Emulation GBA Flashcard Recommendations

[Karzahnii]

I'm looking for a good GBA flashcard to play GBA games for my NDS Lite. Things I'm looking for are:

-flashcards with save/load state
-flashcards which can hold more than one GBA game on at once
-preferably a flashcard which has a connection to PC (USB or Micro SD)
-256+ Mbits
-low price

I'm using an R4, if it matters. I've considered the EZ 3 in 1 Expansion Pack, but it apparently runs only one GBA game at a time, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[tj_cool]

How are you going to play two GBA games at the same time?

 

[Minox]

So you want a GBA flashcart with those features and a low price? - Sorry to crush your dreams, but that ain't happening.

GBA flashcarts are more expensive than slot 1 flashcarts such as the R4 and with those features included they are even more expensive. Still, if you're willing to pay for those features, I think you should look at the M3 Perfect flashcarts. Note that you want a Perfect in that case and not a Pro/Perfect Pro.

 

[Karzahnii]

By two games I mean it can hold more than one game at once. I might have read wrong about flashcards, sorry.

If those features would be too much for a low price, what is a typical $25ish flashcard capable of?

 

[tj_cool]

The EZ flash 3 in one gives your ds flashcart Rumble, RAM (for opera web browser) and GBA functionality.
The GBA games are stored on the micro SD card in the Flashcart (so yes you can have more than one)

there is no 'typical' 25$ flashcart'
the more expensive ones have extra features (like Real time save) and the cheaper ones don't have those)

 

[Karzahnii]

Alright, thanks. A couple questions about the EX Flash 3 in 1:
For *most* games, are there any certain programs I need to download to get them to work?
The games are stored in Slot 1, correct?
Do you have to have CycloDS, or does any Slot 1 flashcard work?

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

If you got a slot1 with integrated support, you only need to have the latest firmware to support a 3in1.

If you don't have one with integrated support, you will usually use a loader app (homebrew) to manage gameplay on a 3in1.

After you get a 3in1, you can go here:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=130659

It also has other useful information for dealing with certain games or needing certain things for the 3in1 if you have some issue.

 

[wildfire95]

So you want a GBA flashcart with those features and a low price? - Sorry to crush your dreams, but that ain't happening.

GBA flashcarts are more expensive than slot 1 flashcarts such as the R4 and with those features included they are even more expensive. Still, if you're willing to pay for those features, I think you should look at the M3 Perfect flashcarts. Note that you want a Perfect in that case and not a Pro/Perfect Pro.

+1
Got a M3Real Perfect Package.
Works perrfect. Plus Sakura is simply the best firmware ever.

 

[wildfire95]

So you want a GBA flashcart with those features and a low price? - Sorry to crush your dreams, but that ain't happening.

GBA flashcarts are more expensive than slot 1 flashcarts such as the R4 and with those features included they are even more expensive. Still, if you're willing to pay for those features, I think you should look at the M3 Perfect flashcarts. Note that you want a Perfect in that case and not a Pro/Perfect Pro.

+1
Got a M3Real Perfect Package.
Works perrfect. Plus Sakura is simply the best firmware ever.

 

[Another World]

save up and buy the m3 lite. firmware is a bit outdate for nds passme stuff, but gba works like a charm. i got mine in my gba micro right now. it supports cheats, speed hacks, soft reset, save states, e-books, movies, up to 2gb microsd, etc.

-another world

 

[Wingz136]

I'd definately go for the ezflash 3 in 1. ive been using it with an r4 for ages, no probs.
just make sure you download the GBAexpLoader by rudolph to load games. if u run the games in psram mode they load really fast but won't run from the ds normal menu. if u run them in nor mode, and tur the ds off, take out the r4 and then go to start gba game, it will be as if you had that game in there.

 

[raulpica]

I'd definately go for the ezflash 3 in 1. ive been using it with an r4 for ages, no probs.
just make sure you download the GBAexpLoader by rudolph to load games. if u run the games in psram mode they load really fast but won't run from the ds normal menu. if u run them in nor mode, and tur the ds off, take out the r4 and then go to start gba game, it will be as if you had that game in there.

This thread was something like 2 months old... Why won't people look at thread's dates?

 

[The Guardian]

because it's still useful to other people who may have the same questions

 

[Rymel]

nobody's mentioned a little detail any prospective slot-2 buyers should be aware of - you missed the boat and are largely screwed in your shopping selections now.

most flashcart developers have sadly moved on to ds/dsi cart development and straight up abandoned slot-2/gba cart development. most carts are way out of manufacture so you should expect to pay full price for a used cart if not higher. i paid full price to a friend for an M3 Perfect Lite with a 2 gig card just cuz i wanted it that bad. feature-wise this is the only cart to go with if you want it all and the ability to store your roms on a cart within the slot-2. next up i'd suggest a supercard but i'm not sure if it has RTC. it should also be noted that with an M3 slot-2 cart you have to use their management software to create a save file for each rom otherwise you'll find yourself playing games and none of the progress will be saved.

it's been 2 years and i still haven't gotten around to fully setting up that cart...i just don't care enough to. i've been using my cyclo ds with an EZ Flash 3-in-1+ but would love to finish setting up the M3 Perfect simply so i can have a dedicated slot-2 cart instead of dedicating space in my slot-1 that should be going to DS roms. ideally i'd love one last hurrah from say team cyclops where i can get a slot-2 cart with all the features of a 3-in-1, RTC, gyro/accelerometer for tilt games, real time saving/loading and of course SDHC (i'd accept a standard gba-sized cart sticking out of my lite for all these features), but let's be real here - they just don't care anymore. actually, i'd just be happy if someone would release a stinkin card with a real time clock and sdhc at this point.

i really wish cart developers would just open-source information on cart development when they've abandoned it, just so some homebrew electronics enthusiasts could pick up wherever they left off. at least someone else could've tried to firmware hack SDHC support into the damn cart, or transplant hacked firmwares into a custom cart. building the hardware's not the problem, i can always pay someone to solder the components and pay the premium for SMD components and other optimized parts. it's writing the software for the microprocessor that i wouldn't know heads or tails from.