Hacking Hi, Newbie here with some questions

[Korbra]

Hi,
I've been researching flashcarts for the past couple of days in my free time and they're looking better and better. Right now I'm at the stage where I know what I want to do and I just need to figure out exactly what to buy and I figured you guys could help me out. I've got the original Nintendo DS and a Gameboy Advance SP. I mainly play the old GBA Pokemon games and the new DS Pokemon games so that is what I'm interested in.
This is what I want to do. Would the CycloDS Evolution/iSmart Premium/something similar do it all? If not, what else will I need at the minimum? Some kind of slot 2 device?
*Backup my game roms and saves that I have now of both types (DS and GBA)
*Play both types of roms (DS and GBA)
*Use Action Replay cheats
*And I might be getting a DSlite or DSi in a few months so compatibility is somewhat of a concern too
Thanks!

 

[Decooter]

Supercard DSTWO will do everything you need it to do and more, and is compatible with every type of NDS out there, as well as 3DS, to the newest firmware release.

 

[Alexandre Verrie]

Yes, DSTwo is your best choose !

 

[Sop]

Or if you're on a budget get an Acekard 2i, although I have a DS2 myself.

 

[Korbra]

Wow, really? That is awesome lol. I'll plan on ordering a DSTwo then

What exactly is the point of having an EZFlashV 3 in 1? I saw people on the Team Cyclops forum that had the Evolution and the EZFlash. Is that just overkill?

 

[Decooter]

You wouldn't get the EZ Flash 3-in-1 with a DSTWO unless you really wanted to play one of the few games that doesn't play as well on the emulator (Golden Sun games, for example, which are still playable on the emulator)

Otherwise you don't need it. the 3-in-1 would be best suited for a card that can't do GBA emulation like an acekard. Keep in mind that you'd obviously need to have a GBA slot in your DS to use it, so it would be a waste of money to buy one if you plan to upgrade to a DSi/XL/3DS in the future.

 

[Korbra]

Okay thanks that makes sense

 

[The Catboy]

Supercard DSTwo, it has almost everything, but DSi-Mode (yet, there is a possibility in the future, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it)

 

[caroline]

There is no denying that supercard dstwo is the best one. In fact,there have many slot-1 cards are good too,please check this comparison list for each flashcarts :

http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Flashcart_Comparison_Chart

 

[machomuu]

There is no denying that supercard dstwo is the best one. In fact,there have many slot-1 cards are good too,please check this comparison list for each flashcarts :

http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Flashcart_Comparison_Chart

Fixed.

 

[Korbra]

Oh haha that is a nifty comparison chart. I ordered the DSTwo today so hopefully the shipping is fast, I'm anxious to get started.
So in my original question I was asking about GBA games... Now I have a question about backing up my GBColor games and saves like Blue or Crystal. They obviously don't fit in the DS slot 2 but I still play them on my SP. What is the best way to back them up? If its too much of a hassle I can always just keep the SP to play them on, but then you have the possibility of their internal clocks dying. In fact I think the clock in Crystal is going out now.

 

[Densetsu]

There is no denying that supercard dstwo is the best one. In fact,there have many slot-1 cards are good too,please check this comparison list for each flashcarts :

http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Flashcart_Comparison_Chart

That table needs a little updating. The SCDS2 has an alternative firmware now--in fact, it has two: iMenu and BAGPlug. I'd do it myself but I've never messed with tables in a wiki before.

*EDIT*
Well, I guess iMenu still uses the same basic files as the official firmware so you can't actually call it a completely different firmware, but the GUI is much better. I don't know if the same can be said for BAGPlug since I've never used it.

 

[exangel]

Oh haha that is a nifty comparison chart. I ordered the DSTwo today so hopefully the shipping is fast, I'm anxious to get started.
So in my original question I was asking about GBA games... Now I have a question about backing up my GBColor games and saves like Blue or Crystal. They obviously don't fit in the DS slot 2 but I still play them on my SP. What is the best way to back them up? If its too much of a hassle I can always just keep the SP to play them on, but then you have the possibility of their internal clocks dying. In fact I think the clock in Crystal is going out now.

You will need to use some homebrew tools to backup your retail game saves, I'm pretty sure I used this one for my GBA carts:
http://filetrip.net/f3228-GBA-Backup-Tool-0-21.html


edit: For your GBC saves I don't have any reference. Sorry.

edit2: after re-reading your first post, there are several different tools that you would be able to use to backup the saves from your retail DS carts as well so long as it's done on a DS/DSLite. http://filetrip.net/f6141-SavSend-FINAL.html is probably the simplest one to use.

I personally prefer AK2i + 3-in-1 for ease of use and GBA gameplay quality but I own both the DS2 and AK2i. If you like to use cheats though, the DS2 with GBA emulation permits cheat codes with some special set-up, but you can also use 3-in-1 with DS2. I explained my reasons for my preference in a similar thread on this forum earlier today.

edit3: if you do decide to get a 3-in-1 make sure it is a GBA cart size model since you have a DS Phat and the one designed for the Lite won't fit in your system, they're a little harder to find but they're around, last time I saw one was on Realhotstuff I think. The 3-in-1, in addition to slot-2 GBA ROM loading, also serves as a rumble pack for compatible DS games and memory expansion for things like the DS browser and I think a couple homebrews can utilize it as well.