# EZ-V 3-in-1 Expansion Pack Review



## Opium (Feb 18, 2007)

*EZ-V 3-in-1 Expansion Pack Review*

GBA, RAM, Rumble








The EZ-Flash V 3-in-1 Expansion Pack adds a lot of functionality to the slot-1 card. It is a great solution to bring GBA support to the slot-1 scene, along with adjustable rumble and RAM functionality which both have homebrew potential. 









GBAtemp's EZ-Flash V review has been updated with information on the 3-in-1 Expansion Pack. Five additional videos and pictures help illustrate if this is the product for you. The Expansion Pack combined with a few new features and bug fixes rolled out by the EZTeam have increased the EZ-Flash V's score. To see how things stack up check out the review below!







3-in-1 Expansion Pack Review


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## Monkey01 (Feb 18, 2007)

"The 3-in-1 Expansion Pack is included in the EZ-Flash V Bundle Pack for a little extra than just the EZ-V itself, but I’m happy to say that *it’s worth the money*."

How much money exactly? Cause I haven't seen it on the shops sites yet... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Looks pretty awesome though, to bad I've bought an AceKard already. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Ow and @"It would be nice if in the future you were allowed to write multiple games to the 256mbit of space."
I think they only allow one game to keep the NDS-GBA linkage support, I think that when you put multiple games on it, the games don't get recognized anymore from the DS game...


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## H8TR (Feb 18, 2007)

shop.01media has it and according to them, its worth an extra $27.63


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## Costello (Feb 18, 2007)

well maybe you can compile a Pogoshell rom and send it to the 256 mbits? this way you can have multiple games


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## ShadowXP (Feb 18, 2007)

From the videos I came to this conclusion: Opium sucks at EBA


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## AeroScap (Feb 18, 2007)

Also from the video I draw this conclusion:

The EZ V's full rumble will be my secret world domination weapon!

Cross my path and I will SHAKE DOWN YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR LOVED ONES!


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## Opium (Feb 18, 2007)

64,95 € for the complete bundle pack at shop.01media. Not sure about elsewhere though.

It really is a nifty addition for the price, think of all the hardware crammed into that little thing. 256mbit Norflash, 2m Sram, battery, RAM, rumble.... 

Time to retire the old EZ-Flash 3 methinks.


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## Timo710 (Feb 18, 2007)

Looks like a sweet deal to me....
Wasn't the M3 Team also working on a slot-2 Card like this one?


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## H8TR (Feb 18, 2007)

Yeah the M3 DS Real. I think its going to work the same exact way, you know, Slot-1 card, slot 2 expansion card with 32MB NOR flash etc. We should here more about this week with it being Chinese New Year. If not this week then next. Anyway, whatever comes out first I'm picking up. EZ-V 3-in-1 or M3 DS Real... who will it be.


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## Opium (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(Costello @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> well maybe you can compile a Pogoshell rom and send it to the 256 mbits? this way you can have multiple games



No can do, you have to patch the GBA roms with the EZ4 client.


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## modshroom128 (Feb 18, 2007)

WHERE CAN I BUY JUST THE 3-1 EXPANSION PACK??1??!?!?!?


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## H8TR (Feb 18, 2007)

Buy it Here


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## xeorix (Feb 18, 2007)

When there comes a expansionpack with micro sd slots, i'll buy. The 1-GBAgame limitation for now suck.


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## H8TR (Feb 18, 2007)

Then why don't you just buy a 2GB micro SD card and put all your roms on that. It should be enough to hold a good collection of DS roms and GBA roms. 2 Minutes is too much time to transfer a rom?


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## MKayZ (Feb 18, 2007)

I am just wondering... about the expansion pack shell, i saw in cory1492 picture on the orginal announcement that there is a white slot 2 sized shell in that pic, not sure if its a replacement case? can anyone confirm?


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## xeorix (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(H8TR @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> Then why don't you just buy a 2GB micro SD card and put all your roms on that. It should be enough to hold a good collection of DS roms and GBA roms. 2 Minutes is too much time to transfer a rom?


Yes


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## Hooya (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(xeorix @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> When there comes a expansionpack with micro sd slots, i'll buy. The 1-GBAgame limitation for now suck.



Get a SuperCard Rumble, if that even supports GBA...

