Hacking General Questions

[omgbai]

Hallo!

I am planning to buy a NDS Lite + flash cart for all the needs...
I have some questions which are generic... please answer or point a thread

1. Last i checked the only way to run homebrew was via flashing the firmware + using a M3 or likes gba styled cartridege and put your homebrew/backup roms on the SD and play... has this changed ? As i hear now there are slot 1/2 solutions available ... so is a firmware flash still required?

2. Which of the two have better game play experience... there were lag issues early on.

3. Built in or expandable memory is an option for all carts , any advantages of going for a built in mem (faster?)

4. What are the general special features one looks for in carts? Top of the head revaeals SDHC & DLDI , any others ?


omgbai!

 

[Bri]

Generally, you'll want a slot 2 flash cart with a microSDHC slot. If you want to play GBA games or use the Opera browser, you'll also need a slot 2 GBA expansion cart such as the EZFlash 3-in-1 which will let you play GBA games stored on the slot 1 cart's microSD card and will serve as memory expansion needed by the browser.

This setup will allow you to play homebrew and commercial ROMs without flashing the NDS firmware at all.

I'm not sure what you mean by "special features" but most of the recommended slot 2 flash carts have SDHC, DLDI, and nearly 100% compatibility. The ones I see most recommended are Acekard 2, Edge, SCDS1, and CycloDS. Each has advantages and disadvantages in terms of menus, price, and "advanced features" like game state dumps or slow-motion (features that most users don't really need).

In my opinion, unless you must have those "advanced features" that most people don't use, the Acekard 2 offers the best menu system and the best price. If price isn't as important to you as those advanced features, the CycloDS might be worth considering (it's a lot more expensive than the others but has the features and a decent menu although its menu isn't as nice as the Acekard 2's in my opinion). If the price of the CycloDS is too steep but you're willing to sacrifice the quality of the menu system for the advanced features, you may want to consider the SCDS1 which has the features but its menu system isn't as nice as other carts.

-Bri

 

[DeMoN]

1. No you can run pretty much all homebrew with Slot 1 now. Slot 2 is now used for memory expansion to supplement slot 1.
2. Slot 1 plays DS games and homebrew better.
3. Built-in memory (NAND) is faster since it runs at the same speed as retail games whereas the fastest MicroSDs only manage around 99%.
4. SDHC and DLDI are common now and aren't really up for consideration. Special features are things like real time save and in-game text readers.

 

[omgbai]

Thanks,
Another quick quesition

Could some one suggest a combination for acessing complete range... right now i am looking at acekard 2.1 + ez flash 3 in 1

omgbai

 

[Kittymat]

M3 Real - Perfect

GBA Roms, web browsing, homebrew and a fantastic Sakura interface

 

[helpme]

cyclods evo + ez-flash 4 lite deluxe FTW........

 

[Bri]

Thanks,
Another quick quesition

Could some one suggest a combination for acessing complete range... right now i am looking at acekard 2.1 + ez flash 3 in 1

omgbai

What you mentioned is what I would recommend. The Acekard 2 supports the EZFlash 3-in-1 directly from the menu, so no need to use a separate loader like GBA ExpLoader.

-Bri