DS Flash Carts---A new thread [Archive]

rbudrick

01-15-2007, 03:00 PM

I know there's been plenty of threads about "which DS flash cart is better" in the past, but I figured I'd make a new one, since is seems there is finally some easy to use products out there that have been very simplified and much more compatible. It looks like there's several products out there for DS flash carts that work entirely in the DS slot without needing anything in the GBA slot to boot it.

We've got:
DS-Xtreme ($124.95) Built in USB port, has internal non-removeable 4gb (512MB)

M3 DS Simply ($44.95) Uses MicroSD cards

SuperCard DS-ONE ($50) (takes microSD cards)

R4-($44.95) Takes Micro SD cards)

Ninja DS- bulky because it takes regular SD cards, but is slot 1-only.

Ninja Pass ($54.95)-Takes MicroSD

EZ Flash V ($49.95)- Takes Micro SD

Coming soon?:
AceKard-takes MicroSD cards

MicroNinja -takes MicroSD cards

Did I miss any?

And the magic question is always "OMG! like wich 1's the best?!11!" But seriously...it's hard to choose. Does any have a distinct advantage or disadvantage? Should I wait for something else?

If I'm not mistaken, 512 megabytes (4 gigabits) is the most the DS can recognize, right? Or is it 4 gigabytes (32Gigabits)? Which of the above carts will support the maximum?

And forgive me for what is probably a stupid question, but I noticed that some of these claim "supports clean roms." Wazzat? On top of that, I remember a year ago that most cards only played homebrew and a select few hacked roms. Do the above units play commercial roms (hacked, not hacked, whatever).

Also, I remember back when passme was needed, if you wanted to save your game, you needed to attach a game with the same size save file to the passme or whatever. Is this even an issue any more?

Way too many questions, I know, but like I said, I thought it was about time for a new thread on this.

-Rob

Jorpho

01-15-2007, 06:19 PM

There's really only one that supports non-micro SD cards, then?

norkusa

01-15-2007, 07:08 PM

Good thread. I've been shopping around for a DS flash cart lately so hopefully I can get some good info here.

I've had my eye on the DS-Xtreme for a while, mainly because of it's ease of use and drag-and-drop installation. Now I see the M3 DS Simply that just came out which basically looks like the same card except that it uses MicroSD cards for storage.

So I guess my question is if there's any difference between the Simply and the DS-Xtreme besides the mini SD cards? Do you just drop your files into the SD card on your desktop and that's it?

scooby105

01-15-2007, 08:03 PM

Get an R4 or M3 Simply. DS-Xtreme doesn't seem to update enough.

rbudrick

01-16-2007, 11:31 AM

Aww, come on, Scooby, give us more detail than that! :)

Why? And why? Explain, por favor.

-Rob

gamegirl79

01-16-2007, 02:31 PM

Is there a good flash cart that takes regular size SD cards? I noticed above that the Ninja DS uses them, but is it as good as say, the M3? I have a 2 gig SD card just sitting around and I'd like to do something with it.

Mangar

01-16-2007, 04:43 PM

I gotta look into this more. The DS is oddly the only system i don't use for "Home-Brew" and i probably use it more then most of my consoles.

I await said explanation post :)

agbulls

01-16-2007, 05:05 PM

This is a great thread--thanks for bringing it back. I would love to get into homebrew and even get some emulation on my DS...but I just don't know if this is even possible. So, is it? I assume it can run NES games but SNES is probably not gonna happen.

Any additional information would be welcomed by all. :)

Jorpho

01-16-2007, 06:47 PM

Wikipedia to the rescue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS_homebrew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS_storage_devices - probably out of date, since it says the "MicroNinja" hasn't been released yet.

scooby105

01-16-2007, 10:54 PM

Here's a bit more info =)

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?dynamic=34

There are lots of threads on gbatemp in the forum, and there are also various reviews that will provide some more info. Lots of people have been complaining about the lack of updates from the DS-Xtreme team.

WiseSalesman

01-17-2007, 06:24 AM

Jesus ... I'm interested in this for the ScummVM emulator alone. Finally, a compelling way to play through Full Throttle and The Dig.

EDIT: Just checked prices of Micro SD cards ... I wonder if 1GB would be enough...

NE146

01-17-2007, 08:52 AM

Scooby105 pointed to the GBAtemp site, but I thought I'd point out they have a review page for the various flashcards.

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showforum=99

Ewin2 Lite Mini-Review
NinjaPass X9 Review
R4 DS Review
Action Replay DS Review
SuperCard Lite Rumble Review
M3 Lite Professional Review
AceKard Review
Neo2 SD Review
DS-Xtreme Review
M3 miniSD Hardware Review
EWin2 Review
DSLink Review
G6 Lite (4Gbit) Review - Final English Version
M3 Lite (micro-SD) Review
Ninja DS Review
PassWe 3 Review
EZ Flash IV Lite Review
SuperKey Review
Neo Team Mk4-Mini Review
EZ Pass 3 Review
G6 Lite 4Gb Review - Gaming Only
DS Lite mini-Review
EZ-Flash IV Review
SuperCard MiniSD Review
...etc

Jorpho

01-17-2007, 10:15 AM

Cool... Is the wireless FTP server a common feature?

shadowkn55

01-17-2007, 12:46 PM

And forgive me for what is probably a stupid question, but I noticed that some of these claim "supports clean roms." Wazzat? On top of that, I remember a year ago that most cards only played homebrew and a select few hacked roms. Do the above units play commercial roms (hacked, not hacked, whatever).

Also, I remember back when passme was needed, if you wanted to save your game, you needed to attach a game with the same size save file to the passme or whatever. Is this even an issue any more?

Cleans roms would be raw dumps. Back when flash cards were new, the Neo Flash people figured out how to run commercial NDS roms through the gba slot. They encrypted the roms so that they would only run on their flash card. Transferring a clean rom back then wouldn't allow you to run it.

The current Slot-1 solutions have a passme feature built into the device. However, all of these lack gba support. If you still want to play gba games using the flash cart, you will need to get a Slot-2 solution such as the M3 Perfect and a Passme card.

The new passme's don't require any programming or settings that need to be adjusted. It's simply plug and play. They have also reduced the size of it to a standard NDS card so it doesn't stick out anymore.

I recommend getting the M3 Simply or M3 Perfect since they aren't limited by a fixed amount of onboard memory. They also update the firmware fairly frequently.

dcescott

01-17-2007, 01:32 PM

rbudrick

01-17-2007, 01:41 PM

I recommend getting the M3 Simply or M3 Perfect since they aren't limited by a fixed amount of onboard memory. They also update the firmware fairly frequently.

You are referring to the fact that they use MicroSD cards, right? What's the max they can handle?

Does it matter how much the DS can handle, since the firmware on any given flash cart is independant of the DS?

-Rob

shadowkn55

01-17-2007, 02:37 PM

I know that the M3 Slim accepts the 4gb sd cards. Microsd cards in that size don't exist yet but compatiblity should be the same since the only thing that differs is the form factor.

Not sure how the DS addressing compability interacts with the limitations of the flash cart.

rbudrick

01-17-2007, 03:46 PM

Isn't the M3 slim a Slot 2 (GBA sized) cart (see link)? This thread is about the slot-1 only carts.

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=31165

-Rob

norkusa

01-17-2007, 04:37 PM

Norkusa, my fellow mac user, what is compatable for us? BTW got the Dlink last week 2310, works great right out of the box, I couldn't believe it. My wii, ds and psp are wifi'd.
Anyhoo.
Which one? I know I am short of programs, very few are OSX native or built especially for us. Also do I need to get a card reader? I am assuming I am going to drop some dough to get the right hookups.

