does anyone know how to use a gamepark?

[Doc4]

I bought this piece of junk a few weeks ago. I don't own a PC, I have no idea how to get this working at all. I read through a million instructions and nothing happens. I noted on several sites that when you start the gamepark you get a GUI style splash page, when I start up the ystem I get a list of about five options, File menu, options, tools, pc link, etc. What is wrong with this thing? I installed all the software on a PC at work and I don't get the folders built for me. I've done something and now the system displays a very very long list of files upon start up. I can't get out of this stupid list and back to the main menu. Does anyone know whats up. Please help before I sell this hunk of junk.

[Flack]

It sounds to me like your GP32 has been flashed with one of the other aftermarked bioses. There are a few homebrew bioses that some people have flashed their GP32 with to make it behave differently (some people don't like the default cartoony icons).

 

To return it to it's default state, you'll need to reflash the unit. There are plenty of places to tell you how to do that (links at the end).

 

That being said, without a PC, you're going to have a heck of a time doing anything. For starters, you'll need to download file launcher from the GP32 website. You'll also need to register it online to get it to work. That is all done while the unit is connected to the PC. From there, of course you'll need a PC (either connecting the unit to it, or using an SMC card reader) to get files to/from it.

 

From what I've found, the GP32 is pretty fun if you're into emulation. Atari 2600, 5200, C64, Atari ST, NES, SNES, GB, GBC, Sega Genesis, and many more systems are emulated fairly well for the little box.

 

Good resources:

 

http://gp32x.com

http://gp32emu.com

 

Good luck!

[Doc4]

Thanks for your input. I sent the gamepark off to a friend, who is very excited to test it out. He should be getting it today as a matter of fact. I will alert him to this post for additional help.

 

I can only hope and pray that he can get it back on it's feet and help me sync it up with a mac. Otherwise I'm screwed on this one. Great item, with tons of great features, it's just too bad they left out the mac lovers.

[Justin42]

Actually, you probably won't need to re-flash it, depending on what you want to do. I forget the exact name of the BIOS you have (PacBIOS?) but it's probably what you will be using 99% of the time. All you really need to get is a SmartMedia card reader/writer for your Mac, and use that to copy files to and from the SM card(s) you'll use.

 

Did you buy it to play GamePark games, or use Emus/homebrews? I don't have any "true" GP32 games so I can't speak for that, but with emus, you'll never need to hook it up to your Mac at all. You only need the "true" file launcher for the real GP32 games, and even then, I think the alternative BIOSes don't need them. (they just load the games and run)

 

You probably got it from someone who pre-registers them, puts a decent BIOS on, and ships them out. Get a SmartMedia card or two, use the bios to format the card in the GP32, then read the instructions for the various games as to where the files need to go on the card, copy them there from your Mac using the card writer, and then put it the GP32.