Hacking Cheapest cart that still does the things listed here

[Valzi]

I've been doing research here on the forums and elsewhere but haven't come to a full conclusion yet.


I just ordered a used DS Phat on eBay. I want to be able to emulate the SNES and NES and run SCUMM VM on it. I want good compatibility. I'd also like to be able to run a few homebrew games like POWDER, DOOM and Quake. (It isn't essential that I be able to run GBA games on it, but that would be nice too.)

Is there anything cheaper (for someone buying in the USA) than the CycloDS and Supercard DSTwo that can pull that off?

 

[machomuu]

An R4 or [more preferably] and Acekard 2.1/2i (and if yu get an EZ 3-in-1 you can play gba games).

 

[The Catboy]

The cheapest would be either the R4 or Acekard 2/2i with an EZ 3-in-1.

 

[Valzi]

Oh, I thought a read somewhere about the Acekard having compatibility problems. I just re-read the review on GBAtemp and it looks great. Any reason I should get the 2i over the 2.1?

 

[machomuu]

Oh, I thought a read somewhere about the Acekard having compatibility problems. I just re-read the review on GBAtemp and it looks great. Any reason I should get the 2i over the 2.1?

2.1, you only really need a 2i if you have a DSi/XL or 3DS. Plus, I don't know how well the AK2i works with EZ 3-in-1.

 

[The_Dragons_Mast]

As others said R4 if you want the cheapest or Acekard if you are willing to spend some more money, but if you plan on using it mainly for snes emulation last time I checked the emulators alot more games are too slow to be playable on regular flashcarts than on a Supercard DSTwo.

 

[Valzi]

As others said R4 if you want the cheapest or Acekard if you are willing to spend some more money, but if you plan on using it mainly for snes emulation last time I checked the emulators alot more games are too slow to be playable on regular flashcarts than on a Supercard DSTwo.

I'm willing to spend enough to make sure I can emulate the SNES and run SCUMM at least. Can anyone tell me whether the Acekard 2i can do that well?

 

[machomuu]

As others said R4 if you want the cheapest or Acekard if you are willing to spend some more money, but if you plan on using it mainly for snes emulation last time I checked the emulators alot more games are too slow to be playable on regular flashcarts than on a Supercard DSTwo.

I'm willing to spend enough to make sure I can emulate the SNES and run SCUMM at least. Can anyone tell me whether the Acekard 2i can do that well?

Yes, yes it can.

 

[Valzi]

As others said R4 if you want the cheapest or Acekard if you are willing to spend some more money, but if you plan on using it mainly for snes emulation last time I checked the emulators alot more games are too slow to be playable on regular flashcarts than on a Supercard DSTwo.

I'm willing to spend enough to make sure I can emulate the SNES and run SCUMM at least. Can anyone tell me whether the Acekard 2i can do that well?

Yes, yes it can.

I wonder why The Dragons Master thought it was too slow? Just wanting to make sure. Any more opinions or maybe a more detailed explanation?

I have no interest in the 3-in-1. It costs as much to combine that with an Acekard 2 as it does to just buy a single cycloDS, and it can only hold one rom at a time, which is rather cumbersome.

 

[The_Dragons_Mast]

Well I was stating what I experienced when I tried it but since that was about a year ago maybe emulation have gotten better since back then or just what I saw as slow was an okay speed since I am used to playing at very high speed on my pc but if machomuu says its runs okay then take his word as he knows better.

 

[exangel]

and it can only hold one rom at a time, which is rather cumbersome.

I know GBA isn't very important to you but that's not precisely the way it is. It has two different types of memory, and though they technically both hold only one ROM at a time, it's very simple and fast with AK2i to load most GBA ROMs to PSRAM and boot into GBA mode. It's only for 32 mb GBA roms that they must be flashed to the NOR. It's also optional to flash to NOR if you want to be able to boot directly to the game after turning the system off.
Setting up an emulator for GBA to run at a near perfect frameskip and stuff is equally cumbersome and I have both the DS2 and iPlayer also.


I haven't tried SNES emulation from AK2i though, so I don't really have anything useful to say about that.


edit: I think one or some of the homebrew you mentioned runs only with memory expansion though - which is one feature of the 3-in-1..
edit: though I can't seem to find the article I had read that suggest that any one of those homebrew required the expansion. I did look, isn't my intention to steer you wrong.

 

[Valzi]

and it can only hold one rom at a time, which is rather cumbersome.

