Hacking EZ Flash IV with DSi/DSL

[senzer]

Hi, thinking about getting a DS to upgrade from my GBA, but I am wondering what DS model I should get, so my EZ Flash IV will work...

they only seem to be sellin DSi and DS Lite near me, so which one should I go for? And, having said that, I can only see the DSi for sale... so will my ez flash IV work with the DSi?

thanks

 

[FAST6191]

The DSi and everything that followed it have no GBA slot so no EZ4 with those.

 

[senzer]

Hrrrk! Thanks.. Hey, I notice you are from the UK, which is actually where I am at too. Do you know any retailers that might still be selling the DS? Or is that being very unrealistic seeing as it's like 3+ years old?

cheers

 

[senzer]

Err ok, I now have DS Lite... but, having read the walkthrough, im not sure if I have all I need..

I have an EZ Flash (says it supports DS Lite on the box)
A micro SD card
A Micro SD > SD card adapter
Card reader

Would I still need this PassMe thing? I also have a retail DS game.

thanks

 

[FAST6191]

If you just want it for GBA then ignore the passme stuff. I would not suggest you get an EZ4 for DS stuff beyond maybe a bit of homebrew and as how_do_i_do_that says you can usually bash a DS slot device into working as a nopass.

We advise against those adapters as they often cause trouble. Try to find a miniSD instead (Amazon still stocks them if nothing else)

As for where to find a DS lite (although you seem to have that sorted) I tend to hit up my local electronics repair shop for such things.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

Any slot1 flashcart works as a passme device, assuming your trying to play DS games from the EZ-IV. If your plan is to play GBA games, passme is not a required feature to have.

 

[senzer]

I'm still ignorant on the subject. I would like to play DS games on my EZ Flash IV...

Also, if I was to play GBA games on this, would I have to format my mini SD to get the whole EZ Flash Kernel thing on it again? I only have one mini SD right now.

Sorry for my cluelessness!

oh, and also, before when I stated I had a 'micro' SD card, what I meant was I have a 'mini' SD card. apoligies for any confusion caused.

 

[Deleted-236924]

I'm still ignorant on the subject. I would like to play DS games on my EZ Flash IV...

Also, if I was to play GBA games on this, would I have to format my mini SD to get the whole EZ Flash Kernel thing on it again? I only have one mini SD right now.

Sorry for my cluelessness!

oh, and also, before when I stated I had a 'micro' SD card, what I meant was I have a 'mini' SD card. apoligies for any confusion caused.

You aren't even supposed to have any kind of kernel on it.
You just flash the ezfla_up.bin to it using the L button while booting, and then you can only have gba/nds files and the saver directory and you're fine.

 

[FAST6191]

I would really not suggest an EZ4 for DS stuff- it has not been updated for DS stuff since April 2009 (everybody had shifted to DS slot stuff for some time by this point) and it lacks pretty much everything in the way of DS features (cheats, in game guides, soft reset, savestates...).
By all means use it for some of the early/classic titles and DS homebrew (the homebrew support is great aside from recent argv stuff). If you know what you are doing (and even if you do not it is not bad) you can run just about everything on the GBA on one and they are about the only device made relatively recently which is why people still look for them.

Oh and if you are rocking a lite http://www.neoconsolas.com/tienda/-c-94_64_66_100.html (you want the lite deluxe) except these will need a microSD (easy to get your hands on- 2 gigs or less only though).

 

[senzer]

Ok, guess I'll be getting the lite thingy then

thanks.

Well, I plugged my flashcart into the DS, and to my surprise it works as normal. (IE it runs GBA if I choose GBA) I tried putting a NDS rom on there however (mazza 64) and it wasn't recognized.

Sooooo will I need this lite thing to acheive that?

 

[Deleted-236924]

Well, I plugged my flashcart into the DS, and to my surprise it works as normal. (IE it runs GBA if I choose GBA) I tried putting a NDS rom on there however (mazza 64) and it wasn't recognized.

Sooooo will I need this lite thing to acheive that?

Of, course, what else would you have expected?
And you need either a Slot-1 Passcard or a flashed DS to boot in DS mode.

 

[senzer]

Unsure. Right now I'm going to format my SD, upload the flash thingy and try and update it.. unsure if it will work but hey might as well try to find some answers myself eh!

 

[FAST6191]

Wait I thought you were in the market for such things. The lite deluxe is the best model of EZ4 out there (it has more memory to run GBA roms from allowing for some niceties there) and is the only one with a working browser patch (although homebrew browsers are better).

General idea

Originally we only had GBA cards and due to some poor security they could be used to run DS code. Tjey could always run GBA code though (indeed no efforts were ever made to prevent it GBA carts from working).
However DS code from GBA slot devices could not be achieved without special measures and the three that were ultimately came in three fashions

1) Passme. These were custom devices that sat in the DS slot and tricked the DS into launching from the DS cart by piggybacking on an official cart. Later blocked and replaced with the passme 2 and succeeded by the nopass (which ultimately turned into straight DS flash cards and also what caused the GBA slot stuff like the EZ4 to not be updated any more). Most DS slot flash carts, at least for a while, included the to ability to launch the GBA slot in DS mode but some have since dropped it or had it error out and not bothered to fix it.

2) Wifime. Later blocked and although extremely impressive not half as nice to use as the likes of the other two in this list.

3) Flashme ( http://home.comcast.net/~olimar/flashme/ ). A replacement firmware for the entire DS but the kicker was you needed to run DS code at least once (to run the install program) or fiddle with some hardware (I do not think anybody ever installed it via hardware that did not have to).

The EZ4 GBA loader ignores anything with the extension .nds (instead only showing .gba and .bin although note the DS homebrew "format" .ds.gba and some use .bin as well will show but will not function in GBA mode).

Again though forget DS stuff from the EZ4 and just buy a DS slot (aka slot1) flash cart as it is less hassle and ultimately makes for a better time. An Acekard 2, supercard DS one or EZ5i are not that expensive and will sort things quite nicely for you and if you want to get a bit more exotic there are some other DS carts.

 

[senzer]

Thanks for your tireless efforts in trying to make me understand guys, especially FAST6191. I finally get it! I shall purchase a Lite Deluxe in the morning and that should be me done

many thanks - senzer

 

[KidIce]

No, no, that's not what Fast is suggesting. The Lite Deluxe is just another version of the EZ4, it will function pretty much exactly like the one you already have. It will still not run DS code w/o a PassMe or like device. If you could even find a PassMe/NoPass it would likely cost you just as much as a slot 1 flash cart and you'd still have problems w/ DS games on your EZ4. He suggested the Lite Deluxe because he thought you were looking for a slot 2 cart.

Buy a DS slot 1 flash cart for DS stuff, just about anything will do that has any support (as suggested Acekard2i, SCDS1, EZ5i), and forget running DS games from your EZ4.

 

[senzer]

ahem, right, I'll do that instead. thanks