Flash cartridge
In one sentence
A flash cartridge is a blank you can rewrite. You copy a .gb file onto it, put it in a Game Boy, and play. When you want a different game, you copy a different file.
The detail
People use a small writer, or a cartridge that shows up as a drive, to replace the ROM. The shell fits the handheld. The chip inside is flash memory, not the mask ROM a shop cartridge was pressed with. Where a ROM runs includes this next to emulators and the browser.
Retroable's own cartridge is not one of these. It is manufactured for a single game and a printed label. You cannot wipe it and put next month's game on it. If you already own a flash cartridge, the .gb download is what you copy across.
A flash cartridge does not add save memory by magic. If the game's SRAM matters, the flash cart needs a battery or its own save emulation, and many cheap ones skip it.
Worth keeping
- A flash cartridge is rewritable. A Retroable cartridge is made for one game
- The file you copy onto it is the same .gb the browser plays
- Save support depends on that flash cart, not on the filename
Questions
Can I play a Retroable ROM on hardware I already own?
Yes, if you have a flash cartridge and a writer. Copy the .gb file onto it.
Is the cartridge I order from Retroable a flash cart?
No. It is produced for that game, with its label, and it is not a blank.
Will my high score survive on a flash cart?
Only if that cart keeps SRAM. Some do, with a battery. Some forget it when power drops.
Related
Game Boy is a trademark of Nintendo. Retroable is independent and is not affiliated with Nintendo.