How to add cheats to a ESR patched game?

[KillaKOfK3]

I tried using GameShark disc, SwapMagic Coder Disc, and a Codebreaker Elf file on a usb drive, but it won't load the disc. My Ps2 (fat) is Free McBoot 1.8 softmodded. Who ever made the ESR patcher needs to make a Hex editor elf (cheat code device) that'll load a ESR patched disc at the end with the cheats.

[dlanor]

I tried using GameShark disc, SwapMagic Coder Disc, and a Codebreaker Elf file on a usb drive, but it won't load the disc. My Ps2 (fat) is Free McBoot 1.8 softmodded. Who ever made the ESR patcher needs to make a Hex editor elf (cheat code device) that'll load a ESR patched disc at the end with the cheats.

A solution for your needs already exists.

For using cheats with all kinds of backups (HDLoader, ESR-patched discs, 'Open PS2 Loader' networked backups) it is best to have a cheat engine that is patched to reload some homebrew 'dashboard' at use of the command that would have launched an original disc for the non-patched cheat engine. This will then allow you to use that homebrew program to launch the game by whatever means necessary, whether it is on a normal CDVD disc or on other media accessed by some game loader.

ffgriever has created some patcher programs that allow the CodeBreaker elf files to be patched that way, and this project is described in a thread entitled "Codebreaker patched to load HDL" which is found inside the main forum for Homebrew/Dev stuff.

Normally I use CodeBreaker patched in that way to relaunch uLaunchELF (aka: uLE) at the command to start game. Then I use uLE to start the game as I please, which for any games on CDVD discs (ESR or original) simply means that I use the "MISC/PS2Disc" command of uLE, while games on other media are started indirectly by first having uLE launch an elf for either HDLoader or 'Open PS2 Loader'.

You should visit the thread I mentioned above to check this stuff out, and don't let yourself be misled by the assumption in most posts that HDLoader is to be used. This is just because HDLoader was then unchallenged as the primary backup game launcher at that time, a position for which both ESR and 'Open PS2 Loader' are now strong competitors...

Edit:
I should add that there are 3 serious limitations for the patched CodeBreaker cheat engine, though 2 of these fortunately will not affect your console. The limitations are as follows:

1: The 'Master code' of a game only works if it begins with a '9', not if it begins with an 'F'
- This is a generic problem of the patched version, so it affects all consoles.
- Solution: Find or construct a new 'Master Code' for that game, one that does begin with a '9'

2: CodeBreaker will freeze on a console with product code SCPH-750xx or higher if any USB device is connected
- This is a problem for new models starting from v14 == SCPH-750xx
- so all fat consoles and slim v12/v13 == SCPH-700xx are unaffected
- Solution: Disconnect all USB devices while running CodeBreaker (reconnect after exit if needed)

3: CodeBreaker will always freeze on a console running bios v2.30 or newer == SCPH-900xx with datecode > 8C
- This is a problem only for the latest bios version v2.30,
- so all fat consoles and all slims before datecode 8C are unaffected
- consoles with datecode 8C may have either bios v2.20 or v2.30, so there it's just 'pot luck' if it works...
- Solution: none. The affected consoles can not use current CodeBreaker at all.
- Future solution: Similar patch of other cheat engine, or a new CB patch to make it compatible.

Best regards: dlanor