Review Original R4

[FlashX007]

<b>Review: R4</b>
<img src="http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/the-dslite/2008/20080401/r4ds.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Reviewer: Shard/Flash

<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b>Packaging & Contents</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<img src="http://www.simplymods.com/product_images/g/854/R4DS__05955_zoom.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

1X R4 Revolution
1X MicroSD/TF Reader

This is simply packaging of the R4 with no extras except for the usb reader. It is the original packaging from R4 and you can either get it like this or with the extras which comes with a box. At first I disliked it but it was simply easy to open, safe, secure. Good way to show the face of what your trying to sell but I still would have preferred getting the box. Now I will show the features listed on this flashcart but thanks to the new Wood Firmware I think it can add a few features but I will explain that a little bit more later.

<b><u>Features</u></b>
-2nd generation storage device (no booting tool required)
-Flush fitting slot 1 card
-Uses MicroSD card, FAT16 or 32
-Supports any MicroSD card speed with no lag in game
-Supports Clean ROM, drag and drop. Works on any OS
-Built in NoPass
-Automatically detect save type
-Save directly to MicroSD card, not to onboard chip
-Supports Moonshell and other homebrew. Open I/O interface
-User friendly skinnable interface. Touchscreen or button operation
-Supports rumble pak and memory pak
-Supports the WiFi game, DS Rumble Pak, DS Browser
-Supports changes of the background of Operation Interface
- Support Skin DIY by setting background and font colors on Main Menu and Game Menu manually and automatically
-Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment ( DS Lite only )
-Supports the Soft Reset.
-Supports Action Replay cheat
-moonshell 1.6 support Software Reset function( Press START key back to the R4 menu)
-DLDI auto-patching

Nice list of features to allure interest. It is a bit outdated though but it still shows some good parts of what R4 used to be but now thanks to few people that have focused in making R4 as great as it once was has succeeded but I do not know copying and using another firmware to make R4 just as good is a good idea because at the end of the day without that it still would have sucked.

<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b>Setting Up & Using</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<b>Part 1: Installing</b>

The R4 has stopped manufacturing in late 2008 so when it comes to firmware it is no longer updated or made for R4. There is a better and new firmware to use on R4 though. It is called Wood R4. Which makes R4 come back to life with same features you would see on your Acekard2i. I recommend this if you are cheap and can't spend few more bucks to get Acekard2i because it IS Acekard2i.

Download the Wood R4 1.10 firmware <a href="http://filetrip.net/f12065-Wood-R4-1-10.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Once downloaded extract the files and simply drag and drop.

<b>Part 2: Getting ROMS, Homebrew, etc.</b>

Now you can have fun with your R4 by simply getting ROMS and homebrew. For skins or homebrew I suggest you go <a href="http://filetrip.net/" target="_blank">here</a>. You can have fun getting what ever you want and all of it is 100% compatible thanks to Yellow Wood Goblin's Wood firmware. When you are done there are more to go over.

<b>Part 3: GUI/OS</b>

Now that we went over how to get ROMS, and etc. let us move on to the GUI or the OS. This is basically the firmware's menu, options, etc. I personally enjoyed it because it was exactly like AKAIO. If you have seen my Acekard2i review then you will realize that Wood is basically AKAIO for R4. I am going to go over what the menu offers but you should get basic idea of it if you keep in touch with our work. Great flashcart thanks to this new firmware it really raised it back from the dead. Recommend you get this for ROMS, homebrew, movies, etc. whole nine yards.

Push Start:
Copy
Cut
Delete
Paste
Settings-
-System Settings-
User Interface Style -zelda- (skins)
-Language
- Set file list type
-Interface Settings
-Scrolling speed -fast-
-Filelist style -internal- (push select as I showed in Acekard2i)
-File system settings-
-show hidden files -off-
trim rom when copy -off-
-Patches
-Cheat In Game -on-
-Reset In Game -on-
File Info (shows the rom settings/info or folder)
Help (shows the buttons manual)
Tools (for slot 2 devices)

Ok that is all the stuff briefly shown in Wood firmware. As you can see it has every option the Acekard2i has but some were removed because it was useless and you can simply cut copy or paste while playing which is useful for a flashcart which has been dead for 2 years. It is a great firmware and I thank yellow wood goblin for really bringing R4 back to life.

