Hacking Just how well does the SCminiSD do nds?

Hanafuda · Jun 13, 2006

Everyone says,"SC(miniSD) is fine if you just want something for NDS and don't care about GBA."

That's me - I have GBA carts, and I tend to play 1 or 2 games at a time, so I don't mind having a cart for NDS, and another cart for GBA.

Please comment only on SC's handling of NDS, including save function and any general hardware/QC issues.

You don't need to tell me its not good for GBA - if I buy one I'll probably never put a GBA game on it.

I also know its a power hog, but I mostly play on the sofa or before going to sleep anyway.

edit: I forgot to add - I'm toy-cash poor, so yes I have to go cheap. But also I can't afford to buy the cheapest and discover it sucks and then buy something else, etc. I have 3 kids and one is special-needs, so my wife gets a little hysterical when I start talking video games and money. Well, she's hysterical all the time, only then its more so.

Lily · Jun 13, 2006

It handles NDS just fine with good quality media inside of course. It sucks a ridiculous amount of power in comparison to other cards. If you have to go cheap, you could do worse.

Hanafuda · Jun 13, 2006

QUOTE(Qrayzie @ Jun 13 2006 said:
It handles NDS just fine with good quality media inside of course. It sucks a ridiculous amount of power in comparison to other cards. If you have to go cheap, you could do worse.

well, then at least something in my house would suck.

no respect, no respect

Hanafuda · Jun 13, 2006

Qrayzie, or anyone - -

I was hoping to get a little more action here. maybe later today it'll pick up, but please be a bit more specific if you can. That's always been the problem - "Supercard does ok with nds," but nobody explains what that means. Are we talking 99.9% comparable to the M3's NDS performance, or are we talking about "good enough" since its cheap?

meangreenie · Jun 13, 2006

QUOTE(Qrayzie @ Jun 13 2006 said:
It handles NDS just fine with good quality media inside of course. It sucks a ridiculous amount of power in comparison to other cards. If you have to go cheap, you could do worse.

That's funny because on my old Phat DS the MiniSD SC runs for @5 and 1/2 hours. With an original DS game in it I also get @ 5 and 1/2 hours, possibly very slightly more.

I have a MiniSD SC and a CF SC and a EZIV(miniSD) and they all have around the same battery life, the SC CF is possibly very slightly not quite as good .

I find it strange the claims of 10 hrs + on M3 products on the old phat DS running DS games when nintendo themselves claim absolutely no where near that. Does the M3 create power somehow to feed the DS ? no wonder it costs so much... what technology

Lily · Jun 13, 2006

QUOTE(Hanafuda @ Jun 13 2006 said:
Qrayzie, or anyone - -

I was hoping to get a little more action here. maybe later today it'll pick up, but please be a bit more specific if you can. That's always been the problem - "Supercard does ok with nds," but nobody explains what that means. Are we talking 99.9% comparable to the M3's NDS performance, or are we talking about "good enough" since its cheap?

The M3 & the SuperCard have the same NDS compatibility. Every so often when either card isn't supporting a current game, a software patch/firmware upgrade is quickly forthcoming and the problem gets solved. I really don't think at this point that there's any one thing or one game NDS-wise that one unit does better than the other. Although, the infamous Castlevania video works 100% on my M3, and I've never got it to work 100% on any SuperCard model. Take that as you will, but it really isn't the factor I'd be judging my purchase on.

Seriously, the SuperCard really only gets slagged on because it feels cheap, has poor GBA compatibility, and sucks more than its fair share of battery life. However, the cost is at a level too many people are comfortable with, and if you're not going to use the extra features of the M3, then it wouldn't be a good purchase for you.

meangreenie · Jun 13, 2006

No you're incorrect. Battery drainage when running DS games on the SCmini is negliable if any just like the EZ4. Can't comment on M3 (I have a hard time to justify the high price when I have GBA flash carts anyway)

Test it you're self you will see I'm right. Unless you can come up with a 'magic' reason the M3 runs DS games on an old 'phat' DS for much longer then SCmini or EZ4, you will have to admit you're statement is bogus. 5 and 1/2 hours is the most you can expect even with just an original DS cart in, since the GBATEMP own review states that Nintendogs ran for 5 and 1/2 hours on a DS 'phat' shows the truth even though the same review falsely claimed that it showed battery drainage as a disadvantage for the MiniSC.

The FUD on battery drainage with SC should be stopped now. Show me one real test, any test where the SC massively drains the battery in comparison to any other cart ? You will not be able to because one doesn't exist.

Lily · Jun 13, 2006

I am correct.

I own a SuperCard, M3, G6 & EZ-Flash IV. All have various effects on the battery. The G6 produces negligible battery drain (almost nothing as I can tell..which must only be a product of using the DS & GBA slots at the same time). The M3 SD, MiniSD & EZ-Flash IV cut anywhere from 20 minutes to 30 minutes off my total playtime. The SuperCard CF & SD cut anywhere from 2 to 3 hours off the total playtime. I've run extensive tests and comparisons between all the cards that I own, and let me tell you, the SuperCard is a battery drainer.

