# "Jack DIY GB" Flash Cart: Thoughts?



## ncc74656m (Apr 8, 2015)

Hey everyone,

I'm curious - has anyone here tried this thing?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JACK-DIY-GB...005?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf49a4e1d

I plan to do some DIY GB Flash Carts, but before I ruin too many perfectly good cartridges, nevermind just the effort and energy involved, if these things work well, it might be worth picking one up.

Thoughts?


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## Monty Kensicle (Apr 8, 2015)

ncc74656m said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I'm curious - has anyone here tried this thing?
> 
> ...


 
I have one and I love it, it's a perfect clone of an Everdrive GB. It even has the everdrive logo printed on the PCB.

Unless you can get the eBay seller to come down on the price this one is less expensive.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...h-cartridge-with-SD-interface/2055380860.html

Same seller I bought mine from.


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## ncc74656m (Apr 8, 2015)

Monty Kensicle said:


> I have one and I love it, it's a perfect clone of an Everdrive GB. It even has the everdrive logo printed on the PCB.
> 
> Unless you can get the eBay seller to come down on the price this one is less expensive.
> http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...h-cartridge-with-SD-interface/2055380860.html
> ...


 

Awesome, much appreciated! Thanks for the advice!


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## Razor83 (Apr 8, 2015)

Since this is a clone Everdrive, wouldn't it be better to support the creator Krikzz and buy an original Everdrive from his store? I know it's more expensive, but he works really hard creating these products and has excellent after sales support.
http://shop.krikzz.com/


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## Monty Kensicle (Apr 8, 2015)

Razor83 said:


> Since this is a clone Everdrive, wouldn't it be better to support the creator Krikzz and buy an original Everdrive from his store? I know it's more expensive, but he works really hard creating these products and has excellent after sales support.
> http://shop.krikzz.com/


 
Actually there is some contention as to whether or not they are really clones as the PCB is identical to my actual Everdrive, the only difference being the shell it comes in.


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## Jockel (Apr 8, 2015)

Just a heads-up, DON'T buy any other ED clones. They all suck, support far less games, can't be updated and break quickly.
From all I've heard the Jack DIY is ok, though. Not ethically of course, but I dunno. If you're using it for piracy, it's morally questionable anyways.


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## Razor83 (Apr 8, 2015)

Monty Kensicle said:


> Actually there is some contention as to whether or not they are really clones as the PCB is identical to my actual Everdrive, the only difference being the shell it comes in.


No it's definitely a clone;
http://krikzz.com/forum/index.php?topic=2621.0
It's very easy to make an identical PCB, you can even create a 1:1 copy by scanning the bare board directly into a PCB creation program.


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## Monty Kensicle (Apr 8, 2015)

Razor83 said:


> No it's definitely a clone;
> http://krikzz.com/forum/index.php?topic=2621.0
> It's very easy to make an identical PCB, you can even create a 1:1 copy by scanning the bare board directly into a PCB creation program.


 
A price difference of $31 between the clone and the original might not be much for some folks but that's dinner for my family of 6.

I know devs also like food so it's quite a grey area when it comes to buying devices to pirat...I mean play backups of your games and homebrew.


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## Razor83 (Apr 8, 2015)

I understand, and much of this site is about 'grey areas'...

However personally I just find it hard to justify buying a clone in this instance, since this isn't some big company or a faceless group (Gateway) but just one guy in the Ukraine (a war zone no less!) who is trying to earn a living and support his family - So i'm happy to pay the extra and support his hard work, and I hope he continues creating Everdrives for years to come.


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## migles (Apr 8, 2015)

Monty Kensicle said:


> I have one and I love it, it's a perfect clone of an Everdrive GB. It even has the everdrive logo printed on the PCB.
> 
> Unless you can get the eBay seller to come down on the price this one is less expensive.
> http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...h-cartridge-with-SD-interface/2055380860.html
> ...


 
on the pictures it looks like a Everdrive with a sticker xD


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## Monty Kensicle (Apr 8, 2015)

Razor83 said:


> I understand, and much of this site is about 'grey areas'...
> 
> However personally I just find it hard to justify buying a clone in this instance, since this isn't some big company or a faceless group (Gateway) but just one guy in the Ukraine (a war zone no less!) who is trying to earn a living and support his family - So i'm happy to pay the extra and support his hard work, and I hope he continues creating Everdrives for years to come.


