Hacking How to tell if your R4 is a fake?

SamusKnight2K

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Recently I found a really good deal on an R4DS and it just arrived today. However, reading some info here on the site and other places there's apparently fakes floating around... So the question I have is... How can you tell if yours is a fake or not?

Site where purchased:
http://www.gamebay.com/R4_Volume_2_Revolut.../invof_4715.htm

I've tried comparing it to the R4 DS in this video and they're virtually identical in packaging, appearance, and so on. There's only a few differences I've spotted:

* The included strap and rubber inside the casing are a darker blue. The enclosed ones in mine are turquoise.
* The CD sleeve has a plastic window on it. The enclosed CD sleeve in mine has no window.
* I don't know if this matters or not but the sticker label in mine was on a piece of plastic allowing the user to apply the sticker themselves.
* The R4 supposedly comes equipped with a spring-load for the Micro SD, mine seems to have this feature absent.
* The CD included has the latest R4DS kernel software, not sure if that matters or not...

I've tested the R4DS and the only issue I've seen so far is there seems to be an error or something running Moonshell. Otherwise the Kernel (Which I downloaded directly from the R4DS site.) works flawlessly and I can play NDS roms without trouble. I'm pretty convinced mine's the real deal but I wanted to be sure... Thanks.

EDIT: Should mention that Moonshell DOES run, there's just some kinda error saying it failed to load certain files. But I can still use it regardless.
 

Sephi

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Getting an R4 was a bad move, since the team is basically dead now, a DSTT or AceKard 2 would have been a better choice.

It doesn't really matter if your R4 is fake or not, but there's a thread telling how to distinguish between the real R4's and the clones. You'll need to take your R4 apart to do so, the screw can be removed pretty easily with a pocket knife, if you don't have a little screw driver.

This thread will show you the real and fake R4's - http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=93537
 

SamusKnight2K

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Sephi said:
Getting an R4 was a bad move, since the team is basically dead now, a DSTT or AceKard 2 would have been a better choice.

It doesn't really matter if your R4 is fake or not, but there's a thread telling how to distinguish between the real R4's and the clones. You'll need to take your R4 apart to do so, the screw can be removed pretty easily with a pocket knife, if you don't have a little screw driver.

This thread will show you the real and fake R4's - http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=93537


Thanks! I looked at that thread, made a comparison and indeed my R4 is the real thing. Now as for purchasing an R4... Originally I had an EZ-Flash V but unfortunately when I went to donate an old bag of mine to a thrift store, I forgot the flash cart was in it so I lost the cart. Thankfully I still had the Micro SD card as I was using that for something else at the time. At the time I wasn't aware the R4 was now officially dead (I purchased my EZ-Flash around late December 2007 and at that time, R4 was still the most popular card or so I had heard.) and since I needed a new flash card I chose R4 since it seemed like the one everyone recommended. I don't know if I'll bother picking up one of the more expensive cards as from the looks of it the R4 still does the job.

Also for the most part it's just for playing games I may want to buy/try out. From my flash cart experiences sometimes games will freeze or your data will be inexplicably deleted. I don't know if the R4 suffers this or not but if I find a game I really like, I buy it. Coming in December of this year is a game I'm dying to try but won't be released outside Japan for who knows how long. I only bought another flash cart so I could try the game and see if I really will enjoy it once it's released to the US. Playing other games I might have interest in but won't bother buying is merely a perk.
 

Sephi

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dealextreme.com sells flash cards rather cheap, the DSTT is only $11.07 and the Acekard 2 is $21.81. And I saw that they now sell the new DSTT's, and no longer have the fakes.

I've never had any problems with with sav files being corrupted or deleted when I used my R4 and DSTT, maybe that was just a random error with the EZ Flash V.
 

Rayder

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Well, I KNOW mine is real. I bought it before fakes existed. Mine is so old that it has a blob instead of a numbered chip. Still works too.

But since the R4 is no longer supported, I bought a CycloDS to replace it. Couldn't be happier.



Completely off-topic but:
OH! Geez! I'm blowing some damn stinky farts today. UGH! Must be those Salisbury steaks I ate today....or I as I like to call them, salad-berry steaks. LOL! GAWD! They REEK! OH!
wtf.gif
 

SamusKnight2K

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Rayder said:
Completely off-topic but:
OH! Geez! I'm blowing some damn stinky farts today. UGH! Must be those Salisbury steaks I ate today....or I as I like to call them, salad-berry steaks. LOL! GAWD! They REEK! OH!
wtf.gif

Off-topic... SO very off-topic...
rofl2.gif
blink.gif
 

Another World

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i bought an r4 of realhotstuff.com and it was a fake. everything was legit, down to the box, the usb reader and the blue wrist strap. but i could feel a chip on the underside so i openedd it up and found a fake pcb. they said that they didn't know, but whatever.

check this for images: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=99503

i replaced my r4 with an acekard rpg using AKAIO firmware, best thing i ever did. i've had 7 flash kits going back to gba days. the rpg is my favorite so far.