I'm not the only person to ever say such a thing either, it's a widely accepted fact amongst SuperCard owners that it drains the battery much quicker than other solutions. I most certainly wouldn't spread FUD, other than to rag on the SuperCard because comparitively when all the features are looked at, it's a joke. Although, the Ultra Media Cart may soon take that crown away from the SuperCard..

meangreenie · Jun 13, 2006

Send you're SC cards back they are seriously faulty. I find no such incaparity between EZIV and SCmini.. you're SC cards are faulty or you are speading FUD.

Other SCMini/SC owners want to comment ?

Mactaetus · Jun 13, 2006

So you recommend the M3 sd mini?

Lily · Jun 14, 2006

I would recommend any of the M3 solutions or a G6 to anyone serious about their NDS/GBA/Homebrew experience on the NDS. The G6 is at this point, still the best solution on the NDS, but one of the priciest. M3 is the next best thing with the addition of removable media, followed closely by everything else - as the remaining solutions aren't as full-featured.

For cost-effectiveness/low budget, a SuperCard will suffice, and has excellent NDS support (with in my experience, a severe hit on battery life whether using the CF, SD or MiniSD versions). That's what the OP wanted to know, and you won't regret buying the card if all you want to do is play NDS ROMs on it.

Hanafuda · Jun 14, 2006

yep, that's what I wanted to know. If I get a major windfall of moolah, I will take your recommendations and run with it. But if the money stays at tight as I expect, its the SCmini. I really do only need something for NDS and only for the next 6 months or so when I get an NDSLite and something specifically made for it (G6 Lite maybe).

CatScam · Jun 14, 2006

I’d have to agree with meangreenie, the tests I did with the SC-mini
& the M3-SD were the opposite. The SC-Mini got slightly better
battery every time. So I had a friend do the same test with both of
his SC & M3 & he thought they were almost identical in battery life.

I thought some SC hater just started this SC bat-hog roomer, & there
started the myth. I had no idea someone like Qrayzie would actually
say they experienced the SC problem. Everyone that has stated the
myth either didn’t have a SC or never tested it, & just repeated it.
So because Qrayzies SC test was way off, I’d have to say his SC
was defective.

Lily · Jun 14, 2006

I will order another SuperCard MiniSD and see if I encounter the same troubles with it, just to be fair.

shtonkalot · Jun 14, 2006

Just to add to the off-topicness (whatever) I will give the battery life a testing when I get my SC-Mini in about a week.

With enough tests we should be able to sort this out once and for all.

A standardised test may be in order though, any ideas?

Lily · Jun 14, 2006

I generally load up a game on whatever Flashcard/PassMe combination I'm testing, and simply let it run until the battery runs down for one test. Then I normally load it up and play until the battery runs down for another. I remove the PassMe device when testing battery life, since it wouldn't be fair with the device plugged in, as it sucks a small amount of power itself.

I mean run down as in the NDS shuts itself of, not when the little red light comes on.

shtonkalot · Jun 14, 2006

How do you know when it shuts off? I mean do you sit there and wait for it?
I was thinking of some sort of video recorder, maybe just a webcam.

Cause I want to do more than watch a DS for however many hours.
At least I can turn the brightness right up on my lite now

should make it a bit quicker.

Lily · Jun 14, 2006

I generally sit there (yeah, I know..), but if not I use a webcam + timer.

Madrigal · Jun 14, 2006

I keep hearing about GBA slowdowns, incompatibility, ect.. with the Supercard, but I've never come accross any games that won't run, or have slowdown. Now I haven't tried a HUGE ammount of games, like I'm sure a lot of you have. But I think the Supercard works great for GBA. I'm sure there are better solutions for GBA, but if you just want to play the odd GBA game, in addition to all the NDS and homebrew stuff, the Supercard works awesome. Who is buying flashcarts just for GBA roms these days anyway?

Hanafuda · Jun 14, 2006

QUOTE(Madrigal @ Jun 14 2006 said:
I keep hearing about GBA slowdowns, incompatibility, ect.. with the Supercard, but I've never come accross any games that won't run, or have slowdown. Now I haven't tried a HUGE ammount of games, like I'm sure a lot of you have. But I think the Supercard works great for GBA. I'm sure there are better solutions for GBA, but if you just want to play the odd GBA game, in addition to all the NDS and homebrew stuff, the Supercard works awesome. Who is buying flashcarts just for GBA roms these days anyway?

well, one thing I've noticed (and if you've read this whole thread you know I don't own a SC yet) just from reading here is that some people expect to be able to apply every patch there is to a game and then gripe about it when they get a slowdown. Stacking RTS, soft reset, and some cheat patch on some GBA rom isn't the way to test what a card is capable of doing. First, test it clean, then test with patches incrementally applied. This same problem has gotten the G6 a bad rep for GBA also, but I've had a couple G6 owners tell me that GBA runs great so long as you don't patch the roms with gimmick functions.

Maybe you are using all those patches too, Madrigal, so if youre patching GBA and still getting good performance then great. But whether its G6, M3, SC, or EZ, before anyone complains about how a flashcart does with GBA they need to test the games without "feature" patches, because some people don't want to use them anyway.

Hacking Just how well does the SCminiSD do nds?

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