Reverse engineering the Little Tikes Story Dream Machine cartridge format (SPI flash dumps), with tooling and notes for data dumping, format analysis, and audio/asset extraction.
Questions, Comments, Discussion, & ForumScope & ethics: This project focuses on interoperability, preservation, and research. It does not provide instructions intended to bypass access controls for infringing distribution. Use your own hardware and legally obtained media.
The Developer Log
Cartridge Data Structure
This repository is for educational, non-commercial use only.
The scripts and tools provided here are intended to support legal reverse engineering and modding of content already owned by the user.
Please do not use this information to create or sell unauthorized commercial products.
The Goal: To create our own custom story cartridges for our kids. This project is currently in the reverse-engineering phase actively figuring out data patterns.
It is not yet possible to create custom stories.
- Cartridge dumping workflows (noise reduction, repeatability, verification)
- Container/region parsing + documented hypotheses about pointers/regions/maps
- Audio pipeline experiments (e.g., suspected ADPCM/codec investigations)
- Hardware notes for reading cartridges (breakouts/shields, wiring, voltage sanity)
- Technical Deep Dive (Chip info, physical measurements, etc.)
- The Developer Log (A detailed history log of the project)
- Cartridge Data Structure (Data structure, data template, etc.)
- Open Issues (Current "To Do" List)
If you can help with any of the following, you’re extremely useful:
- additional cartridge dumps (with hashes + metadata)
- format validation (pointer table / region boundaries)
- codec identification (ADPCM variants, framing, sample rates)
- firmware analysis / instrumentation notes
To start: open an Issue with what you’re testing
Little Tikes Story Dream Machine, LTSDM, custom cartridge, SPI flash, P25D80SH, reverse engineering, file format, ADPCM, audio extraction, embedded, Arduino.