Hacking A few questions about the R4i-SDHC

[josephbloseph]

Let me start off by saying that I'm new here. I've been poking around the internet looking into these flash cartridges, and I found this to be one of the most active forums, so I thought this might be a good place to ask some of these questions.
Short version:
I was wondering if anyone could help me find references that would indicate what the R4i-SDHC is a clone of, and if it can be upgraded to work with the DSi 1.4 firmware.
I had heard rumors that when the original R4 team broke, different members went into business for themselves. Is this true, false, or one of those "the world may never know" things.

Long version:
These questions pertain to the R4i-SDHC, (r4i-sdhc.com) which comes in a red box. I am quite well aware that the original R4 team is no more, and that the R4i-SDHC is one of many cards trading on what used to be their good name. I don't need to see the word "fake", and I don't need any recommendations for cards with longer-standing reputations at this time.

First off, I have noticed a number of people stating that the R4i-SDHC cannot be updated to work with the latest DSi firmware (1.4), as the only updates available are for the kernel, whereas the bootloader cannot be changed. These people often cite the fact that the R4i-SDHC is a DSTTi clone (which, apparently, also cannot have it's bootloader upgraded). I was wondering if anyone could help me find references for these statements; I've tried searching, but all I come up with are posts with the same conjecture. Naturally the R4i-SDHC website isn't going to advertise the fact that they are a clone of anything, but I was wondering if there where some in-depth article or review investigating the origin and capabilities of the R4i-SDHC. There doesn't seem to be an official review from GBAtemp (I can't really blame anyone for not reviewing every card that gets put on the market) or from really any other site.

What I do know is that the R4i-SDHC website indicates that they are aware of this firmware issue, and that they are working on a solution. What their solution will be is a currently a matter of speculation. It could be a new card, like the "R4i Gold" that was released, or it could be some manner of firmware upgrade that would be inconsistent with some of the conjecture mentioned above. Or the solution might be to set up auto-replies to email inquiries indicating that they are hard at work, axe their development team, and try to sell the remaining stock of cards to DS, DSL, and DSi 1.3 owners. Personally, I'd be inclined to give them another month or so before deferring to the "dried up like so many others" theory, but as far as the upgrade capability, that goes back to what the hardware is based off of.

I have also heard rumor that when the original R4 team broke up, some or all of them went into business for themselves making their own versions. My first impression would be that this was someone's guess as to why there were so many cards trading on the name R4, including versions that aren't awash in complaints of ROM incompatibilities. Does anyone know if there is any truth to the rumors?

 

[HaniKazmi]

There is one simple fact which people have used to assume the r4i-sdhc is a clone of the dstt, and that is that the gui is almost exactly the same. The dstt, unlike most other cards actually had a menu which was fundamentally different, and this particular cone copies it.

As for what happened to the original team, there is no proof but many peole assume they joined M3 as they have now acquired the rights to the r4 name.

As for upgrading, as it is a clone of the dstti, which had no upgradeable bootlader, this will probably follow suit. The fact that the team are taking so long to release a fix supports this.

 

[anaxs]

short version: yes all r4' s are clones
they just are
and it is true that the "real" r4 team is dead
all the r4's that are made now are made from a fake company
u shudnt have gotten one

 

[injected11]

It's a DSTTi clone. The official DSTT team is dead, so often people just assume this won't be updated, even though it isn't affiliated with them. The website says they are working on the 1.4 bypass, and an email response posted earlier today claimed it would be released soon.

 

[josephbloseph]

short version: yes all r4' s are clones
they just are
and it is true that the "real" r4 team is dead
all the r4's that are made now are made from a fake company
u shudnt have gotten one

This is precisely the sort of response I had hoped to not see. I am guessing by the fact that you make reference to the "short version" of my post, you didn't read the "long version." You post a response to my post, but you not only fail to provide constructive answers, but you include information that I specifically preempted in my post. I am well aware of the fact that this, and any other R4 cards being marketed are "fake" or "clones," and I am also well aware of the fact that the original R4 team isn't associated with this, or many other cards. And as far as whether or not I should have gotten one, my selection was based on one thing; a transaction that did not require me to provide my credit card number to a website I don't trust. As it turned out, I could purchase the R4i-SDHC in person with cash at a small video game store. I would have gotten a different card, if there were a choice at the store, based on the knowledge that cards sold as R4 are marketing themselves on name recognition, rather than association with reputable development. As it stands, your post lends no value to this thread.

 

[josephbloseph]

There is one simple fact which people have used to assume the r4i-sdhc is a clone of the dstt, and that is that the gui is almost exactly the same. The dstt, unlike most other cards actually had a menu which was fundamentally different, and this particular cone copies it.

As for what happened to the original team, there is no proof but many peole assume they joined M3 as they have now acquired the rights to the r4 name.

As for upgrading, as it is a clone of the dstti, which had no upgradeable bootlader, this will probably follow suit. The fact that the team are taking so long to release a fix supports this.

