Hacking Gateway 3DS - First 3DS flash card?!

[raulpica]

I wonder how you put the 3DS roms onto the SD cards so that they are flashed to the right about of space... I imagine a software "ROM flasher to SD" is how, much like writing an .img file to a USB stick...

That theory is mere imagination on Pong's part. It's totally unpratical and also probably useless from a hardware standpoint to actually do that.

So there's no need to start worrying about that.

That's why I was that much against Pong spreading rumors as facts.
It just confuses people.

 

[phalk]

That theory is mere imagination on Pong's part. It's totally unpratical and also probably useless from a hardware standpoint to actually do that.

So there's no need to start worrying about that.

That's why I was that much against Pong spreading rumors as facts.
It just confuses people.

I don't understand why Pong still insists in this theory. The video clearly shows a bigger SD card for Luigi's Mansion 2, like someone found out a few pages ago...
If the 3DS uses raw data, a filesystem would be useless to determine a card's size, as far as I know it, but I could be wrong. But if I'm not, this theory is totally flawed.
<snip>

 

[Sizednochi]

However, I'll still support the games I really like, as I always had.
The only difference is that I'll be playing games I would never pay for otherwise.

My real concern is that I want to play Pokemon and Link to The Past 2 later this year, those are 2 games I bought a 3DS for; so, if the 3DS gets an update that blocks this instantly and those games happen to come after it (100% chance they will) you'll most likely need to update in order to play them... Which would render this thing useless.

 

[WiiUBricker]

Really, people are complaining about one rom per micro SD? Stop whining. We're luck as is to even get such a thing. Stop being spoiled brats.

If you think about it, the EZ Flash 3in1 is no different, basically.

 

[Qtis]

The only thing I'd really use this flashcard for is if it bypasses region locking, so I could play unreleased japanese games. I mean there is a chance for that, right? I don't know how region locking on the 3DS works - I'd assume the console checks for the ROM inside the cart? If it's that, the rom could be patched in a way to avoid this checking.

Won't work. If it requires any kind of patching, it will require signing. Signing would require the keys, which no one has. If this works 1:1 as many have suggested, you'll only be able to load anything signed (read: games) and they're either signed with a specific region key or a certain game version is signed with a general key. The patching would break the signature of the game and the 3DS would not let it load due to the error.

 

[Sizednochi]

If you think about it, the EZ Flash 3in1 is no different, basically.

Not quite, depending on your Slot-1 device. On an Acekard it acts like an expansion, letting the AK handle GBA games.

Won't work. If it requires any kind of patching, it will require signing. Signing would require the keys, which no one has. If this works 1:1 as many have suggested, you'll only be able to load anything signed (read: games) and they're either signed with a specific region key or a certain game version is signed with a general key. The patching would break the signature of the game and the 3DS would not let it load due to the error.

I see it now. Yeah, wouldn't work. That's a shame, but I hope this opens the door for region free in the future.

 

[AgentChet]

It seems this card is for piracy reasons only.. BUT it does (at least in my eyes) further the dev of homebrew or at least a card that will allow open software from a Micro SD... But it is coming with a high cost; piracy.

 

[Qtis]

If you think about it, the EZ Flash 3in1 is no different, basically.

But the game can be changed on the go with a combination of a Slot 1 card and the EZ 3in1. If you didn't own a slot 1 card, you're stuck with the game inside the card. AFAIK there isn't a viable way to change it apart from the actual DS/DSL flashcart..

 

[Subtle Demise]

Probably because hardware is more complicated than people tend to think and the whole mircoSD to 3ds-card interface is much more complicated than just redirecting some wires.

I'm just saying it still requires an exploit of some sort, whether in the way the cartridges are designed or in the system itself.

 

[Jayro]

That theory is mere imagination on Pong's part. It's totally unpratical and also probably useless from a hardware standpoint to actually do that.

So there's no need to start worrying about that.

That's why I was that much against Pong spreading rumors as facts.
It just confuses people.

Well, If a 2GB rom is a full 2GB, and a formatted SD is only 1.79GB, you'll need a 4GB card for a 2GB game... Not very practical with the drag and drop method.

 

[Ziggy Zigzagoon]

I wonder how astronomical the price would be...

Back when I first learned about flashcards, the cost of one way ~$120 (the cost for 3~4 GBA cards?), but the fact that the cards itself could play thousands of GBA games justified the price. Now the first GBA Flahscard I bought has a cost comparable to a GBA Card (back when there were still new ones) plus the Mini/Micro SD card, which was less.

Either way, I hope the moderator puts up in the first post the answers to the all-too-frequent questions: 'Will this remove region lock?' 'This is pooie! We can not load more than one game per MicroSD card!' and the ever-popular 'WHEN IS THIS COMING OUT DESUUUUUUUUUU??????????'

Now I am just throwing my question here while I wait for weeks for my question to be answered properly, but, for now...
...would this play DS games? (I stopped the use of my EZ Flash Vi. I was planning on buying a DS2, but, if the Galaxy 3DS lets me play DS games...)

 

[raulpica]

Well, If a 2GB rom is a full 2GB, and a formatted SD is only 1.79GB, you'll need a 4GB card for a 2GB game... Not very practical with the drag and drop method.

