Hacking N3DS running 9.0.0-20E - What are my flash cart options for 3DS Roms?

[Connell112]

Hi guys,

I promise you I have read a thousand threads on this before coming for help.

I got a New 3DS yesterday that is running 9.0.0-20E firmware. Is this within the range for a Gateway Cart? or should I go with SKY3DS

Basically I would like to know what my cheapest and best / easiest method of running 3DS roms is. I'd also like to be able to play online. And if anyone could point me in the direction of a guide that suits my criteria that would be amazing.

Thanks. Your community is invaluable.

 

[mgrev]

you dont need a flashcard at all for playing 3ds roms. but if you want to, gateway is compatible on your firmware
i suggest looking at this: rxTools User Guide (English) if you want to install a custom firmware on your n3ds

 

[Connell112]

Is the risk of bricking whilst installing the CFW worth it to avoid the cost of a cart? I'm fairly capable with that sort of thing but I'd be devastated to fuck it all up when I could have just bought one of the carts.

Thanks again.

 

[Abcdfv]

Carts are "more likely" to brick your system than CFW (due to deliberately punishing people for buying the "wrong cart"). Unless you upgrade your system wrong (you're not upgrading, so nothing to worry about) CFW can't brick your system.

 

[Connell112]

Smashing info chaps. So if I install CFW via the guide mgrev kindly provided, then I can run 3DS CIA's (and play online) from the micro SD card in my N3DS?

Or have I got that completely wrong?

Thanks

 

[Quantumcat]

Is the risk of bricking whilst installing the CFW worth it to avoid the cost of a cart? I'm fairly capable with that sort of thing but I'd be devastated to fuck it all up when I could have just bought one of the carts.

Thanks again.

If you read carefully, do exactly what is said in the guide, and ask questions when you're not sure, you won't brick your console. For example, a short time ago there was this dumb-dumb that bricked his 3DS trying to update it when the guide said to use rxtools devMode and sysupdater and he used rxMode and big blue menu ....

The easiest CFW to install is pasta, so maybe try that first and play some games for a while, then when you're ready to move on, install either Cakes or rxTools which will allow you to have an emuNAND (an emulated version of your system that you can update to play newer games, though on n3ds can only go to 9.5. Pasta can't use EmuNAND)

 

[Connell112]

If you read carefully, do exactly what is said in the guide, and ask questions when you're not sure, you won't brick your console. For example, a short time ago there was this dumb-dumb that bricked his 3DS trying to update it when the guide said to use rxtools devMode and sysupdater and he used rxMode and big blue menu ....

The easiest CFW to install is pasta, so maybe try that first and play some games for a while, then when you're ready to move on, install either Cakes or rxTools which will allow you to have an emuNAND (an emulated version of your system that you can update to play newer games, though on n3ds can only go to 9.5. Pasta can't use EmuNAND)

Am I correct in assuming I need a copy of Cubic Ninja to install Pasta on my N3DS? Been doing some reading and it seems that way. Happy to buy that game for it, just not entirely sure if I'm right.

Do you know of a guide on installing Pasta that suits my situation at all? That'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Xinaman]

Your flashcart options are CFW.
Take a look at this thread:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-install-a-cfw-on-a-9-0-9-2-n3ds-without-cn-oot.398394/

 

[Connell112]

Your flashcart options are CFW.
Take a look at this thread:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-install-a-cfw-on-a-9-0-9-2-n3ds-without-cn-oot.398394/

That looks like exactly what I wanted. Thanks so much.

Should I backup my 3DS in any way before embarking on this venture?
Also, should I do all of this on the card I intend to keep in my N3DS? (e.g right now there's a 4gb card in there, but I intend to buy a 32GB so I can have more CIAs. Should I wait until I purchase that?)

Thanks. Wish I could buy all of you a pint / drink of your choice.

 

[Xinaman]

You could do on the 4gb, then when you buy the other one use this:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-transfer-emunand-to-another-sd-card-working-on-new3ds.383684/
Also, are reports that n3ds supports up to 128gb sd cards

 

[Quantumcat]

That looks like exactly what I wanted. Thanks so much.

Should I backup my 3DS in any way before embarking on this venture?
Also, should I do all of this on the card I intend to keep in my N3DS? (e.g right now there's a 4gb card in there, but I intend to buy a 32GB so I can have more CIAs. Should I wait until I purchase that?)

Thanks. Wish I could buy all of you a pint / drink of your choice.

It will be less hassle if you do it with your final intended SD card. But you won't be stuck if you want to launch into it right away as the previous poster says.

 

[Connell112]

It will be less hassle if you do it with your final intended SD card. But you won't be stuck if you want to launch into it right away as the previous poster says.

Gonna wait it out until my card arrives. Hope it's soon because I'm eager!

Do you recommend that I take any backing-up precautions first? And are there any guides for what I should do? Sorry for the n00b comments.

Thanks

 

[gallymimu]

Gonna wait it out until my card arrives. Hope it's soon because I'm eager!

