if you apply this patch: http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=16139.0
World Heroes 2 (?)
Shin Samurai Spirits 2
Salamander
Super Chinese
Super Mario Adventure
Tagin' Dragon
Thunder Warrior


d) PAL GAMES THAT DON'T WORK ON A NTSC CONSOLE (FROM THE TRIED SO FAR)
*PAL games are not guaranteed to work with POWERPAK. These games may work correctly on a PAL NES

Asterix (E) (glitches)?
Beauty and the Beast (E) (glitches)
Elite (E) (glitches)?
F-1 Sensation (glitches)
Kick Off (E) (glitches)?
Lion King, The (glitches)
Mr. Gimmick! (glitches)

e) JAPANESE GAMES THAT DON'T WORK

Akira
Akuma-kun: Makai no Wana
Armadillo (glitches)
Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou
Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou 2
Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijou 3
Crayon Shin-chan: Ora to Poi Poi
Daikoukai Jidai (severe glitches)
Devil Man (severe glitches)
Don Doko Don
Don Doko Don 2
Dragon Ball 3: Gokuu Den
Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku
Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza!!
Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzou Ningen
Dragon Ball Z: Kyoushuu! Saiyajin 
Dragon Ball: Dai Maou Fukkatsu 
Dragon Buster (severe glitches)
Famicom Jump II: Saikyou no 7 Nin
Famicom Jump: Eiyuu Retsuden
Fudou Myouou Den (runs, but crashes in gameplay)
Golf Ko Open
Image Fight
Ishin no Arashi (gets stuck when moving around map at the beginning, but doesn't crash)
Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 2: Karakuri Land
Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 3: Taiketsu! Zouringen 
Lagrange Point
Magical Taruruuto-kun 2: Mahou Daibouken
Magical Taruruuto-kun: Fantastic World!!
Major League
Meikyuu Jima
Meimon! Dai San Yakyuu Bu
Metal Slader Glory (character boxes glitched, otherwise seems playable)
Mezase Top Pro: Green ni Kakeru Yume
Mississippi Satsujin Jiken: Murder on the Mississippi (ROM loads, but you can't do anything, flashing screen)
Moe Pro! '90: Kandou-hen
Moe Pro!: Saikyou-hen
Moero!! Pro Yakyuu '88: Kettei Ban (loads to black screen)
Ninja Jajamaru: Ginga Daisakusen
Oeka Kids: Anpanman to Oekaki Shiyou!! (severely glitched)
Paaman Part 2: Himitsu Kessha Madoodan o Taose!
Paaman: Enban o Torikaese!!
Pizza Pop!
Plasma Ball 
Rokudenashi Blues 
Power Blazer
Sakigake!! Otoko Juku: Shippu Ichi Gou Sei
Salamander
SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari 
SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari 2: Hikari n
SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari 3: Densets
Shin Moero!! Pro Yakyuu
Spartan X 2
Suikoden: Tenmei no Chikai (playable, but glitched)
Takeshi no Sengoku Fuuunji
Terao no Dosukoi Oozumou
Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana Land e Youkoso (Same game as US version anyways)
Toukon Club
Tsuru Pika Hagemaru: Mezase! Tsuru Seko no Akashi 
USA Ice Hockey in FC
Uchuu Keibitai SDF (start screen severely glitched, but that's all it seems)
Youkai Kurabu (severe glitches)


KEYS:

? - didn't run in FCEUX neither, or still had glitches


COMPATIBILITY TESTED WITH BETA MAPPERS, COMBINED WITH LOOPY'S LATEST MAPPERS (INCLUDING MMC5 MAPPERS) AND POWERMAPPERS:

Mapper files at section 4


NUMBERS:

