There may be issues with specific GBA Video ROMs. (note that this is not a duplicate of this issue from 2021, where the user not only does not mention which they are running, but also mentions that there are only audiovisual bugs.)
Some will boot past the GBA intro and then freeze on white, while others will boot fine and can even be watched (though I cannot speak to audio quality as I've been running them with the volume down at the moment. Will edit this to update with specifics on volume once I confirm whether or not the listed ROMs function)
I've just updated GBARunner2 itself, and will update TWiLightMenu++ as well if issues persist and report back.
Assorted tests with settings below.
Note that there are a surprising amount of GBA Video releases so I'm not going to test all of them, or I'd be here all morning (keep in mind, I'm already testing with like four different released series.)
Someone else can pick up for the Disney releases, the more general NickToons ones (including the All Grown Up and Dora the Explorer releases), the Dreamworks movies, all of that.
Note as well that I... do not own any GBA Video carts myself, nor the means by which to dump them. I have no reason to obtain either at the moment, as it'd be a pointless purchase (I'm trying to test compatibility for something not listed on the wiki, not actually watch these.)
However, I trust Myrient (it's run by the same guys that run hShop) and their dumps of basically every other game I've tried (across systems, their GBA files work as well as their PS3 files do) seem to function just fine, so... more than likely, this is a compatibility issue with GBARunner2 and not any problems with the ROM files I'm using.
Note: I am testing with the USA releases of each game. YMMV for the European versions, as again, I am not testing them all right now.
Note 2: Yes, each Cartoon Network release has different episodes, these aren't just regional titles for the same release. Why they are not simply titled as the first two volumes, I have no idea. Can only assume some CN exec from the era thought kids would be more likely to buy if they'd labeled the carts as special
Note 3: ~While I am testing all of these separately for the sake of completeness, per my testing it can be assumed that if one ROM belonging to a given set of GBA Video cartridge releases does not work, they all don't.~ This appears to only hold true for the SBSP roms? What's up with the CN shows, why do they all display different behaviours?
Test One
TWiLightMenu++ version: v12.2.1 - though I don't think that's completely relevant here?
GBARunner2 version: latest
Settings:
Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM9 (considering I'm running the DSi version, which per the releases only exists as ARM7 I don't think this makes a difference? Regardless, I'm going to change it in the next few tests.)
Use bottom screen set to No
Center and mask set to On
DS main memory i-cache set to On
WRAM i-cache set to On
BIOS intro set to On
(defaults basically)
Note: These have been set via the TWiLightMenu++ settings menu. Probably obviously, but you know.
Results:
Pokemon (Volumes 1-4): Boot fine, can select an episode, it will play without issue. Graphics are clear, they look shit but in the way all GBA Video releases look (compressed, not glitched) Tested this twice, once before updating GBARunner2, once afterwards - functioned the same.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Volumes 1-3): Do not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Strawberry Shortcake: Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 1): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 2): Boots, but there are severe graphical glitches. The menus are entirely black, save for interactive content (Press Start text on main menu, text/episode previews on selection screen, there may be a selection cursor but if so it is missing) - and even at that, the Codename: Kids Next Door episode had a blank white thumbnail and the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode had no thumbnail. As I could not see what I was selecting, all I was able to load was a majorly broken version of the Johnny Bravo episode on the cartridge. Colour palettes were incorrect, black squares everywhere, about five or six seconds through the video splits and the left half displays on the right and the right half displays on the left... it was a mess. It can be assumed the audio is probably totally fucked, and as well that each episode on the cart is similarly bugged.
Cartoon Network Collection (Limited Edition): Same issues as Volume 2. May have figured out how to select without being able to see the menu in full, chose the EEnE episode on the cartridge (Key to My Ed) anyway because I'm not a huge fan of the other featured shows.
Cartoon Network Collection (Platinum Edition): Same menu bugs. Chose the KND episode this time, if only because I could. Split four-way across the screen, palettes were potentially messed up (I admit to unfamiliarity with KND so perhaps the green sky is normal for the show?), and it only looped the first several seconds. (Notably, after initial playback, it appeared to keep the split across the screen for every subsequent loop.) However, there were no extra glitched squares as with Volume 2 or Limited Edition. Turned my volume up on my headphones this time, there was nothing playing. Too nervous to test Vol 2 or LE with my headphones up as they displayed different behaviour to this, so more than likely their audio bugs will be different. (and more than likely, very loud.)