<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b>Performance:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

I have no complaints so far with the firmware and the flashcart and it is 100% compatible with up to date ROMS and new releases. It is great for the price offered and a recommended flashcart if you ask me because you get alot offered now for the price found at <a href="http://simplymods.com/" target="_blank">simplymods</a>.

<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b>Additional Features:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<b>Multimedia Support:</b>

This is not meant for movies or music but I am sure it can play them but if you are into media like me I recommend moonshell. If you get moonshell get the most updated version of it and simply put it in the root of your microSD card and your good to go. I enjoy media on another flashcart but I am sure this would make me happy as well so this is truly recommended.

<b>Cheat Support:</b>

This uses usrcheat.dat. You can grab yours <a href="http://cheats.gbatemp.net/Temp/" target="_blank">here</a>. Simply extract and drag and drop inside the _rpg folder and you are set and ready to cheat.

<b>Skinning Support:</b>

It uses same skins AKAIO does so you can find skins <a href="http://filetrip.net/" target="_blank">here</a>. Simple and easy to use skins when you select one extract it and drop it into the skins area found inside _rpg system folder. Everything you need is simple and easy to access so nothing will be hard to find it is easy to navigate.

<img src="http://filetrip.net/i/10367-upper.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://filetrip.net/i/10367-start.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<b>Micro SDHC Support:</b>

Unfortunately as I said it was stopped late in 2008 so no more are manufactured as such they never made updates that can support SDHC cards. As such no the R4 cannot support micro SDHC cards. However it's clones can such as R4 SDHC which clearly supports it as shown in name.

<b>DLDI Support/Homebrew:</b>

Not really the homebrew type but thanks to Wood it supports automatic DLDI support as such your homebrews or whatever it is you are doing will work fine. Overall everything is good but if you do not use Wood you are not smart. Homebrew works great so there are no problems there I tested one or two. A great flashcart for old school nostalgia. Brings back memories when I would have done anything to get one but now there are so many flashcarts with more features. World is evolving every day and it's technology.

<b><u>Videos:</u></b>
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<b>Conclusion:</b>

I thank simplymods our second sponsor for providing me with a very nostalgic piece to work on. This is an excellent flashcart and I truly recommend it for those who have tight pockets because if you cannot afford the flashcarts that have so much to offer why not get this for few bucks 6 being the least thanks to simplymod's cheap prices and install Wood. Wood makes this flashcart revived and full of life. I liked this flashcart personally and the fact that there is Wood firmware for this surprised me. Thanks to Yellow Wood Goblin this is going to be a best seller for those who go for cheap. I am impressed with what has been accomplished and I do wish R4 was manufactured again but luckily we are sponsored by simplymod's who offer original legit R4's and those are so rare and hard to come by which makes me glad we are becoming a success. I thank you all and our sponsors and simplymods most of all of course for supplying me with something fun to work on and try out. Hope you all enjoyed it and let us become more than what we are by being greater each day.


<b>Pros:</b>
+ Wood Firmware
+ Simple and Easy
+ Cheap Prices
+ Fits flush
+ Good Shell Flash Kit

<b>Cons:</b>
- No Longer Made
- R4 Firmware
- Expired
- Dependency on different things

Apologies if I said anything wrong about Wood firmware and other people. I regret saying something without researching more information about it.


