Hacking Flash cards - Slot-1 + Slot-2 - Comparisons

[Prodix]

Hey everybody.

I'm currently looking to buy one of my very first SLOT-1 (and maybe SLOT-2) flash cards, so I'm here to ask a few questions about them.

If I sound like I'm asking a dumb question at any time, feel free to flame me if you like, but you'll know why - flash cards are still a rather new subject to me. I'm here to listen to those that have experience with such things, to gain further knowledge, so I appreciate any posts, replies, suggestions, experiences, etc, that are given.

So, enough with the introductions, and onto the main subject at hand without further adue.

I've done some research already on most of the various flash cards out there and tried to compare them in features, price, etc, as best I could. I feel though, that my findings are only mostly accurate, but I may be wrong. And to be honest, it is hard to find grammatically correct and understandable English up-to-date information and comparisons without going to (and checking) each of the individual websites and/or flash card products out (most of which, also have poorly translated manuals from what I hear). And after searching the forums, which really wasn't any better as most posts/replies and/or stickies/reviews were out-of-date or answered solely on popularity/usage/opinion, not so much on fact - of course, it'll still depend on my choice in the end either way. So, here's what I've concluded from my results (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, or to just add something):

Slot-1 solutions:
R4 DS - Most popular, moderate in pricing, good DS game compatability + homebrew support, frequent updates, has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), has support for sleep mode but not SDHC, customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
M3 DS Simply (M3DSS) - Exact copy of the R4 DS (and manufactured by the same company - GBalpha), except with a few added wires, about the same as the R4 DS in popularity, about the same price as the R4 DS, good DS game compatability + homebrew support, somewhat slower updates (only after the R4 DS releases theirs), has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), has support[/i] for sleep mode but not SDHC, customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
M3 DS Real (M3DSR) - Vastly different than the R4 DS, exact copy of the G6 DS Real (and manufactured by the same company - GBalpha), uses same firmware from G4 DS Real, about the same as the R4 DS / M3 DS Simply / G6 DS Real in popularity, moderate in pricing, has good DS game capatability + homebrew support, somewhat slower updates (only after the G6 DS Real releases theirs), has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), has support for sleep and SDHC, customer support good?, also includes Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
Cyclo DS - Somewhat not as well-known, but still very popular, bit more expensive than the R4 DS / M3 series, best DS game compatability + homebrew support, frequent updates, has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), has support for sleep and SDHC, customer support good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
G6 DS Real (G6DSR) - Not as popular as the R4 DS / M3 / CycloDS series, manufactured by the same company as the R4 DS / M3 series (GBalpha), very expensive, good DS game compatability + homebrew support, frequent updates, has built-in 8Gbit (1GB) or 16Gbit (2GB) Nand flash memory, has no built-in memory reader, has support for sleep mode but not SDHC, customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
Supercard DS One - Not as popular as the R4 DS / M3 / CycloDS, exact copy of the M3 Simply (and manufactured by the same company - GBalpha), about the same price as the R4 DS / M3 series, somewhat good DS game compatability + homebrew support, somewhat slower updates (only after the M3 DS Simply releases theirs), has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), has support for sleep mode and SDHC, customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
EZ-FLASH V - To be researched.
Acekard RPG - To be researched.
DS Xtreme - To be researched.
DS Linker / N-Card - To be researched.
Others? - To be researched.

