DSi incompatible with existing flash carts?

[shaunj66]

DSi incompatible with existing flash carts? *UPDATE*
Early reports suggest just that

Reports are flying in this morning that the new DSi handheld is incapable of booting existing flash carts. Our friend ahtin at Hacken.cc who has got his hands on a brand new DSi, has tested both the popular R4 DS and EZ Flash V.

ahtin has reported that the R4 DS (an auto-booting slot-1 cart), when inserted into the DSi, in fact does NOT automatically boot up, and fails to appear at all in the new revamped DSi main menu (which is normal behaviour for an auto-booting cart). The EZ Flash V on the other hand (a non auto-booting slot-1 cart), does in fact show in the DSi's main menu, but when launched generates an error which prevents it from loading any further.

Whether or not the new flash cart "prevention" on the DSi can be disabled or worked around is yet to be determined. Once more people get their hands on the new Nintendo handheld revision, we'll undoubtedly learn more about why this is happening. Perhaps it could be something as simple as an update in the carts loader/firmware (at least in the case of the EZ-V), or perhaps something a modified firmware (ala. FlashMe) could fix. But of course, only time will tell.

Hacken.cc have not reported results on any other flash kits. Stay tuned to GBAtemp for any further news, as we'll keep you posted on any developments.

UPDATE!: ahtin has informed me personally of his latest tests. Unfortunately it's not good news! Just take a look at the long list of flash carts that have ALSO FAILED on the DSi...

CycloDS - Failed
G6 DS Real - Failed
M3 DS Real - Failed
Supercard DS One - Failed
iTouch DS - Failed
FCard - Failed
NCard - Failed
M3 DS Simply - Failed
U2DS - Failed

Also, importers please note that there is no English language option in the firmware - only Japanese, so be careful!

Discuss

ahtin's original thread

Original discussion at Hacken.cc (Chinese)

Thanks to ahtin at Hacken.cc for the news.

 

[Noitora]

I'm sure they'll come up with a way to hack it *hopefully*

 

[Satangel]

I'm sure they'll come up with a way to hack it *hopefully*

Yes, me too. It will just take some time

And someone test the CycloDS!

 

[skawo96]

Naw I would like to know more details about so called 'features' of DSi....I have DSphat for Flashcarts and I knew that DSi would be incompatible...

 

[Mei-o]

There goes more sales Nintendo!

 

[Prime]

ha!

I knew something like this would happen. I'm not going to say "hopfully they will solve this issue" considering I ain't going to get a DSi because it is a waste of money.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Well, this is surely bad news.....Now the only question that remains is.....does CycloDS works, because he has a slightly different booting method, and many people are raising their hopes in it!

 

[Destructobot]

Five pretend moneys say the Evo doesn't work either.

 

[skawo96]

Nah I think thay will solve the issue in few days/weeks....It has SD card slot dammit! I'm sure they are cracking it right now...

 

[DAZA]

Time is the factor here, somthing will be done about it, its not like all slot 1 manuafactures are going to stop production or give up R+D just because of that small stumbling block, i give it 3-5 months from official release date of the DSi

 

[Spikey]

Love the image for the news post!

Also, while I could be WAY off, I do believe that if this is indeed protection, that could be what is causing issues like this:

Their game obviously runs just fine on DS, but on the DSi, it keeps freezing up, and as a result is stuck in development limbo, Nintendo refusing to certify it.

 

[Jackreyes]

News like this, along with the price tag,
makes the DSi incompatible with me.

 

[nivrae]

I was wondering if something like this would happen. I'm not too worried though, we'll have a workaround eventually. I'm also curious as to see if the CycloDS will be able to boot on the DSi. I wasn't aware it had a different booting method than the other flash cards. Does this go the same for the Edge card since it is a CycloDS clone?

 

[Destructobot]

Any solution will likely require new flashcarts or a hack for the DSi firmware. AFAIK, most (all?) flashcarts do not allow the bit of code that boots them up to be overwritten, so this could not be fixed by an update to the flashcart's software.

 

[mrchew]

since the DSi has region lock they should try a Japanese flashcart

 

[Toni Plutonij]

since the DSi has region lock they should try a Japanese flashcart

There is nor region lock for games!

 

[Rayder]

It's as I heard then......


Seems I heard the DSi uses a digital signature of some sort to allow games to work. Newer DS games will contain this signature. The old DS's don't look for this, so games will work anyway.

Old DS games are just on a whitelist in the DSi firmware to allow them to work.

Possibly, games that are reported to have issues running on the DSi may be because they are missing on the whitelist.

Obviously, no flashcarts will ever be on the whitelist....unless they are hacked in to the firmware.

Or some such blah-blah like that.

I swear I read that on THIS forum somewhere.

 

[Destructobot]

since the DSi has region lock they should try a Japanese flashcart

There is nor region lock for games!

More specifically, only DSiWare will be region locked.

 

[mrchew]

since the DSi has region lock they should try a Japanese flashcart

There is nor region lock for games!

DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles... Nintendo DS software however is region free so you can play any DS software on DSi from any region. You can also browse the Internet on your DSi wherever you are in the world and exchange your photos with friends from around the world... DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent. kotaku.com

 

[Toni Plutonij]

since the DSi has region lock they should try a Japanese flashcart
There is nor region lock for games!

More specifically, only DSiWare will be region locked.

Exactly this....

And, if this digital signature is true!! Than I'm guessing the only chance to get flashcarts to work, is hacking an official firmware of DSi......

Or it could be made in a way, that flashcarts get firmware update, that would contain some official games signature in a header (or whatever), like NSMB....so DSi would think that he's booting NSMB, but it would actually be a flashcart..

QUOTE(mrchew @ Oct 31 2008, 12:08 PM)

DSi software (software that is only compatible with DSi) is region locked, eg: European DSi software can only be played on European DSi consoles... Nintendo DS software however is region free so you can play any DS software on DSi from any region. You can also browse the Internet on your DSi wherever you are in the world and exchange your photos with friends from around the world... DSi is region locked because DSi embeds net communication functionality within itself and we are intending to provide net services specifically tailored for each region. Also because we are including parental control functionality for Nintendo DSi and each region has its unique age limit made by different independent. kotaku.com

That's the reason why testing Japan flashcart would have the same result as the english one..There is nor region lock..