The Powerpak is compatible with 766 out of the 768 US releases (licensed and unlicensed, not counting pirates) listed in NA 99.73% with beta mappers + loopy's mappers + powermappers.
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2. LIST OF NON-LICENSED, AND NON-US GAMES TESTED SO FAR THAT WORK

a) DEMOS, HACKS, PIRATES, HOMEBREWS AND PROTOS THAT WORK
VIRTUALLY ALL TRANSLATIONS WORK
1kfrogger (homebrew)
8-bit XMAS (all editions; homebrew)
Adventures of Dr. Franken (proto)
Airball (proto)
Batman 3 (pirate)
Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril (homebrew)
Battle Kid 2: Mountain of Torment (homebrew)
Bio Force Ape (proto)
Bomberman Collection (pirate)
Boxboy (homebrew)
California Raisins: The Grape Escape (proto)
Capcom 30 in 1 (pirate)
Captain Tsubasa English Translation
Captain Tsubasa 2 spanish translation (2007)
Chunkout 2 (homebrew)
Drac's Night Out (proto)
D-Pad Hero (homebrew)
D-Pad Hero 2 (homebrew)
Earth Bound (proto)
Earthworm Jim 2 (pirate)
Escape from Atlantis (proto)
Exerion 2 (proto)
Faxanadu Uncensored (hack)
Final Fantasy 2 (proto)
Final Fight 3 (pirate, has to be fixed with Nintendulator)
Fishfall (proto)
Free Fall (proto)
Hero Quest (proto)
Ganon's Revenge (hack)
Geminim (homebrew)
Gradius Arcade (Gradius hack)
Harry Potter (pirate)
Hoppin' Mad (Proto)
Kart Fighter (pirate)
King of Fighters 99 (pirate)
Kitty's Catch (Proto)
King of Fighters 97
Lion King 3, The (pirate)
Luigi's Chronicles (SMB hack)
M-82 menu
Megaman X (pirate)
Metroid Deluxe (Metroid hack)
Metroid Suicide (Metroid hack)
Mike Tyson's IPP (proto)
Mystic Pillars (homebrew)
NintendoAGE fundraiser (demo)
Nyancat (homebrew)
NESnake (homebrew)
NESnake 2 (homebrew)
NES Virus Cleaner (homebrew)
Pegs (homebrew)
Pokemon Blue (pirate)
Pokemon Green (pirate)
Pokemon Yellow (pirate)
Potman 3 (SMB3 hack)
Rickroll (homebrew)
Robocop vs The Terminator (proto)
Rockman No Constancy (hack)
Saint Seiya - Ougon Densetsu Kanketsu Hen
Seanbaby (Megaman hack)
Siamond (homebrew)
Sokoban (homebrew)
Solar Wars (homebrew)
Solomon's Key 2 (proto)
Sunman (proto)
Super Contra 2 (pirate)
Super Arabian
Super Bat Puncher (homebrew)
Super Mario World (pirate)
Tekken 2 (pirate)
Time Diver: Eon Man (proto)
Tommy Tallarico's - Play Me Sound Editor (proto)
Ultimate Frogger Champion (homebrew)
U-Force Power Games (proto)
Wu Shi Hun (Samurai Shodown) (pirate)
Zelda Outlands (Extensive Zelda 1 hack)

Twin Dragons

Black Box Challenge

Babel Blox

Larry And The Long Look For A Luscious Lover

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

All games made with NESMaker

NEScape!

Scramble

The Incident

Khan Games 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak

b) EUROPEAN EXCLUSIVE GAMES THAT WORK ON AN AMERICAN NES

Aussie Rules Footy (Australian)
Banana Prince
Duck (this one's Australian)
Four Players Tennis
Goal 2
Hammerin' Harry
International Cricket
Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque
Noah's Ark
Over Horizon
Probotector
Rod Land
Super Turrican
The Smurfs
Trolls in Crazyland
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3. POWERMAPPER COMPATIBILITY LIST

Don't pay attention to "Game Runs" column, if you apply all mappers and fixes as I explain in the following section, you'll retain maximum compatibility.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13s79Q6BdxXlUv3620TSkmeCReB94mvXkNxjyanKXXBw/edit#gid=1768544018

4. MAPPER RELEASES

To install, just copy the POWERPAK folder to the root of your Compact Flash card. Instructions for loopy mappers, and savestate mappers are included in the respective zip files. If you want to have them all at once, download file at the end of this section and place contents in root directory of your CF card.

