Densha de GO! Plug & Play Game Manager

This repository contains a script for the Densha de GO! Plug & Play that allows you to do the following:

• Backup the game's files
• Restore the game's files from a backup
• Upgrade a 1.10 unit to 1.13 (requires donor 1.13 backup)

The script does NOT backup or modify the internal Linux OS or kernel.

Requirements

• USB flash drive
• Powered micro USB OTG adapter
• Micro USB cable

The USB flash drive needs to be formatted to FAT32.

Usage

Backup

1. Copy the content of this repository to the root of the USB drive.
2. Plug the USB drive to the OTG adapter, plug the adapter to the Plug & Play and plug the data cable to the adapter and a power source.
3. Turn on the Plug & Play. The door lamp will turn on to show the backup process has begun. Once it has finished, the lamp will turn off. Turn off the unit and remove everything.
4. On root of the USB drive, you will find a folder named BACKUP with the following files: dgtyp3zzzz.tar.gz, dgtyp3zzzz.tar.gz.md5 and installed.md5. Store them in a safe place!

Restore

1. Copy the content of this repository to the root of the USB drive.
2. Create a folder named RESTORE on the root of the USB drive.
3. Put the files dgtyp3zzzz.tar.gz, dgtyp3zzzz.tar.gz.md5 and installed.md5 from your backup into the RESTORE folder.
4. Plug the USB drive to the OTG adapter, plug the adapter to the Plug & Play and plug the data cable to the adapter and a power source.
5. Turn on the Plug & Play. The door lamp will turn on to show the restore process has begun. Once it has finished, the lamp will turn off. Turn off the unit and remove everything.

Note: By default, if no backup exists on the USB drive, one is created before the restore. If you need to skip this (not recommended!), create a file named skip_backup on the root of the USB drive.

Upgrade

To upgrade a unit with game version 1.10 to 1.13 (check title screen), you need a backup from a 1.13 unit. Then, simply follow the steps to restore a backup on the 1.10 unit.

Frequently asked questions

Is this safe? Can I brick my device?

The script is safe, but caution is advised during the backup/restore process. It may take a while, do NOT disconnect the power cable until the whole process is complete. In case something goes wrong, you should be able to re-run the script. The kernel and OS are not modified, so the system should remain bootable even if the game's files are corrupted.

What happens if there is an existing backup?

If a complete, existing backup is detected in the BACKUP folder, it is not overwritten. To make a new backup, remove the old one. If any of the backup files is missing, the backup is overwritten.

Can I use this with the Densha de GO! Plug & Play 2 (Shinkansen version)?

No, this is only compatible with the original Densha de GO! Plug & Play.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Draken544 for offering a full dump of their 1.10 unit and helping with the research to create an upgrade path.