Official GBAtemp iTouchDS Review

Opium · Jun 15, 2008

Official GBAtemp iTouchDS Review
A budget card from the M3 Team

The Official GBAtemp Review of the iTouchDS is now up!

The DS flashcard market is already crowded with a lot of different choices for the average buyer. Do you go with an R4 or a CycloDS or perhaps a DSTT? Our forums have been plagued with questions from people who can’t make up their minds. Now, yet another card wants a slice of a rather enormous pie. This new card from the M3 Team allows you to create 'favourite' shortcuts and includes an array of features including slow motion and cheat support.

Many thanks to OZmodchips for supplying the review sample for this review!

Read the review

Discuss the review

JPH · Jun 15, 2008

Finally! Hehe, looks nice from what I've skimmed.

I personally don't like the iTouchDS. Its a large cart, for an NDS flashcart and its GUI is dodgy...just doesn't compare very good up to other flashcarts (especially the SuperCard DS One

)

OSW · Jun 15, 2008

Good solid review Opium!

I heard that newer iTouch and M3Real cards have a revised PCB (with what looks like no sticking out chip?). Theres a topic somewhere in the M3 forum about it. (of course your review is based on your own sample)

Any reason for no award/rating? or is it yet to be decided?

Also it's great how you noted the alternate OS possibilities, considering they are quite recent developments i wasn't sure if they would have been included. And i think you treated them the right way appropriate to the review

nephdj · Jun 15, 2008

What about price as a pro? I mean its $22.13 US on dealxtreme... amazing for a card with these features

Opium · Jun 15, 2008

OSW said:
Good solid review Opium!

I heard that newer iTouch and M3Real cards have a revised PCB (with what looks like no sticking out chip?). Theres a topic somewhere in the M3 forum about it. (of course your review is based on your own sample)

Any reason for no award/rating? or is it yet to be decided?

Also it's great how you noted the alternate OS possibilities, considering they are quite recent developments i wasn't sure if they would have been included. And i think you treated them the right way appropriate to the review

I hadn't heard about the PCB revisions. Good for new users I guess. The current chip poking out thing isn't so bad with my sample, it's more the general overall build quality i'm more worried about.

There is no award because it didn't receive one. Our new score system goes Gold/Silver/Bronze/No Award.

Doggy124 · Jun 15, 2008

QUOTE said:
Languages
Once loaded you can swap the language between nine others: English, Italian, Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and what I believe to be Thai and Korean

Confirmed, the bottom right is Thai

It's nice to see they put my language in to the FW

wait....or should I be sad because my country is famous for piracy

arctic_flame · Jun 15, 2008

Nice review, also the Golden Sun screenie was funny.

I think I'll pass on the card though.

T-hug · Jun 15, 2008

Great review m8, as always.
I've had a chance to play with these cards myself and personally I would have given it a bronze award at the very least.
To not give it an award groups it with the worst cards out there, and it certainly isn't a bad card at all.

gizmo_gal · Jun 15, 2008

Hooray a new review!

Thanks so much Opium for it, I'm sure it took a bit of time and a lot of effort so, just wanted to buzz in and say "Thanks" for all the time and effort that you and all the other mods put into this place, I hope all of you still find time for real life.

It was great and informative as always, I enjoyed it, even though I'll be sticking with my DSTT for a nice long while if I can help it

.

OzModChips · Jun 15, 2008

The item Opium got was pretty much the first batch they ever created. We had them before their website was even up.

M3 Real does have a new cart shell. Its still got those clips - but its not flimsy....you can't bend it like a normal m3. I'm guessing the new itouch has this too.

I agree, that the gui is annoying. Even just scrolling through games its slowwwww. I only reason why I think this is a killer buy, is the fact that you can run sakura on it. I know you have made it clear that its not part of the review....but.....the Edge DS has a golden award, and thats running a rip of CycloDS Evo

If you can run sakura on it, then its as good as an M3. You can use the triple boot and run all 3 firmwares.
Today we have sold about 30 M3s....and 1 i-touch. With a $25 difference on our site, anyone that can read should have a light bulb go off in their head and realize they can save some money. hint hint.