Looks like the DS-Xtreme would be the easiest to use on Macs. From the reviews I've read, it sounds like you just plug your USB into the card and then a directory shows up on your desktop where you can just drop the roms or whatever into. Here's the review:

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=content&itemid=239

I'm still trying to figure out if the M3 DS Simply is the same thing except for the Micro SD cards. If that's the case, I'd rather just get the Simply since it's dirt cheap and you can upgrade the memory on it yourself to whatever you see fit. Here's a review:

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=content&itemid=243

dcescott

01-17-2007, 05:28 PM

Yeah the prices are hit n miss. If you get one post a thread or through this one, I'd like to see the results.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

01-18-2007, 01:48 PM

Yes, the M3 Simply and R4 (same card, just different skins on the interface) are fully drag & drop compatible, so they'll work with Mac or Linux or anything else with USB Mass Storage drivers. Of the current slot-1 cards, those are the ones I think look nicest. Compatibility with commercial DS games is pretty perfect, though download play for multiplayer or demos is problematic as it is with most DS flash kits, the interface is very skinnable and customizable and they seem to be quite well made and well supported.

The DS-X is also nice, though. Compatibility with commecial software is somewhat better--it has no download play problems form what I've heard--and its interface is even more customizable. The DS-X also has pretty much perfect support for homebrew, which is one area where the M3 Simply/R4 has problems--games or apps that require FAT access (i.e. use external files in addition to the main binary) won't work, though this won't be much of a problem with the new DLDI FAT lib, but for a handful of older apps that might not get updated, you'd be out of luck with an M3 Simply or R4.

The main difference between the two cards is obviously that the M3 and R4 take micro-SD and the DS-X has built in memory. External memory is definitely more flexible in the long run.

However, you have to keep in mind that better slot-1 cards than either of these will definitely be coming out in the future. That's just how the flash card market is. You have to be able to deal with that.

Personally, I think getting a slot-1 kit is a waste. GBA slot kits have the huge, huge added bonus of being able to play GBA stuff. There's so much GBA homebrew out there, it's sick. And of course the commercial games, too. Why turn your back on all of that when GBA slot flash carts are just as easy to use and no more expensive? A GBA slot cart and a NoPass device is the way to go.

...word is bondage...

rbudrick

01-18-2007, 01:59 PM

Personally, I think getting a slot-1 kit is a waste. GBA slot kits have the huge, huge added bonus of being able to play GBA stuff. There's so much GBA homebrew out there, it's sick. And of course the commercial games, too. Why turn your back on all of that when GBA slot flash carts are just as easy to use and no more expensive? A GBA slot cart and a NoPass device is the way to go.

Thanks, SFD!

As for the quote above, I have a GBA kit already, and I'd like to keep that slot free for DS games that involve rumble, or the Opera cart.

The DS-X...that 512 Megabytes/4 Giga*bit,* right? On average, about how many games is that gonna hold? What are the largest DS games?

-Rob

Jorpho

01-18-2007, 02:06 PM

Are there Slot-2 devices that support non-micro SD cards now?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

01-18-2007, 03:00 PM

As for the quote above, I have a GBA kit already, and I'd like to keep that slot free for DS games that involve rumble, or the Opera cart.
Ah, okay. As a second flash kit, slot-1 is definitely the way to go then, I'm thinking of picking one up myself.

The DS-X...that 512 Megabytes/4 Giga*bit,* right? On average, about how many games is that gonna hold? What are the largest DS games?

The largest DS games are currently 512 Megabits, so you could fit eight of those on a DS-X. Those are the hugest games, though, most games are 256 or 128Mb. The G6 Lite slot-2 cart that I have is 4Gb, too, and even with DS as well as GBA stuff on it and a selection of my favorite classic ROMs to emulate, I haven't felt cramped. Though I do also have a Supercard SD that I keep absolutely everything on, if all I had was the G6 the space might feel a little more limited.

Are there Slot-2 devices that support non-micro SD cards now?
Do you mean slot-1 or slot-2? For slot-1 (the DS card slot) micro-SD is curently the only option for external memory and probably always will be unless they make something that sticks out of the slot. For slot-2 (GBA slot) there's lots of choices, though if you have a DS Lite and want a cart that doesn't stick out at all, I think (*THINK*) that micro-SD is again going to be the only option. There's slot-2 carts that take mini-SD and are the same size as regular GBA games so will only stick out a bit on a Lite. Then there's carts that take regular SD cards and stick out a bit more, but not too much in my opinion. And of course there's the CF card carts that stick out a hell of a lot.

...word is bondage...

Jorpho

01-18-2007, 06:42 PM

Do you mean slot-1 or slot-2? For slot-1 (the DS card slot) micro-SD is curently the only option for external memory and probably always will be unless they make something that sticks out of the slot.

Such as the aforementioned Ninja DS. ;)

Frankly I don't give a dang about stuff sticking out so long as I can use the 1 GB SD card I already have on hand rather than having to shell out for even more memory, be it onboard or in the form of a micro SD card.

I see the aforementioned Solt-2 M3 does indeed meet this particular critereon.

zektor

01-18-2007, 11:08 PM

I have been into this "scene" for as long as flashcarts have been for sale I believe :) Right now, the R4 or M3 Simply would probably be the best way to go all around for anyone. No flashing required, no software required. IN other words, works out of the box like a normal NDS game, and you simply copy files to it and run them. No patching software means that you can use these cards on a PC, Mac....whatever type of computer that can simply read SD cards :)

I personally prefer the DS-Link myself. It does require patching and a flashed DS, but it has a great GUI, great compatibility, and I have just had a great time with it overall. Again, this card is really for the NDS savvy (in flashing that is)

The DS-Xtreme is another I have had. It unfortunately has a pretty high defect rate, and mine was defective out of the box. I did get it to work somewhat tho, and load some games. It loads games fine, has a neat little LED light show when playing music, but the size is just TOO small. 4Gbit equals 512MB...half a gig. Not much in terms of homebrew can fit on it.

Remember, NO slot1 device can play GBA games/homebrew/emulators. Keep this in mind when purchasing. For these you will need a slot2 card with memory like the Supercard Lite or M3 Lite....and NOT those "pro" and "rumble" series of these devices. Those models will only play NDS games and have no memory to play GBA titles.

Jorpho

01-19-2007, 12:10 AM

Every Slot-2 device still requires a Passme (or something) to run NDS software, right?

rbudrick

01-19-2007, 10:45 AM

norkusa

01-19-2007, 11:05 AM

How do save files work, then? Is there a folder for roms and one for saves?

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Are the saves stored to the rom or is there a separate folder or something?

And also, is 512 megabytes the max size of memory the DS can recognize? So if I get the M3 DS Simply, there's no point in getting a 1Gb microSD card?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

01-19-2007, 01:32 PM

4GB SD cards already work with slot-2 devices that take SD. 1GB micro-SD work with these slot-1 devices and I'm sure that as larger micro-SD cards come out, they'll work, too. With access to the entire capacity, I mean. I don't think there's any limit to the capacity of card that can be used with these flash kits.

From what I understand, the first time you load up a newly transfered ROM on one of these slot-1 cards it just creates a .SAV file with the same filename as the ROM and probably in the same directory. One of the cool thing about some of the slot-2 carts is that you can have multiple save files and choose between them before loading the game. I don't think any of the slot-1 cards do that currently.

Every Slot-2 device still requires a Passme (or something) to run NDS software, right?
Yeah. If you haven't checked out PassMe devices recently, though, they got a lot simpler last year, they don't require any actual passthrough anymore, they're just the size of a regular DS game these days. These slot-1 devices we're talking about also act as PassMe devices for the most part, though a SuperKey or something is a little more direct.

By the way, I've been reading about the EZ-Flash V, which is the newest of these slot-1 cards, and it sounds pretty cool. I especially like the fact that it uses Moonshell directly as its file browser, that's quite interesting. All the info as far as compatibility and such isn't in yet, though.

...word is bondage...

norkusa

02-01-2007, 07:20 PM

I'm getting ready to order a DS flash card from modchipstore.com, but I can't decide between the R4 DS and the M3 DS Simply. Feature wise, they both look exactly the same. Only difference I see is that the Simply is $5 more than the R4.

