# R4i Gold Hands-on Impressions



## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

*R4i Gold Hands-on Impressions*
Official GBATemp Review!



Originally I was days away from finishing up a full review of the R4i Gold when GBATemp suffered a minor database crash. My work was being saved in sections, and when each section was complete it was posted to the site for formatting. We were unable to recover anything more than my first paragraph, I lost nearly 6 days worth of work and was forced to move on to other projects.

During the review process I came to really admire the R4i Gold Team. They really seemed to have something good going for them and it did not seem right that users were so quick to write them off as another group of "cloners." 

Thanks to a kind offer from the R4i Gold Team, GBATemp has 30 R4i Gold Flash Kits to give away as Tempmas 2010 prizes. I have been following the comments and it seems that users, once again, are quick to judge this Flash Kit and paint it in a negative light. While I had wanted to just write the review, with the holiday season upon us, I've run out of time. Instead of a full review I have compiled a short hands-on impressions. I hope that my impressions of the kit will make our commuinty think twice before making another negative R4i Gold post.






 R4i Gold Hands-on Impressions


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## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

The original R4 had a great run as arguably one of the best first generation Slot-1 Flash Kits ever developed. Bringing together a well constructed design, PassME, a recognizable brand name, and high compatibility, its no wonder that only unforeseen developments limited its life span. These developments were the release of SDHC microSD cards and the addition of a new official Anti-Piracy method (something other Flash Kit hardware can circumvent on-the-fly).

Until the very end, the R4 team released frequent updates which offered ROM loader fixes for a minimalistic G.U.I. that was easy to use and simple to navigate. No matter how you view the history of this hobby one thing is true, the R4 worked and it worked well.

Following a lawsuit from big-N, R4 was forced to close its doors as a company. Rumors circulated that original members of the R4 team had moved on to other projects. While these rumors were never substantiated the “other projects” became a very real problem. The R4 brand, package, logo, and even the look and feel of the software, were “cloned”, copied, and “faked.” While being copied can be said to be a form of flattery, in the case of the R4 is has resulted in a generic collection of cheap unsupported knock-offs designed to cash in on the “R4” popularity. 

Where the other teams and cloners got it wrong the R4i Gold team has done everything right. Starting with a split from undesirable team members, those who wish to better the scene have moved on to the <a href="http://www.r4ids.cn" target="_blank">.CN Web site</a>. The remaining members and new members have released an “R4” branded card that has little if nothing else than a name in common with the original.

<div align="center"><img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/05_r4igoldreview_flashkit_front-small.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/06_r4igoldreview_flashkit_back-small.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/07_r4igoldreview_flashkit_pcb_front-small.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/08_r4igoldreview_flashkit_pcb_back-small.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>
<b>R4i Gold Official Features List</b> (reorganized and fixed-up):<ul><li>2nd generation storage device boots from Slot-1</li><li>Flush fitting and well constructed</li><li>Compatible with all DS systems</li><li>Support for SDHC up to 32GB</li><li>Support for Fat16 and Fat32</li><li>Support for any microSD card speed, no in-game lag</li><li>Supports clean ROM drag/drop (works with any O/S)</li><li>Built in NoPass/PassME</li><li>Automatically detects save type (no save database required)</li><li>Save directly to microSD card (no on-board chips required)</li><li>Supports Moonshell and other Homebrew</li><li>User friendly skinnable interface</li><li>Changes to interface background supported</li><li>Skin DIY through font colors, images, main menu, and game menu</li><li>Touch-screen and d-pad/button interface navigation</li><li>Supports WIFI functionality</li><li>Supports DS Rumble packs</li><li>Supports DS Web browser RAM booting</li><li>Supports G.U.I. controlled 4 level brightness adjustment (DS Lite only)</li><li>Soft-reset (commercial ROMs only)</li><li>Action Replay Cheats</li><li>Moonshell software reset functionality</li><li>DLDI auto-patching</li></ul>The R4i Gold ships in a small wax coated cardboard box. The Flash Kit comes packed in a protective plastic case, exactly like the original R4. Additionally, a similar microSD reader and light blue wrist strap are included. The Flash Kit's case and microSD reader “snap” into the plastic insert making this choice of packaging materials perfect for world wide shipments.

