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DS Flashcart 101, Questions?

OmnutiaOmnutia
edited November 2008 in Video Games
In the last few years I've got to the point where I know just about as much about DS flashcarts and homebrew as I'm ever going to need to know. I'm going to start collecting this knowledge into a comprehensive beginners guide covering what to buy, what apps to download and how to use it all.

I wanted to know what kind of things people wanted to know about.

Subjects could include:
Games: NDS, Any home console pre PS1/Saturn, any hand held Pre-PSP, GBA games (separate hardware needed)
HB Art: Animation, sketching, full watercolour style paint apps
HB Media: Comics, Video, Music, Books
HB Information: Japanese dictionaries, Google Maps
HB Communication: IM, Mail, VOIP*, Chat, IRC*
HB Games: Various, World of Sand
Skins/Themes
Anything else you'd like to know about.

I'll also do a run down of the basic ideas behind DS flashcarts. So,what would you guys like to know?

*Will require research
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Comments

  • MosquitoboyMosquitoboy
    Prices that are appropriate for the different kinds of flash cards.
  • Loganator456Loganator456
    Pretty much the quickest way from DLing a file to popping it in your DS and playing, very simply.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Prices that are appropriate for the different kinds of flash cards.
    i.e. When buying them from a shop? I'll be pointing to the cheapest prices online.
  • Loganator456Loganator456
    Basically, I would want you to concentrate more on the gaming part than on any other app-like part. While the others are useful, I think more people who are just starting out with the DS homebrew notice the games first, and will tend to concentrate on that.
  • BronzdragonBronzdragon
    Basically, I would want you to concentrate more on the gaming part than on any other app-like part. While the others are useful, I think more people who are just starting out with the DS homebrew notice the games first, and will tend to concentrate on that.
    Agreed. I also suggest you write up on emulation of things like the NES.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    So what flashcarts to buy and things concerning gaming are the main parts? By gaming do you mean NDS only or would you like to know about running SNES and similar emulators?
  • AprecheApreche
    Make sure you let people know about the GBA expansion pack battery. The battery in my GBA card died, and now I can't play any GBA roms that have save games.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited November 2008
    @Scott: What brand & make GBA-slot device are you using?
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • AprecheApreche
    @Scott: What brand & make GBA-slot device are you using?
    It's all M3 DS Real.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited November 2008
    @Scott, Based on what I know about you, you would do well to just get a CycloDS Evolution + EZ 3-in-1 + 8GB flashcard. It's the most expensive option but the price is still not that bad an you will appreciate the difference immediately and overwhelmingly. I have been using this setup for the last two days and it is the DS on an entirely new level.
    Also get yourself a couple of USB to DS charger cables.

    I'm currently writing the guide section on what to buy.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • urhereimnoturhereimnot
    I have an R4 flash card I bought from China for 7 USD, and it works perfectly fine with both homebrew apps and ROMs from what I've tried.
    Some notes/problems:
    • Accepts standard MicroSD card (probably not SDHC)
    • The DS is region free, and so is the flashcart (except the firmware... a Chinese R4 card normally won't accept an English firmware file)
    • Rarely, new DS games will come with some form of copy protection that detects R4/other flashcarts (Crystal Chronicles was one). However, if the past is any indication, a firmware update will fix such problems
    • Occasionally has issues detecting/reading the microSD card, sometimes while playing. However, that may be the fault of the flashcard, which I got for free from a somewhat shady source.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited November 2008
    I've been using the R4 for a year (maybe two?). I'm using the R4 as the budget option and the CycloDS as the standard option. They Cyclo does cost considerably more but after just a couple of days I can see where the extra money would really help people who use their DS a lot. I'm really loving the GBA integration, you just select a .gba rom like you would a .nds file and it loads it to the RAM section of the EZ 3in1 but if you've already loaded the same .gba rom to the ROM section it just boots it strait away, it is also incredibly solid and the stylus operation is very well implemented. < /gush>

    I've seen a direct copy of the R4 called the R4DS SDHC, which you would not guess, is made by completely different people. It uses a hacked version of the firmware and a modified chipset to let you use SDHC cards. The problem is, without a stylus interface, that many files would be a real pain to navigate.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • DkongDkong
    Aside from the gba integration and the SDHC compatibility, what benefits does the Cyclo have over the R4?

    Cause really, I got the Cyclo mainly because I have that kind of money to throw around. For my friends, most of whom don't have a lot of money to throw around, I usually just recommend the R4 because it gets the job done and is a lot cheaper.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    The R4 is good if you want to create an 20-in-1 NDS cart. I was very happy with it but the manga reader and such make the CycloDS better for geeks.
  • AprecheApreche
    @Scott, Based on what I know about you, you would do well to just get a CycloDS Evolution + EZ 3-in-1 + 8GB flashcard. It's the most expensive option but the price is still not that bad an you will appreciate the difference immediately and overwhelmingly. I have been using this setup for the last two days and it is the DS on an entirely new level.
    Also get yourself a couple of USB to DS charger cables.