Any opinions on what the better card is?

rbudrick

02-04-2007, 01:50 AM

I think I read yesterday that they are the exact same card with a different BIOS, or something. Can anyone confirm?

-Rob

GizmoGC

02-04-2007, 08:30 PM

I got my R4 a few days ago...its awesome. Much better then my Supercard Lite before which had issues converting files.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

02-05-2007, 03:32 PM

Yeah, the R4 and M3 Simply are the same card. There's even a jumper inside that you can short to make the R4 into an M3 Simply apparently.

If you can wait another month or so the G6 DS and M3 Real will be out and those might be even better than the R4. The G6 will use internal fixed memory, but will have 2GB, which is a ton really. The M3 Real will use micro-SD cards and I'm not sure how it will differ form the M3 Simply.

...word is bondage...

norkusa

02-06-2007, 01:45 AM

If you can wait another month or so the G6 DS and M3 Real will be out and those might be even better than the R4.

Hmm. I was going to order a R4 soon but now that you mentioned these, I might wait a few more months and see if they are worth getting.

I'd be great if you could play GBA roms from a DS flash card. Is that even possible though or do all GBA games have to boot from the GBA slot?

Jorpho

02-06-2007, 08:41 AM

If I am not mistaken, the only way to play GBA games from the DS slot is if you use a GBA emulator written for the DS, correct?

OldSchoolGamer

02-06-2007, 08:53 AM

Just ordered the M3 Simply, should be sweet. Now to find a good deal on a MicroSD card (from a Canadian Distributor). :D

Looking forward to it. Between this and the R4 but the manufacturer of M3 Simply pretty well known for backing their products and updates so hopefully it will work out.

rbudrick

02-21-2007, 10:00 AM

If I were to order a M3 Simply or an R4, which sites have the fastest shipping? My g/f has a b-day coming up and I didn't want some ghetto site making me wait weeks for it. :D

-Rob

Schenley

02-21-2007, 12:07 PM

What about this one? (http://www.modchipstore.com/DSX-DS-Extreme-lite-DS-X-passcard-media-launcher-Nintendo-DS-DSl-16342.html)

Sylentwulf

02-21-2007, 01:04 PM

thread tag

norkusa

02-21-2007, 01:34 PM

What about this one? (http://www.modchipstore.com/DSX-DS-Extreme-lite-DS-X-passcard-media-launcher-Nintendo-DS-DSl-16342.html)

That's the one I originally had my eye on. The more I read up on them though, it basically sounds like the same card as the R4 or M3 Simply except it has built-in flash memory, which is limited to 512mb and can't be upgraded. I hear that they DS-Xtreme people don't update the software that often either.

Makes more sense to get the R4 or the M3. They are a lot cheaper and even after buying a good sized mini SD card for it, you're still paying about $50 less than what you'd pay for the DS-Xtreme.

DeputyMoniker

03-01-2007, 03:18 PM

I think I'm going to go with the G6 Lite (4Gbit) (http://www.gameyeeeah.com/g6flash-lite-4g-512mb-with-passcard-p-44.html). I'll use it in my GB Micro to emulate and maybe throw it into my DS to...you know..."emulate".
EDIT: I guess I'll need that "Passcard 3" too, right?

shadowkn55

03-01-2007, 03:34 PM

All slot-2 solutions require some sort of passme. I don't recommend getting any flash cart that has a fixed amount of memory.

DeputyMoniker

03-01-2007, 06:18 PM

All slot-2 solutions require some sort of passme. I don't recommend getting any flash cart that has a fixed amount of memory.

Is there a wire or anything that connects the passme to the slot-2 cart? I don't want any wires back there...

shadowkn55

03-01-2007, 07:08 PM

No, you can use a passcard 3 which is a ds-shaped 'game' or you can flash your firmware and forego the passcard.

DeputyMoniker

03-01-2007, 11:29 PM

I don't recommend getting any flash cart that has a fixed amount of memory.

I can understand that but I haven't found a very good solution that doesn't have fixed memory. Wouldn't it have to have some fixed memory? I've read that it needs fixed high speed memory for playing the game but you can expand low speed memory to hold the games you aren't currently playing. I've spent quite a bit of time researching cards lately and I haven't found anything that will work on both my GB Micro and my DS. It needs to emulate GB, GBC, NES, SNES, etc. on both my GB Micro and my DS AND I'd like for it to support...you-know-what on my DS. Also, it needs to fit flush with the GB Micro case, I don't want it sticking out.
So...something that meets the following requirements:
1. Reliably emulates the oldies on my GB Micro and my DS.
2. "Emulates" the unmentionables on my DS.
3. Fits perfectly into the GB Micro and DS cases. (Doesn't protrude, even with the expanded memory)
4. Has expandable memory (Not required)
5. I think that's it. Have I forgotten anything?
So, any suggestions? Well, any suggestions better than the one I'm considering settling on? G6 Lite (4Gbit) (http://www.gameyeeeah.com/g6flash-lite-4g-512mb-with-passcard-p-44.html) The only problem I see with this one is the fixed memory.)

shadowkn55

03-02-2007, 12:30 AM

Fixed memory does not necessarily translate into fast memory. Both types of memory are based on flash. The only difference is its phyiscal location. If you are worried about speed, get a card that has high advertised read/write speeds. I'm using a fairly slow microsd card and it works just fine.

The emulators for the older systems are only as good as they are written. There is no native support for anything gbc and older. Same goes for console systems. Don't expect anything great out of them.

The M3 Lite Perfect is what you are looking for. The firmware is updated fairly often and the memory is only limited to the capacity you buy.

DeputyMoniker

03-02-2007, 11:08 AM

So...something that meets the following requirements:
1. Reliably emulates the oldies on my GB Micro and my DS.
2. "Emulates" the unmentionables on my DS.
3. Fits perfectly into the GB Micro and DS cases. (Doesn't protrude, even with the expanded memory)
4. Has expandable memory (Not required)
5. I think that's it. Have I forgotten anything?
So, any suggestions? Well, any suggestions better than the one I'm considering settling on? G6 Lite (4Gbit) (http://www.gameyeeeah.com/g6flash-lite-4g-512mb-with-passcard-p-44.html) The only problem I see with this one is the fixed memory.)

The M3 Lite Perfect is what you are looking for. The firmware is updated fairly often and the memory is only limited to the capacity you buy.

The M3 Lite Perfect...any objections? GBAtemp is down right now or I'd just read their review.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-02-2007, 02:25 PM

Yeah, M3 Perfect is probably what you want.

There's also the Supercard micro-SD version and the EZ-Flash IV, which fit all your requirements. Probbaly some others as well. There's a ton of different flash cards out there. The M3 Perfect is probably the best GBA cart sized card with expandable memory, though.

I actually have a G6 Lite and as I said earlier in this thread, the limited space hasn't really bothered me and I like the G6 because it has the best interface of all the cards I've seen. But if you're at all concerned about the space, go for the M3 Perfect instead.

All the cards with GBA support have RAM that they can transfer ROMs to for faster access, this goes for fixed memory as well as expandable memory cards. The main storage memory in a card like the G6 isn't fast enough for running GBA games, either, so it needs the RAM as well. DS-only cards don't need the RAM since regular DS game cards don't have transfer speeds as high as real cartridges, so the games are programmed with slower transfers in mind. SD cards are a bit slowed than DS cards and this very occasionally leads to problems up in a game with streaming video or music, especially as shadowkn55 said, when your flash card has a slower than average read speed.

For emulators, I would suggest ignoring the "built in" emulators that the flash card makers include. They're nothing but old versions of homebrew emulators. Just about all major systems prior to the 16-bit era are well emulated on the GBA or DS if you seek out the best homebrew emulator to use.

Don't forget homebrew games, by the way, either. The GBA and DS both have incredibly active homebrew development scene and have some really great games available. I probably play homebrew on my DS more than commercial games.

In fact, I'll be releasing my first DS homebrew game sometime within a week or two. You all better download it and play it on your shiny new flash kits.