<div align="center"><img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/04_r4igoldreview_contents-small.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>
The R4i Gold is a 2nd generation Flash Kit, which is what most of the current user base is familiar with. These kits boot from Slot-1 and do not require any hacks or extra hardware. The kit is well constructed in a shell which is nearly identical to the original R4. The case is held shut by 8 plastic tabs that press into holes on the opposite side. The kit feels sturdy and very solid; there is no movement between the shell and the PCB when pressure is applied. The shell has two guide teeth just like the original R4, enough to control insertion and aid connectivity. 

The R4i Gold supports SDHC and non-SDHC microSD cards. The microSD slot is non-spring loaded, something we like to see, which further adds to the original R4 feel. Due to a successful merging of hardware and software, ROMs should not suffer from any slow-down. Unlike the original R4, the R4i Gold does indeed support the DSi (XL) and is fully flashable [updatable] in the event of DSi firmware update.

<div align="center"><img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/09_r4igoldreview_flashkit_menu1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/09_r4igoldreview_flashkit_menu2.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>
The R4i Gold team supports their Flash Kit with a very simple G.U.I. that offers a rather high ROM and Homebrew compatibility. The R4i Gold's kernel is based off of Moonshell v2.02 and adds commercial ROM support. 

After booting the Flash Kit, the user is first presented with options to load NDS files, multimedia, or Slot-2 via 3 centered icons. This set-up is similar to the original R4 menu, however, in this case all slot-2 options have been removed by the team due to a lack of testable hardware. The multimedia button will load a modified version of Moonshell v2.02, 2.10 was also tested and confirmed working. Booting into the NDS mode will populate both screens with different information. The top screen is for navigation via an icon/file name sorted list. The bottom screen displays various options available to the user. Cheats can be enabled or disabled, download play can be enabled or disabled, and soft-reset (L+R+A+B+X+Y) can also be enabled or disabled. At the bottom of the screen are 5 buttons titled “Game Mode Setup.” These buttons increase compatibility by changing methods by which the files are patched or accessed. Pressing “B” will navigate back 1 menu at a time until the top most menu has been loaded.

<div align="center"><img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/wood_firmeware_gbatemp.net_2010.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>
Thanks to a deal brokered between Yellow Wood Goblin and the R4iDSN Team (which includes the R4i Gold .CN Team), the R4i Gold Team has permission to release official ports of the Wood R4 Firmware. YWG is working closely with the team to make sure that each update is represented correctly and that only minor changes are made to allow the firmware to boot on the R4i Gold hardware. The R4i Gold firmware performs very well, and it is a wonderful relief to find an “R4” team who supports their product, however, the Wood Firmware offers many options, tweaks, and items that users desire in a modern Flash Kit. Thanks to this deal the R4i Gold has become much more appealing to the average user looking for a budget priced kit with high compatibility, options, and good support.

<div align="center"><img src="http://gbatemp.net/news/r4igoldwoodshot2010.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>
The Wood R4 Firmware is already well documented and discussing it would quickly turn this hands-on impression into something a bit lengthy. What users need to understand is that Wood R4 is the firmware R4 users wanted. Wood R4 made the R4 worth owning again for the first time in almost 2 years. Wood R4 made those who purchased clones with little to no support buy Flash Kits like the R4i Gold. 

Wood R4 adds features like AK2/2i/RPG skin backwards compatibility, file list view options (.nds, .sav, etc), scroll speed options, multiple file listing options, the ability to display hidden files, ROM trimming, Slot-2 GBA options (universal sleep, backing-up saves, NOR/PSRAM flashing), a favorites system, GBA linking, automatic RAM booting, and Rumble support. With these features comes an active development cycle resulting in an extremely high ROM and Homebrew compatibility.

<b>Conclusion</b>:
The R4i Gold is not a clone, a knock-off, or a reverse engineered Flash Kit. Users would be wise to keep this in mind while making negative comments about this kit and its team. The R4i Gold appears to be based off of the OEM design sold by Acekard over 2 years ago. This is the reason that Wood R4, which is heavily based on the Wood RPG sources, was able to be so easily ported. The R4i Gold has similarities to the original R4, which obviously were intentional to help boost sales. Where other groups have targeted the misinformed, the R4i Team has taken steps to rise to the top of “R4” kits by providing a tested design, securing the services of Yellow Wood Goblin, and offering their solution at an affordable price point.

