What is a Gameshark, and is it worth it to use it?

Question

I recently read on Bulbapedia that it is a hacking program and its risks, also found a question about Mew where Pokemaster himself answered to use Gameshark. (Proof) If its usage is worth, where and how?

Comments

I don’t think Pokemaster was advocating the use of a cheating device, merely pointing out that it was the only option.

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You can read all about GameShark here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameShark

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Also, Gameshark is not used anymore (I think). Powersaves is the new device people use.

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What do you mean by "worth using"? It seems pretty obvious that it'll save you a lot of time compared to trying to get everything legitimately.

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Yes, it does save time, but what ever happened to raising Pokemon the old fashioned way? Without these hacking devices and programs like PKHeX and Homebrew.

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That has nothing to do with "worth using", only "ethical to use". I'm pretty sure that's not what this question is asking, because "is hacking ethical?" has already been asked.

Answer 1

GameShark is the brand name of a line of video game cheat cartridges and other products for a variety of console video game systems and Windows-based computers. Currently, the brand name is owned by Mad Catz, which marketed GameShark products for the Sony PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo game consoles. Players load cheat codes from Gameshark discs or cartridges onto the console's internal or external memory, so that when the game is loaded, the selected cheats can be applied.

When the original GameShark was released, it came with 4,000 preloaded codes. Codes could be entered, but unlike the Game Genie, codes were saved in the onboard flash memory and could be accessed later rather than having to be reentered. The cartridges also acted as memory cards, with equal or greater storage capacity to the consoles' first party memory cards.1 It was originally released for the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation consoles in January 1996.[2] Models for the PlayStation had an Explorer option that allowed gamers to access most PlayStation disc files, and it was possible to view FMV files stored on the CD. The later models of the GameShark also had a Use Enhancement Disc option. The Enhancement Disc, which InterAct sold for $4.95, allowed users to upgrade the GameShark and add codes to the code list from the disc. Only a few examples of these Upgrade CDs were known to have been published.

The PlayStation Gameshark had the following standard features: View Video Image, which allowed users to see the last image stored in the PlayStation's Video RAM, View CD Image, which allowed a user to search the game CD for image files, Play Music, which would play the CD audio, and View CD Movie, a function that allowed a user to view FMV (full motion video) files found on the disc. Also included was the option to use an Enhancement CD in order to upgrade the Gameshark and add new codes found on the disc.

Released in 1998 for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Preloaded with codes for 158 games, but unfortunately, new codes could not be saved. It did however contain a feature called Game Trainer, which was a way to create new codes. Memory Erase was an additional feature which allowed users to clear all saves from a Game Boy cart. The GameShark for the Game Boy can also be used with the Game Boy Advance, as long as the cart connected is either for Game Boy, or for Game Boy Color. It cannot be used for Game Boy Advance carts.

The original Game Boy GameShark could be used with the Game Boy Color, which it predated. However, due to the low height of the outside cartridge slot, the connected game cartridge would be pushed outward by the Game Boy Color's battery compartment, which, unlike those of previous Game Boy models, curved outward from the rear surface of the device. The later GameShark Pro featured a longer cartridge which held the connected game cartridge higher so as to avoid this flaw.

The GameShark Pro for Game Boy allowed for saving new codes.

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