Having GBA ROMS stored on a Transflash card defeats the purpose.  You'd run into huge compatibility issues unless you copied them to NOR or NAND flash memory, which is what happens with this unit.

Get a second transflash card and just carry it in your DS carry case or something.  Since most people (not on GBAtemp) carry around multiple game carts to begin with, this is something you should be willing to do if you absolutely need it.

I suppose you could cut part of the plastic on the expansion pack and use it as a transflash storage compartment with no functionality...


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## jelbo (Feb 18, 2007)

Omg, Opium's thumbs bend like 90 degrees!

Ontopic: Nice little extra, but I'll wait for when this type of product is more evolved, e.g. multiple .gba support, no patching.


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## ron555 (Feb 18, 2007)

Color me very unimpressed and highly suspicious of the 9/10 review rating.

The best combination as of yet remains the R4 + EZ IV Deluxe Lite from Winsunx.com for $94 shipped 2-3 day.




			
				QUOTE said:
			
		

> Get a SuperCard Rumble, if that even supports GBA...
> 
> Supercard has crappy GBA support - the rumble, even more.
> 
> ...



Uhhh, yea... that's a smart thing to do.  Carry around something that's small as my pinky in my pocket.


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## KidIce (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(ron555 @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> Strange. 95% of the games I play on my EZ IV Flash run just fine inÂ NAND (without transferring t NOR)



They do not run from your SD, they are transfered to PSRAM for execution. NAND is completely unsuitable to run GBA code from, it's just too slow. That other 5% of games that need to be burned to NOR are probably all 256Mb's, right? The EZ4 (microSD) and old EZ4 lite (ie not compact or deluxe) only have 128 Mb's of PSRAM meaning games larger then that need to be burned to NOR.

Oh... I don't think I've heard it mention does this thing have an RTC? Not that I care much, but I know others might.


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## Monkey01 (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(ron555 @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> Color me very unimpressed and highly suspicious of the 9/10 review rating.
> *Seeing R4 and M3Simply both have a 9/10 as well, I wonder why it should score lower.*
> 
> The best combination as of yet remains the R4 + EZ IV Deluxe Lite from Winsunx.com for $94 shipped 2-3 day.
> ...


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## daps83777 (Feb 18, 2007)

i saw that M3 has an original gba cart sized for there last M3 for ds light gba carts. they sell them with the original size shells also in case you have a ds phat. i saw kicktrading has the gba cart for the M3 for $.99 seems pretty cheap, is there any reason that this wouldn't work on this one? or does it depend on where the screws are attached and what not?

check it out and let me know what you guys think 

http://www.kicktrading.ca/m3lite-gba-shell...hite-p-138.html


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## Propionation (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(daps83777 @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> i saw that M3 has an original gba cart sized for there last M3 for ds light gba carts. they sell them with the original size shells also in case you have a ds phat. i saw kicktrading has the gba cart for the M3 for $.99 seems pretty cheap, is there any reason that this wouldn't work on this one? or does it depend on where the screws are attached and what not?
> 
> check it out and let me know what you guys think
> 
> http://www.kicktrading.ca/m3lite-gba-shell...hite-p-138.html


First of all the M3 GBA shell has a hole for micro sd which the 3 in 1 expansion doesn't have. Second the screw is located in the middle while the 3 in 1's is to the side. Based on this I would suppose that it wouldn't fit correctly without any prior modifications.


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## daps83777 (Feb 18, 2007)

thanks for the reply thats a bummer. i wish more people would take M3's lead and make regular gba sized cases so you had the option to use it on a ds or ds light.


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## Tomy Sakazaki (Feb 18, 2007)

I have a little question about the loader, does it boosts compatibility with DS Roms now or the M3Simply/R4DS is better?
Only to know if I should wait to see what the M3 Real will be.


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## Hooya (Feb 18, 2007)

No, the expansion pack has nothing to do with how well DS games run off of the slot-1 card.


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## APPS (Feb 18, 2007)

Im sure different casings such as phat sized and deifferent colours ( why on earth whould they not have white? Or atleast a choice) will be available in the future.

But i still think i'll wait for the M3/G6 Real


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## cory1492 (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(MKayZ @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> I am just wondering... about the expansion pack shell, i saw in cory1492 picture on the orginal announcement that there is a white slot 2 sized shell in that pic, not sure if its a replacement case? can anyone confirm?
> 
> The white one to the side is an EZ4 lite deluxe, not just a shell.
> 
> QUOTEIm sure different casings such as phat sized and deifferent colours ( why on earth whould they not have white? Or atleast a choice) will be available in the future.