Before Wood R4 was ported this team had something very positive going for it, and the card could have easily been recommended by comparison to other kits in its price range. Since the official support of Wood R4 I find it very difficult to not recommend this Flash Kit. This kit will appeal to DSi users and fans of the Wood R4 firmware. Users who will most likely not purchase this kit are looking for the next generation of Slot-1 solutions (mainly CPU enhanced in-game menus and emulation functionality). 

The only complaint I have about this kit is the lack of R4i Gold firmware skin support. While the package proudly boasts the ability to skin, the firmware uses a .DAT system for which the team has not yet released a skinning tool. However, this is a very minor complaint as most users who purchase this kit will have done so for Wood R4 support. Skinning of the Wood R4 firmware is not only well documented but hundreds (if not thousands) of skins already exist.

You could do far worse when picking a DSi/SDHC compatible Flash Kit. Compatibility wise you really can not do much better than the efforts of Yellow Wood Goblin. This Flash Kit is worth its cost, works very well, and does what a Flash Kit should do; it plays ROMs and Homebrew without issue.

<img src="http://gbatemp.net/style_images/1/folder_post_icons/icon11.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <a href="http://www.r4ids.cn/index.htm" target="_blank">R4i Gold Homepage</a>
<img src="http://gbatemp.net/style_images/1/folder_post_icons/icon11.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <a href="http://www.r4ids.cn/kernel/WOODV1.19/WOODV1.19_R4ids_gold.rar" target="_blank">Wood R4 v1.19 for R4i Gold</a>
<img src="http://gbatemp.net/style_images/1/folder_post_icons/icon11.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" /> <a href="http://www.r4ids.cn/kernel/V1.41/R4idsgold_upgrade_V141.rar" target="_blank">R4i Gold DSi v1.4.1 Update</a>


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## Rydian (Dec 12, 2010)

Why do gazelles run away from lions?  Because they've learned that lions want to kill and eat them.

If there's a friendly lion it's going to take more than "Aw guys comeonnnnnn, I'm cool!" to get gbatemp to trust it, that's why the majority of us were waiting on your word.

Since it seems this cart you're doing the review on has your approval (and you specifically stated they want to provide good support), the last hurdle is the clones.  If there's a couple sites to get this specific cart from with minimal risk of clones (such as a US site or two, a few chinese sites, and of course AU/UK and other countries) then I won't mind suggesting this as an alternative to the 2i (people seem fond of wood), I'll update my copy-paste chart after I gather some more info, in fact.


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## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

sadly that is really the unfortunate side effect of losing shoptemp. the r4i gold is still manufactured by the team who stayed behind at the .COM website. they also make the r4i gold v2 (which is the r4 ultra, acekard made kit) rebranded. the r4i.cn team has mentioned that the older card is the same and users who purchase the .com card will be able to run their firmware. however, there is no guarantee that the wood firmware will work on it, and i do not have the .com card to test if the r4i gold.cn wood port will boot.

so as you said, rydian, it comes down to who is actually stocking the real r4i gold card from the .cn web team.  

the r4i gold team is really easy to get in contact with. ([email protected], [email protected]). perhaps they could offer more information as to who is placing orders with them and if they are even involved in shipping out the product.

-another world


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## Sop (Dec 12, 2010)

Looks pretty good, I might get one.

Lol, on their website it says you can order from Shoptemp.net


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## Frederica Bernkastel (Dec 12, 2010)

Rydian said:
			
		

> If there's a friendly lion it's going to take more than "Aw guys comeonnnnnn, I'm cool!" to get gbatemp to trust it, that's why the majority of us were waiting on your word.


bad analogy.
but my main issue with your post is, are you implying that you don't trust the GBAtemp team to offer quality prizes?
Would you really expect a team, who already cater for your lack of social life provide a place for you to contribute your insights into virtually everything, to offer up a trashy piece of junk for a prize for one of their major events?


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## Lassik (Dec 12, 2010)

I ordered this one.

http://www.0shippingzone.com/gold-dsldsids...dscn-p-473.html

Haven't got it yet but according to the info on the page it's supposed to be the right one.

I'll re-post once I get it whether it works or not with Wood.