<b><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Links:<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></b>
<a href="http://simplymods.com/" target="_blank">http://simplymods.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.kickgaming.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kickgaming.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PokeBattleCenter" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/user/PokeBattleCenter</a>
<a href="http://cheats.gbatemp.net/Temp/" target="_blank">http://cheats.gbatemp.net/Temp/</a>
<a href="http://filetrip.net/" target="_blank">http://filetrip.net/</a>
<a href="http://filetrip.net/f12065-Wood-R4-1-10.html" target="_blank">http://filetrip.net/f12065-Wood-R4-1-10.html</a>

 

[Hakoda]

The R4 has stopped manufacturing in late 2008 so when it comes to firmware it is no longer updated or made for R4. There is a better and new firmware to use on R4 though. It is called Wood R4 and it is basically using a cracked version of AKAIO on R4. Now this is still copying but it makes R4 come back to life with same features you would see on your Acekard2i. I recommend this if you are cheap and can't spend few more bucks to get Acekard2i because not it IS Acekard2i.

That is a completely incorrect statement. If it was a cracked version of AKAIO it wouldn't even be on GBATemp because the mods respect the AKAIO devs. Yes, the GUI is similiar and was based off of AKAIO's but YWG coded it himself with perhaps some assistance from the AKAIO devs. But it was definitely not a cracked version of AKAIO; he ported his own creation of Wood RPG to the R4 and called it Wood R4.

 

[tk_saturn]

Whoa, I didn't notice that Hakoda.

I think FlashX007 reviews have just lost any form of credibility. Wood R4 is not copying AKAIO at all, sounds like FlashX007 has never heard of Wood RPG? Both AKAIO and Wood can be traced back to a common source, The Acekard RPG OSMENU which Acekard originally opensourced. That's why they look similar!

Y.W.G even contributes some of the RPG elements to AKAIO and is listed in the credits of the readme file. I believe he also contributed a new 3in1 patching system to AKAIO 1.7, as is in Wood.

I really wish people wouldn't post such rubbish.

Also links to Wood 1.06, what's the point in that?

 

[FlashX007]

Ah my bad I apologize.... This review was a few months old when I just found out about Wood firmware I apologize I will take it back... sorry

 

[Hakoda]

Ah my bad I apologize.... This review was a few months old when I just found out about Wood firmware I apologize I will take it back... sorry

Its okay, we all make mistakes. Just fix all the parts concerning Wood "copying" AKAIO because as stated by tk, they were both derived from the Acekard RPG OSMENU. Also update the Wood firmware link to v1.10 which you can download here.

Also as a little suggestion (I don't mean to make you feel bad at all; I'm sorry if I do) perhaps you can settle whether or not having Wood R4 is a pro or a con of the R4. I can see both sides of the argument but perhaps it would be best to decide which side to choose.

 

[FlashX007]

It is an old review I put it as con because its not the original firmware R4 no longer exists or gets made so thats why I put it there but I will duplicate or remove it because it is debatable. I will revise and remove anything bad I said. Its just I am new at this and I did not research I made it entirely on opinion and I know official GBAtemp reviews go more in depth... I was just trying to get noticed I don't want to lose credibility making mistakes. Now I feel bad... I have one or more reviews but I lost them (e.g. Acekard2i, DSTT, M3 DS Real, etc.) I might not post another review.

 

[tk_saturn]

I am new at this and I did not research I made it entirely on opinion.

That's not a what review should be in my opinion, they should well researched, factual and as objective as possible.

I can't see why someone wouldn't research something they are reviewing. The more knowledge they have, the better the potential of the review.

 

[FlashX007]

When I made this review though I was just a beginner I really did not know what to do. I can't lie I read what reviews this place had to absorb some ideas in then I came up with this. I did research a little as I went with each time I had something to review and in the process I got better. In my opinion my experiences helped me get better. So if you dislike this review I apologize but my later reviews such as the popular ones (DSTWO review) have a better template and taste to them. I can't deny it. I started researching and doing stuff when I reviewed DSTWO. Before that I usually made videos then followed up with a forum review.

 

[kaz_abdin]

Lol thats the God of War theme I made and posted on Filetrip.net

 

[FlashX007]

Sexy skin. It is my favorite one to use so great job on that. Yeah I thought it would be better to post that skin rather than R4 skin.