Memory Base 128 + Private Eye Doll = massive TenNoKoe Bank

[grahf]

I picked up a copy of Private Eye Doll recently, and noticed that it has a pretty cool "Backup Utility" built in. Part of the fuctionality is the ability to copy the complete PCE save memory into one of 63 banks in the Memory Base 128. Essentially it lets you use the thing like a giant TenNoKoe Bank, which is pretty damn awesome!

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere, so I thought I'd pass on the info. For those that already own a Memory Base, it might give you a reason to pick up a copy of Private Eye Doll. The game itself isn't bad either, but won't appear to everyone. It's essentially a combat free RPG.


The Backup Utility option at the main menu:


ALL COPY:


Choose your source and destination:



Thats all there is to it. Besides the Copy All function, it also has one of the nicer memory management utilities. It's one of the few games that actually shows you how much space your saves are using. Notice that damn Shin Megami Tensei save that would take up the entire 2k save memory on a PCE!  At the bottom is BANK01, which is a copy I did.

[NecroPhile]

Neat stuff - thanks for sharing.  Does the memory utility let you see each individual save file in the bank slot (or on the Duo), or is it just the total being used?

[grahf]

Neat stuff - thanks for sharing. Does the memory utility let you see each individual save file in the bank slot (or on the Duo), or is it just the total being used?

Well, you can browse the individual save files on both the PCE/Duo and the MB128, but you cannot browse the BANKxx files.
What you see above is save file deletion screen. It's current showing the contents of the MB128. When you do an "ALL COPY", it just creates a save file named BANKxx (as shown above) which is the entire contents of the PCE/Duo memory. In order to browse the banks, you have to copy them back to the PCE/Duo first.

As far as I know, any BANKxx files that are created with Private Eye Doll can only be copied back using the same game. I don't know of any other games that can recognize them. Essentially they just look like normal save files if you were to browse the MB128 memory with another MB128 compatible game.

[SignOfZeta]

That's pretty great!

[cabbage]

I use the utility in Emerald Dragon:
Hold UP when you press RUN on the CD BIOS screen. You can copy and swap full banks between the internal BRAM and the MB128 storage.
-- not a pure screenshot... just an English guide

I haven't tried many of the MB128-compatible games. Surely there are several nice memory management utilities on other discs as well. The Memory Base is definitely a nice alternative to the Tennokoe Card--64 banks of storage are much better than 4, hehe!

[td741]

Vasteel 2 also has this capability.  (Doesn't any of the MB128 supported games all work the same essentially.)

[grahf]

Wow nice. I didn't know Emerald Dragon had that as well. I'll have to pick that one up too.  I've got a handful of games that support the MB, but most of them just let you work with save files.

It might be cool to compile a feature list.

[VestCunt]

Thanks a lot guys. This is incredible news. I have a few MB128 games (including Emerald Dragon and Vasteel 2), but they haven't been enough to make my MB worthwhile until now. Replacing AA batteries will be much easier than tracking files on three different Tennokoe Banks, a SCD, and a Duo.  

[Bernie]

How long do the AA batteries keep this thing charged? I have Vasteel 2 and a couple other games that make use of the Memory Base.

[CrackTiger]

I think that I am finally going to open my MIB Memory Base 128. I still don't like relying on batteries, but it will be a good place to store my less important saves.

[Bardoly]

I think that I am finally going to open my MIB Memory Base 128. I still don't like relying on batteries, but it will be a good place to store my less important saves.

Well, if this increased save capacity mod works out, then maybe you could do that instead.

[VestCunt]

I still don't like relying on batteries, but it will be a good place to store my less important saves.

It has a "low battery" light and I've swapped batteries while my Duo is powered on without loss of data, so it's pretty safe. Just leave it out so you can see the warning light.

[CrackTiger]

I still don't like relying on batteries, but it will be a good place to store my less important saves.

It has a "low battery" light and I've swapped batteries while my Duo is powered on without loss of data, so it's pretty safe. Just leave it out so you can see the warning light.

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know.

[Bernie]

Does this one operate the same way?