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## Kit_ (Dec 12, 2010)

I have 1 from shoptemp and 1 from lightake on the way in the mail. As soon as wood was announced for this flashcart I had to have 1. Glad it gets your approval.


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## Schizoanalysis (Dec 12, 2010)

Another World said:
			
		

> The R4i Gold is not a clone, a knock-off, or a reverse engineered Flash Kit. ... The R4i Gold appears to be based off of the OEM design sold by Acekard over 2 years ago.




Isn't this an oxymoron?

If it in some way replicates Acekard hardware, wouldn't it then be something of a clone?


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## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

Schizoanalysis said:
			
		

> Another World said:
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in my mind a clone is when a team makes an unauthorized duplicate of a design and then manufactures it. acekard sold the design of their actel chipped 2i to a few trustworthy “teams” who in turn sold it to a 3rd party. Some ran off cards that exactly matched the design (fake ak2i cards, etc) where others used the design to make their own card (in this case the r4i gold). i don't consider the r4i gold a clone.

it comes down to how you define it and how the community views the definition in regards to flash kits.

-another world


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## redact (Dec 12, 2010)

Schizoanalysis said:
			
		

> Another World said:
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it's not a clone if they paid acekard for permission to use the designs


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## Schizoanalysis (Dec 12, 2010)

mercluke said:
			
		

> it's not a clone if they paid acekard for permission to use the designs



Nor is it an "original" cart...


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## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

Schizoanalysis said:
			
		

> mercluke said:
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as i said its all in how you define what a flash kit "clone" is. if you want to start a debate post in the r4 section. =)

-another world


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## Another World (Dec 12, 2010)

DiziDeals said:
			
		

> There are some misconceptions in your post.



so your saying my words are misleading? i am in direct contact with the team. they informed me that the software should work on the old r4i gold card which the .com site continues to produce, which i said in the comment you quoted (how is that a misconception?). i do not know if this is true because i have not tested it, as i said in the comment you quoted (how is that a misconception?). i know for a fact that the r4i gold v2 is the r4 ultra rebranded with a different sticker [i have the e-mails to back it up] (how is that a misconception?). i know for a fact the r4i gold v2 is not a "clone" of the r4i gold v1, it is actually the r4 ultra which was designed, manufactured, and supported by acekard (how is that a misconception?).

any comments in the review about the r4i gold team are strictly related to the .cn team, as the review points out. if you were making a point that they didn't support the product before they split, i never said anything in regards to the .com team in the review. i'm not really sure where you are going with your "support" comment. its a moot point at this stage as it no longer has anything to do with the .cn team or the r4i gold they support. clearly the right people formed the new group (as i said in the review).

i would appreciate it if you didn't call me out on what i write. if its related to one of my reviews i have the proof to back it up.

welcome to the forum by the way, as that was your first post. you might like to know that we do not allow advertising, which is what your post and sig are doing =P. that sir, is not a misconception.

-another world


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## chyyran (Dec 12, 2010)

Wow, just because AW praised an "R4" cart, he's gettin' trashed on. Sad to see ...


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## redact (Dec 12, 2010)

ron975 said:
			
		

> Wow, just because AW praised an "R4" cart, he's gettin' trashed on. Sad to see ...


better than the time science reviewed the n5 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




but, OT: great (Semi) review as always, AW and if i were still buying up random cards just for the sake of having them then i'd definitely grab one of these


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## Schizoanalysis (Dec 12, 2010)

Why sad to see?

Just following the reasoning.

If it is neither original nor clone, it becomes a rather curious cart.

It takes the name from R4.
It takes the hardware from Acekard.
It takes the kernel from Wood Goblin.

Hybridity par excellence. In all seriousness, it reeks of postmodernism...


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## ShadowSoldier (Dec 12, 2010)

I like that interface though, that's easy on the eyes.

But here's the thing, I have an Acekard 2i in my DSi XL... as far as I can see, there's no real reason to go out and buy an R4i Gold if I have an Acekard 2i, is there?


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## Schlupi (Dec 12, 2010)

ron975 said:
			
		

> Wow, just because AW praised an "R4" cart, he's gettin' trashed on. Sad to see ...




He? I thought Another World is a "She" lol.

And yeah, I agree with you. why is there so much hate? 

