Hacking Best options for GBA on DSLite, DSi

[ZippyYay]

If you wanted to play GBA games on your DS today, what would you recommend getting? I have read about carts like the EZ Flash IV but I seem to be a few years late for that. What are the best carts that you can get today to play GBA games on:

• DS Phat/Lite?
• DSi?
• 3DS?
• Or even the GBA itself?

 

[Rayder]

I guess your only real choice now is a Supercard DS2. GBA is emulated on that and it will work on the DS's without a slot2 port.

But for a slot2 cart, maybe you could try:
http://shoptemp.net/categories/Flashcarts/GBA-Flashcarts/

They still have some EZFlash IV carts listed, which is a decent dedicated GBA flashcart. It doesn't have the real-time-clock needed for a few games, but it plays most all GBA games perfectly.

They have some 3in1's, but I personally don't like those myself, I would rather have a dedicated cart I could put many games on instead of just one at a time. Still, it is an option.

I'd avoid the Supercard slot2, many GBA games slow down on that one, though it seems like the easiest to set up a slot2 DS ROM dumper on.

I personally have 3 dedicated slot2 carts; M3 Perfect, EZFlash IV and a Supercard slot2. I listed them in best to worst order. Unfortunately, the M3 Perfect is impossible to find nowadays, so the EZFlash IV is probably your best option now.

 

[KidIce]

If *I* wanted to play GBA games?

* DS Phat/Lite? EZ3
* DSi? SCDS2
* 3DS? SCDS2
* Or even the GBA itself? EZ3

But you can't buy an EZ3. >:-)

Non-jerk answer: Replace my 3's w/ a 4. Rayder is correct, for carts that will fit in a GBA/slot-2 that you can actually buy today, the EZ4 is your best bet. For a any DS device w/o a slot-2 a SCDS2 is your only real answer.

I own a SCDS2, PSP, DSLite, a GBA w/ Afterburner (no GBA SP/micro though), and some other things that are portable and can play GBA games. I don't use any of them for GBA except for my DS lite w/ a GBA flash cart... The EZ4 is the closest your going to get right now to a proper GBA flash cart... Just my opinion.

 

[ferret7463]

I also have to agree with Rayder, The flash cards for the GBA are kinda rare now a days. A slot two device in a phat or lite will give you the best game play. Slot one cards that play GBA do have their faults in graphics and speed. I still use a 3in1 for any new GBA games i want to play on my original SP mostly due to the fact that my X-Rom is very slow at loading up new games to the cart and some times messes up.

 

[Decooter]

If you wanna play them on DSPhat or DSL, your best option (and this is not debateable) is ezflash 3-in-1 with a good slot 1 card (I'd recommend Acekard 2i)

If you wanna play them and have them also work on DSi/3DS, your only option is Supercard DSTWO

 

[Valzi]

I like the EZ-Flash IV for the GBA that I have quite well. It's always worked nicely for me. http://shoptemp.net/products/EZ%252dFlash-IV.html

 

[Terminator02]

EZ Flash IV : GBA, DS Phat, DS Lite (sticks out)

I've heard good things about the EZ Flash IV, but i've never put down the cash for it (at least not yet). Only real downer is that there isn't a lite version of it (so it'll stick out of the DS Lite)

If you do decide to take the EZ Flash IV route RoMee has created a fantastic setup guide for it over here


EZ Flash 3-in-1: GBA (limited functionality), DS Phat (in combo with slot-1 flashcart), DS Lite (in combo with slot-1 flashcart)

Another you have is using the EZ-Flash 3-in-1 (which has a lite and phat version, so it will be flush), this will rely upon your DSTwo to have the games and saves to load onto the 3-in-1, so unline the EZ Flash IV, you need to have both the DSTwo and teh 3-in-1 in at the same time to run GBA games.

If you flash a GBA game onto the NOR flash you can run that game without a slot 1 flashcart (and if you have the phat shell, you can run that game on a GBA too)

Once again, there is a guide to setting that up, you can find it here


DSTwo with NDSGBA emulator: any DS or 3DS

This is obviously the only way to play GBA games on a DSi, (XL) or 3DS (not counting some other less significant flash carts which also have this feature). I personally use this even though i have a 3-in-1, it's just more convenient and easy to use. The only time i bother to load up my 3-in-1 is if the emulator runs a GBA game poorly

 

[KidIce]

If you wanna play them on DSPhat or DSL, your best option (and this is not debateable) is ezflash 3-in-1 with a good slot 1 card (I'd recommend Acekard 2i)

This is TOTALY debatable, I WAY prefer my EZ4 to my 3-in-1 for GBA.

QUOTE(Terminator02 @ Jul 16 2011, 09:20 PM) EZ Flash IV : GBA, DS Phat, DS Lite (sticks out)

I've heard good things about the EZ Flash IV, but i've never put down the cash for it (at least not yet). Only real downer is that there isn't a lite version of it (so it'll stick out of the DS Lite)

There most certainly is a lite version, that's the version I own... Gave my GBA sized version to my friend's daughter when I upgraded (wish I hadn't). Shop 01Media claims to have them (although the price is absurd).

 

[Joe88]

I personally have 3 dedicated slot2 carts; M3 Perfect, EZFlash IV and a Supercard slot2. I listed them in best to worst order. Unfortunately, the M3 Perfect is impossible to find nowadays, so the EZFlash IV is probably your best option now.

you might still be able to find a M3 Lite Professional around
still kinda kicking myself for not buying it off of RHS when I had the chance

 

[Terminator02]

EZ Flash IV : GBA, DS Phat, DS Lite (sticks out)

I've heard good things about the EZ Flash IV, but i've never put down the cash for it (at least not yet). Only real downer is that there isn't a lite version of it (so it'll stick out of the DS Lite)

There most certainly is a lite version, that's the version I own... Gave my GBA sized version to my friend's daughter when I upgraded (wish I hadn't). Shop 01Media claims to have them (although the price is absurd).

oh, sorry, didn't know, when i last looked them up i could not find them anywhere, but there were phat versions everywhere

 

[nl255]

You could also get both a DSTwo and an EZFlash 3 in 1. You do have to use GBA Exploader as there is no native EZFlash support built into the DSTwo firmware but that isn't a big deal. That way, you can keep one large game in NOR and then use the emulator for any other large games that won't fit in the 16MB PSRAM. Before I got a DSi XL that is what I did.

Good luck finding an EZFlash 3 in 1 that is not the lite version though.