Hacking Choosing a GBA flash cart

[imforpbj]

Hello. I'm new to this forum, but I've been reasearching the GBA Flashcarts for almost a year now, waiting for a product that will offer in both features and compatibility. I've exhausted almost every review on the web and am ready for some public opinions.

I'm using a GBASP with no imidiate plans to purchase a NDS/DSL ( I like to wait for special edition colors; I have an orange SP from the pokemon center

). I don't want a flash cart geared towards NDS compatibility with GBA features, I want it to be about the GBA support with potential to be used on a DS.

My conditions for a flash cart are that it needs to be GBA oriented, of course, but I would also like to:

Play music files
Play movie files at 15+fps ( I've read that Moonshell only plays at 10fps. Can somone confirm this? )
View Word documents ( regular .txt files will do just fine )
Be able to create my own ROMS ( backup my current GBA save files )
^can anyone recomend a standalone GBA BAckup device? I saw some on another site - I don't think I'm allowed to mention it - but it seemed pretty outdated ( using a printer serial port?! Ha! )

*****
These options are not essential, but prefered:
Siize of a standard GBA cart, or close to it.
Custom or skinned GUI
Expandable memory via Mini SD (

 

[Strider]

I propably can not help you much, but I can tell you what you don't want.

A supercard. Although I love it, it slows down some GBA games considerably (partly fixable, but some not).

I've heard the M3 is good in this regard, but we can count to 3 and you'll have lots of posts here from owners

Oh, and welcome

 

[Dirtie]

You might be asking a bit much for a GBA cart. If there's anythig I won't recommend for GBA though, it's a supercard.

If you want something that plays GBA games perfectly, the you can't go past the EFA-Linker (not the 2nd version) or perhaps the X-Rom. Otherwise, if you want something with expandable memory, the EZ4 is great for GBA, and so is the M3.

Unfortunately, as far as movie and music goes on the GBA, you're better off not bothering. If it was really that important to you, you'd be better off with Nintendo's official media product, the Play-Yan Micro - that's if you had the cash.

PS. Thanks for ruining my avatar/sig

 

[AshuraZro]

Moonshell is a DS application and is only run in DS mode. So don't expect a GBA app to do better. There is a GSM player (I believe thats what it is called) with a converter that could do at least 10+ audio files on a standard 256mbit cart at one time. And for backing up real gba shit, I guess you could always order a cable extra. If your looking for nothing fancy, maybe EZFA.

 

[imforpbj]

You might be asking a bit much for a GBA cart. If there's anythig I won't recommend for GBA though, it's a supercard.

If you want something that plays GBA games perfectly, the you can't go past the EFA-Linker (not the 2nd version) or perhaps the X-Rom. Otherwise, if you want something with expandable memory, the EZ4 is great for GBA, and so is the M3.

Unfortunately, as far as movie and music goes on the GBA, you're better off not bothering. If it was really that important to you, you'd be better off with Nintendo's official media product, the Play-Yan Micro - that's if you had the cash.

PS. Thanks for ruining my avatar/sig

I suppose my expectations are a little bit high...

I had my eye on the Play-Yan for a while, but I've having a little trouble with importing games from outside the US. Also, the software and GUI are in japanese.
>>Wait. Could I just drop compatible files in the SD card via Windows Explorer?

Sorry about the Avitar, I found it on some other forum and found it amusing.

I'll change it Right away.

 

[sipoon]

I suppose my expectations are a little bit high...

I had my eye on the Play-Yan for a while, but I've having a little trouble with importing games from outside the US. Also, the software and GUI are in japanese.
>>Wait. Could I just drop compatible files in the SD card via Windows Explorer?

Sorry about the Avitar, I found it on some other forum and found it amusing. 

 
I'll change it Right away.

I got a play yan micro a few months ago for $80NZD(yeh kinda pricey)
You don't have to worry about the software,
I never tried using the original software there are other easier mp4 convertors to use...
just search the web, and maybe in the lik-sang forums.. I am currently using PSP Video 9 except the resolution is changed to fit a GBA.
yeh, u just chuck an mp4 or mp3 into the sd and you're good to go.

I like the video playback. I finished off watching a whole anime series on the GBA with subs...on the bus...

Its ideal on a GBAmicro, And the mp3 playback is great through headphones.

But do note,if you want to play any roms or run any homebrew on it...forget it!!

and the videos you play will be in GBA screen size if u are thinking of using it on a DS.

Overall it's great at what it does, if all u wanted was a mp3/mp4 player for the GBA

.....but otherwise

 

[XeNoGeaR]

i think the ez4 will be a good choice because it has good 100% rom support.GBA.Only the real-time-clock is out because they made it for NDS who has internal clock in nds.Anyway there are only a few games like 5+ who have rtc and can be easily patch so no problem though.

 

[imforpbj]

You might be asking a bit much for a GBA cart. If there's anythig I won't recommend for GBA though, it's a supercard.

If you want something that plays GBA games perfectly, the you can't go past the EFA-Linker (not the 2nd version) or perhaps the X-Rom. Otherwise, if you want something with expandable memory, the EZ4 is great for GBA, and so is the M3.

Unfortunately, as far as movie and music goes on the GBA, you're better off not bothering. If it was really that important to you, you'd be better off with Nintendo's official media product, the Play-Yan Micro - that's if you had the cash.

Questions:

1. The orange block used to connect the EZ3 to the computer, if it reads and writes to the flash cart, can it read from a commercial GBA cart? Opium did'nt specify in his review.

2. Is Pogoshell up to par with the media capibilities of the M3 and the Play-yan? If so,

If So (^^ up there ^^) It would appear that I'm best off with an EFA linker or the EZ4.

3. other than the DS compatibility issues, what makes the EFA2 "worse" than the EFA1, even with double the memory?

Thanks for all your help up so far guys

 

[XxMxVxPxX]

check my signature. its got 100% gba compatability. perfect for someone not interested in a ds

 

[beedog19]

Another good one is the EZ-2 powerstar. If you don't mind importing winsunx has a 1G version for about 51 USD before shipping http://www.winsunx.com/list.php?mod=297

 

[imforpbj]

Thanks for the tip, beedog19.

One last question, are the Supercard GBA lockups really that frequent? I'm hearing VERY mixed reviews.