...word is bondage...

DeputyMoniker

03-02-2007, 03:41 PM

Okay. So other than the menus, is there any downside to choosing the M3 Perfect over the G6 Lite? The following review says the M3 Perfect uses an oversized cart and it will stick out of my GB Micro:
http://www.gameboy-advance.net/nintendo_ds/nds-m3adapter.htm
Is this still an issue? If it is then it's a deal breaker...
I don't want anything sticking out. Nothing protruding from the DS or the GB Micro. I just want everything to fit and everything to work.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y110/DeputyMoniker/untitled-1.jpg

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-02-2007, 04:11 PM

You want the mini-SD card version. That one is the same size as a regular GBA cart. Any flash kit that takes regular SD or CF cards is going to be oversized to some extent.

The only concern I would have about buying an M3 Perfect is that the M3 Team may not continue supporting it over the next couple years now that the slot-1 (DS slot) devices are what they're pushing and since pirating new DS games as they come out requires continued support in the form of proprietary patches through the manager software, that support is important I can already see the support for the G6 Lite--which is from the same company, by the way--slowing down and the slot-1 G6 successor isn't even out yet. Neither is the M3 Real, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of support they show for the GBA slot devices in the future. No one really knows yet. It's not a big deal to me since playing commercial games isn't my main concern with the flash cards (though it's a hell of a nice feature), but if it is for you, the best option may be to have separate flash kits for DS and GBA.

...word is bondage...

DeputyMoniker

03-02-2007, 04:54 PM

the best option may be to have separate flash kits for DS and GBA.

You're probably right. Now I'm starting from scratch...why are there so many damn options?

shadowkn55

03-02-2007, 05:28 PM

The M3 Perfect operates in both DS and GBA modes. Don't know why you would want separate cards. In particular, you should get the M3 Perfect Lite. It comes with a standard gba shell and a shell that is the same size as the ds lite dummy blank.

DeputyMoniker

03-02-2007, 05:44 PM

The M3 Perfect operates in both DS and GBA modes. Don't know why you would want separate cards.

Because of this...

The only concern I would have about buying an M3 Perfect is that the M3 Team may not continue supporting it over the next couple years now that the slot-1 (DS slot) devices are what they're pushing and since pirating new DS games as they come out requires continued support in the form of proprietary patches through the manager software, that support is important...

norkusa

03-03-2007, 01:57 AM

Someone on CAG just posted a link to a site selling the R4 for $30.98 *shipped* :o :

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1202%7Er.16466409

The guy said shipping was a bit slow (took 14 days to arrive) but he got it. Anyone deal with this site before? I really want to order one but I've never heard of DealExtreme.

shadowkn55

03-03-2007, 02:06 AM

The same could be said about the G6. You aren't guaranteed support for that either. You are thinking about it too much. Just buy something and be done with it.

The dealextreme place seems kinda fishy. Their price is barely above wholesale after subtracting shipping. It's better to get it from a reputable dealer. Probably save yourself alot of headaches.

norkusa

03-03-2007, 12:36 PM

The dealextreme place seems kinda fishy. Their price is barely above wholesale after subtracting shipping. It's better to get it from a reputable dealer. Probably save yourself alot of headaches.

I just ordered one of the R4's from them. Came to $30.69 shipped. Chinese version is even cheaper though ($28). Looks like a lot of people from Fatwallet ordered from them and they didn't have any problems, so they seem safe. Shipping is from Hong Kong, so that's why it takes so long to arrive. At least they provide tracking info for you though.

Now I gotta find a cheap miniSD card. Anyone know a good deal on one?

scooby105

03-03-2007, 06:33 PM

Now I gotta find a cheap miniSD card. Anyone know a good deal on one?

http://www.meritline.com/kingston-1gb-micro-sd-card.html

hope for the made in japan one.

this is for a microsd card, which is what you need if you're picking up an r4.
minisd is for some of the older slot 2 flashcards.

DeputyMoniker

03-04-2007, 12:41 AM

Anybody know of one that uses a MS Pro Duo?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-04-2007, 04:27 PM

The dealextreme place seems kinda fishy. Their price is barely above wholesale after subtracting shipping. It's better to get it from a reputable dealer. Probably save yourself alot of headaches.
I've actually ordered from them before back when they were known as The Fifth Unit and they seemed reliable, moreso than a number of the so-called reputable dealers that I've ordered from like Divineo or Success-HK. I got my OneStation system from them and it actually came pretty fast considering the shipping was free. They also have pretty responsive customer service.

...word is bondage...

norkusa

03-05-2007, 12:51 AM

http://www.meritline.com/kingston-1gb-micro-sd-card.html

hope for the made in japan one.

Thanks, I placed an order with them today. In the comments box at checkout, I asked if they could send me the Japanese card since the Taiwanese one has issues.

Just got a reply back and they said all they had left were Taiwanese cards, and they ended up canceling my order.

rbudrick

03-06-2007, 02:12 PM

Got my M3DS Simply and as much as they say "no drivers required" and "plug and play" and all that stuff, that's not true. There's a bunch of stuff I had to load onto the Micro SD first, and the MicroSD reader that came with the unit was not compatible with my machine (transfers kept halting). Also, the instructions are a bit Engrishy and sometimes confusing, but mostly spot-on. Figuring out what files to load onto the unit was a bit of a pain in the ass due to the instruction's shitty English.

But anyway, once I did that, all games are drag and drop. Thing works great! my 1GB SD Micro hold 30 something games, btw.

-Rob

DeputyMoniker

03-07-2007, 12:26 PM

The M3 Lite wont fit in my Micro. Is anybody here already using anything for their micro & DS?
EDIT: Anybody know if the EFA Linker II fits FLUSH in the GB Micro?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-07-2007, 03:58 PM

I've never used a Micro, but regular GBA games fit flush in them right? Well, the EFA Linker II is exactly the same size as a regular GBA game. The EFA Linker is a real nice card for GBA stuff, but I don't think you'll find any DS compatibility at all as far as commercial games go.

If your plan is to get separate cards for DS and GBA, though, I think the EFA Linker 2 and whichever slot-1 DS card you think looks best would be a great option. Compatibility will be better right off the bat than with an M3 Perfect and will only get better over time if the M3 Team do stop supporting their slot-2 devices or at least slow down support for them. It's also probably a cheaper option to be honest, especially once you figure the cost of a nopass device in.

...word is bondage...

skaar

03-07-2007, 04:04 PM

Well I just ordered one of the $31 jobbies - we shall see?

schnuth

03-07-2007, 04:20 PM

Well I just ordered one of the $31 jobbies - we shall see?

Same here, it was too good of a deal to pass up. Should be fun to play around with.

norkusa

03-07-2007, 04:25 PM

Well I just ordered one of the $31 jobbies - we shall see?

I just got a conformation email from dealextreme today saying my R4 shipped out. Even provided a tracking number too. Says it should be here in 10-14 days, so everything looks legit.

For anyone looking for a cheap microSD card to use with the R4, Buy.com actually has one that's free after rebate + $10 Google Checkout sign-up bonus (actually, you *make* $7 after rebate). And even if the rebate doesn't go thru, it's still only $10 shipped:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202826912&loc=101

Someone on CAG says they used this card with the M3 Simply and didn't have any problems with it, so it should work fine with the R4.

Cryomancer

03-08-2007, 12:20 AM

Ordered the R4 as well.

