Hacking Alternate R4 Menus

[Inunah]

I'm looking for an alternative R4 Menu, something like MenuDO, except released, but like this:

1. Not YSMenu. I don't know how to set that up, and I hear it erases all of the save data from regular Menu.
2. Must be released in a version higher than .01.
3. Cannot have confusing controls or controls that use only touch or only buttons.
4. MUST ALLOW both commercial and homebrew rom booting.

I can't seem to find anything, not even a name, with any google search strings... Except for MenuDO, but that's not released and the difficulty scale for setup is questionable.

Any help here? Even a name? I'd appreciate the help. I'm not fond of the setup of the original R4 menu, despite making themes for it, and i'd rather have something more flashy (and optionally sparkly.

)

 

[wchill]

Sorry, YSMenu and MenuDO is all there is.
Look for a2h's R4YSG (YSMenu Generator) and it'll set up YSMenu for you.
Also, if you use ANY other alternative menu at all, they will probably delete your save file anyway.

 

[Inunah]

Sorry, YSMenu and MenuDO is all there is.
Look for a2h's R4YSG (YSMenu Generator) and it'll set up YSMenu for you.
Also, if you use ANY other alternative menu at all, they will probably delete your save file anyway.

Well that sucks. I don't like the R4's menu at all. It disgusts me at its simpleness and crappiness.
The icons don't even animate when you select them!
And the choosing of the games is not even all that great. I have to look at the bottom screen to be tempted to play a game because of how the icon looks, but then look back up at the top screen to scroll through games easier. And then I have to press A or look at the bottom screen again to pick my game.

I hate it with a passion, and I'm not getting YSMenu even though it'll only let me play ONE more game anyway.

 

[BakuFunn]

There are ysmenu "overlays"
Which are really pretty and functional.

DSision 2 and Moonshell 2 are very nice ysmenu-based menus.

I love Moonshell 2 as a loader; it's pretty and muti-functional.
A note though, commercial rom loading through Moonshell 2 is NOT endorsed by Moonlight (creator of Moonshell)

He even patched the latest version to block the addon.

Sorry if you don't like YSmenu, but it's actually really easy to set up with R4YSAuto.
You run a batch file and it does the rest.

 

[Inunah]

There are ysmenu "overlays"
Which are really pretty and functional.

DSision 2 and Moonshell 2 are very nice ysmenu-based menus.

I love Moonshell 2 as a loader; it's pretty and muti-functional.
A note though, commercial rom loading through Moonshell 2 is NOT endorsed by Moonlight (creator of Moonshell)

He even patched the latest version to block the addon.

Sorry if you don't like YSmenu, but it's actually really easy to set up with R4YSAuto.
You run a batch file and it does the rest.

So I hear it also plays .gba games and plays stuff that needs a slot-2 without a slot-2 (according to some faq on how to make it work on an r4 on this website.. I only understood it that way, but I might be mistaken)..... :\ This makes it more interesting.
So like if I backup all my R4's saves and games onto some folder somewhere on my computer and add the NDS browser and gba games I can do it? *Hopeful and doesn't have a fricken slot 2 device*

 

[jurassicplayer]

If you really want commercial loading, just have moonshell 2.06 with ysmenu o.0...Everything works, there isn't really any compatibility loss...YSmenu is extremely easy to put onto an R4 because of a2h's ysmenu generator...
Of course, I'm hoping on MENUdo to be extremely amazing, (and they even said it was a simple as drag and drop...about the same way for most things...) so it doesn't really matter when it gets released (but it seems to be soon...at least within the next 3 years xD)
Also, ysmenu doesn't erase all of the save data...it just happens to use lowercase letters rather than uppercase (.sav vs .SAV files). Just look in the YSMenu.ini and you can find it.

 

[Inunah]

If you really want commercial loading, just have moonshell 2.06 with ysmenu o.0...Everything works, there isn't really any compatibility loss...YSmenu is extremely easy to put onto an R4 because of a2h's ysmenu generator...
Of course, I'm hoping on MENUdo to be extremely amazing, (and they even said it was a simple as drag and drop...about the same way for most things...) so it doesn't really matter when it gets released (but it seems to be soon...at least within the next 3 years xD)
Also, ysmenu doesn't erase all of the save data...it just happens to use lowercase letters rather than uppercase (.sav vs .SAV files). Just look in the YSMenu.ini and you can find it.

I don't trust Moonshell.... It's fishy enough as the crappy media player I don't use because it doesn't support anything but videos with crappy file extensions.

 

[Inunah]

If you really want commercial loading, just have moonshell 2.06 with ysmenu o.0...Everything works, there isn't really any compatibility loss...YSmenu is extremely easy to put onto an R4 because of a2h's ysmenu generator...
Of course, I'm hoping on MENUdo to be extremely amazing, (and they even said it was a simple as drag and drop...about the same way for most things...) so it doesn't really matter when it gets released (but it seems to be soon...at least within the next 3 years xD)
Also, ysmenu doesn't erase all of the save data...it just happens to use lowercase letters rather than uppercase (.sav vs .SAV files). Just look in the YSMenu.ini and you can find it.