Slot-2 solutions:
M3 DS Real (M3DSR) Expansions - To be researched. No information out yet?
M3 Lite - Somewhat popular, expensive, DS support only, good DS + GBA compatability + homebrew support, frequent updates, has no built-in memory, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM packs, it is only a Game Expansion pack.
EZ-Flash V 3-in-1 - More popular than the M3 series, moderate in pricing, DS + Lite support, good DS + GBA compatability + homebrew support, no firmware updates, has built-in 256Mbit (32MB) Norflash, 128Mbit (16MB) PSRAM, and 2Mbit (250KB) SRAM memory, includes internal/integrated battery, has no built-in memory reader, customer support is good?, includes Rumble +/- RAM +/- Game Expansion packs.
EZ-Flash IV Lite - Not as popular as the M3 / EZ-Flash V series, three times as expensive as the EZ-Flash V 3-in-1, DS + Lite support, good DS + GBA compatability + homebrew support, no firmware updates, has built-in 384Mbit (48MB) NorFLASH, 256Mbit (32MB) PSRAM, and 8Mbit (1MB) SRAM memory, does not include internal/integrated battery, has built-in memory reader (MicroSD), customer support is good?, does not include Rumble +/- RAM packs, it is only a Game Expansion pack.
G6 Lite - To be researched.
Supercard Lite - To be researched.
eWin (credits to Eyedunno) - Not as popular as the M3 / EZ-Flash V / EZ-Flash IV / Supercard Lite series, moderate in pricing, DS Lite support only, good DS + GBA compatibility + homebrew support, infrequent updates, has built-in 256Mbit (32MB) SDRAM and 2Mbit (250KB) SRAM memory, includes internal/integrated battery, has no built-in memory reader, customer support is poor (Chinese only), does not include Rumble +/- RAM packs, it is only a Game Expansion pack.
Others? - To be researched.

There's my list. Once again, if anyone would like to add anything that I missed or stated incorrectly, feel free to post a reply. Hopefully this'll help other users that are in the same situation as I am.

Now, the main things in my purchase decision are mainly based on a few things. What I would like to have is good support for at least NDS backups, homebrew, download play, and multiplayer. If not those, then at least GBA support w/ a NDS Pass card of some sort.

I also like scrolling text menus rather than fancy GUI's.

I only plan on spending around $25 to $75 USD as a max for either one, or for both. So if anyone has any recommendations for cheap American or Canadian websites to buy from, that'd be great!

International websites are an option too, just as long as its not too expensive for shipping.

I'm leaning towards purchasing an R4 DS, Cyclo DS, or M3DSR for SLOT-1. Then either EZ-Flash V 3-in-1 or a M3 Lite for SLOT-2 (however, I may not get either if I get myself a M3DSR). And, by the way, since the EZ-Flash V 3-in-1 flash card does not have any firmware updates or kernal, is that particularly going to be an issue?

I guess I should also mention that I already have a MicroSD 2GB SanDisk card for my backups and homebrew. Has there been any problems and/or slowdowns related to using that particular card? Or should I return it and get a different brand?

What does everyone use as their current/favorite setup?

Recommendations for a beginner or an advanced user would be great as well.

I hope to be playing some !@#$% soon with my DS Lite. I can't wait.

Time to throw out that old GBA!

Greets,

-Prodix

 

[xcalibur]

get a cyclods and a 3in1
if the 3in1 is too complicated get the ewin gba expansion pack if its available
their rumble pack is brilliant and the review is also very positive

 

[raulpica]

The CycloDS is a good choice. It has a great support and a lot of functions.

The EZ 3-in-1 it's a solid device, a lot of people use it, and it's fairly simple to put GBA games on it. Regarding the Ewin GBA Expansion, I've read somewhere that it's a bit more difficult placing games on it.

 

[DanTheManMS]

Dunno where you heard that the Supercard DS doesn't support sleep mode, but I'm almost positive it does. Heck, I'm sure all of them support sleep mode, even the slot-2 ones if you put some other cartridge in slot-1 (like an official game or a NoPass device).

 

[iritegood]

Dunno where you heard that the Supercard DS doesn't support sleep mode, but I'm almost positive it does. Heck, I'm sure all of them support sleep mode, even the slot-2 ones if you put some other cartridge in slot-1 (like an official game or a NoPass device).

I heard the flashcarts still drain your battery when you put them in sleep mode.

And to the thread starter - most people get the R4 and 3-in-1. Good price and nearly perfect compatibility (no Wii-communication yet).

I heard the CycloDS beats the R4 in features, but it's also more expensive.

All in all, I'd recommend get the R4 and 3-in-1 if you want ease of use and good price.
I'm thinking about buying an M3 Real. The built in one-click-GBA support sounds nice.

 

[PikaPika]

M3 lite includes a GBA shell, so it's not DS lite exclusive.

