<s>
A	O
game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
device	I-Device
,	O
informally	O
called	O
a	O
copier	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
device	O
for	O
backing	O
up	O
ROM	B-Device
data	O
from	O
a	O
video	B-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
cartridge	I-Protocol
to	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
file	O
called	O
a	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
image	I-General_Concept
and	O
playing	O
them	O
back	O
on	O
the	O
official	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recently	O
flash	B-Device
cartridges	I-Device
,	O
especially	O
on	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
and	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
platforms	O
,	O
only	O
support	O
the	O
latter	O
function	O
;	O
they	O
cannot	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
backing	O
up	O
ROM	B-Device
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
also	O
make	O
it	O
possible	O
to	O
develop	O
homebrew	B-Application
software	O
on	O
video	O
game	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
differ	O
from	O
modchips	O
in	O
that	O
modchips	O
are	O
used	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
systems	O
that	O
use	O
generally	O
available	O
media	O
such	O
as	O
CDs	O
and	O
DVDs	O
,	O
whereas	O
game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
are	O
used	O
with	O
systems	O
that	O
use	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spiritual	O
forefather	O
of	O
copier	O
devices	O
can	O
be	O
traced	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
Famicom	B-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
,	O
an	O
official	O
add-on	O
device	O
for	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
quickly	O
discovered	O
ways	O
to	O
copy	O
these	O
disks	O
with	O
ordinary	O
home	O
computers	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
and	O
transmit	O
the	O
copied	O
data	O
to	O
others	O
using	O
the	O
emerging	O
electronic	B-Application
bulletin	I-Application
board	I-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
the	O
Famicom	B-Device
Disk	I-Device
System	I-Device
was	O
discontinued	O
,	O
supposedly	O
because	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
technology	O
had	O
caught	O
up	O
in	O
capacity	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
influence	O
of	O
rampant	O
piracy	O
cannot	O
be	O
discounted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
was	O
released	O
,	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
based	O
companies	O
were	O
quick	O
to	O
cash	O
in	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
idea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
produced	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
that	O
fit	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
console	O
's	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
slot	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
interfaced	O
with	O
a	O
floppy	B-Device
disk	I-Device
drive	I-Device
through	O
a	O
connecting	O
cable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
,	O
once	O
powered	O
up	O
,	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
copy	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
's	O
ROM	B-Device
data	O
into	O
files	O
on	O
ordinary	O
MS-DOS	O
formatted	O
3.5	B-Device
"	I-Device
floppy	I-Device
disks	I-Device
and	O
thereafter	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
same	O
disks	O
,	O
without	O
having	O
to	O
rely	O
on	O
the	O
original	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
being	O
present	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
these	O
devices	O
were	O
introduced	O
to	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
video	O
game	O
enthusiasts	O
quickly	O
started	O
swapping	O
the	O
copied	O
games	O
over	O
bulletin	B-Application
board	I-Application
systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Release	O
groups	O
formed	O
to	O
cater	O
to	O
the	O
need	O
of	O
fresh	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
to	O
crack	B-Application
the	O
protection	O
that	O
was	O
employed	O
to	O
thwart	O
copying	O
in	O
several	O
games	O
released	O
after	O
copiers	O
became	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Release	O
groups	O
would	O
also	O
add	O
their	O
own	O
intros	O
to	O
games	O
,	O
to	O
advertise	O
their	O
BBSes	B-Application
and	O
new	O
releases	O
,	O
and	O
sometimes	O
include	O
a	O
trainer	O
to	O
optionally	O
start	O
on	O
later	O
stages	O
or	O
with	O
more	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
copier	O
devices	O
and	O
dissemination	O
of	O
hardware	O
information	O
through	O
BBSes	B-Application
made	O
it	O
possible	O
to	O
start	O
developing	O
software	O
on	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
evolved	O
from	O
crack	B-Application
intros	O
to	O
demos	O
,	O
and	O
finally	O
to	O
home-made	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
homebrew	B-Application
software	O
development	O
scene	O
is	O
still	O
active	O
on	O
multiple	O
contemporary	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
the	O
availability	O
of	O
such	O
ROM	B-Device
binary	O
dumps	O
allowed	O
the	O
birth	O
of	O
video	O
game	O
console	O
emulators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
they	O
are	O
often	O
advertised	O
for	O
their	O
ability	O
to	O
make	O
legal	O
backups	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
play	O
legal	O
homebrew	B-Application
software	O
and	O
are	O
considered	O
a	O
cheap	O
method	O
of	O
development	O
compared	O
to	O
purchasing	O
official	O
development	B-Application
kits	I-Application
,	O
a	O
backup	O
device	O
's	O
potential	O