Thank you for your response; the GUI similarity sounds like solid enough evidence to me that the R4i-SDHC is a DSTT clone, as is the reasoning behind the idea that the R4 group joined M3.

Similarly, the DSTTi having no upgradable bootloader is somewhat discouraging to me. I would actually take hope from the fact that the team is taking a long time to release a fix. I'd assume if there were no hope of upgrading the bootloader, they would have released another card by now. The time it is taking either indicates that some manner of a fix is possible (wishful thinking, I know) or that the company is pretending their card has a future until they sell of their remaining supply.

 

[PettingZoo]

Bad choice in cart bro, though referring to your question about the update for the cart, they will release a new cart because the bootloader can not be updated. Though about your question on reviews or referrals to information about the carts origins/capabilities just go through the news section, there were articles of different DSi flashcarts and about their capabilities (R4i Ultra).

 

[josephbloseph]

It's a DSTTi clone. The official DSTT team is dead, so often people just assume this won't be updated, even though it isn't affiliated with them. The website says they are working on the 1.4 bypass, and an email response posted earlier today claimed it would be released soon.

Thanks for the response; I had seen the earlier posts with email responses about impending update releases. I'm checking the website daily to see if there is any release, and what form it will be in (new card vs. software upgrade).

 

[Maz7006]

Word of advice, Don't buy anything that has R4 on it / around it.

i mean you might as well shoot yourself then wasting your money on those cards.

 

[josephbloseph]

Bad choice in cart bro, though referring to your question about the update for the cart, they will release a new cart because the bootloader can not be updated. Though about your question on reviews or referrals to information about the carts origins/capabilities just go through the news section, there were articles of different DSi flashcarts and about their capabilities (R4i Ultra).

Thanks for your response, though I'm not quite sure where to find this news section; I can see the latest news posted on the main site, but I don't see how to get to older posts. I guess I'll start getting the RSS feed, and go through the archives there.

 

[josephbloseph]

Word of advice, Don't buy anything that has R4 on it / around it.

i mean you might as well shoot yourself then wasting your money on those cards.

I think you are overstating things a little. I'd take this card over shooting myself any day of the week. Other than this 1.4 issue, I have yet to run into any problems with this card. In fact, this 1.4 issue may be more related to the fact that it is a DSTTi clone, and may share in it's lack of an upgradable bootloader. So really, with this being the only problem so far with the R4i-SDHC, and shooting ones self being preferable to wasting money on any R4, I suppose you'd suggest DSTT users would have been better off shooting themselves, right? And not to mention the owners of every card before the release of the DSi, as they are even less functional than this R4i-SDHC, as they cannot even play on the pre-1.4 DSi. They should all have shot themselves too, rather than waste their money on cards that don't work given a specific set of unforeseen circumstances, right?
I recognized that there was a risk when I purchased it, and as it happens, I may need to choose between updating my firmware and continuing to use my R4. I've ridden out wait times due to firmware upgrades on the PSP, and I can wait and see if a fix will come about for this card. If there is no fix, that's alright, compared to the price of even a single retail DS game, I don't consider myself as having wasted money. And as there isn't really much I want on the DSiWare store, this card will continue working just fine for the time being.

 

[Leonidas]

I see nothing personally wrong with the R4i-SDHC. It's definitely one of the carts that could've picked up where the actual R4 left, and the team behind it sure made the best attempt to distinct their cart from the other clones, by using a red PCB and a red box to distribute them, plus a really decent website, even better over what some original carts have out there. It's still a matter of speculation if there is an actual DSTT team behind the cart, because R4's are known to sell well in china, and that's a huge market. So they may have repacked some of their DSTTi's into R4 shells.

Regardless, there are many similarities between the carts, most notably the user interface and compatibility, which appears to be exactly the same as the DSTTi. Games that don't work on DSTTi also don't work on R4i-SDHC, most notably the SW: Jedi Alliance, which leads people to believe it's the same software behind it.

As for the compatibility with 1.4, nobody is really sure here. If the cart really is a clone of the DSTTi, then the bootloader can't be updated and this means your cart is useless past 1.4. Although there is a distinct possibility, that another loophole will be found, which will allow the carts to work even without a bootloader update.

 

[Viliasas]

josephbloseph... Aren't you high and mighty with your R4 card?

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

People should probably buy Ez-Flash Vi or Acekard 2i, because these teams are constantly updating their flash cards. By the way, these teams were first to counter attack Nintendo DSi 1.4 firmware update.

 

[Leonidas]

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

Stupidly as it may sound, but R4 = flash cart in China. When a Chinese comes into a shop, he asks if they sell R4 carts... obviously most teams have figured this out so they are selling their carts as R4 clones, unfortunately some of them also break chinese borders so that's how we get them.

 

[Viliasas]

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

Stupidly as it may sound, but R4 = flash cart in China. When a Chinese comes into a shop, he asks if they sell R4 carts... obviously most teams have figured this out so they are selling their carts as R4 clones, unfortunately some of them also break chinese borders so that's how we get them.