I'd bet that like their previous bundle editions there will be a few colors to choose from. Hard to say for sure though...


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## ron555 (Feb 18, 2007)

> They do not run from your SD, they are transfered to PSRAM for execution.]/quote]
> 
> Yes, I know, but at least I have the option of running more than one game without completely burning to NOR.
> 
> ...


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## cory1492 (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE said:
			
		

> I got confused. By NAND, I meant PSRAM. I'm not even aware that the EZ4 Lite Deluxe TF Adapter has NAND memory. According to Winsunx, it doesn't (http://www.winsunx.com/list.php?mod=7). The EZ Lite IV does, however.


None of the EZ4's have NAND, the EZ4 is essentially an EZ3 with the NAND replaced by the SD card interface. EZ3 had RAM+NOR+NAND.

RAM/PSRAM - needs power to keep it's data refreshed (aka: volatile memory). Very fast memory transfers (like RAM in a PC).
NOR - doesn't need power to keep its data (aka: nonvolitile memory). Slow writes, fast reads.
NAND - doesn't need power to keep its data (aka: nonvolitile memory). Too "slow" to use for GBA (too much latency to get the data as fast as a GBA expects it). Most MM cards use some type of NAND technology.

Things need to be copied to NOR or RAM to be accessible as quickly as the GBA port expects a GBA game to read data. NOR is there if you either have something too big for the limited PSRAM models or simply don't want to wait every time you load the same game.

Clearer?


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## Hooya (Feb 18, 2007)

Rumble is a main bonus, but so is the RAM pack.

And yes, I was talking about the EZ Flash IV Lite, as that is what I have, so yes, I was talking about NAND and NOR memory.  I have no comments on PSRAM.

Here's the thing:
1: They wanted the expansion pack to function as a perfect GBA game.  The compatibility will be perfect with the exception of games that require additional hardware (Boktai solar sensor, Tilt sensor or RTC).  Copying to NOR memory makes this possible.  Since NOR isn't volatile like NAND or PSRAM, you only have to copy a game once.

2: Not having any interface to choose from a list of ROMS also means that there is DS-GBA link capability perfectly with no extra steps (like patching the DS ROM like the EZ Flash IV products do).  Doing this with NAND or PSRAM would not be possible because when you power cycle the game would be lost.  NOR memory sticks around.

3: Games are saved via battery on the expansion pack, which means it operates just like a GBA cart.

So it's just like having a slot 2 device with NOR memory and no NAND/PSRAM but with more compatibility because the TF card is stored elsewhere so the slot 2 cart can function exactly like a GBA cart.

It seems like you would be happy if it could use NAND memory, but that wouldn't be possible without losing some compatibility and functions like GBA-DS link and even a performance hit.


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## scrawl (Feb 18, 2007)

There is an error in the review:



			
				QUOTE said:
			
		

> Sadly there is no soft reset function in the EZ-V as of writing this review. This function would enable you to press a key combination to exit a game and return to the loader menu. It is already present on the R4 DS and also common with slot-2 flashcards
> Soft-reset was introduced in firmware 1.36. However, it does require the ROM to be patched with the hybrid tool (which also trims and removes slow MicroSD issues) before it will work.
> 
> Here is a closer look at the guts of the Triple-pack. Notice the plastic tabs on the casing - this is the case EZ-IV owners dream about. Very sturdy. The PCB itself looks very similar to the EZ-IV:
> ...


I suspect this played a big part in the decision to allow a single ROM to be written. 

My feeling is if you are a user who plays a lot of GBA games, you're better off with an EZ-IV deluxe or similar. For the casual GBA gamer, the Triple-pack is fine.


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## Destructobot (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(Opium @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> QUOTE(Costello @ Feb 18 2007 said:
> 
> 
> > well maybe you can compile a Pogoshell rom and send it to the 256 mbits? this way you can have multiple games
> ...



They won't work with pogoshell after they've been patched?


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## Opium (Feb 18, 2007)

QUOTE(scrawl @ Feb 19 2007 said:


> There is an error in the review:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ahh yes, thanks for pointing that out I've updated that part of the review.