Cartoon Network Collection (Premium Edition): Same issues with the menu. No audio, chose the EEnE episode again. Same display issue as the KND episode, with the four way split and the beginning looping, though each loop it shifted to a different corner, and would occasionally split between vertical and horizontal. Palettes for the video file seemed fine, however, and did not appear obviously broken - just darkened (though that's a thing with the Pokemon ROMs, which boot fine, so more than likely that's due to compression.)
Cartoon Network Collection (Special Edition): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Test Two
Settings:
Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM7
Use bottom screen set to No
Center and mask set to On
DS main memory i-cache set to On
WRAM i-cache set to On
BIOS intro set to On
(same as Test One, save for ARM7 over ARM9)
Results:
Pokemon (Volumes 1-4): Boots fine. Can select an episode, it will play without issue. Graphics are fine. Tested them with audio for the hell of it - sounds as compressed as the video file looks, but did play without issue.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Volumes 1-2): Does not boot. White screem after BIOS, the same as first attempt.
SpongeBob SquarePants: (Volume 3): Boots. No audio, and after reaching the part where the hand pulls Spongebob's clothes off in the intro, simply loops the way Premium Edition/Platinum Edition did, occasionally emerging into the graphical bugs of CN Volume 2/Limited Edition. Not sure why this one booted, as I know it didn't under test one's settings.
Strawberry Shortcake: Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 1): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
~Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 2):
Cartoon Network Collection (Limited Edition):
Cartoon Network Collection (Platinum Edition):
Cartoon Network Collection (Premium Edition):
Cartoon Network Collection (Special Edition):~
Save for one ROM, there appears to be no improvement, so I'm moving on to Test 3 early.
Test Three
Settings:
Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM7
Use bottom screen set to No
Center and mask set to Off
DS main memory i-cache set to On
WRAM i-cache set to On
BIOS intro set to On
(same as Test One, save for ARM7 over ARM9)
There may be issues with specific GBA Video ROMs. (note that this is not a duplicate of this issue from 2021, where the user not only does not mention which they are running, but also mentions that there are only audiovisual bugs.)
Some will boot past the GBA intro and then freeze on white, while others will boot fine and can even be watched (though I cannot speak to audio quality as I've been running them with the volume down at the moment. Will edit this to update with specifics on volume once I confirm whether or not the listed ROMs function)
I've just updated GBARunner2 itself, and will update TWiLightMenu++ as well if issues persist and report back.
Assorted tests with settings below.
Note that there are a surprising amount of GBA Video releases so I'm not going to test all of them, or I'd be here all morning (keep in mind, I'm already testing with like four different released series.) Someone else can pick up for the Disney releases, the more general NickToons ones (including the All Grown Up and Dora the Explorer releases), the Dreamworks movies, all of that.
Note as well that I... do not own any GBA Video carts myself, nor the means by which to dump them. I have no reason to obtain either at the moment, as it'd be a pointless purchase (I'm trying to test compatibility for something not listed on the wiki, not actually watch these.) However, I trust Myrient (it's run by the same guys that run hShop) and their dumps of basically every other game I've tried (across systems, their GBA files work as well as their PS3 files do) seem to function just fine, so... more than likely, this is a compatibility issue with GBARunner2 and not any problems with the ROM files I'm using.
Note: I am testing with the USA releases of each game. YMMV for the European versions, as again, I am not testing them all right now.
Note 2: Yes, each Cartoon Network release has different episodes, these aren't just regional titles for the same release. Why they are not simply titled as the first two volumes, I have no idea. Can only assume some CN exec from the era thought kids would be more likely to buy if they'd labeled the carts as special
Note 3: ~While I am testing all of these separately for the sake of completeness, per my testing it can be assumed that if one ROM belonging to a given set of GBA Video cartridge releases does not work, they all don't.~ This appears to only hold true for the SBSP roms? What's up with the CN shows, why do they all display different behaviours?
Test One
TWiLightMenu++ version: v12.2.1 - though I don't think that's completely relevant here? GBARunner2 version: latest
Settings: Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM9 (considering I'm running the DSi version, which per the releases only exists as ARM7 I don't think this makes a difference? Regardless, I'm going to change it in the next few tests.) Use bottom screen set to No Center and mask set to On DS main memory i-cache set to On WRAM i-cache set to On BIOS intro set to On (defaults basically) Note: These have been set via the TWiLightMenu++ settings menu. Probably obviously, but you know.
