Hacking Use Nintendo DS Lite Slot-2 cart on fat NDS

SoundOfCode · Nov 23, 2012

Good day,
I ordered a Ez-Flash 3-in-1 a while ago and while it was advertised as a "fat" SLOT-2 card, it turned out to be the NDS Lite version. Since I don't own a DS Lite (and don't plan to buy one), my only option for now is to either call it a bad investement OR get started with some hacking, which is the choice I prefer.

I'm not inexperienced when it comes to hardware and I'm already reading some technical specs and trying to reverse engineer it a bit, although before I start I need to ask two things:

Do you know if there's already an adapter to use NDS Lite Slot-2 cards on the fat NDS?
Do you know if other people have attempt to build such a device or do you know any info/documents I might need?

Right now I'm looking at this https://www.trait-tech.com/product/...tendo-ds-ds-lite-repair-replacement-part.html as a possible hardware starting point - the first part of the adapter. I've never worked with a NDS so I'll be grateful for any kind of help (although I'd prefer if a prebuilt device already existed!)

Edit: Just so you know, these are the documents I'm reading right now:
http://www.reinerziegler.de/GBA/gba.htm
http://www.hardwarebook.info/Game_Pak
http://old.pinouts.ru/Game/CartridgeGameBoy_pinout.shtml

Ryupower · Nov 23, 2012

i not sure but

get a gba game you do not use anymore
and use the case a a shell

and open the 3-in-1 and put the guts in the gba game shell

the close the gab game shell

it might work

SoundOfCode · Nov 23, 2012

I'm not sure if that's possible but I'd prefer to leave the 3-in-1 untouched, as getting one has been a pain in the ass. But if someone has tried and it works, I'll definitely try.

FAST6191 · Nov 23, 2012

Many years ago the EZTeam did propose I think it was called the EZMugen that would have adapted between DS lite and DS/GBA but it never came to pass.

If you can mod the cases (probably chop off the little dust cover bit and maybe sand something down a bit) then it will work fine- I used an EZ4 lite in my GBA and DS for years and then did the same to an EZ4 lite deluxe I picked up.

Modding to go into a GBA case- it is not a case of unscrew and drop in and you will have to figure out a way to wedge it in. That said it is fairly simple and if you have ever built a model plane or some such you will be right at home.

SoundOfCode · Nov 23, 2012

FAST6191 said:
If you can mod the cases (probably chop off the little dust cover bit and maybe sand something down a bit) then it will work fine- I used an EZ4 lite in my GBA and DS for years and then did the same to an EZ4 lite deluxe I picked up.

This seems the most reasonable solution, considering that building an adapter proves to be very time-consuming in terms of waiting for the parts to ship - I thought about it but I would have to figure out a way to build a solid attachment in order to be able to pull the cart out. Or should I care about leaving it in at all? You can always remove it by unscrewing the back of the case.

Since you have previous experience, do you know any thing I should be aware of? I've never modded a cartridge case, to be honest, I'm more of a pins and wires guy. What tools I should use, a file and sandpaper (what grit?) maybe?

FAST6191 · Nov 23, 2012

I just used a dremel with a sanding bit and a set of pliers and a craft knife (score the overhanging part to make a break line and back and forth with the pliers). If you can solder then I imagine you will have no trouble with this at all.
Grit wise- as long as it is not something you would use to bring paint up from a floor then it should be good (my supplies around here go to about 1200 before I have custom fun but that is way overkill for this).

As for the thing to pull it out- if it was an EZ4 or something with a side loading microSD then it might be more pressing to remove it. When I did mine I tended to use a piece of ribbon or if I was being lazy some electrical tape- works a treat.

SoundOfCode · Nov 23, 2012

Thanks a lot for the info! I think I'll try that.

tbgtbg · Nov 25, 2012

I read something in another thread about using a GBA Gameshark/Action Replay/etc to get it to fit on an original DS. If that works, it would certainly be the simplest solution (other than maybe tracking down a GBA GS in this day and age).

SoundOfCode · Nov 27, 2012

That's interesting, are you sure about it? I still haven't touched my cart because I want to get some practice with sanding before I do it.

But as you said, it's extremely difficult to find a GBA AR at a good price.

SoundOfCode · Nov 30, 2012

Just to put it on record, it worked! I successfully sanded down the Ez Flash 3in1 for NDS Lite and now it works great on my fat NDS. Just for future reference, look at the picture below if you want to know the parts you have to sand down in order to make the cart fit:

In other words, you have to level the protuding edges of the cart (the one on the side and the one for grip on the top) so that the cart is a rectangle and doesn't have any bumps. Note that you have to push the cart all the way down the Slot-2 and push it so it fits in order to use it.

To sand down the cart, a sheet of sand paper is enough. I used size 1000.

Thanks to FAST6191 for the tips!

unz · Dec 1, 2012

Getting a 3in1 lite to fit in a phat's slot 2 is one thing, but I'm just wondering, how do you get it out again?

loco365 · Dec 1, 2012

One thing I did is used a GBASP Gameshark. I'll add pics later as my camera's batteries are dead.

SoundOfCode · Dec 2, 2012

unz said:
Getting a 3in1 lite to fit in a phat's slot 2 is one thing, but I'm just wondering, how do you get it out again?

You either think ahead and come up with something that sticks out (like a wool thread or a ribbon, properly taped) or simply unscrew the back of the NDS (if you have to do it just once in a while). In my case, I have a GBA SP so I play GBA games on that and I never had anything in my Slot-2 in the first place, so having a cart permanently stuck inside is no big deal.

But if you want to play GBA games on your Nintendo DS, you're better off backing up your GBA games and playing them through the EZ3in1, in my opinion.

unz · Dec 3, 2012

SoundOfCode said:
You either think ahead and come up with something that sticks out (like a wool thread or a ribbon, properly taped) or simply unscrew the back of the NDS (if you have to do it just once in a while).

I was thinking along similar lines, but wool or ribbon sounds a bit fragile.
Perhaps using one (or two) of those little braided lanyards that come with usb microsd card readers would be a neater, more robust solution.

Retro_Mod_Gamer · Nov 3, 2015

Sorry to come late to the party, but if someone arrives to this page looking for the same answer, I found it was easier to carve away at my ds phat case a bit as well as the tab on the ez flash, now it fits snug and easy to remove. See how gba carts still fit nicely as well, fat ezflash is impossible to find!