Postermen

03-09-2007, 12:31 AM

I just got my R4. The touchscreen doesn't seem to work with any of the games I have tried. Castlevania POR is unstartable without the touchscreen. Anyone have any ideas?

shoes23

03-10-2007, 01:48 AM

I just got the G6Flash G6 4GBit Lite with the Passcard 3. Anybody heard anything about these? Should be here next week so I'll report back then.

rscaramelo

03-13-2007, 12:58 PM

Wow my eyes are glazing over. This is all Greek to me. Can someone answer a couple of simple questions for me?
1. Do any of the slot 2 carts work in a Micro? If yes, should I even bother since I have a DS and DSL?
2. What sort of Roms work in these carts? Would I be able to use NGC roms? Genesis?
3. How do I choose which game on the cart to play? Is there a menu?
4. Do I need any technical knowledge or is it simple drag and drop?

thanks

RC

rbudrick

03-13-2007, 01:27 PM

rscaramelo

03-13-2007, 03:18 PM

[QUOTE=rbudrick;1147183]Major tech knowledge required. The cards come with and play every rom ever made for every system, since the GBA is that good. There is a menu, but it is only written in Hindi.

Thanks for the help :beaten:

RC

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-13-2007, 06:25 PM

People's eyes always seem to glaze over when it comes to these backup carts. It's because there's so many choices and no single perfect card. Each one has it's advantages and disadvantages, so no matter which device you get, you'll be missing out on something. This is a common problem with modern consumer markets--walked down the cereal aisle of a grocery store lately?

You could spend forever trying to figure out which card suits your needs most, but I agree with what shadowkn55 said up above: Just buy something and be done with it. If you buy *ANY* of the backup devices mentioned in this topic or reviewed at gbatemp, I think you'll be happy with it. Just don't expect perfection. Out of any of them. These devices offer so many great features, though, that they don't have to be perfect to be really cool.

I don't think these flash devices really require anything more than the sort of basic computer competency that everyone here certainly has, but the more tech savvy you are, the more you'll be able to do with the cart and so the more you'll enjoy it.

...word is bondage...

rscaramelo

03-13-2007, 07:37 PM

norkusa

03-13-2007, 07:44 PM

Datel/CodeJunkies (http://us.codejunkies.com/news_reviews.asp?c=US&cr=USD&cs=$&r=0&l=1&p=17&i=9070&s=8) has a fairly commercial product. How does this stack up against some of the ones mentioned here?

This thing doesn't actually play DS games, does it?!? I saw this in a few stores but didn't give it a second look. Thought it was just another one of those cheap video + music thingys that you always see for handhelds.

Cryomancer

03-14-2007, 02:09 AM

I don't think it even plays homebrew, let alone commercial games. I don't think it can even play much past mp3s and bmps or something.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-14-2007, 03:03 PM

The Games'n'Music card can play homebrews, but no it won't play commerical games. At least not out of the box. I'm sort of surprised that Datel hasn't released a loader for it that will load commercial ROMs yet, that's the type of thing they usually do. They'll release it on the Internet in a way that can't be traced back to themselves.

However, more damning for the Games'n'Music card is that the GUI is supposedly horrendously clunky and slow.

Besides, the thing's not any cheaper than an R4 on sale at DealExtreme, is it? The R4's defninitely better than the Games'n'Music card.

...word is bondage...

shoes23

03-15-2007, 07:26 PM

Well, the G6 Lite arrived today, and from it was a breeze to set up. I've had no experience with flash carts in the past, but everything went smoothly after about 1/2 hour of tinkering with it. It's played the few games I thrown at it so far, and comes with a wide range of other apps as well (musicplayer, emulators, pda functions, ect). One nice function is that is that it uses the touchscreen for everything

Contents included the flash cart itself, which is designed to be flush with the DS Lite, and comes with 5 cases altogether (4 for the different color DS Lites and one for a DS Fatty). It also contained the a USB adatper and a CD (which is pretty much useless since newer updates are available via web). It was a little high on the price scale (~$100 w/ passcard, if you're on a cheaper budget you should look into the M3 Simply's some were talking about in this thread. I would recommend this one for flast cart novices like myself, unless that is someone has a better one.

+1 G6Lite

norkusa

03-19-2007, 07:34 PM

Just got my R4 in the mail today and it's pretty awesome. Was pretty easy to get DS games running...just dragged a single file onto the root of the microSD card and it was ready. And the few games that I tried playing so far seem to work great. No lag or glitches or anything like that. I didn't install Moonshell yet but since I only plan on playing DS games with the R4, I don't think I need it anyway.

Got a question though. When I unzip my roms, I usually have 4 or 5 different files in there. For instance, Elite Beat Agents has a .diz, .jpg (box art), .nds, .nfo, and .png). Do I just leave all this in the folder or can I throw some of it out? I figure the .nfo & .jpg can go, but I have no idea what a .diz file is and if it's necessary for the game to play.

Oh, BTW, if anyone is worried about getting a bootleg R4, I guess the fake ones have blue stickers on the box and card label that say "2Gb" in addition to some Chinese. So look for that if you're shopping around for an R4. The ones Dealextreme sell are legit though.

Cryomancer

03-19-2007, 07:57 PM

diz is just another file similar to an nfo, not needed.

Got my R4 today too, and it is great for games. it's unfortunetly not as great at homebrew, but i assume it's popularity will make for "ports" to the R4 soon enough.

norkusa

03-20-2007, 11:03 AM

Thanks, Cyro. One more question about the R4...where are the save files kept? Is it in the same folder where the .nds rom is or is it kept on the R4? I'm just worried about loosing my saves when I shuffle my roms between my Mac and DS.

schnuth

03-21-2007, 12:38 PM

My R4 came in the mail from Deal Extreme today, but the MicroSD card I ordered has yet to arrive. :( I can't wait to play with this thing.

In the meantime I found this compatibility list. It shows which games, homebrews, and SD cards work with the R4:

http://wiki.scorpei.com/index.php/R4_compatibility_list

Schenley

03-22-2007, 01:56 AM

I got my R4 today, and have a question...

I got it mainly to play the DS games that I already own - just from one cart instead of carrying around all the carts. I was mistaken in thinking that this 'do it all' DS flash solution would allow me to do that.

How can I get the .NDSes from my commercial carts, and more importantly the game saves over to the R4?

I'm assuming I need something in the slot 2 and I don't care if it sticks out 2 feet or is a bare PCB because I'm only going to use it to get the ROMs from my carts. I'd like to spend as little as possible on this part...

BTW, I have one of these:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=21032
if that will help with the process.

I'm also not looking to play any GBA games on my DS as I still use the GBA SP for that...

Thanks in advance.

Cryomancer

03-22-2007, 09:25 AM

@ norkusa: The .sav files are in the same folder as the roms. I would just turn on viewing extensions if you're in Xp, and then sort by type and leave the .savs on the card, or back them up on your PC when not using them (this is also nice for sharing games with only one save slot with your wife/girlfriend, etc).

Oh, and it's based on filename, so if you use the rom trimmer make sure your trimmed rom and your .sav has the same filename other than the extension.

@ schnuth :THANK YOU for that homebrew compat list, that explains why I couldn't get comicbookDS working.

@ Schenley: I'm not entirely sure how you'd go about that...isn't there some sort of datel device for backing up your saves? It SHOULD be possible but I've got no idea myself.

NE146

03-22-2007, 03:46 PM

Schenley: I'm not entirely sure how you'd go about that...isn't there some sort of datel device for backing up your saves? It SHOULD be possible but I've got no idea myself.

It's definitely possible to backup saves from DS carts. I think someone at the monroeworld.com forums already helped him though...

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-22-2007, 05:53 PM

It's definitely possible to backup saves from DS carts.
Yes, it's possible, but it requires a slot-2 flash cart. I don't know any other way. So maybe Schenley should have just bought a slot-2 device instead of the R4.

As for dumping commercial DS cards, I don't think there's any simple way of doing it. You'd basically have to have knowledge of EE and build your own dumper. You're much better off just downloading the ROMs. If it's the legality of doing that that you're worried about, backing up copy protected games that you own isn't any more legal under the DMCA than downloading the ROMs. In fact, it isn't any more legal than downloading ROMs of games you *DON'T* own.

...word is bondage...