 
I have purchased some of his product before, very nice stuff. I'm excited for the GBA Everdrive, hope it has flash memory saving for the Pokemon games. Otherwise it's not going to be much different from my EZ-Flash IV.


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## ncc74656m (Apr 8, 2015)

Game piracy for systems that aren't produced or supported anymore doesn't bother me. Original developers aren't making money off them anymore, you know?

Obviously, new homebrew games and programs like LSDJ are an exception to this, and should be wholly supported. That's not what I mean, though, of course.

Anyway, thanks for mentioning that this is just an EDGB clone - I'll probably just pick up a real ED in that case. I do prefer to support the original developer, and nowadays I have a few extra dollars I can spare on such things.


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## migles (Apr 9, 2015)

ncc74656m said:


> Game piracy for systems that aren't produced or supported anymore doesn't bother me. Original developers aren't making money off them anymore, you know


 
you are right.. they dont get money anymore directly... and lots of times it makes a person actually buy the next ones.. (i played zelda games, i liked, and bought the new ones.. if i didnt played them before i would think twice on purchase them..)
piracy does help selling the new games...

however they do somwhat suffer indirectly..

you can't forget.. trading is the foundation of the economy...
this said.. most of us (players) at some point we sold old games in order to buy new ones...
if no one buys my old games because they can easily adquire them via pirating (and emulators are superior) i can't afford to keep up with new games always coming out.. therefore i must purchase them at much later time because i can't afford them..


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## Foxi4 (Apr 9, 2015)

Hold your horses, mister. If you want a reliable flashcart, don't go for the chinese clones - they all _suck_ and they're not worth the money you're saving. Get a genuine Everdrive GB, the cart is excellent, I reviewed it myself. Support the creators, not the imitators. If you wouldn't buy a _"Zony"_ TV rather than a Sony TV, you shouldn't buy an _"Eberdrive"_ instead of an _"Everdrive"_ if you want quality.

If you want to make a _proper_ DIY GB cartridge I suggest browsing this site, it has _everything_ you need to know including schematics and software. It doesn't take much, all you need is a cartridge with a desirable mapper, a compatible rewrittable memory module, a soldering iron and some patience. It even has schematics for cartridges that can be made completely from scratch.


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## Monty Kensicle (May 31, 2015)

I am so m


Foxi4 said:


> Hold your horses, mister. If you want a reliable flashcart, don't go for the chinese clones - they all _suck_ and they're not worth the money you're saving. Get a genuine Everdrive GB, the cart is excellent, I reviewed it myself. Support the creators, not the imitators. If you wouldn't buy a _"Zony"_ TV rather than a Sony TV, you shouldn't buy an _"Eberdrive"_ instead of an _"Everdrive"_ if you want quality.
> 
> If you want to make a _proper_ DIY GB cartridge I suggest browsing this site, it has _everything_ you need to know including schematics and software. It doesn't take much, all you need is a cartridge with a desirable mapper, a compatible rewrittable memory module, a soldering iron and some patience. It even has schematics for cartridges that can be made completely from scratch.


I am so miffed as to why clone=garbage in everyone's eyes. If the quality and functionality is similar why does it matter? I have heard the horror stories from some everdrive clone owners but mine is still truckin' after a year and a half.

 I do own a legit everdrive GB and wanted a second for multiplayer but couldn't justify throwing down another $80. This one works for what I need it to.


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## Foxi4 (May 31, 2015)

Monty Kensicle said:


> I am so m
> 
> I am so miffed as to why clone=garbage in everyone's eyes. If the quality and functionality is similar why does it matter? I have heard the horror stories from some everdrive clone owners but mine is still truckin' after a year and a half.
> 
> I do own a legit everdrive GB and wanted a second for multiplayer but couldn't justify throwing down another $80. This one works for what I need it to.