I hope the R4i Gold will continue to support Wood. It it a great option for people who want a cheap DSi cart now. I had respect for the R4i Gold Team when they released Wood and followed the steps to make it official with YWG. Still do.


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## MelodieOctavia (Dec 12, 2010)

Schlupi said:
			
		

> ron975 said:
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Because a small review thrown into an endless sea of hate for anything R4 isn't going to do much to patch the relations between the flash cart community and the R4 name.

It's like trying to throw a band-aid onto a gaping, maggot infested flesh wound.


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## RoMee (Dec 12, 2010)

people can trash the r4i gold, 
but with wood, it can do anything the original or 1:1 clone from shoptemp can do and more

I think it's a good back up cart


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## YayMii (Dec 12, 2010)

This is great. Now we have a good flashcart we can recommend that is slightly cheaper than the AK2i.
And IIRC, (one of the) R4i Gold team(s) were the first to bypass 1.4's AP, which shows that they really care about their customers (or are really good at hacking or something).


			
				ron975 said:
			
		

> Wow, just because AW praised an "R4" cart, he's gettin' trashed on. Sad to see ...


AW is a girl...


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## RoMee (Dec 12, 2010)

YayMii said:
			
		

> AW is a girl...



yes she is, people need to look at her profile, she is pretty hot


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## sk3tch (Dec 12, 2010)

Sounds promising.  Thanks for the write-up.  I picked one up off of DWTechz.com.  They were linked from the r4ids.cn site as a dealer...so hopefully all will be good.  $13.45 shipped...can't lose, heh.


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## jalaneme (Dec 12, 2010)

RoMee said:
			
		

> YayMii said:
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cool, i didn't know she was a girl 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 welcome to the club, there ain't enough girls on gba temp.


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## Etalon (Dec 12, 2010)

So -- sorry for asking the most stupid question.

But an R4i Ultra is only *$6* now on specific pages.

The R4i Ultra is in fact the R4i Gold 2.0 and can run Akaio 1.8.1.

And now the R4i Ultra can run Wood and R4i Gold CN fimware as well? Is this correct?

I mean: Then everybody can simply buy an Ultra untill they're sold out...


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## urbon (Dec 12, 2010)

Etalon said:
			
		

> So -- sorry for asking the most stupid question.
> 
> But an R4i Ultra is only *$6* now on specific pages.
> 
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Etalon, you are wrong.
It seems that r4i ultra can not run wood and r4i gold firmware downloaded from www.r4ids.cn
I think r4i gold(www.r4ids.cn) is a good one just because of wood r4.


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## YayMii (Dec 12, 2010)

RoMee said:
			
		

> YayMii said:
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I doubt that's an actual pic of AW...


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## shakirmoledina (Dec 12, 2010)

i feel tht gbatemp tries to hard to write an amazing review on something. Most people just skim through the review so it would be great to just see just the main features of anything rather than overworking yourselves. You gotta relax
r4i could as well be the best cheap solution for the DSi. Its an amazing cart actually, thanks for the review


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## guinness (Dec 12, 2010)

RoMee said:
			
		

> YayMii said:
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What I think is funny is how many people have looked at AW's profile today since this was posted. Yes, I did too


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## Spikey (Dec 12, 2010)

I can assure you all that Another World is most definitely a guy. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys.


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## dice (Dec 12, 2010)

AW is a man. Now stay on topic.


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## evandixon (Dec 12, 2010)

Isn't the R4i Gold a hardware clone of the Acekard 2i?

-Off Topic-


			
				Spikey said:
			
		

> I can assure you all that Another World is most definitely a guy. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys.
> 
> 
> QUOTE(dice @ Dec 12 2010, 12:01 PM) AW is a man. Now stay on topic.


Another World has her profile gender set to female.


Spoiler


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## kokomodrums (Dec 12, 2010)

New to the forum (and the DS, actually). My co-worker bought an older R4 clone a couple weeks ago and after helping her set it up (I'm a computer geek--she's got no idea what a kernel is...), I got interested! I've been looking for an affordable mp3 player recently, and when I saw the DS/R4 combo of media and roms, I got excited!

So, I hopped on ebay and found a used DS lite for $45...which sounds sketchy already, but it was not posted "AS-IS" or "For Parts", so if it comes to me broken, it's getting sent right back. Any tips on finding a DS lite for a good price/good condition if this one is crap?