I know GBA isn't very important to you but that's not precisely the way it is. It has two different types of memory, and though they technically both hold only one ROM at a time, it's very simple and fast with AK2i to load most GBA ROMs to PSRAM and boot into GBA mode. It's only for 32 mb GBA roms that they must be flashed to the NOR. It's also optional to flash to NOR if you want to be able to boot directly to the game after turning the system off.
Setting up an emulator for GBA to run at a near perfect frameskip and stuff is equally cumbersome and I have both the DS2 and iPlayer also.


I haven't tried SNES emulation from AK2i though, so I don't really have anything useful to say about that.


edit: I think one or some of the homebrew you mentioned runs only with memory expansion though - which is one feature of the 3-in-1..
edit: though I can't seem to find the article I had read that suggest that any one of those homebrew required the expansion. I did look, isn't my intention to steer you wrong.

So, if i wanted GBA, this would all seem to add up to getting the CycloDS or the Supercard DSTwo, right? Buying the AK2+3-in-1 adds up to about the same price, so why not just get one of them instead?

 

[The_Dragons_Mast]

Well if you get the 3 in 1 it can be used as a stand alone gba cart if you flash a game to the nor & it have near perfect compatibility but other than that I cant see other another reason to get it.

 

[exangel]

This would all seem to add up to getting the CycloDS or the Supercard DSTwo, right? Buying the AK2+3-in-1 adds up to about the same price, so why not just get one of them instead?

In deciding between iEvo and DS2, DS2 already has plenty of support and plugins and there is homebrew out there that take advantage of the additional hardware. iEvo on the otherhand allows you to run DSi mode / DSi enhanced.. though this is one cart I don't yet have in my collection, it's because it's not a priority really.

You could always get the 3 in 1 later on if you do find that you want it, and use it with the DSTwo, skipping AK2i. I realize that's not exactly cheap but it's better than getting AK2i + 3in1 and deciding it's a mistake and getting DS2 on top of that.

edit:
I was never satisfied with GBA emulation so I use 3-in-1 in a DSLite over DSTwo in my DSi XL.
But you may be a lot less picky or prefer having it all in one cart only, so long story short you'll most likely be happiest with DSTwo.

 

[machomuu]

As others said R4 if you want the cheapest or Acekard if you are willing to spend some more money, but if you plan on using it mainly for snes emulation last time I checked the emulators alot more games are too slow to be playable on regular flashcarts than on a Supercard DSTwo.

I'm willing to spend enough to make sure I can emulate the SNES and run SCUMM at least. Can anyone tell me whether the Acekard 2i can do that well?

Yes, yes it can.

I wonder why The Dragons Master thought it was too slow? Just wanting to make sure. Any more opinions or maybe a more detailed explanation?

I have no interest in the 3-in-1. It costs as much to combine that with an Acekard 2 as it does to just buy a single cycloDS, and it can only hold one rom at a time, which is rather cumbersome.

The thing is the EZ 3-in-1 uses native GBA (I don't think it's emulation). This makes it run better than any emulator can.

Also, the reason it because the DSTWO has the best SNES emulators, but the standard ones that the Acekard can play aren't awful.

 

[Valzi]

I think I'm going to get the Supercard DSTwo after all. Thanks for all the advice, everyone. If you have more, please keep handing it out.

Are there any particular SD cards that tend to work best?

 

[machomuu]

I think I'm going to get the Supercard DSTwo after all. Thanks for all the advice, everyone. If you have more, please keep handing it out.

Is there any particular SD cards that tend to work best?

I'd suggest anything that's a class of 4 or higher. However, the only exception is DO NOT get a 16 gb class 4, if anything get a 16 gb class 10.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

I think I'm going to get the Supercard DSTwo after all. Thanks for all the advice, everyone. If you have more, please keep handing it out.

Is there any particular SD cards that tend to work best?

I'd suggest anything that's a class of 4 or higher. However, the only exception is DO NOT get a 16 gb class 4, if anything get a 16 gb class 10.

Why not Class 4? That is what I am planning to purchase.

 

[Fishaman P]

Any MicroSD should be fine.

Just know that the SCDS2 and the iEVO are really expensive for what you listed.

Just get a $2 (LEGIT) R4.

EDIT: About Class 4 16GB cards: Machomuu just stuffed his card really full, and that's why it's a tad slow.

 

[Terminator02]

i'm pretty sure you need the 3-in-1 to play quake and doom (even with the dstwo, because those homebrew don't utilize the dstwo's hardware, only the 3-in-1's), and it's pretty hard to find a shell for the original DS compared to the DS lite shell