QUOTE said:
* The included strap and rubber inside the casing are a darker blue. The enclosed ones in mine are turquoise.
* The CD sleeve has a plastic window on it. The enclosed CD sleeve in mine has no window.
* I don't know if this matters or not but the sticker label in mine was on a piece of plastic allowing the user to apply the sticker themselves.
* The R4 supposedly comes equipped with a spring-load for the Micro SD, mine seems to have this feature absent.
* The CD included has the latest R4DS kernel software, not sure if that matters or not...

I've tested the R4DS and the only issue I've seen so far is there seems to be an error or something running Moonshell. Otherwise the Kernel (Which I downloaded directly from the R4DS site.) works flawlessly and I can play NDS roms without trouble. I'm pretty convinced mine's the real deal but I wanted to be sure... Thanks.

the new r4 is a black case, are you color blind by any chance? not trying to be rude... btw.
the new r4 does not come with a cd, they asked people to dl the loader on the homepage (which is now offline, only an archived version remains)
the sticker is preapplied
the new r4 (black shell) is not spring loaded, the v1 white shell was.

as for moonshell it shows that error on every flash kit that i've used. you can cover it up by adding a skin that has an animated intro.

-another world
 

SamusKnight2K

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>.> I meant the rubber inside the keychain game holder. In the video it's a darker blue. In mine it's a turquoise as is the strap that was included. As for legitimacy, I already confirmed mine's the real thing. I've looked at the link Sephi provided and confirmed it by taking the casing off my R4 and checking for myself. Compared against the pictures mine's identical to the real thing except the number printed on the chip inside reads 815 instead of 817 which should mean that it's a little bit before they stopped production.

Either way it's the legit one and gets the job done so I'm happy.
 

michael_angelo

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Samus, by the way I checked with my friend who physically opened mine and mine is REAL as well.
Got it at the same place you got it ( R4 DS at gamebay.com
). Since they are a USA seller and I received mine in 3 days too -- even with free shipping
smile.gif
So I'm happy.
Off to play Diamond Pearl...
Jorge

SamusKnight2K said:
Recently I found a really good deal on an R4DS and it just arrived today. However, reading some info here on the site and other places there's apparently fakes floating around... So the question I have is... How can you tell if yours is a fake or not?

Site where purchased:
http://www.gamebay.com/R4_Volume_2_Revolut.../invof_4715.htm

I've tried comparing it to the R4 DS in this video and they're virtually identical in packaging, appearance, and so on. There's only a few differences I've spotted:

* The included strap and rubber inside the casing are a darker blue. The enclosed ones in mine are turquoise.
* The CD sleeve has a plastic window on it. The enclosed CD sleeve in mine has no window.
* I don't know if this matters or not but the sticker label in mine was on a piece of plastic allowing the user to apply the sticker themselves.
* The R4 supposedly comes equipped with a spring-load for the Micro SD, mine seems to have this feature absent.
* The CD included has the latest R4DS kernel software, not sure if that matters or not...

I've tested the R4DS and the only issue I've seen so far is there seems to be an error or something running Moonshell. Otherwise the Kernel (Which I downloaded directly from the R4DS site.) works flawlessly and I can play NDS roms without trouble. I'm pretty convinced mine's the real deal but I wanted to be sure... Thanks.

EDIT: Should mention that Moonshell DOES run, there's just some kinda error saying it failed to load certain files. But I can still use it regardless.
 

wuman02

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I have a R4DS III and i took it apart, and its fake.
open up the "R4" and you'll see if its real or not.
Here is the opened up front of the r4ds3:
DSC00679.jpg


The R4DS3 is clearly fake because there is two of those thingies, the square black things.
on top of it there arent any words in white, just the contacts itself
This is the other side of the r4ds3 and the cover of the top,
DSC00684.jpg


the bottom of the inside of the card looks cluttered, compared to this:
http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=93537
And if you look on the outside casing of the R4, the little bubbles on top look different from the top,
I compared it to a friend's R4 and the little bubbles on the top of the sticker should be cut in half, not fully visible.
But as for now, my r4ds3 card still works fine
biggrin.gif
Used the firmware from the R4 Site and it works flawlessly, only that one time....
where a seperate window popped up on my DS saying: THIS CARD IS FAKE!!!!!! - Return it if you can
biggrin.gif
 

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