Also, I've been spending the last few days researching flash carts, and I'm ecstatic I found this forum! Finally, a break from the chinese marketing scams. So, from my googling I was looking at the Cyclo Evo as a first choice, with all the bad-mouthing of the R4 clones (and my new personal experience with a fairly BAD clone). But, after reading a couple of topics here, I'm not sure where I stand.

I'm looking for reliability, ease of use, and possible expansion to the DS browser. Also, using the cart as an mp3 player will be important. And, of course, I'd rather not spend more than $20 unless it's really gonna make a difference in reliability.

So, opinions?


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## MelodieOctavia (Dec 12, 2010)

UniqueGeek said:
			
		

> Isn't the R4i Gold a hardware clone of the Acekard 2i?
> 
> -Off Topic-
> 
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Wait, hold on...you mean people lie on the internet??????


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## Rydian (Dec 12, 2010)

Antoligy said:
			
		

> but my main issue with your post is, are you implying that you don't trust the GBAtemp team to offer quality prizes?


No, that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about normal orders.  I'm talking about the ability to tell somebody to get an "R4i gold" and knowing that we can send them to a shop to get this specific one and not another clone that calls itself "gold" (which won't have proper support).

That's the last hurdle before this starts getting suggested by me.  A point of my response was to post "Hey it's an R4-named cart but I'm cool with it if we can get a few stable sites to get it from", considering how often I post about various carts being good or not I was hoping my word would have some say (also posting that AW is a trusted source of info).


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## ThePowerOutage (Dec 12, 2010)

kokomodrums said:
			
		

> New to the forum (and the DS, actually). My co-worker bought an older R4 clone a couple weeks ago and after helping her set it up (I'm a computer geek--she's got no idea what a kernel is...), I got interested! I've been looking for an affordable mp3 player recently, and when I saw the DS/R4 combo of media and roms, I got excited!
> 
> So, I hopped on ebay and found a used DS lite for $45...which sounds sketchy already, but it was not posted "AS-IS" or "For Parts", so if it comes to me broken, it's getting sent right back. Any tips on finding a DS lite for a good price/good condition if this one is crap?
> 
> ...


Your better of making a topic.


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## jinnpan (Dec 12, 2010)

Great review and glad to hear is not just a clone.
PCB looks high quality, a plus for me.
Just need to find a place to get this version and not get it confused with the crappy R4.


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## Etalon (Dec 12, 2010)

To tell the truth, I'm not very happy with the entire situation now.

We have two great firmwares: Wood & Akaio.

And we have six cards now: R4DS, AK2, R4iDS.cn, R4iDS.com, R4ultra & R4iDSN.com.

Would it be possible to explain to everybody which firmware is running on which card now and in the future?

Nobody is going to buy an R4i Gold CN because he likes the team. Nobody ever bought an AK2i because he liked Team Acekard. We like Nintendo and not our flashcard teams.


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## Sop (Dec 13, 2010)

Good review.


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## urbon (Dec 13, 2010)

jinnpan said:
			
		

> Great review and glad to hear is not just a clone.
> PCB looks high quality, a plus for me.
> Just need to find a place to get this version and not get it confused with the crappy R4.



Here, you can get it. R4ids gold(Officially by WOOD R4,www.r4ids.cn)


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## yellowbeen (Dec 13, 2010)

Etalon said:
			
		

> To tell the truth, I'm not very happy with the entire situation now.
> 
> We have two great firmwares: Wood & Akaio.
> 
> ...



Hi:

R4DS: WOOD
R4iDS.cn & R4iDSN.com:WOOD

AK2:Akaio
R4iDS.com & R4ultra:Akaio1.8.1_Ultra (they are one card with different packages)


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## salnaruto2 (Dec 13, 2010)

I got to say that's a nice review of R4i. I also bought one about two month ago and it working perfectly with wood.
By the way, is it normal for the sticker to say "revoltition" instead of "revolution"?