I have two reasons for buying originals rather than knock-offs - safety and support. This scene has seen many a stories unfold where knock-offs either didn't work right or downright broke a system. Remember Gateway clones? Bricking across the board. R4 clones? More than you can count, some unupdatable, some with no support at all. By buying a real Everdrive I know that I get a quality product and I know that I'm supporting a hard-working dev (who's a pretty cool dude btw, really nice guy), I choose that over lining cloner pockets with money.


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## Localhorst86 (May 31, 2015)

I bought ohne of those DIY Jack clones, apparently. It took 4 weeks to arrive and then it didn't work. So I ordered an original EDGB which arrived the next day (less than 24 hours) and that one is working fine.


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## GBAResearcher (Mar 3, 2016)

I'm sorry for reviving this old thread but I feel it's still very relevant.  I just received a clone from a seller on aliexpress just like Monty Kensicle did.  It plays roms fine but the game genie function doesn't work.  It doesn't save the cheats even when you load them from a text file.
Also you cannot update the firmware.  I'm assuming that they cheapened out on a non rewritable chip on which the firmware is stored.

Don't make the mistake of buying a clone.  Get the real deal so you can know for sure that it will work 100%.


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## Foxi4 (Mar 4, 2016)

GBAResearcher said:


> I'm sorry for reviving this old thread but I feel it's still very relevant.  I just received a clone from a seller on aliexpress just like Monty Kensicle did.  It plays roms fine but the game genie function doesn't work.  It doesn't save the cheats even when you load them from a text file.
> Also you cannot update the firmware.  I'm assuming that they cheapened out on a non rewritable chip on which the firmware is stored.
> 
> Don't make the mistake of buying a clone.  Get the real deal so you can know for sure that it will work 100%.


If your clone has a replacable CR battery, try swapping it for a fresh one - it might work. Then again, if it was the battery, you'd be losing saves aswell, unless it immediately copies them to the SD card.


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## Localhorst86 (Mar 4, 2016)

GBAResearcher said:


> I'm sorry for reviving this old thread but I feel it's still very relevant.  I just received a clone from a seller on aliexpress just like Monty Kensicle did.  It plays roms fine but the game genie function doesn't work.  It doesn't save the cheats even when you load them from a text file.
> Also you cannot update the firmware.  I'm assuming that they cheapened out on a non rewritable chip on which the firmware is stored.
> 
> Don't make the mistake of buying a clone.  Get the real deal so you can know for sure that it will work 100%.


Just to clarify: the real EDGB does not have a flashable firmware, either. Firmware updates are loaded on boot.


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## Jayro (Mar 4, 2016)

Razor83 said:


> Since this is a clone Everdrive, wouldn't it be better to support the creator Krikzz and buy an original Everdrive from his store? I know it's more expensive, but he works really hard creating these products and has excellent after sales support.
> http://shop.krikzz.com/






 

Well his shop is down, so what other choice do we have?


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## Razor83 (Mar 4, 2016)

Jayro said:


> View attachment 41244
> 
> Well his shop is down, so what other choice do we have?


Not quite sure why you quoted my post from a year ago?
I guess Krikzz was just updating his store when you checked.
This new link is working fine for me:-
http://krikzz.com/store/


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## Jayro (Mar 4, 2016)

Thank you. I wasn't aware it was an ancient post.


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## GBAResearcher (Mar 4, 2016)

Foxi4 said:


> If your clone has a replacable CR battery, try swapping it for a fresh one - it might work. Then again, if it was the battery, you'd be losing saves aswell, unless it immediately copies them to the SD card.



Thanks for the reply.  Yeah it's not the battery.  But I figured out the problem.  Certain codes will not apply.  Like for megaman 2 I couldn't get any of the codes to apply but megaman 3 and megaman 4 did just fine.  So to counter this I found a program called cccgp to patch the game with the codes directly and it worked perfectly!



Localhorst86 said:


> Just to clarify: the real EDGB does not have a flashable firmware, either. Firmware updates are loaded on boot.



Ah I meant to say the OS updates.  I figured that since the OS updates didn't work that they cheapened out on non writable chips.


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## Localhorst86 (Mar 5, 2016)

GBAResearcher said:


> Ah I meant to say the OS updates.  I figured that since the OS updates didn't work that they cheapened out on non writable chips.