Hmmm... I guess that makes sense

But still i hate people who buy and defend R4 cards... They often pay more money for them, but they don't admint that they would be better off buyng a genuine card, which is atleast updated often. By the way, genuine card is often cheaper than the R4 card (in DealExtreme).

 

[engamemart]

you should get the m3i zero

 

[injected11]

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

Stupidly as it may sound, but R4 = flash cart in China. When a Chinese comes into a shop, he asks if they sell R4 carts... obviously most teams have figured this out so they are selling their carts as R4 clones, unfortunately some of them also break chinese borders so that's how we get them.

Hmmm... I guess that makes sense

But still i hate people who buy and defend R4 cards... They often pay more money for them, but they don't admint that they would be better off buyng a genuine card, which is atleast updated often. By the way, genuine card is often cheaper than the R4 card (in DealExtreme).

It isn't your job to dictate and judge what we buy. My R4i-SDHC hasn't had a single problem or compatability issue since I bought it almost 6 months ago. Since I use it on a DS Lite, I'll never face block issues either. Prior to the 1.4 update, R4i-SDHC was updating their firmware every few weeks. Fakes of "genuine" cards are being bought all the time, even ones that don't say "R4" anywhere on them. Ordering from DealExtreme is risky and outrageously slow, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. BTW, an R4i clone team was the first to beat the 1.4 block.

 

[Normmatt]

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

Stupidly as it may sound, but R4 = flash cart in China. When a Chinese comes into a shop, he asks if they sell R4 carts... obviously most teams have figured this out so they are selling their carts as R4 clones, unfortunately some of them also break chinese borders so that's how we get them.

Hmmm... I guess that makes sense

But still i hate people who buy and defend R4 cards... They often pay more money for them, but they don't admint that they would be better off buyng a genuine card, which is atleast updated often. By the way, genuine card is often cheaper than the R4 card (in DealExtreme).

It isn't your job to dictate and judge what we buy. My R4i-SDHC hasn't had a single problem or compatability issue since I bought it almost 6 months ago. Since I use it on a DS Lite, I'll never face block issues either. Prior to the 1.4 update, R4i-SDHC was updating their firmware every few weeks. Fakes of "genuine" cards are being bought all the time, even ones that don't say "R4" anywhere on them. Ordering from DealExtreme is risky and outrageously slow, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. BTW, an R4i clone team was the first to beat the 1.4 block.

It was the first to 'release' it yes but by far not the first to beat the block. R4's have about 85% compatibility these days most of the latest games dont work on it without prior manual patching and even then thats far from ganranteed to make it playable.

 

[Leonidas]

It was the first to 'release' it yes but by far not the first to beat the block. R4's have about 85% compatibility these days most of the latest games dont work on it without prior manual patching and even then thats far from ganranteed to make it playable.

Actually some of the better R4 clones tend to have very high compatibility rate, for example I've tested a few of the latest popular roms on my ancient R4 SDHC and they seem to work just fine. The problem is with those games that don't work properly, because most R4's don't get any support past the initial kernel release. So I cannot hope to play a few known problematic roms on my R4 any time soon, that's why I've bought the Acekard 2i. However talking about Acekard 2i, it has excellent software, thanks to you and the rest of AKAIO crew, but the build quality of the actual card is very poor and I'm having contact issues, something unheard of with my original carts or the R4.

 

[josephbloseph]

In my opinion no R4 cards should be bought, because if the card marker would want to make a good card and contribute to it, he wouldn't use washed up name like R4.

Stupidly as it may sound, but R4 = flash cart in China. When a Chinese comes into a shop, he asks if they sell R4 carts... obviously most teams have figured this out so they are selling their carts as R4 clones, unfortunately some of them also break chinese borders so that's how we get them.

Hmmm... I guess that makes sense

But still i hate people who buy and defend R4 cards... They often pay more money for them, but they don't admint that they would be better off buyng a genuine card, which is atleast updated often. By the way, genuine card is often cheaper than the R4 card (in DealExtreme).

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I disagree with certain generalizations you have made. With the exception of August, the R4i-SDHC has been updated at least once a month going back as far as March (which falls somewhere between the JP and western DSi release). And while I defend my purchase on the basis that I have not run into any compatibility problems (save for this 1.4 firmware issue), and have found the updates to come in a timely fashion, I readily admit that my first inclination was to buy a "real" card. I've mentioned before that the sole motivation for purchasing this particular model is that I could physically walk into a store, hand cash to a person, and receive the card while the purchase was ringing up. As I am relatively new to this DS community, I wouldn't know DealExtreme to be any more reputable than any other online retailer I'm not familiar with. I'm not sure what part of my personal experience comes off as "high and mighty". All I'm doing is stating my experience, and defending what I perceive to be merits of the hardware I have. If anything, your statements come off as "high and mighty", as you immediately assume the position that any card with R4 on it is vastly inferior to the card of your choice.