It appears to be slightly cheaper than this one.


If they both operate in the same manner, I may go ahead and get it.

[CrackTiger]

I believe that internally they're identical.

[grahf]

Does this one operate the same way?

It appears to be slightly cheaper than this one.

If they both operate in the same manner, I may go ahead and get it.

I believe that internally they're identical.

I've noticed that the MemoryBase 128 has a pretty massive capacitor inside it, which is not unlike the Duo save capacitor. I wonder if it would allow you to change the batteries (quickly) even if it's not connected to a Duo... Anyone brave enough to try? I don't want to risk losing my current saves!

[A Black Falcon]

Great thread, I'm very happy to have a list of which titles, exactly, have the functionality to copy all files to the MB128!  I knew I'd heard that some games let you do it, but didn't have a list of exactly which ones.  Very good to know.

How long do the AA batteries keep this thing charged?

I'd very much like to know this as well... is it days?  Weeks?  Months?


And beyond that, I have one more question.  Is there any way to use it on a TG16?  I presume there isn't, but is there any way to do it?

[CrackTiger]

Great thread, I'm very happy to have a list of which titles, exactly, have the functionality to copy all files to the MB128!  I knew I'd heard that some games let you do it, but didn't have a list of exactly which ones.  Very good to know.

How long do the AA batteries keep this thing charged?

I'd very much like to know this as well... is it days?  Weeks?  Months?


And beyond that, I have one more question.  Is there any way to use it on a TG16?  I presume there isn't, but is there any way to do it?

You could open it up and see if the controller cable is connected the same way as a regular pad. If so, just swap the cord with one from a TurboPad. You'll have to use Duo/PCE pads to play games with it though.

[A Black Falcon]

Great thread, I'm very happy to have a list of which titles, exactly, have the functionality to copy all files to the MB128!  I knew I'd heard that some games let you do it, but didn't have a list of exactly which ones.  Very good to know.

How long do the AA batteries keep this thing charged?

I'd very much like to know this as well... is it days?  Weeks?  Months?


And beyond that, I have one more question.  Is there any way to use it on a TG16?  I presume there isn't, but is there any way to do it?

You could open it up and see if the controller cable is connected the same way as a regular pad. If so, just swap the cord with one from a TurboPad. You'll have to use Duo/PCE pads to play games with it though.

Hmm, yes, that is an idea.

Alternately, I've heard that it does not work through a multitap (so no reverse duo tap option), but what about a controller adapter like this: https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=14488.0  ?  I wonder if that'd function...

[grahf]

I imagine it would work fine with a controller adapter.  In answer to your previous question about battery life: I've had mine going on the same set of Eneloop rechargeables since I started the thread. It's been a month and a half and the low battery LED has yet to come on. If I remember, I'll update this thread once it finally does.

[burn_654]

I'd like to see an AC adapter mod for this!

Though using rechargables in it is a slick idea - would it be able to hold the save data long enough with the batteries out to charge them? Or would you need a redundant set of batteries to toss in while you do that?

[grahf]

Not sure, haven't had to change them yet. But people say you can change them while it's plugged into a powered on system.

[A Black Falcon]

I'd like to see an AC adapter mod for this!

Though using rechargables in it is a slick idea - would it be able to hold the save data long enough with the batteries out to charge them? Or would you need a redundant set of batteries to toss in while you do that?

I think you'd need a redundant set; somewhere I read that the internal backup battery only holds for a half hour.  I don't know if that is accurate or not, however.

[A Black Falcon]

Okay, I looked up my list again, and I see that I'd listed Linda Cube and Tadaima Yusha Boshuchu as having built-in MB128/Save-kun managers, in addition to Emerald Dragon, Popful Mail, and Vasteel 2.  Of course those latter three titles have file-management options, letting you copy files from the system to the Save-kun for backup, but what about those other two?  Do they have it as well?  I'd really like to know.

I imagine it would work fine with a controller adapter.  In answer to your previous question about battery life: I've had mine going on the same set of Eneloop rechargeables since I started the thread. It's been a month and a half and the low battery LED has yet to come on. If I remember, I'll update this thread once it finally does.