for	O
software	O
piracy	O
is	O
a	O
major	O
concern	O
to	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
manufacturers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
16	B-Device
bit	I-Device
game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
using	O
floppy	B-Device
disks	I-Device
or	O
USB	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	O
Magicom	B-Device
(	O
8	O
or	O
16	O
Megabits	O
)	O
-	O
by	O
Front	O
Fareast	O
Industrial	O
,	O
model	O
MS-3201	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Included	O
an	O
external	O
3.5	B-Device
"	I-Device
floppy	B-Device
drive	I-Device
and	O
integrated	O
parallel	B-Device
port	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
device	O
that	O
started	O
the	O
trend	O
of	O
calling	O
game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
magicoms	B-Device
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Available	O
in	O
several	O
variations	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
include	O
an	O
integrated	O
3.5	B-Device
"	I-Device
floppy	B-Device
drive	I-Device
for	O
IBM-PC	O
formatted	O
disks	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
parallel	B-Device
port	I-Device
:	O
</s>
<s>
Expandable	O
to	O
96	O
Megabits	O
and	O
supports	O
alternate	O
media	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
or	O
Zip	B-Operating_System
100	I-Operating_System
MB	I-Operating_System
drive	I-Operating_System
via	O
IEEE	B-Device
1284	I-Device
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Available	O
up	O
to	O
64	O
Megabits	O
(	O
and	O
upgradable	O
to	O
128	O
Megabits	O
)	O
with	O
optional	O
Digital	O
Signal	O
Processor	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
to	O
run	O
games	O
like	O
Pilot	B-Application
Wings	I-Application
,	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Kart	I-Application
and	O
many	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multi	O
Game	O
Hunter	O
(	O
MGH	O
)	O
by	O
Venus	O
Corp	O
.	O
A	O
dual	O
solution	O
game	B-Device
copier	I-Device
for	O
both	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Double	O
Pro	O
Fighter	O
by	O
China	O
Coach	O
Limited	O
is	O
a	O
dual	O
solution	O
game	B-Device
copier	I-Device
for	O
both	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
SNES	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrode	O
by	O
Retrode	O
UG	O
is	O
a	O
USB	B-Protocol
interface	O
for	O
both	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
and	O
SNES	B-Application
cartridges	B-Protocol
and	O
controllers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
important	O
to	O
note	O
that	O
no	O
commercially	O
produced	O
Backup	O
Device	O
for	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
can	O
play	O
back	O
games	O
which	O
use	O
additional	O
processing	O
hardware	O
in	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
,	O
with	O
the	O
sole	O
exception	O
of	O
DSP-1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
relatively	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
games	O
fall	O
into	O
this	O
category	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
are	O
notable	B-General_Concept
games	I-General_Concept
included	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X2	I-Application
,	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X3	I-Application
,	O
Star	B-Application
Fox	I-Application
,	O
Kirby	B-Application
's	I-Application
Dream	I-Application
Land	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
RPG	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Super	B-Device
Mario	I-Device
World	I-Device
2	I-Device
:	I-Device
Yoshi	I-Device
's	I-Device
Island	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
two	O
devices	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
that	O
plug	O
into	O
the	O
extension	O
port	O
on	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
initially	O
intended	O
for	O
the	O
64DD	B-Device
:	O
the	O
Doctor	B-Device
V64	I-Device
and	O
the	O
CD64	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
playing	O
backups	O
from	O
a	O
CD	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
both	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
them	O
by	O
copying	O
the	O
information	O
from	O
a	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
that	O
is	O
plugged	O
into	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
store	O
the	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
image	I-General_Concept
in	O
internal	O
memory	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
transferred	O
to	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
via	O
a	O
parallel	B-Device
port	I-Device
for	O
distribution	O
elsewhere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Z64	O
uses	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
slot	O
on	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
N64	B-Operating_System
and	O
has	O
a	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
slot	O
itself	O
for	O
booting	O
backups	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
making	O
backups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
reads	O
from	O
and	O
stores	O
backups	O
on	O
zip	B-Operating_System
diskettes	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NEO	O
N64	B-Operating_System
Myth	O
Cart	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
December	O
2009	O
,	O
long	O
after	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
had	O
been	O
discontinued	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
marketed	O
for	O
retro	O
gamers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NEO	O
N64	B-Operating_System
Myth	O
Cart	O
connects	O
to	O
a	O
PC	O
using	O
