Hacking Help: I want to buy a R4 again. A truly authentic R4, again

[JamesNannen]

Short Version:
I want to buy a R4 again. A truly authentic R4, again. Can you directly link me to a product page because there are so many clones that I have zero clue which is real and which is not. My preference is http://www.dealextreme.com/ and http://volumerate.com/ only because I bought threw them before.

Long Version:
First, I don't want to hear "R4 Sux!!!! Worst Cart Ever" because I fully understand that a long time ago everyone praised the R4 for being the greatest thing since Jesus. Then one day everyone turned on the R4 and hate it so much that even a slight mention of it will result in ridicule and a list of other better carts. I know that it is no longer a good cart but that is not what I am asking.

I did not follow the R4 that well so do not know how many versions of the original. From what I hear there was two, the first and one that supported SDHC and first the spring problem. Is that true, or a fake second cart? Was there more than two? I perfectly understand if the originals have gone to oblivion and the only things left are clones.


Even Longer stupid story that explains why I want to buy a R4:
I sold a 2 year old DS Lite and original working R4 for a crap load of money the moment the DSi was announced. The DSi came out and it was more expensive but not that much greater. So I have been an entire year without a DS or card.

I might just end up buying a DS Lite again or a DSi very soon. But I want a real working authentic R4. "Why buy an R4 they suck, buy a X instead". Well, I am going to buy "X", along with buying an R4. Think of it this way, when you were younger and maybe had a game that you sold or lost. Later in life you went and bought that game again because it was special to you. Even thought it is not the exact same psychical product but it is still special to you. The R4 was my first cart ever and my first ever moding/soft moding/flashing or what ever you want to call it. So it is special to me and they are so cheap right now I could buy 20 R4s for the price I paid when I first bought mine.

Like I said before...:
I need an authentic because all the clones apparently suck worse than the R4 itself and can not use the special software and tricks that help the R4 live up its newly found suckyness. Please can you give me a direct link to an authentic R4 on http://www.dealextreme.com/ and http://volumerate.com/ (or if there is another good website let me know)

Also since the market is saturated with carts everyone fights over the current best. Tell me your opinion on what other cart I should buy along with the R4, that is 100% compatible with a DS Lite and DSi.

Thanks in advance

 

[Law]

You won't get an authentic one anymore, it would be like going to a garage and asking the mechanic for a spare part for your car from 1955.

 

[EyeZ]

The only way you would be able to get one, is from buying from someone who has it (second hand), but as for buying 1 new...no chance

 

[Depravo]

Your best bet for a genuine one is to buy second-hand. Make sure you inspect it thoroughly before parting with your cash.

 

[twiztidsinz]

First, I don't want to hear "R4 Sux!!!! Worst Cart Ever" because I fully understand that a long time ago everyone praised the R4 for being the greatest thing since Jesus. Then one day everyone turned on the R4 and hate it so much that even a slight mention of it will result in ridicule and a list of other better carts. I know that it is no longer a good cart but that is not what I am asking.No one 'turned' on the R4.
They 'turned' (read: pretty consistently hated) the clones.
And that got worse when the R4 firmware stopped being updated.

The ones saying "R4 sux"pretty much fall into two groups:
1). Using R4 to refer to R4 clones
2). Comparing R4s to other current cards.

I might just end up buying a DS Lite again or a DSi very soon. But I want a real working authentic R4.

I need an authentic because all the clones apparently suck worse than the R4 itself and can not use the special software and tricks that help the R4 live up its newly found suckyness.Official R4's will not work on a DSi period.
There are no tricks or or cheats or hacks to get around that.

QUOTE(JamesNannen @ Jan 8 2010, 10:58 AM) Please can you give me a direct link to an authentic R4 on http://www.dealextreme.com/ and http://volumerate.com/ (or if there is another good website let me know)

As the others have said, the ONLY way to get an official R4 is to buy it used.