Do you recommend that I take any backing-up precautions first? And are there any guides for what I should do? Sorry for the n00b comments.

Thanks

It's a pain, but it's a great idea to do a hardmod and backup your NAND before starting anything.

 

[bakibandi]

Gonna wait it out until my card arrives. Hope it's soon because I'm eager!

Do you recommend that I take any backing-up precautions first? And are there any guides for what I should do? Sorry for the n00b comments.

Thanks

Hi! I am on the same boat. If you read that guide carefully, it says: install pasta, then install cia installer, then install cubic ninja as cia game, then use gateway launcher.dat, then backup. All that installations will go to your sysnand, since pasta CFW does not support emunand. That means: you will modify your sysnand before any backup. I wouldnt take that risk, but lot of people install that way and they succeed. The question is: will you or not. Maybe I am too paranoid, but I would buy a Cubic Ninja game and a Gateway card in your case and do it safely. The guy mentioned flaschcard will brick your console was referring to a Supercard Dstwo Plus if you use it with the latest Gateway launcher, but the Team Supercard has already updated the plugin, so it can be used with it. But you will not buy a Dstwo+ so you do not have to worry. Flashcards are safer than CFWs.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Hi! I am on the same boat. If you read that guide carefully, it says: install pasta, then install cia installer, then install cubic ninja as cia game, then use gateway launcher.dat, then backup. All that installations will go to your sysnand, since pasta CFW does not support emunand. That means: you will modify your sysnand before any backup. I wouldnt take that risk, but lot of people install that way and they succeed. The question is: will you or not. Maybe I am too paranoid, but I would buy a Cubic Ninja game and a Gateway card in your case and do it safely. The guy mentioned flaschcard will brick your console was referring to a Supercard Dstwo Plus if you use it with the latest Gateway launcher, but the Team Supercard has already updated the plugin, so it can be used with it. But you will not buy a Dstwo+ so you do not have to worry. Flashcards are safer than CFWs.

All of that actually installs to the SD card, so there's no chance of a brick. Gateway and CFW are about as safe, but Gateway is somewhat easier to use. Both will cause bricks if you aren't using emuNAND and you install something to NAND that you shouldn't.

 

[marksteele]

Imo if you have the money to burn I would go with gateway. I say this only because they have a much greater incentive (and monetary means) to make emunand work with >9.5 firmwares for the N3DS (I still wouldn't expect this anytime soon though). As it stands now however, there's little difference between gateway and a CFW

 

[bakibandi]

Ok, I am copy-paste from that guide with questions:
1. PastaCFW: putting some files on SD, it is OK
2. Browserhax: scanning an image, then it downloads something (payload - i do not know what it is actually) - but i guess it downloads to SD card?
Cleaning cookies and history will reset the browserhax to default?
I guess I am ok with this step, it can not brick the console.
3. Use FBI to install your prefered cia installer - to where? to the SD card? How can you be sure it is not a sysnand installation?
4. Start the cia installer and install Cubic Ninja. - Will it be installed to SD card? Are you sure? Sysnand still unmodified?

I am fine with creating "title.db" and "import.db" then let them repair - this is a sysnand modification for sure. But it is ok.

My main concers are step 3 and step 4!

Thank you for your help.

 

[Connell112]

Hi guys,

I have followed the tutorial recommended, by using the PastaCFW method, and I got up to installing the cia installer of my choice (Step 10 of method 2). however I cannot seem to install the .cia file with FBI on the HBL. I get this error every time:

Install failed!

Summary: Invalid argument (0x7)
Description: Invalid signature (0x6a)

I also tried installing a BigBlueMenu.cia but it had the same error message. So I'm fairly sure it is happening with all CIA's.

Does anyone have any ideas? Is there a way for me to go back and try it all again from the start?

Thanks

 

[Quantumcat]

Hi guys,

I have followed the tutorial recommended, by using the PastaCFW method, and I got up to installing the cia installer of my choice (Step 10 of method 2). however I cannot seem to install the .cia file with FBI on the HBL. I get this error every time:

Install failed!

Summary: Invalid argument (0x7)
Description: Invalid signature (0x6a)

I also tried installing a BigBlueMenu.cia but it had the same error message. So I'm fairly sure it is happening with all CIA's.

Does anyone have any ideas? Is there a way for me to go back and try it all again from the start?

Thanks

Did you create the .db files and have your 3DS repair them?

 

[Connell112]

Did you create the .db files and have your 3DS repair them?

I created them, however I'm unsure as to whether my 3DS repaired them. How do I do that?

The directory I put them in is as follows;

SD ( E: )/Nintendo 3DS/13d9d2c93f153bd8bee7649fd6f01b06/0d2500fa30100000303030300000000/dbs

I created the dbs folder myself. I placed "titles.db" and "imports.db" files in there that are renamed text files I made. Is that the right directory? I placed them in there because another post said to put the dbs folder in the same folder that containts my exdata folder, which was the "0d2500fa301000003030303000000000" one.

Thanks again, Quantumcat.