Hacking Slot-2 Woes...

Xeijin · May 18, 2007

Hey All,

Got my R4DS which I'm pretty happy with. However, I'm still on a hunt for my perfect Slot-2 Solution.

So far I've been considering...

1. EZFlash-V - 3-in-1 Expansion Pack

Pros:
- Very Cheap
- Play GBA Games
- Non-DLDI Homebrew Support
- Being actively developed for
- Fits flush into the DS
- RAM utilization for Opera/Homebrew
- Great NDS/GBA Linkage
- Rumble Support

Cons:
- Only one GBA Game/Homebrew at a time.
- No MicroSD slot for storing stuff

Xeijin · May 19, 2007

Yeah I'm starting to lean toward the EZ-V, I do plan to play alot of GBA games as I never bought a GBA so missed out on some of the classics.

Argh damnit I want MicroSD support for EZ-V!!

Destructobot · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(Xeijin @ May 18 2007 said:
1. EZFlash-V - 3-in-1 Expansion Pack

Cons:
- Only one GBA Game/Homebrew at a time.
- Rumble Support not amazing (requires patching, not many games supported)

These are both incorrect. See here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=50658

Xeijin · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(Destructobot @ May 19 2007 said:
QUOTE(Xeijin @ May 18 2007 said:

1. EZFlash-V - 3-in-1 Expansion Pack

Cons:
- Only one GBA Game/Homebrew at a time.
- Rumble Support not amazing (requires patching, not many games supported)
These are both incorrect. See here: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=50658

Click to expand...

Oh excellent, so its basically like a retail rumble pack now? Awesome!

About the one GBA game at-a-time thing, I read the post but I'm still a little confused. Could you explain that for me? Thanks

Destructobot · May 19, 2007

Basically, that app can load a GBA rom into the PSRAM on the 3-in-1 and run it from there, avoiding the need to flash it to NOR first. You still have the option of flashing a GBA game or .ds.gba homebrew to NOR, and operating it like a standard GBA cart. The saves for the NOR game and the PSRAM game will not interfere with each other.

The 3-in-1 only has 16MB of PSRAM, so 32MB games will still have to be flashed to NOR. There aren't very many 32MB games, so that won't matter very often. Games that use 1024kbit flash saves also have to be flashed to NOR because of the way the EZ4 Client patches that save type, but there aren't many of those games either.

For the rumble and RAM expansion features, once you turn them on and soft reset back to the R4 menu they work like the official carts.

Xeijin · May 19, 2007

Thanks for the info Destructobot, its looking more and more like the EZ-V is the best solution.

Rayder · May 19, 2007

I have a SCminiSD and it slows down in many GBA games. I'm planning on buying the M3 slot2 card eventually (not the Pro).....I hear it doesn't have slow down issues, though it's expensive. Correct me if I'm wrong.

If the EZ flash only has 16megs instead of 32 for GBA games, then to me it's not really a practical choice. Don't know about you, but I couldn't care less about rumble functions.

Just my 2 cents.

Destructobot · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(Rayder @ May 18 2007 said:
I'm planning on buying the M3 slot2 card eventually (not the Pro).....I hear it doesn't have slow down issues, though it's expensive. Correct me if I'm wrong.
That's correct.

QUOTE said:

If the EZ flash only has 16megs instead of 32 for GBA games, then to me it's not really a practical choice.Â Don't know about you, but I couldn't care less about rumble functions.

Click to expand...

The EZ-Flash 3-in-1 has 32 megs of NOR and 16 megs of PSRAM. There are no games that it cannot play because of their size, but a very small percentage of the games are too big to be run from PSRAM.

If that seems like a big deal, keep in mind that every GBA game you play on the M3 has to be loaded into RAM first, and that takes a while. Probably about 20-30 seconds every time you start a 32 meg game. It takes a couple of minutes to flash a 32 meg game to NOR on the 3-in-1, but after that it starts up instantly every time. Meanwhile, you can play other smaller games from PSRAM without having to re-flash the NOR.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a slot 2 M3. Each cart is versatile in ways that the other is not, so get whichever one suits your needs and your wallet.