Schenley

03-22-2007, 06:45 PM

Yes, it's possible, but it requires a slot-2 flash cart. I don't know any other way. So maybe Schenley should have just bought a slot-2 device instead of the R4.
No, I don't regret getting the R4 - especially at the price that it is. I really like how the R4 works. It's just the process of getting all my saves off the carts - once that's done, I'll probably never use the slot 2 device again! Maybe someone can loan me one for a couple of weeks?? ;-)

Jorpho

03-22-2007, 11:30 PM

With these rousing endorsements perhaps I should pick one up too while the price is reasonable. DealXtreme ships to Canada, right?

Also, what exactly is the difference between http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1202~r.16466409 and http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1459 ?

Schenley

03-23-2007, 08:44 AM

schnuth

03-26-2007, 01:13 PM

I finally got my MircoSD card over the weekend and have been playing around with my R4 for the past couple days. It's a very neat little device, and I've been having fun trying out lots of homebrew stuff. For the price I paid from DealExreme this is definetely worth the purchase.

norkusa

03-26-2007, 02:40 PM

Now that I've got my Slot-1 needs taken care of with the R4, I'm thinking about getting a Slot-2 card for GBA stuff. Is the G6 Lite the best one around? Also, are there any Slot-2 carts around that are drag-and-drop like the R4 and *don't* require you to flash your DS?

Jorpho

03-26-2007, 03:10 PM

Wouldn't the R4 let you boot from a Slot-2 device?

norkusa

03-26-2007, 03:27 PM

Wouldn't the R4 let you boot from a Slot-2 device?

Yeah, so all I need is Slot-2 device. Isn't that what the G6 Lite is?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

03-26-2007, 06:30 PM

The G6 Lite is a nice cart. I have one and like it a lot. However, it does have fixed memory (512MByte), though that's not much of a problem if you'll only be using it for GBA stuff, you'll be able to fit dozens and dozens of even the largest GBA ROMs into 512MB. Of course, you might still want to consider a cart that takes microSD just because then you'd be able to share cards between your R4 and your slot-2 flash cart. Perhaps the bigger problem with the G6 based on what you want it for is that I don't think the G6's GBA menu is all that hot. The G6 has a great DS menu, but its GBA menu is sort of slow and clunky, it's nice that you can have a screenshot of each ROM, but that slows things down a lot; there's a menu mode that just uses plain text instead of the screenshots but even in that mode you're forced to navigate around using a mouse pointer controlled by the dpad rather than just directly highlighting the ROMs. I don't like it much.

The G6 does however, work just fine using drag & drop to load GBA stuff. It's only for loading DS ROMs that you have to use their Windows app.

I guess the other card I would recommend looking at is the M3 Lite, which takes microSD, has a simpler and easier to use menu and also supports drag & drop for most GBA ROMs just like the G6.

If DS support means nothing to you since you have an R4 and you don't mind the cart sticking out of your DS Lite, you might also check out the EFA-Linker.

...word is bondage...

skaar

03-26-2007, 06:50 PM

Same here, it was too good of a deal to pass up. Should be fun to play around with.

My R4 showed up today at lunchtime. Will be playing with it tonight.

Yay!

Also got a bunch of cheap laser pointers for the cat since they were 4/$3 with free shipping ;)

Jorpho

03-27-2007, 12:32 AM

I still really like this idea of using a DS as a wireless FTP server. But there's no homebrew app that makes that possible, is there?

boatofcar

04-07-2007, 05:37 PM

If all I want to do is NES emulation, should I get an R4, an M3, or something else?

zektor

04-07-2007, 08:43 PM

If all I want to do is NES emulation, should I get an R4, an M3, or something else?

I was playing NES titles on a CF Supercard way back. For the emulators, you can use just about any of the flash carts, as long as they have internal memory. In other words, stay away from the Supercard "rumble" or M3 "Pro". These carts have no internal memory, and cannot run GBA titles. To use the likes of PocketNES (or other GBA emulators) you will need that memory. There is a NES emulator for DS, but it does not support many file systems. If you can get your hands on a very cheap Supercard CF unit (I have seen them sell for $10 in the scdev forums) you'll be good to go.

Jorpho

04-29-2007, 09:16 PM

Blast! DealExtreme sent me the Chinese version of the R4 instead of the English version! Grumble grumble grumble.

And even with the Chinese firmware, Moonshell won't start up; it gives an error message about being unable to write to the media.

Cryomancer

04-30-2007, 05:00 PM

You SHOULD be able to just install the english firmware, I don't think the hardware is different at all.

Also, in case you other R4 users haven't noticed, the new update includes a cheating function.

norkusa

04-30-2007, 05:22 PM

Also, in case you other R4 users haven't noticed, the new update includes a cheating function.

Yeah, I noticed that but I have no idea how it works. Don't you have to download the actual cheat codes from somewhere or are they already pre-loaded?

Jorpho

04-30-2007, 08:41 PM

You SHOULD be able to just install the english firmware, I don't think the hardware is different at all.

Nyet, according to several reports I have read. That was only the case for earlier versions of the R4. Trying to use the English firmware on this unit just produces a Chinese error message.

(There's no reason Moonshell shouldn't work with this made-in-Japan 1 GB Kingston MicroSD card I've got, right? I presume the problem has something to do with non-English filenames and the FAT16 file system.)

norkusa

04-30-2007, 09:53 PM

(There's no reason Moonshell shouldn't work with this made-in-Japan 1 GB Kingston MicroSD card I've got, right? I presume the problem has something to do with non-English filenames and the FAT16 file system.)

I've got the same microSD and Moonshell works fine on my English R4. Maybe you just have something configured wrong.

NE146

04-30-2007, 10:43 PM

Yeah, I noticed that but I have no idea how it works. Don't you have to download the actual cheat codes from somewhere or are they already pre-loaded?

They're pre-loaded.. but you can update it in some mysterious way that's unknown to me. As is though, it's pretty up to date with the codemasters DS database. You might have to do a search though... for example I was looking for a cheat for Big Brain Academy (just to mess around.. I already scored an A+ in the game and wanted to check out if it went beyond that :p).. anyway, it said there was none. HOWEVER I found out a few days later there was a cheat for the EUR version of the game, so I loaded the euro version, and bam, the cheats showed up.

norkusa

04-30-2007, 11:40 PM

Pre-loaded, eh? Well that definitely makes it easier. Looks like my online record in Mario Kart should be going up now. :-P

Is there a FAQ anywhere on how to use these cheat coeds (running the built-in ones, loading new ones, activating & turning off, etc.). I tried the official R4 forums but they weren't much help.

DefaultGen

05-01-2007, 12:22 AM

I'm trying to sell my old M3 CF and get a slot 1 flashcart, judging by the fact that a lot of people in this thread have them, I guess they're alright. Mainly switching for Pokemon. I have a Supercard if I wanna play GBA so i'm not really giving anything up.

agbulls

05-03-2007, 03:51 PM

Would you guys agree that ultimate combination for now seems to be:

Supercard Lite Micro SD (for your GBA, NES, GG and TG needs) AND
R4 Micro SD (for DS and homebrew)

I'm thinking about getting one and then the other so I can have a TON to play anywhere I go. What do you guys think?

Cryomancer

05-04-2007, 06:03 AM

I too am going to want a slot 2 device eventually...but i am still a launch model DS fat user. Do any of these newer cards still come in "full" GBA cart size?

There's also some addon/booster cart for some device or another that apparently can act as a rumble pack, RAM expansion for the browser...and something else I can't recall. Sorry if it's already been mentioned in this thread.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-04-2007, 09:56 PM

I too am going to want a slot 2 device eventually...but i am still a launch model DS fat user. Do any of these newer cards still come in "full" GBA cart size?
I don't know if any actually are currently being manufactured in the original GBA size, but there's lots of older ones that are and you'll be able to get them from stores for a while to come. A few of the ones that are DS Lite sized have GBA cases that you can swap the guts into, also.

