Pokemon Games giving black screen

[Supster131]

Game Console(s) used

• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo DS Lite
• Nintendo DSi
• Nintendo DSi XL/LL
• Nintendo 3DS
• Nintendo 3DS XL/LL
• New Nintendo 3DS XL/LL
• Nintendo 2DS
• New Nintendo 2DS XL/LL

Launch Method

The games are launched via an R4i 3DS RTS (w ww. r4i-sdhc. com) flashcart autobooted from Twilight Menu ++ on an n3DS, 2DS and DSi XL. SCFG access in Slot-1 is enabled on the consoles' Twilight Menu++.

Version used

Multiple versions have been tested, but currently on nds-bootstrap release 1.1.1 and TWLMenu 26.5.0

Game tested/used/applicable

Pokemon SoulSilver: NTR-IPGE-USA
Pokemon Black: TWL-IRBO-USA

Both dumped by me via GM9 on my n3DS.

Expected Behavior

Pokemon SoulSilver: Loading a save should work.
Pokemon Black: Exiting a battle should work.

Actual Behavior

Pokemon SoulSilver: Loading a save causes a black screen. Console isn't frozen as I'm able to access the nds_bootstrap menu (triggers + down + select) and am able to navigate through that menu.

Pokemon Black: Exiting from battle (wild and trainer battles) causes a black screen. As like with SoulSilver, console isn't frozen as I'm able to access the nds_bootstrap menu (triggers + down + select) and am able to navigate through that menu.

Steps to reproduce

Have the ROM on your flashcart's SD card. Set up the console and flashcart per this guide: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/twilightmenu/. Boot into TWLMenu on your flashcart via TWLMenu on your console. Open Pokemon SoulSilver or Pokemon Black. In Pokemon SoulSilver's case, load your save, it'll stay on a black screen. In Pokemon Black's case, load into your save and go into a battle. Exit the battle, it'll go to a black screen.

Saves.zip

Included are the saves I am using.

nds-bootstrap.ini

[NDS-BOOTSTRAP] DEBUG = 0 LOGGING = 0 B4DS_MODE = 0 ROMREAD_LED = 0 DMA_ROMREAD_LED = -1 PRECISE_VOLUME_CONTROL = 0 SDNAND = 0 MACRO_MODE = 0 SLEEP_MODE = 1 SOUND_FREQ = 1 CONSOLE_MODEL = 2 HOTKEY = 284 USE_ROM_REGION = 1 NDS_PATH = fat:/roms/nds/SoulSilver.nds SAV_PATH = fat:/roms/nds/saves/SoulSilver.sav RAM_DRIVE_PATH = sd:/null.img GUI_LANGUAGE = en LANGUAGE = -1 REGION = -1 DSI_MODE = 0 BOOST_CPU = 0 BOOST_VRAM = 0 CARD_READ_DMA = 1 ASYNC_CARD_READ = 0 DONOR_SDK_VER = 0 PATCH_MPU_REGION = 0 PATCH_MPU_SIZE = 0 FORCE_SLEEP_PATCH = 1 AP_FIX_PATH = fat:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/apFix.ips

Logs

This log was generated on an n3DS autobooting to the flashcart via TWLMenu:
NDSBTSRP.LOG

This log was generated on an n3DS booting into the flashcart directly from the 3DS home menu:
NDSBTSRP2.LOG

Other notes

I've spent a bit attempting to figure out the issue. If I boot into the flashcart via TWLMenu and switch the game loader from default (or nds-bootstrap) to kernel, both Pokemon Black and SoulSilver work properly. I am able to exit battles from Pokemon Black with no issue and I am able to load a save from SoulSilver without issue. If I switch them back to default/nds-bootstrap, the issue returns. If I boot into the flashcart directly (from the 3DS or DSi home menu) Pokemon Black and SoulSilver encounter no issues even when the game loader is set to default/nds-bootstrap. The issue only occurs when booting into the flashcart via TWLMenu from the 3DS or DSi. I have messed around with multiple settings and at this point I doubt the issue is anything on my end. It's not the ROM as I've dumped them myself and they work properly when using kernel mode when autobooting through TWLMenu or nds-bootstrap when booting into the flashcart directly. I've also tried messing with the clock speeds and VRAM mode and that didn't affect anything.

I haven't tried other Pokemon games but I have tried other games such as Mario Kart DS and Sonic Rush Adventure with no issue autobooted with TWLMenu on either console and using nds-bootstrap as the game loader.

Thank you.

Will you be available for future issues and/or replies?

Yes

[Supster131]

One more thing I forgot to mention, if I boot into the game from my console's SD card, both Pokemon Black and SoulSilver do not have any issues. SoulSilver loads my save properly and Black exits battles properly. This is obviously with nds-bootstrap as you cannot use the flashcarts kernel with games on your console's SD card. It's only when I attempt to boot into the games on my flashcart's microSD card that the issue occurs.

[RocketRobz]

After launching TWLMenu++ from the console, try turning off the card read DMA setting in the per-game settings menu.

[Supster131]

That didn't fix the issue.

[Supster131]

Did some more testing. Thought it might had something to do with the Anti-Piracy introduced in HGSS and Gen 5, since when I ran them for the first time on the console's SD, I got a message about an AP overlay before the game booted up. This never occurred when booting up the game from the flashcart. So I manually patched the ROMs myself with AP patches. This didn't fix the issue. Considering the problem probably isn't the Anti-Piracy, my only other wild guess at this point is maybe something with the IR? That's the only other thing these games have compared to other games (besides the AP, which we can probably rule out).

[Supster131]

I didn't test with 1.2.0, but I did test both 1.2.1 and 1.2.2, and it looks like there's been some improvements for Pokemon Black. Instead of getting stuck on a black screen after one encounter/battle, it gets stuck on a black screen after two encounters/battles.

Nothing's changed with SoulSilver.