Results:
Pokemon (Volumes 1-4): Boot fine, can select an episode, it will play without issue. Graphics are clear, they look shit but in the way all GBA Video releases look (compressed, not glitched) Tested this twice, once before updating GBARunner2, once afterwards - functioned the same. SpongeBob SquarePants (Volumes 1-3): Do not boot. White screen after BIOS. Strawberry Shortcake: Does not boot. White screen after BIOS. Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 1): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS. Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 2): Boots, but there are severe graphical glitches. The menus are entirely black, save for interactive content (Press Start text on main menu, text/episode previews on selection screen, there may be a selection cursor but if so it is missing) - and even at that, the Codename: Kids Next Door episode had a blank white thumbnail and the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode had no thumbnail. As I could not see what I was selecting, all I was able to load was a majorly broken version of the Johnny Bravo episode on the cartridge. Colour palettes were incorrect, black squares everywhere, about five or six seconds through the video splits and the left half displays on the right and the right half displays on the left... it was a mess. It can be assumed the audio is probably totally fucked, and as well that each episode on the cart is similarly bugged. Cartoon Network Collection (Limited Edition): Same issues as Volume 2. May have figured out how to select without being able to see the menu in full, chose the EEnE episode on the cartridge (Key to My Ed) anyway because I'm not a huge fan of the other featured shows. Cartoon Network Collection (Platinum Edition): Same menu bugs. Chose the KND episode this time, if only because I could. Split four-way across the screen, palettes were potentially messed up (I admit to unfamiliarity with KND so perhaps the green sky is normal for the show?), and it only looped the first several seconds. (Notably, after initial playback, it appeared to keep the split across the screen for every subsequent loop.) However, there were no extra glitched squares as with Volume 2 or Limited Edition. Turned my volume up on my headphones this time, there was nothing playing. Too nervous to test Vol 2 or LE with my headphones up as they displayed different behaviour to this, so more than likely their audio bugs will be different. (and more than likely, very loud.) Cartoon Network Collection (Premium Edition): Same issues with the menu. No audio, chose the EEnE episode again. Same display issue as the KND episode, with the four way split and the beginning looping, though each loop it shifted to a different corner, and would occasionally split between vertical and horizontal. Palettes for the video file seemed fine, however, and did not appear obviously broken - just darkened (though that's a thing with the Pokemon ROMs, which boot fine, so more than likely that's due to compression.) Cartoon Network Collection (Special Edition): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS.
Test Two
Settings: Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM7 Use bottom screen set to No Center and mask set to On DS main memory i-cache set to On WRAM i-cache set to On BIOS intro set to On (same as Test One, save for ARM7 over ARM9)
Results: Pokemon (Volumes 1-4): Boots fine. Can select an episode, it will play without issue. Graphics are fine. Tested them with audio for the hell of it - sounds as compressed as the video file looks, but did play without issue. SpongeBob SquarePants (Volumes 1-2): Does not boot. White screem after BIOS, the same as first attempt. SpongeBob SquarePants: (Volume 3): Boots. No audio, and after reaching the part where the hand pulls Spongebob's clothes off in the intro, simply loops the way Premium Edition/Platinum Edition did, occasionally emerging into the graphical bugs of CN Volume 2/Limited Edition. Not sure why this one booted, as I know it didn't under test one's settings.
Strawberry Shortcake: Does not boot. White screen after BIOS. Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 1): Does not boot. White screen after BIOS. ~Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 2): Cartoon Network Collection (Limited Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Platinum Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Premium Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Special Edition):~ Save for one ROM, there appears to be no improvement, so I'm moving on to Test 3 early.
Test Three
Settings: Slot-1 SD: DLDI access set to ARM7 Use bottom screen set to No Center and mask set to Off DS main memory i-cache set to On WRAM i-cache set to On BIOS intro set to On (same as Test One, save for ARM7 over ARM9)
Results: [IN PROGRESS.] Pokemon (Volumes 1-4): SpongeBob SquarePants (Volumes 1-3): Strawberry Shortcake: Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 1): Cartoon Network Collection (Volume 2): Cartoon Network Collection (Limited Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Platinum Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Premium Edition): Cartoon Network Collection (Special Edition):