Hacking Flashcart help

[Truner]

So, I had several flashcarts before, but those were for my DS Lite. I mostly had carts with Wood.
But DSi happened and now, after years of not having such a cart, I think I'm in need of one again.
The thing is, I don't know what to get!
I can order from anywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll just list what I need from a flashcart:
- playing translated roms. That's the main reason. I buy japanese games for the DS and play the translations on PC, but it would be nice to play them on the DS too.
- while it's not important, being able to play all the games I own,but on one cart would be good to. Newest games too, like Pokémon Black. Or Solatorobo.
- hacks. New Super Mario Bros. has tons of hacks I would like to play on the real thing. They look so amazing!
- I have the latest firmware, so if there's a cart that doesn't need lower firmwares to work, that would be nice too.

Anything else is not needed. If it plays homebrew games, I wouldn't mind, but the absolutely main reason is the translated roms part. I don't need GBA emulation (I have a GBASP for playing my real games, and the PSP is good for emulation), nor do I need 3DS compatibility. I want to use this cart for my DSi and that only.

So yeah, I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but there are so many flashcarts...

 

[jimmyemunoz]

R4i Gold 3DS from www.r4ids.cn will do all that, and it's built way better than an acekard 2i. People are going to tell you an Acekard 2i is better, but really it's not. Akaio (acekard kernel) is awesome, but points get knocked off for the poor build quality. A reputable place with a cheap price is lightake.com. This cart is great too and it's only $5.60 go here.

 

[Themanhunt]

Wrong link there matey.

And the Gold 3DS is an Acekard clone I think?

Edit:

Lightake link to R4i Gold 3DS

 

[s4mid4re]

Nope, not an ak clone, as far as I know. I'm actually not so sophisticated on identifying what cart a cart is derived from, but I'm certain it's not an ak clone (if it were an ak clone, It'd probably have akaio support to some extent, but r4i gold 3ds only has wood r4 support). You'd have to open the cart up and compare the pcb/build to that of another.

EDIT: if you're saying that the UI looks very similar, that's because both are created from the same source code.

Anyways, r4i gold 3ds would be recommended, since some acekard 2i's suffer from contact issue. Fortunately, my ak2i haven't had any contact issues, though.

 

[jimmyemunoz]

No, the link was correct. I wanted to suggest a budget flashcard to the original poster. I know I didn't link the first card I suggested, but I did say where to buy one cheap. It's cool you gave the guy a direct link. The Ace3ds has stepped up its game. Kernel and firmware updates have been pumping out mighty quick, as of late. It looks like a real contender for users who just want to play their games, and listen to an .mp3 or watch a .dpg file every once in a while. Not everyone needs a Porsche, some people love Mustangs or Camaros.

 

[Truner]

So R4 it is. Alright, thank you for the help.
Another question, of mine is: What is R4 Dual-Core? I laughed out quite loud while thinking about playing Crysis on my DS, but I'm 100% certain, that's not what Dual-core means in the name? What it does?

 

[Rydian]

It's bullshit, that's what it is. Ignore it.

Do NOT get just anything with "R4" in the name.

 

[DinohScene]

Be smart and get a flashcard that is $10 more then an R4.

 

[Rydian]

Well, not to say that The R4i Gold isn't decent, I'm saying don't get JUST ANY R4, the majority are shit.

 

[DinohScene]

R4i Gold is only decent since it's supported by YWG indeed.
Otherwise it would be the same piece of useless plastic like all the other R4's.

 

[Themanhunt]

R4i Gold 3DS and R4i-SDHC 3DS are the only decent R4 cards imo.

 

[frogboy]

I strongly recommend the Acekard 2i, it can do everything you've specified in your first post, and there aren't nearly as many fakes/clones.

 

[rockstar99]

DOnt waste time with all the R4s, get an ak2i.

 

[DinohScene]

I strongly recommend the Acekard 2i, it can do everything you've specified in your first post, and there aren't nearly as many fakes/clones.

DOnt waste time with all the R4s, get an ak2i.

I second this.

 

[Shin Akuma]

I started back then at 2006 with DS-X which was awesome and with others but now Acekard2i IS the best i ever had

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

don't get anythinh with m3 r4 g6 and especally n5

 

[DinohScene]

don't get anythinh with m3 r4 g6 and especally n5

M3 was a good supported flashcard until the team abandoned it.
R4... well you know the story on some.
G6 is pretty much the same as the M3 iirc.
N5 was a clone of the DSTT iirc.

Haven't heard the word N5 in a long time tho.

 

[Truner]

Wow, you guys are making this a bit hard. It's like seeing a conversation about Nvidia and ATi...
I remember having the original R4-M3 pair. Both of them, totally original. At the very start of their distribution. I loved them. Especially once I put Wood on them. That firmware thingy was amazing. I could play almost anything, even the Fate/Stay Night port.
So now it looks like the choices are either a R4i Gold, which is around $5 where I live. From my experience with R4 (though that was the very original, without SDHC support or the really weird looking case design), that would be more than enough for me. But I also remember the spring going boom on me. That made using Micro SDs a pain in the ass. I had a similiar problem with M3. I mysteriously fixed it by putting in some paper with the micro sd... after that, it worked without the paper too. That was weird...
A friend of mine is using Acekard2i with his DSi... I might ask him where he bought it and for how much.
One of those cards and an 8GB micro SD card sounds pretty good to me. For DS games, hacks and translations, it might even be a bit too much, since DS games are pretty small.
AH! I totally forgot about one thing. I remember the Pokémon games, Kirby Super Star Ultra and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood crashing after trying to do anything wi-fi releated. Is that thing fixed by now?

 

[Rydian]

The R4i Gold's not spring loaded.

Wifi works fine on all modern carts.

 

[Truner]

So I'm good to go with the R4i Gold... I see. Thanks for all the help guys, I really apprechiate it.