USB	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
images	I-General_Concept
are	O
stored	O
in	O
flash	B-Device
memory	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schematics	O
,	O
PCB	O
designs	O
and	O
source	O
code	O
for	O
a	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
emulator	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
PVBackup	O
"	O
were	O
released	O
by	O
Valery	O
Pudov	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
day	O
devices	O
include	O
the	O
Everdrive	B-Device
64	O
and	O
the	O
64drive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Everdrive	B-Device
loads	O
ROM	B-General_Concept
images	I-General_Concept
from	O
either	O
USB	B-Protocol
or	O
from	O
SD	O
card	O
inserted	O
into	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
64Drive	O
also	O
uses	O
USB	B-Protocol
but	O
can	O
also	O
load	O
games	O
from	O
either	O
SD	O
card	O
or	O
compact	O
Flash	O
card	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
units	O
require	O
a	O
CIC	O
chip	O
soldering	O
into	O
the	O
board	O
and	O
the	O
plastic	O
casing	O
from	O
a	O
donor	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neither	O
unit	O
has	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
backup	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
You	O
can	O
however	O
backup	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
using	O
a	O
device	O
called	O
Retrode	O
,	O
this	O
is	O
USB	B-Protocol
powered	O
device	O
that	O
installs	O
itself	O
as	O
a	O
mass	O
storage	O
device	O
in	O
windows	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
information	O
to	O
be	O
backed	O
up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
original	B-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
and	O
its	O
color	B-Device
successor	I-Device
there	O
are	O
numerous	O
external	O
copiers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
GB	O
Xchanger	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
back	O
up	O
an	O
inserted	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
or	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
cartridge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GB	O
Xchanger	O
plugs	O
into	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
in	O
order	O
to	O
copy	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
later	O
transfer	O
the	O
game(s )	O
back	O
through	O
the	O
copier	O
to	O
a	O
blank	O
flash	B-Device
cartridge	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
copiers	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
SP	I-Device
and	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Micro	I-Device
,	O
like	O
the	O
Flash	O
Advance	O
Xtreme	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
those	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
original	B-Device
Game	I-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
as	O
they	O
are	O
external	O
copiers	O
that	O
use	O
parallel	B-Device
ports	I-Device
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
copiers	O
eventually	O
made	O
use	O
of	O
USB	B-Protocol
with	O
products	O
like	O
first	O
generation	O
XG-Flash	O
carts	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
used	O
external	O
copiers	O
,	O
but	O
benefited	O
from	O
faster	O
write	O
speeds	O
than	O
its	O
parallel	B-Device
port	I-Device
predecessors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
technology	O
evolved	O
into	O
onboard	O
external	O
copiers	O
like	O
the	O
EZFlash	O
Advance	O
that	O
used	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
itself	O
as	O
a	O
copier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
USB	B-Protocol
cables	O
would	O
plug	O
into	O
the	O
GBAs	B-Device
proprietary	O
port	O
used	O
for	O
link	O
cables	O
or	O
accessories	O
like	O
the	O
ereader	B-Application
and	O
when	O
booted	O
while	O
holding	O
Start	O
and	O
Select	O
,	O
would	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
version	O
are	O
not	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Micro	I-Device
because	O
it	O
uses	O
a	O
different	O
port	O
than	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
and	O
GBA	B-Device
SP	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
n't	O
any	O
commercial	O
backup	O
devices	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
and	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
that	O
are	O
widely	O
available	O
,	O
yet	O
many	O
devices	O
exist	O
to	O
play	O
backups	O
on	O
a	O
DS	B-Device
or	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
flashcarts	B-Device
are	O
capable	O
of	O
using	O
specific	O
software	O
to	O
backup	O
both	O
DS	B-Device
and	O
3DS	B-Operating_System
or	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bung	O
released	O
a	O
copier	O
for	O
the	O
Neo	B-Device
Geo	I-Device
Pocket	I-Device
and	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Geo	I-Application
Pocket	I-Application
Color	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
both	O
released	O
homemade	O
game	B-Device
backup	I-Device
devices	I-Device
for	O
the	O
Pokémon	B-Device
Mini	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
devices	O
used	O
USB	B-Protocol
for	O
communicating	O
with	O
a	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
copier	O
for	O
the	O
Japan-only	O
handheld	O
,	O
the	O
Wonderswan	B-Operating_System
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Wonderswan	B-Operating_System
Color	I-Operating_System
and	O
to	O
a	O
lesser	O
extent	O
,	O
the	O
SwanCrystal	B-Operating_System
,	O
was	O
released	O
called	O
the	O
WonderMagic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
a	O
parallel	B-Device
port	I-Device
for	O
communication	O
with	O
a	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