There's also some addon/booster cart for some device or another that apparently can act as a rumble pack, RAM expansion for the browser...and something else I can't recall. Sorry if it's already been mentioned in this thread.
Yeah, those are pretty killer. The other thing they do is boot GBA games loaded from you slot-1 card, which is boss. They're called the EZFlash 3-in-1 and while they were originally only made to work with the EZFlash V flash kit, there's a hombrew program that you can use to boot GBA with them from any slot-1 card. I think I heard that the G6 Team is also planning to release a similar accessory to go with the G6DS Real.

...word is bondage...

boatofcar

05-04-2007, 11:58 PM

Well, I just ordered a Supercard Lite Micro SD for $56 shipped. Now I just need a MicroSD card.

studvicious

05-06-2007, 12:37 AM

I don't think it even plays homebrew, let alone commercial games. I don't think it can even play much past mp3s and bmps or something.

I just picked this up at Best Buy today for $18. It does run homebrew apps/games and it actually comes loaded with 25 games and the trailer for Shrek 3. It doesn't play commercial roms and I don't think it will run emu's. If so I would love to know how. I did manage to get a SNES emu to run halfway but that's about it.

Also it has a nice and simple interface, pretty easy to use.

** edit

It DOES run some emu's but no SNES ones I guess... :(

Jorpho

05-06-2007, 01:39 AM

Is there some reason you would expect it to run other homebrew apps but not emulators?

studvicious

05-06-2007, 07:06 AM

Not really, but after trying for a few hours I couldn't get it to work. It did seem that most emu's had very limiting (if at all) support for Micro SD.

boatofcar

05-06-2007, 07:14 AM

Not really, but after trying for a few hours I couldn't get it to work. It did seem that most emu's had very limiting (if at all) support for Micro SD.

Serious question--what does the format of the memory card have to do with emu compatibility?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-06-2007, 03:51 PM

It's not how you format it, it's the card itself. With all the SD-based flash kits (SD, mini-SD and micro-SD), compatibility can sometimes be a problem. I have three SD cards and only one of them works flawlessly in my Supercard. One of the others, works in some cases and not others. The last doesn't work at all.

As for emulators not working when homebrew does. I think he means because of FAT access. The Games'n'Music card still doesn't have a DLDI driver, so no homebrew that requires FAT access will work properly. For games, that isn't a big problem since only three or four homebrew games use the FAT, but for emlulators and media apps, it's a bigger problem. Actually, though, most emulators can work without FAT access if you append the ROMs to the emulator as a single NDS file. SnezziDS will work this way, for sure. As will Picodrive and DSMS and a number of other emulators. nesDS even lets you append multiple ROMs, with the others you have to make a separate file for each ROM.

...word is bondage...

studvicious

05-06-2007, 07:39 PM

if you append the ROMs to the emulator as a single NDS file. SnezziDS will work this way, for sure. As will Picodrive and DSMS and a number of other emulators. nesDS even lets you append multiple ROMs, with the others you have to make a separate file for each ROM.

Would you please elaborate a little bit more on this process? I think I did something like that and it didn't work but there is a good chance I messed something up.

boatofcar

05-06-2007, 09:32 PM

studvicious

05-06-2007, 10:25 PM

No, what I have is pretty much a DS card with a Micro SD slot on top.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-07-2007, 06:04 PM

Would you please elaborate a little bit more on this process? I think I did something like that and it didn't work but there is a good chance I messed something up.
On a Windows PC, you append the ROM to the emulator file with the DOS copy command. So in a command line, enter "COPY /B <name of emulator.nds> + <name of rom.rom> <name of output.nds>". If you're going to be doing a bunch of ROMs this way, you can make a batch file with the <name of rom.rom> placeholder above replaced with %1 and the <name of output.nds> with %1.nds, this will allow you to simply drag and drop a ROM onto the batch file to automatically append it to the emulator. There's a similar command that works in Linux or MacOSX, but I don't know exactly what it is. This method works with both SnezziDS and Picodrive as wrell as SCUMMVM DS. It does not work with SNEmulDS, though, nor with DSMasterPlus, I don't think. DSMS and nesDS both have separate Windows executables that you use to append the ROMs instead of this command line procedure.

Good luck with the Games'n'Music card. It's obviously not the best DS flash kit out there, but it's cheap and widely available which is nice. Hopefully it will bring more people to the DS homebrew scene. There's so many great homebrew games on the DS now. I consider all the homebrew games on the DS justification enough for the money I spent on my flash kits. And that's not even counting emulation or homebrew applications or piracy.

...word is bondage...

studvicious

05-07-2007, 06:38 PM

Thanks for that. ^ Overall I'm pretty happy with it. When I bought it, I really only wanted it for music and movies and didn't even think about emulation. So I guess for $18 bucks I got my money's worth even if I can't emulate EarthBound. :)

boatofcar

05-08-2007, 05:07 PM

YES! I got my Supercard Lite MicroSD card today and a 2GB MicroSD card for the total price of around $75. It works perfectly for NES emulation, just copy the files to the MicroSD card, pop it in the cart (which fits perfectly flush with my DS Lite), and away you go! So freakin sweet! :D :D :D

norkusa

05-09-2007, 07:56 PM

I'm going to get a Slot-2 card soon but I'm still kinda confused about how they work. Are there any that don't require you to flash your DS, or will I have to do that with every one i buy?

The G6 looks good but I'd like something that takes a MicroSD, so I'll probably go with the M3 Lite (as long as I don't have to flash anything).

DefaultGen

05-09-2007, 08:34 PM

I got my R4 today, i'm pretty happy with it. Much nicer interface than my clunky juggernaut M3 CF.

norkusa, you have to flash your DS unless you use a Pass-cart of some kind (I'm pretty sure slot 1 flash carts will work, otherwise there are dedicated ones). Having a flashed DS is safer since you can recover from a brick though.

norkusa

05-09-2007, 08:50 PM

norkusa, you have to flash your DS unless you use a Pass-cart of some kind (I'm pretty sure slot 1 flash carts will work, otherwise there are dedicated ones). Having a flashed DS is safer since you can recover from a brick though.

I keep my R4 in DS 24/7, so I don't think that'd be a problem (I can use a R4 as a pass card, right?). Just wanted to be sure I didn't have to do anything complicated to my DS to get the slot-2 to work. Sounds like it's pretty easy to use though.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-09-2007, 08:55 PM

I'm going to get a Slot-2 card soon but I'm still kinda confused about how they work. Are there any that don't require you to flash your DS, or will I have to do that with every one i buy?
If you're going to use the slot-2 cart for GBA stuff, then any one will work out of the box with nothing else necessary. If you want it for more NDS stuff, then you'll need to boot the GBA cart into NDS mode using your R4. Either way, flashing your DS is not required.

Having a flashed DS is safer since you can recover from a brick though.
Recover from a brick caused by flashing your DS, you mean? That's really the only way people brick their DSes. There's that BrickMe trojan (which was written by one of the coders who worke don FlashMe mostly to get people to use FlashMe), but I've never heard of anyone actually getting it.

The main advantage of flashing your DS is that it will allow you to use single-card multiplayer (Download Play) in games booted from a flash card. Otherwise, I don't really see any good reason for it.

...word is bondage...

DefaultGen

05-09-2007, 09:06 PM

Actually, a leaked Mario Kart DS demo that bricked DSs.....

But only if they had FlashMe so everyone recovered :-p

norkusa

05-09-2007, 10:27 PM

Thanks for the info, SFD. Yeah, I'm just going to be using it for GBA stuff (my R4 will do everything else), so I shouldn't have any problems setting it up.

One thing I can't figure out though is the difference between the M3 Lite Perfect and Pro versions. I went to modchipstore.com to look at them and the descriptions for both were exactly the same.

Also, what's a good store to purchase from?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-10-2007, 11:19 AM

One thing I can't figure out though is the difference between the M3 Lite Perfect and Pro versions. I went to modchipstore.com to look at them and the descriptions for both were exactly the same.
The Pro has no GBA support, so you don't want that one. I'm surprised that any site selling it wouldn't mention it in their product description.