Opium · Jun 15, 2008

Thug4L1f3 said:
Great review m8, as always.
I've had a chance to play with these cards myself and personally I would have given it a bronze award at the very least.
To not give it an award groups it with the worst cards out there, and it certainly isn't a bad card at all.

Well it does have a few cool things like the favourites menu and slow motion. But as a budget card that is competing against the DSTT (at the same price) I really can't recommend the iTouchDS. The DSTT is a much more solid, intuitive and functional card even without favourites or slow motion. I'm sure a lot of people will buy an iTouchDS as a substitute for a cheap M3Real or Sakura card though.

*edit* As OzModChips said, people will want this card for the alternate firmwares.

That wasn't included in the score and assessment of the card however simply because I wouldn't be reviewing the iTouchDS anymore, I'd be reviewing the M3Real and M3 Sakura.

OzModChips · Jun 15, 2008

One thing is does have on the DSTT is the fact that it is made by M3.
They keep a close eye on the factory that make the products for them. The DSTT can be made in a number of places.
I've talked to people that stock them, and DOA stock can be as high as 50~75% on some batches. Some a perfect, some are all dead.

At least it is DOA though, which cen be tested! AceKard 2 is a timebomb....they always die after 2 weeks, so there is no way of knowing is the batch you got it crap.

OzModChips · Jun 15, 2008

Opium said:
That wasn't included in the score and assessment of the card however simply because I wouldn't be reviewing the iTouchDS anymore, I'd be reviewing the M3Real and M3 Sakura.

Do you want an M3 Real then

I can have one to you by Tuesday morning. I think the card deserves a re-review a couple of weeks after English sakura is out

OSW · Jun 15, 2008

Opium said:
I hadn't heard about the PCB revisions. Good for new users I guess. The current chip poking out thing isn't so bad with my sample, it's more the general overall build quality i'm more worried about.

There is no award because it didn't receive one. Our new score system goes Gold/Silver/Bronze/No Award.

IMO the g6/m3 Real build quality wasn't too shabby (and they have the same casing as itouch).

ah k, the rating makes sense now. i didn't realize that was what the no-award meant.

thanks

Opium · Jun 15, 2008

OzModChips said:
Opium said:

That wasn't included in the score and assessment of the card however simply because I wouldn't be reviewing the iTouchDS anymore, I'd be reviewing the M3Real and M3 Sakura.

Click to expand...

Do you want an M3 Real then

I can have one to you by Tuesday morning. I think the card deserves a re-review a couple of weeks after English sakura is out

Haha, no I'll have to decline I think. I've got a lot of things planned for the next month, I just finished my semester of Uni so I'm off on holidays

JKR Firefox · Jun 15, 2008

OzModChips said:
AceKard 2 is a timebomb....they always die after 2 weeks, so there is no way of knowing is the batch you got it crap.

Ugh, I wish I'd known that before I ordered one...

OzModChips · Jun 15, 2008

I don't mean all of them die.
I just mean the ones that die....its not right away.

JKR Firefox · Jun 15, 2008

OzModChips said:
I don't mean all of them die.
I just mean the ones that die....its not right away.

That makes me feel worse

nivrae · Jun 15, 2008

Nice touch with the Golden Sun screenshot.

Urza · Jun 15, 2008

Opium said:
Thug4L1f3 said:

Great review m8, as always.
I've had a chance to play with these cards myself and personally I would have given it a bronze award at the very least.
To not give it an award groups it with the worst cards out there, and it certainly isn't a bad card at all.

Click to expand...

Well it does have a few cool things like the favourites menu and slow motion. But as a budget card that is competing against the DSTT (at the same price) I really can't recommend the iTouchDS. The DSTT is a much more solid, intuitive and functional card even without favourites or slow motion. I'm sure a lot of people will buy an iTouchDS as a substitute for a cheap M3Real or Sakura card though.

*edit* As OzModChips said, people will want this card for the alternate firmwares.

That wasn't included in the score and assessment of the card however simply because I wouldn't be reviewing the iTouchDS anymore, I'd be reviewing the M3Real and M3 Sakura.

Almost all the slot-1 flashcarts are at the same (or similar) price point as the iTouchDS.

As far as the DSTT is concerned, that would be one of my last choices. acekard 2 completely dominates it in every respect.

Official GBAtemp iTouchDS Review

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