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## Etalon (Dec 13, 2010)

At least some have that problem:






(Picture from R4Wood.com)


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## Another World (Dec 13, 2010)

Etalon said:
			
		

> And we have six cards now: R4DS, AK2, R4iDS.cn, R4iDS.com, R4ultra & R4iDSN.com.
> 
> Would it be possible to explain to everybody which firmware is running on which card now and in the future?
> 
> ...



r4i .cn team is not selling the .com stock. it looks like you picked up the card when they were still 1 team (before the split). they told me that both the r4i golds are the same (hardware wise). its the r4i gold v2 that you want to stay away from, its actually an r4 ultra. then again, it might run akaio =P

-another world


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## Evo.lve (Dec 13, 2010)

Another World said:
			
		

> *snip



DAMN!!!!!!

I always thought the ---.com one was a R4 Ultra clone.


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## Etalon (Dec 13, 2010)

Another World said:
			
		

> does that help?
> 
> -another world



Not really. My main question is if R4 Ultra / Gold COM will receive further support through Akaio.

I'm an Akaio fan. I'm going to press "BUY" for ~6 Ultras if you say "YES" now.


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## Another World (Dec 13, 2010)

Evo.lve said:
			
		

> Another World said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



the r4i gold v2 is the r4 ultra with a new sticker. the hardware is the same. thats what the r4i gold .cn team has told me and they backed it up with some other info. akaio might run on it if it is the exact same thing without any hardware changes, as akaio now supports the r4 ultra by request of team acekard. i would be interesting to find out.

the .com site says they have discontinued the r4i gold v1 (the one the .cn team is selling).






-another world


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## Evo.lve (Dec 13, 2010)

I spent all of my money on a DS2 so...

EDIT: Woot 200th post


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## sinan (Dec 13, 2010)

So what's the best way to go? Use the 1.5 firmware with wood integrated or straight up wood? 
Is the 1.5 firmware as compatible with games as wood?


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## Another World (Dec 13, 2010)

i love my scds2. to be honest i only stock pile flash kits for testing. the avg user needs 1 or 2 support cards and thats it. there is no reason to have one of everything if you are just playing games and homebrew.



			
				sinan said:
			
		

> So what's the best way to go? Use the 1.5 firmware with wood integrated or straight up wood?
> Is the 1.5 firmware as compatible with games as wood?


their firmware has some bugs and doesn't have many options. i'm still not 100% sure what the 5 buttons on the bottom do. they asked me not to confuse the reader by offering detailed explinations =P. i found out that the code is using bits from akaio without permission. the dma patching is there, and i had that confirmed by someone. thats probably why they wanted to be so vague on details.

wood offers so much more, better support, more options, better skinning, etc. hardware wise its a good card, and because they secured a deal to have regualar wood updates they will do pretty well on this 1 card.

stick to wood.

-another world


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## Evo.lve (Dec 13, 2010)

When you mentioned "for testing", it reminded me.

Have you got POR working on your iSMM yet?

And yeah I agree with you. My Ak2i would be redundant as soon as I got my DS2, I'm thinking of giving it away to a friend.


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## Etalon (Dec 13, 2010)

Another World said:
			
		

> i love my scds2. to be honest i only stock pile flash kits for testing. the avg user needs 1 or 2 support cards and thats it. there is no reason to have one of everything if you are just playing games and homebrew.
> 
> -another world



People are different. I don't want a DSTwo. I have an iPlayer. Thanks Team SC.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I want enough Akaio Cards for the rest of my life. And they are cheap now. 

But you're right. I'll order 4 instead of 6 and see what happens. Even if I'm stuck with 1.8.1 forever.


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## Another World (Dec 13, 2010)

Evo.lve said:
			
		

> Have you got POR working on your iSMM yet?



i've been talking to the ismart mm team and it seems it might be a software bug. i'm still not sure how or why because they have not given me any details. if the software is storing data based on what msd card is launching the file, i might have managed to corrupt something. por works on a different msd card, and por works on that same msd card when launched in akaio and scds2. its an odd bug to track down and i've since moved on to other testing of the ismart mm. i want to get working on the review sooner than later. =)

-another world


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## salnaruto2 (Dec 13, 2010)

The only thing that i know is that i got this flash cart from Shoptemp.com and that it is working.
And i'm planning on getting another one in the future.


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## urbon (Dec 13, 2010)

Etalon said:
			
		

> Another World said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi:
You are an akaio fan. 
You should get an ak2i?
Maybe you should ask Normatt whether R4 Ultra / Gold COM receives further support through Akaio.


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## Etalon (Dec 13, 2010)

I have several AK2is. But I'm a guy. I need something new once in a while. Even if it's just the same with a different sticker. 