And yeah, I think rumble on the DS is pretty pointless. I don't care about the web browser either, I just got a 3-in-1 for GBA support.

rolyy · May 19, 2007

I'm in the same predicament. I'm willing to pay for the M3 Lite but it's lack of RAM is making my choice difficult, because im sure many homebrew programs will start taking advantage of it. But I as well dont want to have my second MicroSD card laying around.

FAST6191 · May 19, 2007

It is the M3 professional line that does not have RAM and I imagine most people are going to favour licks RAM Unlocking API in the future ( http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=13023 for the technically inclined)

Regarding "nonDLDI homebrew" there two options given are not universal, prior to DLDI there was GBA_NDS FAT and libfat as well as numerous derivations/mods, carts own libraries.........., not all of these apps have got DLDI builds or even have the sources available for it.
This means there is stuff out there that will not work on the EZ4 and 3 in 1, quite in fact you may even have to go back as far as supercard CF and GBAMP. Not much of great worth remains from back then but be aware.
Of course the stuff based on GBA file systems or similar will work.

GBA/NDS Linkage is available on the EZ4 but you will have to run the game from it and use onboard linking before swapping the save back or you could just play the game on it.

Oh and about the browser and the EZ4, I stand by my assertion that homebrew will eventually surpass it by a long way (many aspects already have) but have a read: http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?t=5139

rolyy · May 19, 2007

The M3 Lite perfect has RAM that can be used for the browser/homebrew?

Maikel Steneker · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(rolyy @ May 19 2007 said:
The M3 Lite perfect has RAM that can be used for the browser/homebrew?

Of course it does. It has to to support GBA roms

Edit: Yes, you can also use it for the browser (thanks to Triforce) and in homebrew (though it isn't supported much atm).

Xeijin · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(FAST6191 @ May 19 2007 said:
Oh and about the browser and the EZ4, I stand by my assertion that homebrew will eventually surpass it by a long way (many aspects already have) but have a read: http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?t=5139

Yeah, I'm not too bothered about OperaDS tbh. I know its only a matter of time before stuff like the DSO browser, and okiwi overtake it anyway. What does matter to me however, is that with the advent of the EZ-V and its very cheap pricing, I think alot more Homebrew developers will start to take advantage of the RAM API. I'm assuming the EZ-IV can't use OperaDS because it can't utilize this RAM, and thus, wouldn't that make it incompatible with the RAM API? (correct me if I'm wrong) and I'd rather not be left out of the RAM enhanced homebrew scene

FAST6191 · May 19, 2007

I perhaps should not have been so cryptic, that link is a patch (and an app) so the EZ4 can be used the browser ram much like the m3 and SC patches released by triforce and the new G6 one that appeared, it was only released in the last 24 hours though so it has not spread that far.

The RAM API, very quickly libraries are computer programming tools designed to delegate meanial tasks (like maths, drawing a box onscreen....) or stuff that requires in depth knowledge (i.e. unlocking ram for specific carts and dealing with all the associated BS: something the average dev would not want to do), an API is just a slight tweak on it (directx is a set of APIs for dealing with graphics cards and the like).
It does however have no bearing on the rom hack required to get the browser required to work with the ram.

As for the uptake of the API, I will let the first reply do the talking

simonjhall said:
Either way I'll be stealing this for Quake...

Xeijin · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(FAST6191 @ May 19 2007 said:
I perhaps should not have been so cryptic

My fault, I should perhaps more thoroughly read posts before replying

So with the RAM API, are you saying it will make RAM utilization for homebrew on the EZ-IV a reality? Assuming puts some work into it?

rolyy · May 19, 2007

So, is/will the ram on an M3 Lite Perfect be usable for homebrew?

Destructobot · May 19, 2007

QUOTE(rolyy @ May 19 2007 said:
So, does is/will the ram on an M3 Lite Perfect be usable for homebrew?

Yes.

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