Also, what's a good store to purchase from?
There seem to be a lot of good ones, but I haven't ordered from very many myself. modchipstore, gamersection, kicktrading, etc. all have fairly good reputations, though. I would not recommend ordering from divineo.

...word is bondage...

norkusa

05-14-2007, 10:41 PM

Thanks again for all the minfo SFD. I ended up going for the M3 Lite Perfect since I had an extra 1gb MicroSD card laying around that I could use with it. Best price I found was Modchip store for $75 + 7 for ship and it should be here in only a few days.

Do you know if these M3 Lites are ready to use out of the box, or do they have to have firmware installed on it before using like the the R4 does?

Was also kind of surprised to see that these M3 Lites can play all kinds of video formats like AVI's and MPEG's. To play video on the R4 though, you first gotta convert it to some obscure format that only the DS can read.

boatofcar

05-14-2007, 10:44 PM

Also, what's a good store to purchase from?

I got my Supercard from www.realhotstuff.com and got it super quick.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-14-2007, 10:54 PM

Do you know if these M3 Lites are ready to use out of the box, or do they have to have firmware installed on it before using like the the R4 does?
Updating the firmware to the most recent version is always recommended, but the cart should work out of th box.

Was also kind of surprised to see that these M3 Lites can play all kinds of video formats like AVI's and MPEG's. To play video on the R4 though, you first gotta convert it to some obscure format that only the DS can read.
That's false advertising. What they mean is that the M3 can play formats like AVI and MPEG if you first convert the videos into an obscure format that only the DS can read. The M3 has two built in options for video playback actually, but neither is as good as the most recent version of Moonshell which comes on the R4 (and can be installed onto an M3, too, of course).

...word is bondage...

norkusa

05-16-2007, 01:06 PM

I got my M3 Lite today but I'm having a hard time getting everything set-up. It looks like I'm following the instructions correctly, but I'm still not getting anywhere.

Since it's supposed to play GBA roms right out of the box, I put a couple (unzipped) on a microSD card and fired up the M3 Lite. When I selected the rom, the "Loading" bar would reach to the end but the system would freeze up after that. I reset the DS and when I got back to the M3 menu, it said something like "no NDSSAVE directory found". So I put a folder called NDSSAVE on the root of the stick and tried it again. This time it says "Warning! NDS GAME SAVE in card but CANNOT find AUTOSAVE backup file. Press A to continue."

So this is where I'm stuck at. Trying to dig around for info online like a FAQ for this or something but haven't found anything yet. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? I installed the loader (whatever thats for) on the M3 Lite like the instructions says and it looks like it installed properly. Am I supposed to tweak the roms with this M3 Game Manager software before I put them on the MicroSD? I thought it was just drag-and-drop with the M3 Lite but maybe I'm wrong?

EDIT: Okay, got the games working (had to boot into GBA mode first...instructions didn't mention this) but now I can't save for some reason. I'm still getting that "CANNOT find AUTOSAVE backup file" message. What gives?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-17-2007, 02:12 PM

Unlike the R4 and other slot-1 cards, the M3 doesn't create the save file on the cartridge the first time you play a game. There has to already be an empty save file there in order for the save to be written. If you used the card manager program, it would write the save files automatically, but if you know the proper directory and naming structure you could also do it yourself. For instance, on the G6, save files are placed in the same directory as the ROM and have the same filename as the ROM, but with an .0, .1 or .2 (since you can have up to three save files for each ROM) extension instead of .GBA or .NDS. I don't know how the M3 organizes saves, but you just need to figure it out, then you can create the save files yourself by writing an empty 128KB file to the right location or just copying one of the existing saves with a new name.

Some GBA ROMs will need to be patched in order to save properly, though, so you may just prefer to use the M3 Manager program. There's also a program called GBA Tool Advanced which can do the patching and other things and this is what I use since the G6 Manager utility doesn't agree with Windows 98.

If you use the M3 for NDS ROMs, they will need to be run through the Manager since unpatched DS ROMs will not work on any slot-2 device.

...word is bondage...

norkusa

05-17-2007, 03:49 PM

Thanks explaining that SFD. I was going nuts all day yesterday trying to figure out what was going on. I tried using the M3 game manager program, but I honestly had no idea what I was doing, even after reading the shitty engrish instructions.

I dunno about this M3 Lite cart. I was hoping that it'd be like the R4 where you could just drag-and-drop GBA roms in and be done with it. Looks like all GBA flash carts require you to do some kind of tweaking with the roms though. It's ind of a pain in the ass for me since I'm on a Mac and I gotta boot into Windows just to use that Game Manager program. I don't even play that much GBA stuff anyways and my PSP emulates GBA pretty well, so maybe I'll just sell it off. :-/

On the bright side though, Modchipstore.com gave me a USB reader, Passcard, and some extra DS shells all for free. Don't know if they included it by accident or if they were just dumping some old stock. Either way, I'll probably makes some extra cash on everything if I do decide to sell it all off.

Sweater Fish Deluxe

05-17-2007, 04:02 PM

Yeah, the M3 was probably not the best choice for a slot-2 cart if you only wanted it for GBA stuff and especially if you're a Mac user. The EFA-Linker is the card I'd recommend for non-Windows users wanting a GBA flash cart.

However, drag & drop will work just fine on the M3, you just need to know where the save files go and how they should be named. If you can't use the M3 Manager to find out, maybe someone here has an M3 will speak up or you could go ask at the GBAtemp forums or something.

...word is bondage...

Cryomancer

07-25-2007, 11:16 AM

What do you guys suggest for gameboy/color emulation on the DS? Or is it not worth it yet? I've got an R4, so slot 1 software suggestions please.

Lord_Magus

07-25-2007, 05:56 PM

There seem to be a lot of good ones, but I haven't ordered from very many myself. modchipstore, gamersection, kicktrading, etc. all have fairly good reputations, though. I would not recommend ordering from divineo.

hmm... I ordered my M3 Simply from divineo when it first came out, and had no problems at all: the package arrived fast and safe. However, I just recently bought another M3 Simply from them for a friend which ended up being faulty, and at the moment I'm waiting for them to reply to the email I sent them a couple of days ago... :/

Until I read your comment, I had heard nothing but good things about divineo (which is why I chose them in the first place). Is there any reason I should worry about things going sour now?

Sweater Fish Deluxe

07-26-2007, 12:15 PM

hmm... I ordered my M3 Simply from divineo when it first came out, and had no problems at all: the package arrived fast and safe. However, I just recently bought another M3 Simply from them for a friend which ended up being faulty, and at the moment I'm waiting for them to reply to the email I sent them a couple of days ago... :/

Until I read your comment, I had heard nothing but good things about divineo (which is why I chose them in the first place). Is there any reason I should worry about things going sour now?
Well, I wouldn't expect them to just totally ignore you forever unless they've gotten even worse than the last time I heard about them. Their customer service and general responsiveness is certifiably shitty, though, so don't expect the return to go totally smoothly. I had a bad experience with them myself and I've seen more negative reports about them than you would expect based on just the law of averages. For some reason that I still haven't seen explained, with CycloDS Evolution card Divineo was actually just sending out the bare cards without the tin box that it's supposed to fcome in and sometimes even without the USB card reader, and with absolutely no warning about that on their site or a reduced shipping charge or anything. To me that seems amazingly unprofessional.

For Gameboy emulators on the DS, check out Lameboy. A new version just came out last week or so that I haven't gotten around to putting on my card, but it was already pretty excellent emulation in the previous version. I still prefer Goomba, which is the Gameboy emulator for the GBA. The main advatage is has is support for custom palettes. However, it obviously won't work in a slot-1 DS flash card, so you'll have to use Lameboy, whihc is nearly as good anyway. ALso, Lameboy is still being worked on, unlike Goomba, so hopefully soon it will have support for custom palettes (which would be easier to make using the DS touchscreen anyway) and maybe even the "official" colorized palettes and Super Gameboy palettes which are actually not available in Goomba.

...word is bondage...