LATEST OFFICIAL RELEASE

1.34

http://www.retrousb.com/downloads/POWERPAK134105.zip
 

Latest beta release:

1.35 b2

http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=41012&keyword1=powerpak mappers

LATEST LOOPY MAPPERS

These fix Batman: Return of the Joker, improve mapper 90 compatibility (Final Fight 3 and Super Mario World, both pirates), among other things. Copy/paste to address bar in browser:http://3dscapture.com/NES/powerpak_loopy.zip


POWERMAPPERS BY THE FOX (v 2.3)

Makes saving at any point of the games possible! Features a fancy ingame menu, accessible by pressing SELECT+START. Using special slot files included you have 5 slots per file to save games. You can also exit to the main menu without turning off the console. IMPORTANT NOTE: these mappers make Game Genie code functionality to be lost.

https://fo.aspekt.fi/

Slot files for all licensed games: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vh7q4tzf7h5b8lv/Powermapper%20slots.rar?dl=0

SPECIAL MAPPER TO CHANGE TIME FOR NWC ROM: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=97798

MAPPER THAT MAKES THE AUTOMATIC LOADING OF SAVE FILE WORK, WHEN PRESSING START ON FIRST SCREEN: copy/paste to address bar in browser: forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9880

MY ADVICE IN USING THESE MAPPERS

For maximum compatibility and features, first install the 1.35 b2 mappers. After that, copy loopy's newest mappers (both the main mappers and the mmc5), then the power mappers as well as the NWC mapper fix and intro fix. That should give you benefits of all mappers! Or just download this file and place its contents in the root directory of your CF card. 

<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vbdj43u2kvu15b/ULTIMATE MAPPERS.rar?dl=0

Includes slot files for all licensed games.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you want to keep having Game Genie compatibility, use the following combo instead. Only compatibility difference is one of the KOEI games (forgot which) and a couple of the SACHEN games (one is Bubble Bath Girls). Also, you don't get the fancy ingame menu, and no NES 2.0 support. You can only load one file/slot at a time, instead of having 5 slots at the same time like in Powermappers. Includes 5 save files per licensed game arranged in folders:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2l312es6z3cibp2/SAVESTATE MAPPER COMBO.rar?dl=0

I am building a series of txt files with all the GG codes to use at your leisure (no more looking for a code in a book/online). Stay tuned.
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5. RESOURCES

HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CF CARD SPACE, BY ARRANGING ROMS BY DIVERSE CRITERIA

https://connect.gocollect.com/discussion/40502/powerpak-attack-making-use-of-the-extra-space-on-your-cf-card#latest

PROGRAMS THAT WILL SORT YOUR ROMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER IN THE CF CARD

The NES is not capable of sorting files alphabetically, so files in the CF card, they'll be displayed in the order they were copied. These programs will help you to sort them.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/FAT-Sorter.shtml

http://www.anerty.net/software/file/DriveSort/

HOW TO MOD NES TO GET EXTRA AUDIO FROM SOME JAPANESE GAMES (LIKE GIMMICK! AND AKUMAJOU DENSETSU)

http://www.retrofixes.com/2014/05/open-hidden-sound-channels-in-nes.html

SLOT FILE DIRECTORIES FOR MAPPERS BY THE FOX

This is a set of folders for each licensed game, in alphabetical order. I includedA slot file per game. Copy/paste to address bar in browser: www.dropbox.com/s/kkx533i8bo9xesz/mappers%26slots.rar?dl=0

LIST OF FAMICOM GAMES PLAYABLE BY ENGLISH-SPEAKING GAMERS

https://connect.gocollect.com/discussion/40620/definitive-list-of-famicom-exclusives-for-english-speaking-people


ALTERNATIVE SNES POWERPAK MENU

Looks nicer, and allows more characters per entry in the ROM list.

http://www.manuloewe.de/main/index.php?/pages/snespowerpak.html

FIX FOR SAVE FILE AUTOSELECTION BUG:

http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9880

With this you can actually use the sav file that is loaded (if you were using one) when you press Start, to load the last game you were playing.

SNES POWERPAK FIX FOR GAME GENIE CODES BUG

www.retrousb.com/downloads/SM.BIN

NEW MAPPERS

 

Bananmos over at the NesDev forums has created a Mapper 30 (Version 4 is the one you want), which is needed to run the following homebrews on the PowerPak:

Twin Dragons

Black Box Challenge

Babel Blox

Larry And The Long Look For A Luscious Lover

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

All games made with NESMaker

Link to Mapper 30 V4:
http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?p=236715#p236715

NovaSquirrel over at NesDev has created GTROM Mapper 111 for the PowerPak, which is needed to run the following homebrews:

NEScape!