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## faceless (Feb 19, 2007)

the expansion is nice if you want rumble or opera, but really, this is the ultra combo...


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## Tomy Sakazaki (Feb 19, 2007)

QUOTE(Hooya @ Feb 18 2007 said:


> No, the expansion pack has nothing to do with how well DS games run off of the slot-1 card.
> 
> Errrr, I've talked about the LOADER! Piece of software that loads the ROMs! It's named Kernel on M3Simply and R4DS, it's Operational System on SuperCard DS One, but for all means it's a ROM loader.
> The loader of EzFlash V must have received a update that solved some compatibility issues presented at the original EzFlashV review, like the loader/OS and saver type list of SuperCard DS One solved. Because I already have a supercard lite, but if EzFlashV with last version of loader runs NDS roms without glitches and issues it would be a choice for me depending on what M3 Real is going to be. Because the EZ Team Slot2 flashcards have a great compatibility with GBA games.
> ...


Only added a still to my own quote.
Sorry for being rude, but I think that it was necessary.


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## Propionation (Feb 19, 2007)

No, they have not improved compatibility with the new loader. Most of the DS compatibility issues with the EZ-Flash V are resolved using the hybrid patching tool.


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## Tomy Sakazaki (Feb 19, 2007)

So, I'm going to wait and see what M3 Real will be.
Thanks Proprionation.


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## scrawl (Feb 19, 2007)

While the loader's compatibility has not been improved since Opium's initial review, the accuracy of the save-type list has.

The EZ-V uses a database of ROMs and their corresponding save types. If the ROM is not in the database or the save type defined is incorrect, it won't save correctly.

Thankfully the savelist is regularly maintained and kept up to date by EZ-V users, thanks primarily to Cory. There are also third-party tools available to modify the list yourself.

To be honest, the save list is a bit of an achilles heel for the EZ-V, especially considering the competition seem to save just fine without one.


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## Propionation (Feb 20, 2007)

QUOTE(Tomy Sakazaki @ Feb 19 2007 said:


> So, I'm going to wait and see what M3 Real will be.
> Thanks Proprionation.


You might as well wait cause I haven't found a store that has it in stock yet online.


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## Bali (Feb 22, 2007)

I hope they are going to sell the expansion card seperately for all the people who already have the EZ-flash V


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## Monkey01 (Feb 26, 2007)

QUOTE(Bali @ Feb 22 2007 said:


> I hope they are going to sell the expansion card seperately for all the people who already have the EZ-flash V


Yeah they will, 01Media sells them seperated for €5 more the bundle.
(including the shipping it will be like €30 + €13 = *€43*)

And BambooGaming sells them for 22 AUD.
(including the shipping it will be like 22AUD + 12AUD = 34AUD = *€20,44*) Which will take some longer time to ship probably, but is like half the price of shop01media...


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## dunderhead (Feb 27, 2007)

I currently have an R4 and was thinking about getting a slot-2 device for GBA compatibility.  The top two options I was considering were the m3 lite or the G6 lite, which I've read both have the best GBA compatibility, even more so than the EZ4 lite.  Am I wrong?  (I was leaning towards M3 lite because of the ability for increased storage as the G6 lite has limited space).

Maybe with these new cards coming out I'll wait...


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## Monkey01 (Feb 27, 2007)

QUOTE(dunderhead @ Feb 27 2007 said:


> I currently have an R4 and was thinking about getting a slot-2 device for GBA compatibility.Â The top two options I was considering were the m3 lite or the G6 lite, which I've read both have the best GBA compatibility, even more so than the EZ4 lite.Â Am I wrong?Â (I was leaning towards M3 lite because of the ability for increased storage as the G6 lite has limited space).
> 
> Maybe with these new cards coming out I'll wait...


The M3 has an inbuild clock which the EZ-IV doesn't have, so the pokémon games will not work or have no clock in it in EZ-IV.
Apart from that the GBA compatibility on EZ-IV is perfect afaik.


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## Hooya (Mar 2, 2007)

Anyone test Download play compatibility?  It's still a blank section of the review.


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## gizmo_gal (Apr 14, 2008)

H8TR said:
			
		

> shop.01media has it and according to them, its worth an extra $27.63


I think I saw this site on a SHAMED Seller lists somewhere. Either this forum or maybe Maxconsole...I could be wrong but I know this site was on SOME list...


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