Yeah, OS updates are not flashed. They get loaded from the SD on boot.


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## Razor83 (Mar 5, 2016)

Localhorst86 said:


> Yeah, OS updates are not flashed. They get loaded from the SD on boot.


Just to add to that - OS v1 is the default built-in menu and is stored on the cartridges flash memory, but any later OS update (OS v2, OS v3) are always loaded from the microSD card at bootup.

Its also worth noting that many fake/clone Everdrive-GB cartridges will display an "authentication error" screen after loading OS v3 - even if you then delete OS v3 from your microSD card the error will appear everytime you try to boot the menu, so you can no longer load up any ROMs.

Typically these clone carts have a 3-leg IC instead of 5-leg IC in the corner of the PCB, and if you check the system information page in the menu they show an assembly date (ASM Date) of "2.0.1980"! Some clone sellers now kindly include a note telling you not to update with krikzz's OS:-


This is just one more reason why I would recommend only buying an original Everdrive directly from Krikzz.


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## GBAResearcher (Mar 6, 2016)

Razor83 said:


> Just to add to that - OS v1 is the default built-in menu and is stored on the cartridges flash memory, but any later OS update (OS v2, OS v3) are always loaded from the microSD card at bootup.
> 
> Its also worth noting that many fake/clone Everdrive-GB cartridges will display an "authentication error" screen after loading OS v3 - even if you then delete OS v3 from your microSD card the error will appear everytime you try to boot the menu, so you can no longer load up any ROMs.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the information fellas.  I knew something was cheapened out.  Oddly enough though that with my clone it loaded up the roms fine when I had the v3 os file on it.  Maybe the newer ones are exact for exact now.
I'll open the case and take a few pics.  Maybe you guys can look at it and see what's what.

Oh and get this.  I saw a review from this guy 
If you see his everdrive you can see that the battery is on the right and yet both mine and the pic on krikzz site has the battery on the left.  So I don't know what's going on there.


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## Localhorst86 (Mar 6, 2016)

GBAResearcher said:


> Thanks for the information fellas.  I knew something was cheapened out.  Oddly enough though that with my clone it loaded up the roms fine when I had the v3 os file on it.  Maybe the newer ones are exact for exact now.
> I'll open the case and take a few pics.  Maybe you guys can look at it and see what's what.
> 
> Oh and get this.  I saw a review from this guy
> If you see his everdrive you can see that the battery is on the right and yet both mine and the pic on krikzz site has the battery on the left.  So I don't know what's going on there.



Krikzz switched the places of the battery and SD card slot on later revision of the cart due to Micro SD cards breaking, AFAIK.


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## puszcza (Jan 17, 2017)

Up, anyone know wheere to buy cheaper flashcard than Everfree?


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## Justinde75 (Jan 17, 2017)

puszcza said:


> Up, anyone know wheere to buy cheaper flashcard than Everfree?


Dont necrobump.


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## Foxi4 (Jan 17, 2017)

puszcza said:


> Up, anyone know wheere to buy cheaper flashcard than Everfree?


You can buy cheap Everdrive clones on eBay, but they're not recommended due to spotty compatibility.


Justinde75 said:


> Dont necrobump.


Don't backseat moderate, your post didn't answer the question, it just added more content to the necrobump.


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## puszcza (Jan 17, 2017)

I tried to search "gb flash card" or similar, but I dont get any result. Could you please send me keyrwords or links?


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## Foxi4 (Jan 17, 2017)

puszcza said:


> I tried to search "gb flash card" or similar, but I dont get any result. Could you please send me keyrwords or links?


If you want a cheap cartridge, try the EMS GB USB SMART 64M. No SD support, but it does the job. Besides that, there's Everdrive clones, so look for those. Personally though I'd just buy an Everdrive - it's the best cart out there.


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## puszcza (Jan 17, 2017)

I readed that Gameboy Pocket whitch I want to use have problems with working on EMS GB USB SMART 64M.
Thanks for advise, but if anyone still have not dead links to ebay/aliexpress for cheaper flashcards than Everstree I`ve be greatfull. Everfree with shipping to Poland is about ~100$.