QUOTE(JamesNannen @ Jan 8 2010, 10:58 AM)

Also since the market is saturated with carts everyone fights over the current best. Tell me your opinion on what other cart I should buy along with the R4, that is 100% compatible with a DS Lite and DSi.

I haven't much looked into DSi cards, but from what little I have, I believe the M3i Zero is the best DSi card, followed by AceKard2i in terms of price and SuperCard DS Onei for features. You might also want to hold off for the SuperCard DS Twoi. It's a lot like the iPlayer (Multimedia & SNES/GBA emulation), but supports commercial DS ROMs as well.

 

[JamesNannen]

Thanks to everyone confirming that there is no true R4 for sale anymore. Basically my entire family (4 people) have true R4s so I guess I will wait a few years until they get board their R4 and DS and are willing to give them up. None of them are that into video games, rarely plays their DS and have never put games on the carts themselves. So I will get a real R4 eventually.

Also, I actually had 2 R4s. First one I bought way before any clones had shown up so it is 100% real. The problem is that the after a year of use the spring broke and then instantly had the "Loading screen of death". So i bought a second one. I just found my first one and the spent forever trying to put stupid YSMenu on it. That was annoying. Tested the MicroSD with YSMenu on it in my sisters working R4 and it did work. But then I tried it on my first R4 and it did not work so it is truly broken. (unless oneone knows of another fix of the "Loading Screen Of Death")

You might also want to hold off for the SuperCard DS Twoi. It's a lot like the iPlayer (Multimedia & SNES/GBA emulation), but supports commercial DS ROMs as well.

Thanks Twiztidsinz for giving your vote on what new cart I should buy. GBA games on Slot-1! That's crazy. Happy that someone figured it out and happy that all those people were wrong saying that GBA on slot-1 will never ever be possible. (I am sure it is still not 100%)

 

[twiztidsinz]

You might also want to hold off for the SuperCard DS Twoi. It's a lot like the iPlayer (Multimedia & SNES/GBA emulation), but supports commercial DS ROMs as well.

Thanks Twiztidsinz for giving your vote on what new cart I should buy. GBA games on Slot-1! That's crazy. Happy that someone figured it out and happy that all those people were wrong saying that GBA on slot-1 will never ever be possible. (I am sure it is still not 100%)

They didn't figure it out

They just jammed a a CPU and SRAM/Flash Memory into the shell lol

It's surprisingly inexpensive too, at least compared to some other cards.
The iPlayer is $35~40 and the SCDSTwoi should be right about the same.

 

[grindbart]

my advice: buy a R4 and put it on your sideboard in its cartboard.....and buy a acekard 2i for gaming

 

[macgeek417]

Yeah, get an AceKard 2i.

 

[h8isgr8]

OK, I'm a little confused.....

You guys say you can't buy real R4's new anymore, and I've read that "fake" R4's can't run the real R4 kernel.

If both those those things are true, why can my recently purchased R4 run the v1.18 kernel perfectly fine? Is it fake, real, or a fake that works like it's real?

 

[twiztidsinz]

Where'd you get that?

I just cracked open my R4 and the only difference I can see is yours has a "B2" stamped in the back of the shell in the upper left corner while mine doesn't.
As far as I can tell, it's real... if for some reason it's a clone, it's a damned good one.

 

[Depravo]

I have also come across clones that look and behave like genuine R4's. The only thing that marked them out to be a clone was that a) they were bought recently and b) they came in plastic packaging rather than a cardboard box. Aside from that they did everything a real R4 is supposed to do, including running the YSMenu I built for my 2 year old R4.

 

[h8isgr8]

I have also come across clones that look and behave like genuine R4's. The only thing that marked them out to be a clone was that a) they were bought recently and b) they came in plastic packaging rather than a cardboard box. Aside from that they did everything a real R4 is supposed to do, including running the YSMenu I built for my 2 year old R4.

