GameShark Pro
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The GameShark Pro is an advanced game enchancer which allows the use of cheat codes on the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation game consoles. It's most notable features were utilities to allow users to make their own cheat codes.
[edit] How the GameShark works
The GameShark works by changing binary codes stored at specific locations in a game's memory. Because of this, new GameShark codes can be created to affect essentially any part of a game.
A GameShark code consists of a memory "bank", a memory address, and a value to put in that address, in hexadecimal. Most GameSharks have the ability to find the location in memory of any value so that one may discover new codes. For example, if you are playing a first-person shooter and have 10 rounds of ammunition and want to change this to 255 rounds, you would normally activate your GameShark's menu system, and tell it to search the game's area of memory (RAM) for the number 10, which is "A" in hexadecimal. Usually this will turn up more than one memory location, so you'll need to change the value being searched for, for example by using up some ammunition, and then use your GameShark once again to search the group of locations found last time for the new value. Eventually, you will have it narrowed down to one location (some codes may involve many more locations) and the GameShark will report the code for that location. In this case, assume it is "01FFA202". In our example, "A202" is the memory location, "FF" is the value stored therein, and "01" is the memory bank. Memory locations are split up into large chunks of the same size called memory banks. The most occurring memory bank is the very first, "01". Now we want to set our ammo to 255 (the maximum value that can be stored in this size memory location), so we change "02" to the hexadecimal version of 255, which is "FF".
[edit] Nintendo 64 GameShark Pro
One of the many Gameshark products was the one for the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 GameShark was the most popular cheating device available for the system, becoming popular after top-notch titles such as GoldenEye 007 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time were released. Because of the in-depth nature of these games, it allowed for many aspects of them (OoT especially) to be modified to produce unique effects.
The Nintendo 64 GameShark also had a good code-hacking system implemented that allowed users to hack their own codes easily. There was even a link port on the last models to allow a PC to be connected in order to transfer codes more rapidly. Using the code generator function and an Expansion Pak, one had quite a few tools to assist them in hacking codes, unlike cheat devices on earlier systems, such as the Game Genie.
The GameShark Pro 3.3 improved on earlier cheat devices in every way software-wise. It had the ability to use hundreds of codes at a time, save thousands directly onto the unit, and various other options. The Game Genie, for example, was the primary cheat device system available for the Super Nintendo one generation earlier. The Game Genie could only use a maximum of 5 codes at a time, and could not save them permanently like the GameShark could. It also lacked all the other tools of the Nintendo 64 GameShark, like advanced code hacking options.
However, many criticized the unit for its numerous flaws. While its internal software was excellent, the physical device itself suffered from poor construction. It was prone to breaking due to cheaply-made components. The housing was constructed of low-grade plastic and was not nearly as durable as the standard Nintendo 64 cartridge, or earlier cheat devices like the Game Genie. It also lacked a cartridge holder like that of the Game Genie, which made it difficult to maintain the stability of the cartridges inserted into the GameShark. Furthermore, in addition to poor construction, the unit also faced issues with corrupted firmware. If power is lost to the N64 unit while the GameShark is writing to its memory, it immediately becomes unusable. Also, if used improperly, such as entering an incorrect HEX code, the GameShark can either malfunction, or erase saved data on one's game.
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