But Akaio will be always inside. I promise.


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## gameandmatch (Dec 13, 2010)

Hmm seems good. unfortunately I already ordered SCDS2. I believe though that it is not a clone for those who believe it is since they did make it and recreated a program.


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## NFK (Dec 13, 2010)

Tested a r4gold (from r4ids.com, suppossedly they got support for AKAIO) with both wood and AKAIO, nothing. except the loading screen.


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## NintyNerd96 (Dec 13, 2010)

Well if I can find a good site to order this to UK then I will definately get this, of course I would prefer a SCDS2 but uno, I'm not made of money xD


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## Spy123 (Dec 15, 2010)

Is wood r4i compatible with r4i gold 1.41?????????????????


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## urbon (Dec 15, 2010)

Spy123 said:
			
		

> Is wood r4i compatible with r4i gold 1.41?????????????????



Yes, it is.
The website should be www.r4ids.cn.


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## DiziDeals (Dec 15, 2010)

its a waste that my constructive post was deleted.


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## Rydian (Dec 15, 2010)

The purpose of your existence is advertising, that's clear from your name (the name of the shop), your signature (nothing but an ad for the shop), and your posts (a link to the shop, then a complaint that you post was deleted).

Does this forum look like google-fucking-adsense to you?


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## redact (Dec 15, 2010)

Rydian said:
			
		

> The purpose of your existence is advertising, that's clear from your name (the name of the shop), your signature (nothing but an ad for the shop), and your posts (a link to the shop, then a complaint that you post was deleted).
> 
> Does this forum look like google-fucking-adsense to you?


it does when you're logged out


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## DiziDeals (Dec 17, 2010)

DiziDeals said:
			
		

> its a waste that my constructive post was deleted.



This has nothing to do with any kind google thing.
Been a constructive member for quite a few years here under another name which i can't disclose.

The post was about pointing out the difference in the current www.r4ids.com card and www.r4ids.cn card and the reason for split up.
This seems quite constructive because there seems to be alot of confusion about r4i gold 2.0 etc.


edit: i always was under the impression that signature links on gbatemp.net are no-follow?


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## Rydian (Dec 17, 2010)

I was posting all we could tell about you from what you had shown us at the time, which was simply advertising.  That's likely why your post was deleted.

You can't expect us to know shit about you that you never told us.


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## KevInChester (Dec 18, 2010)

Gonna get myself a couple of these cards 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Thanks for the review!


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## LxLxBoy (Dec 19, 2010)

am i supposed to buy one of these? =?


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## yellowbeen (Dec 19, 2010)

WOOD R4 V1.20 for r4ids gold(www.r4ids.cn) is available now.
You can download it here:
http://filetrip.net/f23219-Wood-R4-for-R4i...S%29-V1-20.html


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## perezosogato (Dec 20, 2010)

The history tells us, excludes R4DS, all the flashcards are clone , DSTWO, DS IPLAYER, R4I, AK, M3, CYCLODS, ISMART, EZ, EXDS ...

The reason, they are all using the technology based on the R4DS' theory . However, there is one thing we need to know, on the basis of R4DS technology , they are making innovation . why? For R4 DS team does not work on it anymore , i was stopped by v1.18 kernel . 

So, we can say that , it is clone , but there are some innovative team to continue the jobs . Just like Chinese Kung Fu, there is a master to teach  students kung fu. But the students can expand the technology. You can see blue Lee is one of the greatest guys.

Did i wrong ?


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## dysprosi (Dec 20, 2010)

Lassik said:
			
		

> I ordered this one.
> 
> http://www.0shippingzone.com/gold-dsldsids...dscn-p-473.html
> 
> ...



I bought mine here for $9.19 w/ free shipping: www.nds card sale.com (remove the spaces)

.com/product/Gold-R4i-Revolution-SDHC-MicroSD-Transflash-Adapter-Flash-Cart-for-NDSi-NDS-DS-Lite-Gold]http://www.[censored].com/product/Gold-R4...DS-DS-Lite-Gold


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## redblue (Dec 20, 2010)

dysprosi said:
			
		

> Lassik said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You are wrong.
The r4i gold discussed here should be www.r4ids.cn,whichi is supported by WOOD R4.


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