Yes, this one came in the plastic packaging.


QUOTE(twiztidsinz @ Jan 8 2010, 07:16 PM) Where'd you get that?

I just cracked open my R4 and the only difference I can see is yours has a "B2" stamped in the back of the shell in the upper left corner while mine doesn't.
As far as I can tell, it's real... if for some reason it's a clone, it's a damned good one.

I purchased it from DX before they deleted it's product page. It was (is?) only $3.83. You can still add it your cart, but I can't guarantee they will actually send it.

http://www.dealextreme.com/shoppingcart.dx...0787~quantity.1

If the OP wants my R4 card + 2GB SD, then PM me. I don't use it anyway; I prefer the SDHC compatibility of the DSTT.

 

[zhuzhuchina]

actually there are many r4 clone , there is still avaible r4 card that works with r4 original software and still not compatibile with sdhc memory.
just is unknow if these r4 that run original software have connection with original r4 team or not.
r4 team is dead and r4 original factory moved . no one will give you the real story.
however now every online store selling r4 original it usually means its works with original r4 software and don't support sdhc memory at all

 

[KingAsix]

I had a real R4 but I gave it to my girlfriend when I stop playing my DS, but then I got a new flashcart when I decided to play it again....i mean if u plan on getting another flashcart anyway, get you a AceKard 2i.....Thats the one I switched to. Get it first cause it might be awhile before you find a real R4, plus if you get a DSi then you won't have to worry about buying a DSi compatible one.Thats what I did. I have a phat and I'm bout to get a lite and I know imma get a DSi and I heard AceKard 2i is one of the best out there so it just seems like the logical choice.

 

[retiredjerk]

they still make "REAL" r4's that use the original kernel just fine. they just dont support it. but trust me they are still making real R4's that run the encrypted 1.18 firmware.

 

[I am r4ymond]

Actually, some people STILL DO sell Authentic, Original R4s. My friend's dad went to Hong Kong over the Summer and bought me an R4. It was a Black, Original, Authentic R4, no doubt (I'm currently using it). Try buying an R4 at Hong Kong.

 

[twiztidsinz]

Actually, some people STILL DO sell Authentic, Original R4s. My friend's dad went to Hong Kong over the Summer and bought me an R4. It was a Black, Original, Authentic R4, no doubt (I'm currently using it). Try buying an R4 at Hong Kong.

What kind of packaging did it come in?

As Depravo said, the ones that come in plastic packaging aren't 'real', even though they look it.
It almost seems to me that these 'clones' were made using the real parts, but after the R4 team dissolved/disbanded/disappeared.
If they're using the same parts as the official, who's to say it's a clone?

 

[I am r4ymond]

Actually, some people STILL DO sell Authentic, Original R4s. My friend's dad went to Hong Kong over the Summer and bought me an R4. It was a Black, Original, Authentic R4, no doubt (I'm currently using it). Try buying an R4 at Hong Kong.

What kind of packaging did it come in?

As Depravo said, the ones that come in plastic packaging aren't 'real', even though they look it.
It almost seems to me that these 'clones' were made using the real parts, but after the R4 team dissolved/disbanded/disappeared.
If they're using the same parts as the official, who's to say it's a clone?

Hmm...Well...My friend's dad only gave me an R4 without the package and a 2 GB Micro SD card USB Port..etc. It wasn't in any package at all. My friend's dad probably opened it up and threw it away already, maybe because it consumed space while going back to the U.S. Not sure.

EDIT: I never had any problems with my R4, though. The only problems I had with the R4 was inserting the MicroSD card into the slot. No kind of problems with the R4 itself.

 

[medegen]

The original R4's are still available in Thailand as well. Comes in the original packaging and all 1.11 i think firmware(old firmware i know) on the mini cd. Ive seen stacks of em here. There are quite a few Thai websites that support mainly the R4 like releasing custom firmware etc patches what have you.