and have an R4, is this all i need?
http://www.realhotstuff.com/expansion-pack-p-194.html

also just checking but the ROM's go on the microSD card that's in my R4 right?

 

Yes. That's all you need.



*slaps hand on forehead*

Nope, DS Slot 1 cards cannot play GBA ROMs, for the last damn time!

 

He's referring to the EZ flash 3in1 he's about to buy.

 

Two other things:

First, although you store your games on your slot-1 card, you copy them over to the 3-in-1 to play them (using a program on the DS). This takes, like, 30 seconds, although a copied game stays in the 3-in-1 until you overwrite it (so you could, in theory, delete it from the slot-1 card if you're really low on space. Not that I recommend that.) You can also boot up straight into the game you currently have in your 3-in-1 if you want, which is nice.

Likewise, the 'current' save for the game currently in the 3-in-1 is stored in the 3-in-1 itself; the copying programs will handle copying it back into the slot-1 card when you change games. I recommend backing your savegame back into your slot-1 card every time you stop playing, though.

 

The PSRAM and NOR still confuse me.

 

PSRAM- Game is stored on slot-1, flashed to the RAM, when DS loses power (Turned off, no battery) it is erased. (Not the save). PSRAM is much, MUCH faster than NOR RAM, and doesn't have to be erased. (Seeing as it is when it loses power)

NOR- Same as above, but minus the losing power/erased part. It stays when power is lost. But, it takes a _long_ time to erase the NOR RAM and a long time to write to it.

 

It copies/writes the save automatically. (Real convenient ) But there is an option to do that, but you only need to if you want your save and you're gonna sell your 3-in-1 or something.

Maybe there's just something wrong with my 3-in-1, because it takes quite awhile longer to flash a same sized game.. Took about 1.5 minutes to flash it.. (Yes it was in NOR, when you reset in Rudolph's tool, it doesn't show the Loading... screen. He probably just flashed his DS so he could turn it off and on so fast)