I don't trust Moonshell.... It's fishy enough as the crappy media player I don't use because it doesn't support anything but videos with crappy file extensions.

 

[jurassicplayer]

The YSMenu needs a slot-2 card to play gba games. Its just you don't have to load via the slot-2, you can just have it all in your slot-1 and ysmenu will mount it onto your slot-2 for you to play.
...and its kind of strange to call Moonshell fishy...especially since its like...one of the best homebrew out there for the DS xD...Its not that crappy of a media player (plays all that I have although sometimes the midi files sound strange) and its not like there are very many video players to compare moonshell 2's player with, unless you count the iPlayer which was a flashcart made specifically for watching videos, and even then, it is pretty much on par (although I've heard iPlayer seems better with lighter videos while Moonshell 2 is better with darker videos)
As for the dpg format, its because normally the DS cannot handle very much (so little power TT-TT), so the format just so the DS can play it.
I suppose you could have DSVideo...but I can't seem to find the website anymore so it might not have support.

 

[Inunah]

The YSMenu needs a slot-2 card to play gba games. Its just you don't have to load via the slot-2, you can just have it all in your slot-1 and ysmenu will mount it onto your slot-2 for you to play.
...and its kind of strange to call Moonshell fishy...especially since its like...one of the best homebrew out there for the DS xD...Its not that crappy of a media player (plays all that I have although sometimes the midi files sound strange) and its not like there are very many video players to compare moonshell 2's player with, unless you count the iPlayer which was a flashcart made specifically for watching videos, and even then, it is pretty much on par (although I've heard iPlayer seems better with lighter videos while Moonshell 2 is better with darker videos)
As for the dpg format, its because normally the DS cannot handle very much (so little power TT-TT), so the format just so the DS can play it.
I suppose you could have DSVideo...but I can't seem to find the website anymore so it might not have support.

Moonshell is fishy because it plays the most obscure file types. In some cases, obscurity makes you suspicious. And all i'd want with Moonshell was video, and my Micro SD is packed to the brim with emulators and other misc ROMs of questionable origin.
Yeah, i've heard that iPlayer can do .gba and .nds from only the slot-1... Which sucks, when you think about it... I mean, why can't someone patch the iPlayer firmware to an R4 or an Acekard?! That would make slot-2 obsolete. Or at least they should pack all flashcarts with a slot-2 expansion pack from now on. Seriously. And I think i've heard of DSVideo. That's the one that can do .avi and .wmv and .mpg right?
BTW, why is .dpg just a HUUUUUUUGE file type? It takes up more space than fricken .wmv and that filetype is bigger than crap. I couldn't put even one .dpg file on my 2gb micro sd that had less than .30 space left. NOT EVEN ONE! BTW, I can't say how big the file was, because if it depends on the movie length, well the movie was Twilight so you approximate for me while I try to and confuse myself because I don't know the numbers.

Thanks anyway for your help. I can't really find any pics of the YSMenu menus, though. I mean just the start menu, and the other one that shows the games. Any help on that area?
I mean, I saw maybe one pic but it wasn't convincing, just a giant box with all your info on it on the touch screen, and that wasn't much fun... I thought YSMenu made it so that it looked like an Acekard or a Games & Music menu. I was even told that by some website a while back when I first tried to find the kernal for my R4.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I mean, why can't someone patch the iPlayer firmware to an R4 or an Acekard?! That would make slot-2 obsolete.

Emulation is not nearly as good as playing the actual game. Slot-2 carts don't emulate, they play the actual game. And I doubt iPlayer GBA emulation will ever be as flawless as a Slot-2 cart, not to mention the loss of the rumble pack and expansion. The only reason to ever buy the iPlayer over a Slot-2 in that sense is if you have a DSi (and I guess watching .avi movies is pretty nifty). Otherwise, Slot-2 expansions are cheaper and play GBA better.

 

[Jakob95]

What a noob. Stop complaining about what is fishy and what is not. Just go get YSmenu and thats it. If you don't like it put Moonshell as your OS but then you won't be able to use cheats in the game though. Don't like that buy a new flashcart simple as that.

YSmenu is the only way to play newer games on the R4 and is the only other menu that has DS ROM support.

 

[Inunah]

What a noob. Stop complaining about what is fishy and what is not. Just go get YSmenu and thats it. If you don't like it put Moonshell as your OS but then you won't be able to use cheats in the game though. Don't like that buy a new flashcart simple as that.

YSmenu is the only way to play newer games on the R4 and is the only other menu that has DS ROM support.

I'm not trying to complain... :\

Oh, and iPlayer doesn't emulate the GBA games. It makes the DS think you're booting something from slot-2. I dunno, I saw that somewhere today. :\

I will probably get YSmenu, if the new Zelda isn't playable without it, but I'd like to see it in action. I have yet to find anything that shows me it's also graphically a better interface/menu system.

