Hacking Need some advice

ZedH · Nov 13, 2007

I'm new to the this scene so I hope you can give me a lot of details.

I have a couple of questions and I need some recommendations. I have found some answers by searching through the threads on this and other forums and I also read some reviews. But I'm not completely sure about everything yet...

1. I'm interested in using a cart for playing GBA games on my DS Lite. What is the best solution? M3 Real bundle with GBA expansion, M3 Lite Perfect, the EZ-Flash 3 in 1 or is there something else I should consider. Money is not so important for making my choice. I just want the best!

What I want is something that can store a lot of games, is compatible with most features (NDS-GBA Linkage, can practicaly play all games, rtc etc.) and is easy to use. Also I've alreay decided to buy something that works with micro sd cards because I can store more that way. I think that's right or am I wrong?

2. Can someone also tell me what the difference is between the M3 Real GBA pack and the EZ 3 in 1. Can the M3 pack store more games?

3. For a slot-1 cart I have a hard time choosing between the M3 Real and the CycloDS. If I'm correct the difference between the 2 is in only in some minor extra features as I understand that both can play all games and support Download play. Is this correct? If the M3 Real GBA pack is something serious for GBA games I would definitely choose it over the CycloDS, but from what I've read the M3 Lite Perfect is normally better suited to play GBA games. Also can I also run older gameboy games? Also do you have another slot-1 card in mind?

3. Assuming I buy an M3 Lite Perfect for playing GBA games and another slot-1 card for DS games. Which is the best combination? Also do I need a Passcard for the M3 Lite Perfect if I buy a slot-1 card like the M3 Real or CycloDS or do these carts act like the Passcard?

4. I've read that Kingston micro sd cards are the best. Can I safely use a 2GB model or are 1GB models faster and better overall? Also I've read about the A-data 4GB micro sdhc cards. Can I safely buy those cards too?

5. I'm from Europe and I want a place where I can safely buy my stuff without having to fear for fake stuff. For example are the Kingston micro sd cards at DealExtreme real ones from Japan?

Sorry for the avalanche of questions and thanks in advance for taking your time to help me out! I really appreciate it!!!

4saken · Nov 13, 2007

1. If you are interested in playing lots of GBA games, and price is not a problem, I would recommend the M3 Lite. As a standalone GBA card, you do not need to waste the space on your slot 1 card for using an expansion slot 2 card. M3 Lite is also the only one out of those choices with a RTC, but linkage is a bit fuzzy (you do it all using the M3 Lite - choose the GBA game then choose the NDS game if the function is enabled for a ROM in the GameManager)

3. The M3 Real GBA expansion is essentially the same as the EZ3in1. GBA ROMs are flashed from the slot 1 card to the slot 2 (one at a time, and it can only store one at a time). The advantage of the EZ3in1 is that it can "store" more than one game at once thanks to dual memory (PSRAM and NOR), NOR being permanent and PSRAM being temporary/volatile. M3R's GBA expansion is purely PSRAM, which means games are not kept after turning off the DS. This makes the EZ3in1 easy to use NDS-GBA linkage.

3. M3 Real or CycloDS will act as a passcard, so you will not need a separate one.

4. Most Kingston cards are ones that are purchased off Toshiba as blank cards, where they print their own labels onto them and sell them as their own. They are usually more reliable than some of their Taiwanese rivals (eg. Sandisk) due to higher read speeds and faster access times. The A-DATA 4GB microSDHC is the fastest card on the market at the moment (fastest read/write speeds (rated class 6) and access times similar to the 1 GB Toshiba microSD). It will be a wise choice to buy this instead of the Toshiba/Kingston 4GB SDHC (which is also great in terms of performance - but not as good).

5. Yes the ones from dealextreme are real ones. Most shops will sell authentic cards (the serial/registration codes on the back of the cards will make them harder to pass off as real). The only place you may find fake/inferior cards is on eBay or similar auction sites where cheap Chinese men sell their stuff.

ZedH · Nov 13, 2007

Thank you 4saken!

Your help is very much appreciated!

So at this point I'm almost certain that I should buy an M3 Lite Perfect. Now I only need some advice on a slot-1 cart. I was really considering buying the M3 Real because of the GBA add-on, but I can forget about that.

Reading opinions on different forums it seems that the CycloDS receives a lot of praise for their support and innovative features while the M3 Real looks like a solid cart for the price. I'll be looking into this a little more.

More opinions are always appreciated!

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