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## Foxi4 (Jan 19, 2017)

puszcza said:


> I readed that Gameboy Pocket whitch I want to use have problems with working on EMS GB USB SMART 64M.
> Thanks for advise, but if anyone still have not dead links to ebay/aliexpress for cheaper flashcards than Everstree I`ve be greatfull. Everfree with shipping to Poland is about ~100$.


Don't expect to pay any less for one that'll work well - most are not being made anymore and of all of them, the Everdrive is the best, as it's a new, contemporary design. You're paying for quality. As for ordering, I'd buy it from Krikzz directly if I were you, but I found one unit on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Official-EV...298586?hash=item4b0d83f39a:g:SLsAAOSwEzxYRGUc

It's not much cheaper than the price on the official store, and there at least you know it's original and not a clone:

http://krikzz.com/store/home/8-everdrive-gb.html


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## ital (Feb 13, 2017)

Foxi4 said:


> Hold your horses, mister. If you want a reliable flashcart, don't go for the chinese clones - they all _suck_ and they're not worth the money you're saving. Get a genuine Everdrive GB, the cart is excellent, I reviewed it myself. Support the creators, not the imitators. If you wouldn't buy a _"Zony"_ TV rather than a Sony TV, you shouldn't buy an _"Eberdrive"_ instead of an _"Everdrive"_ if you want quality.
> 
> If you want to make a _proper_ DIY GB cartridge I suggest browsing this site, it has _everything_ you need to know including schematics and software. It doesn't take much, all you need is a cartridge with a desirable mapper, a compatible rewrittable memory module, a soldering iron and some patience. It even has schematics for cartridges that can be made completely from scratch.



I agree.

Sent from my Oople mIphone.


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## postulio (Jun 16, 2017)

So i bought a Jack DIY gameboy flash off of ebay for $50 shipped. It took over a month to get to me, but it came with an 8GB Kingston microSD card (which wasn't advertised in the listing, so it was a nice surprised), the card was loaded with full GB and GBC ROM sets.

The cart works flawlessly, the only difference in functionality is that you cannot update it, which makes sense. In fact, there is a disclaimer on the actual PCB in Engrish saying you'll break it if you try to update. The build quality is quite nice, with the SD slot working well with a satisfying spring and click. The case and PCB do not have the general shit feel to them common to $5 Chinese Gameboy game bootlegs. I think there is a new wave of these as there was Jack DIY branding on the PCB, i remember early ones still said krikzz on them.

It's almost half the price of a Everdrive, which is $94 shipped. I honestly don't really care that it's a knockoff. ED is way overpriced as far as how much the tech really cost. It it was a 20% or so price difference, then whatever, but we're talking a 90% price difference. I'm a collector with a 300+ GB/GBC cart collection and many flashcarts. My favorite are definitely the Nintendo Power ones, out of sheer novelty of them being official. The Bung and the 64M USB also do the job.

If the ED drops in price or I find a good deal I'd still pick it up for the collection but otherwise, to save money and maintain functionality the Jack DIY carts work well for those of you on a tight budget.

BTW, i found this thread searching for Jack DIY info on google and it's one of the top matches, so I felt it helpful for others looking for info on these carts, regardless of when the thread started.


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## bakageta (Jul 9, 2017)

puszcza said:


> I readed that Gameboy Pocket whitch I want to use have problems with working on EMS GB USB SMART 64M.
> Thanks for advise, but if anyone still have not dead links to ebay/aliexpress for cheaper flashcards than Everstree I`ve be greatfull. Everfree with shipping to Poland is about ~100$.



Late reply, but maybe useful for others... The everdrive GB is supposedly pretty heavy on power draw in the menu, according to the official forums, and can have issues in some of the weaker gameboys like the pocket.

A better alternative to the clones would be bennvenn's elcheapo. The v1.9's have a low-power version at $55, and compatibility should be very similar to the everdrive, minus cheat features. The upcoming v2.0 will add RTC support at $75-ish.

I'm glad Krikzz has carts for tons of systems, but everdrive aren't the only quality carts.


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