That's with a filesystem on it, with raw writing it would be different... but it's useless to continue this line of thought since it's almost certainly wrong.

 

[Jayro]

If you think about it, the EZ Flash 3in1 is no different, basically.

Same goes for the LSDJ on original GB, 2 roms, one per side.

 

[Sizednochi]

'WHEN IS THIS COMING OUT DESUUUUUUUUUU??????????'

I luld

But yeah, it won't play DS games, it's 3DS mode pretty much. I'm sure somebody will release a hybrid card down the line though that can switch between DS and 3DS mode.

 

[raulpica]

Same goes for the LSDJ on original GB, 2 roms, one per side.

Well, that's because it has REAL flash chips on it, and that makes sense.

Using microSDs in place of real flash chips, with "special" format methods does not.

 

[WiiUBricker]

But the game can be changed on the go with a combination of a Slot 1 card and the EZ 3in1. If you didn't own a slot 1 card, you're stuck with the game inside the card. AFAIK there isn't a viable way to change it apart from the actual DS/DSL flashcart..

That's why I added "basically".

 

[JamesWames]

I will only end up getting one of these cards for homebrew, and translated roms that you couldn't otherwise get in the States. I am so against piracy when a console like this is still in its infancy and selling games. I don't want the 3DS to end up sinking because of pirates. As expensive as games can be at times, I still intend to buy for my 3DS.

 

[sudeki300]

Not saying it's real... But where is the loader? One ROM per SD is a little impractical.

why would you need a loader with only 1 game per card, there will be nothing to select apart from a single game. loader would be a waste, save dumping can be done on pc. if and when it starts supporting multi games on one card then you have use for a loader...........................sudeki300

 

[KDH]

So I've read through the entire thread and couldn't help but notice people repeatedly saying that there would be a menu-based loader for no reason other than GaryOPA said there would be, and GaryOPA is trustworthy. I can't help but feel these people are missing the point somewhat. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof," trustworthiness has nothing to do with it. If this really is mere weeks from release, and really is intended to have menu-based loader, then why didn't we see that video? You don't announce a product a few weeks before release by showing off a prototype that has fewer features. And if anything isn't finalised within a month of your promised ship date then you've got serious problems.

I'm not saying this is fake, but expecting anything more than 1 game per micro SD card and saves managed by external hardware is extremely wishful thinking based on current evidence*. And as soon as GaryOPA or the people making the cart show proof of a menu-based loader I will happily eat these words.


* That's evidence in the scientific sense, testimony doesn't count.

 

[ShadowtearX]

*Is this real?
Short answer: Yes. This is a real product and will really allow you to play 3DS ROMS on your 3DS unit.

*How does this work?
It's a tiny bit more complicated than this, but I'm dumbing it down so that everyone can understand. Basically, this is a shell for an SD card slot which tricks the 3DS into thinking that the SD card is the game cart. By putting the ROM into the SD card, and the SD card into the shell, you've essentially created a 1:1 copy of a retail game; a bootleg.

*What does that mean for the user?
A couple things. The SD card has to be the correct size for the ROM. If you have a 2gb ROM you need a 2gb SD card, and so on. You cannot use a larger card than the ROM you're using, which also means that there's no way to store more than one ROM on the card at a time. Additionally, the save files are stored on the cart shell itself, as the spot for that is standardized. This means that if you change the ROM, the new game will see that information as a corrupted save and delete it. You'll need to back up your save files before switching ROMs, and you may need additional hardware to do so.

*Can it run homebrew?
Nope. This won't allow you to run unsigned code. The cart is set up in such a fashion that you've created a 1:1 copy of a retail cart. That is, it's signed by Nintendo already, and that's why you can run it.

*Can it get around region blocking?
Nope. For the same reason listed above, you'll still need to use the correct region's ROM for your hardware, and won't be able to play any ROMS of games that haven't been released in your hardware's region. You also can't modify the ROMs without stripping the Nintendo signature and thus making this method no longer work.

*But since the 3DS can't tell the difference between this and a real cart, it means Nintendo can't block it with an update, right?
No. Nintendo can and will block this device. Currently, the 3DS can't tell the difference. However, it's just not being instructed to check the right things. There's plenty Nintendo can do to identify this device. For only one example, they can check the read speed of the cart and see that it isn't the same as an official card.

Worse, since ROMs can't be modified, Nintendo also can and will simply include the update on future game carts, making it impossible to play those games with the device since doing so would force an update that made it no longer function.

*So what will I need in order to use this to full effect?
You'll need:
1) The device itself
2) One MicroSD card to standard SD card adaptor for your computer, or a USB card reader device with a MicroSD card slot.
3) One MicroSD card of every standard 3DS ROM size - 512mb, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB
4) A method of getting save data off the cart, storing it for later, and putting it back on the cart (an R4i save dongle, for instance).

*Will this open any doors for better versions in the future?
Nope. Again, because it's running 1:1 copies, and can't run any modified or unsigned code, it won't be leading to better technology on its own. It will, however, serve to motivate those that are currently working to crack that nut in two ways: First, because someone is out there getting a piece of the pie already and potentially eating their sales, and second because people will be unhappy with the complicated way this one works and demand for a proper system will increase.