Still hasn't?

[grahf]

Nope. Still on the same set of Eneloops. If I remember I'll update the thread when I finally get the low-batter LED.

[A Black Falcon]

Okay, so I have an MB128 now, and Emerald Dragon (and also Brandish).  A few notes of interest, and a question.

- The MB128's internal backup will save files long enough to turn the system off, change the batteries, etc., but won't last overnight or something.  This means that if you don't want to lose your files, you'll want to replace the batteries before the batteries die, because by the time you notice after those batteries die, your files will probably be long gone... so yeah, maybe switch them out a couple of times a year, unless someone can figure out a good battery life estimate for this thing (though battery type would affect that greatly I'm sure).  There is a low-battery light, but I wonder how long before they die it turns on... I did notice it on when I had no batteries in the MB128, though, so it does work.

- On that note, the MB128 can draw power from the system, it seems -- I could save to the MB128 with no batteries in it, as long as the system was on.

- I wish that  there was a way to move files from one bank to another... but there isn't, is there?  If so that's much like the N64 then, but without something like Gamesharks to get around that limitation... argh.

- Do any of the games with built-in MB128 file managers show you file sizes on the files in each block?  I mean, in the OP here I see that Private Eye Dol tells you file sizes for the games which natively support the MB128, but does it list the files in each bank and tell you THEIR file sizes?  Sure, I could put each bank on the system and launch up one of the games which tells you file sizes (Valis IV, for instance, though as I've pointed out before different games report different numbers for some odd reason), but that would require a lot more work than just finding a MB128-supporting game with a built-in manager that tells you that info.  Does anyone know if there is one?

- In Brandish, if you have the MB128 plugged in, you cannot access normal save files on the system memory.  Instead, hitting "Save" or "Load" loads up the MB128 screen, where you can view Brandish saves on the MB128, create new saves, and delete saves.  I don't think this lets you see anything other than Brandish files, though.  Ah well.  I find it kind of odd that as far as I can tell there is no option to load a file from the system memory, so I guess if you want to load one of those you'll have to detach the MB128.  Of course though, using the MB128 is better, for games that support it!  But it would mean starting the game over, since you can't copy files from banks to the MB128's own memory, I'm pretty sure (no game lets you do that, right?).

- Am I doing something wrong, or does Emerald Dragon, for some weird reason, require enough free system memory space to save even if you have the MB128 attached?  Why would it do that, if it supports the MB128?  Who cares if there's enough system memory, I want to save to the MB128, like in Brandish!  Or does the game not support actually saving to the MB128, only managing MB128 files, like Sonic CD on the Sega CD or something? (That game can see the Sega CD Backup RAM Cart, but can't actually save to it...)

- Emerald Dragon's file manager, while it doesn't have file sizes and doesn't list all files (if the list of files in a block is long and goes beyond the one panel, anything else just won't appear in the manager.), is a nice and easy way to copy banks between the system and MB128.  Up+Run at launch, you're straight in and can copy banks from the system to the MB128.  However, is there no way to view the files in the MB128's own memory, and not copied banks?  There doesn't seem to be.  That means that with the Emerald Dragon manager, unless I'm missing something, you cannot view the files for games that actually natively support saving to the MB128, like Brandish and such??  Only copied system-memory banks?  How odd.

[A Black Falcon]

No responses, huh?

But yeah, I've played Emerald Dragon some more, and it really does seem to be true: The game can't actually save to the MB128, unlike other games like Brandish or Sailor Moon Collection.  It can't see files those games save straight to the MB128 in its file manager, either; instead all you can do there is copy blocks of system-save data back and forth between MB128 blocks and the system.  And you can only save or load Emerald Dragon save files that are on the system, not ones on the MB128.  Unless I'm missing something, that is... which I wish I was, because that's really quite annoying, direct MB128 save support is so much better!

[esteban]

Awesome info, thanks. I wish Vestcunt and you would create the ULTIMATE MB128 FAQ because I know nothing about it.