 

[Jakob95]

The interface is the same as the R4s interface. It just doesn't have those 3 buttons on boot up. And iPlayer does emulate the GBA...

 

[BoxShot]

Get over it and use ysmenu menu already. If we could patch the iPlayer's firmware onto another flashcart that would be useless. Looks like you don't know how it works do you? It has its own cpu in the iPlayer that allows it to play all that stuff. Moonshell's .dpg is the only way you will get vids unless you get an iPlayer so go suck it up and use it. Complaining a movie doesn't fit well go get a bigger micro sd then. If flashcart teams sold a slot 2 with there slot 1 prices would go up about $20 and only about 3 teams could do this officially. They would be supercard, ez flash, and m3. (though supercard is pretty crappy at slot 2)

 

[Inunah]

Get over it and use ysmenu menu already. If we could patch the iPlayer's firmware onto another flashcart that would be useless. Looks like you don't know how it works do you? It has its own cpu in the iPlayer that allows it to play all that stuff. Moonshell's .dpg is the only way you will get vids unless you get an iPlayer so go suck it up and use it. Complaining a movie doesn't fit well go get a bigger micro sd then.

Can't get a bigger MicroSD. Regular R4 supports up to 2gb, I'd have to buy SDHC to use a bigger MicroSD.

Look, i'll probably use YSMenu, but I need to know what it looks like. If I don't like the look I don't use it. Which is why I changed the crappy default theme to a less crappy themey thing.

 

[Jakob95]

Get over it and use ysmenu menu already. If we could patch the iPlayer's firmware onto another flashcart that would be useless. Looks like you don't know how it works do you? It has its own cpu in the iPlayer that allows it to play all that stuff. Moonshell's .dpg is the only way you will get vids unless you get an iPlayer so go suck it up and use it. Complaining a movie doesn't fit well go get a bigger micro sd then. If flashcart teams sold a slot 2 with there slot 1 prices would go up about $20 and only about 3 teams could do this officially. They would be supercard, ez flash, and m3. (though supercard is pretty crappy at slot 2)

LOL thats funny. He can't because he has a R4.

@OP IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE R4 MENU. Except it doesn't have the 3 buttons at the boot.

 

[jurassicplayer]

I mean, why can't someone patch the iPlayer firmware to an R4 or an Acekard?! That would make slot-2 obsolete. Or at least they should pack all flashcarts with a slot-2 expansion pack from now on. Seriously. And I think i've heard of DSVideo. That's the one that can do .avi and .wmv and .mpg right?
BTW, why is .dpg just a HUUUUUUUGE file type? It takes up more space than fricken .wmv and that filetype is bigger than crap. I couldn't put even one .dpg file on my 2gb micro sd that had less than .30 space left. NOT EVEN ONE! BTW, I can't say how big the file was, because if it depends on the movie length, well the movie was Twilight so you approximate for me while I try to and confuse myself because I don't know the numbers.

Thanks anyway for your help. I can't really find any pics of the YSMenu menus, though. I mean just the start menu, and the other one that shows the games. Any help on that area?
I mean, I saw maybe one pic but it wasn't convincing, just a giant box with all your info on it on the touch screen, and that wasn't much fun... I thought YSMenu made it so that it looked like an Acekard or a Games & Music menu. I was even told that by some website a while back when I first tried to find the kernal for my R4.

We can't just patch the iPlayer firmware to a different cart because that wouldn't help. The iPlayer has an onboard enhancement inside the flashcart that allows it to play the videos and gba games. And they aren't going to pack flashcarts with the slot-2 because 1) They can make more money, 2) Most of the flashcart makers don't have a slot-2 to go with their slot-1.
I think you are probably talking about Tunavid. DSVideo you have to convert to .dsv...Tunavid isn't any better though...you still have to have a specific .avi format and resolution.
Comparably, I find dpg to have the smallest format and only uncompressed .wmv are "bigger than crap", and since dpg pretty much has to be uncompressed, of course it would seem bigger than a compressed .wmv. Considering everything, if Twilight was about 300mb originally, then the dpg file wouldn't really be any bigger (sometimes even smaller, which is helpful).

The YSMenu is pretty much a replica of the R4 file browser. Then when you press start, you come to a much uglier version of the startup of the R4. It wasn't meant to be pretty, it was meant to play nds files so even a child could play it.

 

[BoxShot]

Yeah even though I read this I forgot he had an R4.

Actually you know what try and be lucky and score a 4gb micro sd that pretty much existed for a single moment.

 

[Inunah]

*Sigh* I'm a chick.

Okay, so it's ugly.... D:


Actually, I just now found a video of it, and I kinda like it.

So.... I have one last YSMenu question. Does it still support that reset option that takes you back to the R4 main menu?
And how exactly are themes made???????? O.o I saw this neat vista theme for it that i'd like to have......