    I'm currently writing the guide section on what to buy.
    I'm not buying anything else. You can forget that.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited November 2008
    Ok, your loss. On the software side it's mostly the NDS roms and GBA roms people want to know about. Any other consoles in particular?

    Started writing again from scratch.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • DkongDkong
    I don't need any guides or questions answered...but the reason I picked up the Cyclo was for "testing" DS games and for emulation (not gba, though. Would be awesome...but I already have like 40 games for GBA, and it's a PIA to set up for the DS). The reason I say "testing" is that usually the only stuff I pirate are Japanese games I wouldn't normally get (for instance, I'm gonna buy Daigasso 2 once Play Asia has a sale, but I will probably never buy Taiko Drum Master 2) and games that are worth dicking around with for a bit then get kind of old (electroplankton...though I'll be honest, I did buy it; Jam sessions; etc). Most big games that I know I'll like, I buy.

    Of course, there were some homebrew apps I really wanted to try out (moonshell, dscratch/protein, other random music things).
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Dkong, the Cyclo integrates GBA games really well. Just insert an EZ 3-in-1 device and select the .gba rom from the main menu, it'll load it to the RAM section and play it straight away.

    Here's a rough outline I've come up with:
    Introduction
    How flashcarts work
    -Difference between DS and GBA slot
    Choosing a flascart
    Setting up your flashcart
    -Installing the latest cheat database
    -Adding a custom skin
    Games: NDS
    -Where to get ROMs
    -Starting ROMs, using various cheats
    -Organizing everything for easy use
    Games: Other
    -How to use GBA roms
    -Which emulators to use for SNES, MD, GB/GBC, NES
    Useful apps list
  • csrjjsmpcsrjjsmp
    edited November 2008
    Is there really a good reason to get those other cards? A DSTT is around 7 bucks online, supports SDHC and everything. The Cyclo DS is the card I got, but seeing this, I wouldn't recommend the Cyclo to others. It's 8 times more expensive but I doubt it's 8 times better.
    Post edited by csrjjsmp on
  • DkongDkong
    This review makes that DSTT cart look real good. The biggest problem I see with it is the gba support. That looks easy enough to work around, though.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I would go with the R4SDHC before the DSTT as "The GUI needs some touches as it lacks even a simple folder browser. This is made more frustrating as the long list of games can’t be sorted alphabetically through the GUI." <-- Found that in the review.
    That said, many of these reviews are made when the card is first released and firmware updates can do a lot to help a system. I'm going to look through these reviews to look for a mid range option as the Cyclo is still mad expensive.
  • snookernetsnookernet
    I have an M3 Lite. It works fine and all, with only a few DS games that won't work, but games need patched first. It becomes a hassle real quick and I end up never changing games because of the effort. I probably wouldn't spend more money on another cart, but are there any Slot 1 cards that are drag and drop and support GBA games as well?
  • ChurbaChurba
    I probably wouldn't spend more money on another cart, but are there any Slot 1 cards that are drag and drop and support GBA games as well?
    I'm pretty sure the R4 Does, doesn't it?
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    No, the R4 needs a program called GBA Exploder, or similar, to load GBA games. The M3 lite seems to already be slot 2 so aren't you able to boot GBA games automatically?
  • snookernetsnookernet
    Yeah, it is slot 2, but I still have to load GBA games through the game manager software.
  • raquorraquor
    I picked up the CycloDS + EZ 3in1 for the sole purpose of loading all my purchased DS games and Gameboy (all the various versions from original through GBA) games on it. Now I carry only my ds with Cyclo in the slot and ram pack in the bottom and I've got every single game I own at my finger tips. I've not fiddled with homebrew too much, just a couple apps that I tried once and never opened again. I dig the CycloDS's interface and usability, it's a pretty well put together little card.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    You are using something like lameboyDS for the GB/GBC stuff right?
  • raquorraquor
    You are using something like lameboyDS for the GB/GBC stuff right?
    Yeah, DSMasterPlus, jEnesisDS, lameboy, nesDS, SNEmulDS
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    edited November 2008
    EDIT: I answered my own question. Sorry about that.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited November 2008
    Rumble won't be that good, whichever you choose (I want to try modding an N64 rumble pack into a DS attachment).
    More RAM isn't going to do much, if anything. I would go for the EZ 3-in-1 as you can also permanently load a game onto its NOR memory. GBAExploder for the EZ 3n1 is pretty good too.
    If you already have a M3 brand slot-1 then the M3 GBA slot would probably be better if you change between GBA games a lot due to you not having to load an app to load the GBA roms. What DS slot device are you using?

    In short:
    EZ3n1 - If you want to have one GBA game you can play without waiting as well as loading roms temporarily.
    M3 - Being able to load GBA games from the main menu without a separate app (if you use an M3 DS slot device.).
    Post edited by Omnutia on
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