Using Action Replay Codes with Satiator Games

[clockworkengine]

In return for all the questions I've been asking, allow me to share what I've learned.

And I apologize if this is common knowledge but according to the retrorgb website, action replay codes only work with disc games and NOT games launched from the Satiator. At any rate, before posting this I tried to find this knowledge online but couldn't (a common theme with me thus far, I know 😉) If nothing else, this post may edify some people looking to do this. Also there's nothing about it in the official Satiator website. See below.

From the RetroRGB website:
At the moment, I don’t think it will allow cheats with games launched from the Satiator, but hopefully that can be added in the future.

I've found this isn't the case. After starting up the Satiator with the AR inserted, select a game. After the game loads, hit reset on the console. This brings up the AR, but with the game you selected still loaded in. After selecting codes and starting the game, the game you booted originally from the Satiator will launch and your selected codes will be active.

 

[dibz]

In return for all the questions I've been asking, allow me to share what I've learned.

And I apologize if this is common knowledge but according to the retrorgb website, action replay codes only work with disc games and NOT games launched from the Satiator. At any rate, before posting this I tried to find this knowledge online but couldn't (a common theme with me thus far, I know 😉) If nothing else, this post may edify some people looking to do this. Also there's nothing about it in the official Satiator website. See below.

From the RetroRGB website:
At the moment, I don’t think it will allow cheats with games launched from the Satiator, but hopefully that can be added in the future.

I've found this isn't the case. After starting up the Satiator with the AR inserted, select a game. After the game loads, hit reset on the console. This brings up the AR, but with the game you selected still loaded in. After selecting codes and starting the game, the game you booted originally from the Satiator will launch and your selected codes will be active.

For the record, this is also the case with Fenrir; You need to pick a game normally, then reboot so that it goes through the normal boot process with the cart without going into the fenrir menu. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same for Rhea/Phoebe and MODE.

 

[FADE]

The Fenrir does not require you to reset the console after selecting a game to use cheats. You press the C button when selecting a game to boot back to AR. The boot order goes AR Menu: Select start with no cheats > Fenrir Menu: Load a game with C button > AR Menu: Select cheats . It's an annoying process, but thankfully CafeAlpha's Fenrir Loader also has built in cheats which deprecates the need for AR cheats.

 

[dibz]

The Fenrir does not require you to reset the console after selecting a game to use cheats. You press the C button when selecting a game to boot back to AR. The boot order goes AR Menu: Select start with no cheats > Fenrir Menu: Load a game with C button > AR Menu: Select cheats . It's an annoying process, but thankfully CafeAlpha's Fenrir Loader also has built in cheats which deprecates the need for AR cheats.

Is this the case now? I know when I've tried to use cheats like that in the past with a fenrir, they simply did not work if I went from the fenrir loader to cart to game; but did if I selected the game, reset the console to cart, then game.

 

[FADE]

Is this the case now? I know when I've tried to use cheats like that in the past with a fenrir, they simply did not work if I went from the fenrir loader to cart to game; but did if I selected the game, reset the console to cart, then game.

I've had a Fenrir since early on and it's always been Power on > AR Menu > Fenrir Menu + Press C when selecting a game > AR Menu. Looking at the release history the cart option was added in the May 2020 update. The version of AR I'm using is 2.02C, the only annoyance is that you always have to see the AR menu twice, same as MODE users.

CafeAlpha also has built in cheat codes on his version of Fenrir loader, so AR cheats from the card itself isn't really needed as much anymore. I actually suggest for people to either wipe them and turn them into RAM only cards these days or flash MCP to them to turn them into RAM/Save cards. Doing so solves the AR menu annoyance.

 

[dibz]

I've had a Fenrir since early on and it's always been Power on > AR Menu > Fenrir Menu + Press C when selecting a game > AR Menu. Looking at the release history the cart option was added in the May 2020 update. The version of AR I'm using is 2.02C, the only annoyance is that you always have to see the AR menu twice, same as MODE users.

CafeAlpha also has built in cheat codes on his version of Fenrir loader, so AR cheats from the card itself isn't really needed as much anymore. I actually suggest for people to either wipe them and turn them into RAM only cards these days or flash MCP to them to turn them into RAM/Save cards. Doing so solves the AR menu annoyance.

It probably was one of the earliest Fenrir FWs, I've had mine since the very first batch after all, I'm pretty much day-1 every time a new FW is out though I rarely actually use cheats so I've certainly not tried them again in quite some time/many updates ago.

Not positive of the FW version of my AR, I've one (two, actually) of the old serial port carts from many a year ago and I'm positive I've updated the firmware on it back then -- probably the latest version of the official firmware at the time. I'd have to look and honestly, it's "way over there across the room."

The PSKai Fenrir loader is nice, though I don't use it -- honestly it's a bit too flashy for me; I prefer the simplicity of the fenrir loader (though I did add boxart for the latest FW, which is nice). I actually don't use my AR anymore either really, now I really just keep an official sega backup ram cart in the slot instead. Simplicity for the win.

 

[FADE]

The PSKai Fenrir loader is nice, though I don't use it -- honestly it's a bit too flashy for me; I prefer the simplicity of the fenrir loader (though I did add boxart for the latest FW, which is nice). I actually don't use my AR anymore either really, now I really just keep an official sega backup ram cart in the slot instead. Simplicity for the win.

Same, I prefer the new album and folder update and is what I'm defaulting to. I load up FLK when I need to use its save data manager, but unfortunately this latest firmware update broke it. Ced hasn't given us the ability to import/export individual saves but you could do so with FLK. I also noticed the new Fenrir menu is missing where it says to press C to load the cart, but the function is still there.