Scramble

The Incident

Khan Games 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak

Link to Mapper 111:

https://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16631

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6. TROUBLESHOOTING

WHEN I TURN ON THE NES, THE MAPPER VERSION DOESN'T SHOW UP, AND I CAN'T DO ANYTHING

Assuming you copied the mapper files in the right place, the Powerpak isn't detecting the CF card. Try reformatting (FAT16 or FAT32), and if that doesn't work either your CF card probably isn't compatible (or is damaged). THIS IS A NESWORLD EARLY REVIEW OF THE POWERPAK, WHICH HAS A SMALL LIST OF CARDS THAT WORK AND DON'T WORK

http://www.nesworld.com/nespowerpak.php


MY ROM, WHICH ISN'T IN THE INCOMPATIBILITY LIST, DOESN'T WORK

If it's not in the "complete lists" it's probably a bad dump or has a bad header. Try repairing all your ROMS with NEStoy, which will also rename your ROMS in a simple format. If it's a hack or a pirate game, it probably isn't compatible at all because of a custom mapper that isn't supported. For homebrews, there are certain games that won't work on real hardware so they'll never be compatible.

Nestoy program

http://www.zophar.net/utilities/nesaud/nestoy32.html

If it still doesn't work after repairing, try getting it from another source. If you can't solve your problem with a particular ROM, YOU CAN CONTACT ME.

MY POWERPAK DOESN'T WORK ON MY FAMICOM

Yobo adapters for NES->Famicom are said to be low quality, and many times won't work with the Powerpak. Try getting another brand. By the way, inserting the Powerpak with the adapter the wrong way might DAMAGE IT.

THERE ARE GRAPHICS PROBLEMS WITH MY POWERPAK, WHICH DON'T APPEAR IN MY NORMAL CARTS

This may be due to some problem with power input. Either check with a different power adapter (1st party preferably), or with another console. Related thread:

Edited November 10, 2019 by buttheadrulesagain

[buttheadrulesagain | 41]

@WaverBoy, you made it here! please tell me what updates you remember are needed

[WaverBoy | 20]

Alrighty sir, here we go with PowerPak update info for you:

 

Bananmos over at the NesDev forums has created a Mapper 30 (Version 4 is the one you want), which is needed to run the following homebrews on the PowerPak:

Twin Dragons

Black Box Challenge

Babel Blox

Larry And The Long Look For A Luscious Lover

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

All games made with NESMaker

Link to Mapper 30 V4:
http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?p=236715#p236715

NovaSquirrel over at NesDev has created GTROM Mapper 111 for the PowerPak, which is needed to run the following homebrews:

NEScape!

Scramble

The Incident

Khan Games 4-in-1 Retro Gamepak

 

Link to Mapper 111:

https://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16631

Edited November 9, 2019 by WaverBoy

[WaverBoy | 20]

22 minutes ago, buttheadrulesagain said:

@WaverBoy, you made it here! please tell me what updates you remember are needed

I did indeed, and was putting together my update post as you posted that!  Now you can add Mapper 30 and Mapper 111 to your Ultimate Mappers download, eh?

Thanks in advance for updating your original post, sir, and for putting it together in the first place!  Can we get it stickied/pinned/whatever?

Edited November 9, 2019 by WaverBoy

[Sign Collector Guy | 334]

I got a powerpack a couple years ago and havent touched it. May have to take a closer look. 

[WaverBoy | 20]

51 minutes ago, Sign Collector Guy said:

I got a powerpack a couple years ago and havent touched it. May have to take a closer look. 

It’s a great piece of kit, as they say.  One of my most prized possessions.  I like keeping my physical cartridge count to a minimum.  With the info in this thread you’ll be able to squeeze the most out of it.

[SuperJimtendo | 1,121]

Hey thanks for doing this

[wongojack | 214]

I'm so glad you saved this post.  I've been using Ultimate Mappers for years and couldn't remember where I got them.

[CMR | 519]

PowerPak is still a great flash cart.  I wish RetroUSB would make an updated version.