 

[ooh44]

All Slot-1 carts that listed above support Sleep mode.
M3DSR / G6DSR use the same firmware and often update like once a month.

as the list above I didn't have..
Cyclo DS, Acekard RPG, DS Extreme, DS-Linker

I recommend R4 for cheap choice. CycloDS EVO for performance.

 

[4saken]

About CycloDS Evo, sleep mode doesn't work in the menu (unless they fixed this recently). If you are on a tight budget, you should look towards the M3Real bundle. You may also need a micro SD, so that will need to fit in your budget too

 

[myuusmeow]

The 3-in-1 does not have a MicroSD slot, it piggybacks on your Slot-1.
The 3-in-1 also has 128mb/16mB of PSRAM for quick writing of GBA games (NOR is slow, and has to be erased so even slower)
The 3-in-1 (XD, all 3 sentences start the same) is most commonly found as a Lite sized cart, but some stores have GBA sized ones for a DS Phat.

I bought both of my flash cards from Echostore, but some like DealExtreme (Shipping is free but takes forever), some say RealHotStuff, some say GameYeeeah (Don't know how many e's).

 

[Prodix]

*Updated*

Hopefully that'll clear some things up.

Questions:
I heard the Cyclo DS was on shortage at the moment? Thus, the reason why people were having trouble getting ahold of it? I did read up though that the Cyclo DS loads faster than the R4. So, for the price, you're getting the advertised performance out of it.

Also, do you really need firmware updates for a SLOT-2 device? I know the M3 Lite has firmware updates, but not the EZ-Flash V 3-in-1. Is that going to be a big issue when it goes to be used? It must not be a big issue if GBA backups and homebrew are run from the SLOT-1 flash card and onto the GBA's RAM. But, even still, GBA backups and homebrew are updated quite often, just like the NDS backups and homebrew?

Comments:
For the price, I'm still thinkin' about heading towards the M3DSR or the R4 with the EZ-Flash V 3-in-1. However, if I don't go with a GBA solution, then I may just go with a Cyclo DS (if I can find it in stock).

 

[4saken]

The EZ3in1 doesn't even have a loader - this is why there are no updates for it. The updates will come in the form of improvements in software (both for the slot 1 card and PC)

 

[Eyedunno]

Actually, the Ewin is easier to use for GBA games than the EZ5-3in1. The problem with the Ewin is support. They haven't released a software update in almost two months, and saving still doesn't work for games with 4kbit saves (the smallest size possible).

Other than that, it's easier to use, faster, and better looking than the EZ5-3in1 (which sticks out a bit).

Here are the specs of the Ewin Expansion Pak (I copied your format):
Not terribly popular at the moment, very low price, infrequent firmware (loader) updates, DS Lite support only, good DS + GBA compatibility (linkage fully supported only on R4 and AceKard+; other cards require a quick power cycle for GBA to NDS linkage, such as in Pokemon) + homebrew support, has built-in 256Mbit (32MB) SDRAM and 2Mbit (250KB) SRAM memory, unique system that uses clean roms and patches them on the fly when games are loaded into memory, includes internal/integrated battery, has no built-in memory reader, excellent build quality, customer support is not great (Chinese only!).

Oh, and it's another aesthetic issue, but some Slot-1 cards (CycloDS, SC DS One, and many others) have a cutout, and the sticker is the only thing covering the chip. This is not true of the R4 (and probably the M3 Simply as well) - solid plastic covers the whole PCB aside from the contacts.

 

[Prodix]

Great info, Eyedunno. I'll be sure to update eWin on the list.

Research:
After doing some more research online, I found some new information, but I'm not sure if the statements are entirely true:
"Supercard is the same as the M3." - With the exception of bad GBA compatibility, but better NDS compatibility?
"G6 is by the makers of the M3."

Comments:
I do realize that I'm not including everything on my list (features, compatabilities, pros, cons, ratings, etc), but if someone would like to use the information posted to create a more up-to-date comparison chart, then feel free to do so.

EDIT: *Updated*

 

[4saken]

I guess you could say the Supercard Lite is similar to the M3, being more affordable, having a front loading micro SD slot, and having relatively poor GBA support. DS support is roughly the same.

G6/M3/R4 are all teams supported by their headquarters at GBalpha.