Hacking M3 Lite Perfect or EZ Flash IV?

[SP0RK]

I have a NDSL and originally had an R4+1gb microSD. I recently got a Cyclo to replace the R4 and am planning to get a microSDHC to replace the microSD since the Cyclo offers support for that (another topic..). Since I'll have the 1gb microSD leftover I want to get a slot-2 device that uses microSD but am not too familiar with the slot-2 scene. After reading through different threads and reviews on DS Database, I've narrowed it down to the M3 Lite Perfect and EZ Flash IV.

Based on what I've read, and correct me if I'm wrong, both of these cards:
•Use a separate microSD than the slot-1 for ROMs
•Have pretty much 100% GBA ROM compatibility
•Have Opera Web Browser functionality

If those 3 things are all I'm looking for from a slot-2 device, then the only difference between the 2 devices would be price, meaning the EZ Flash IV would win out. So I guess what I'm asking is, what would I be missing out on if I went for the EZ Flash IV over the M3 Lite Perfect? Is there a big drop-off in performance or speed between the two? Is there another slot-2 which fills those criteria that I'm overlooking? Thanks.

Oh and if you know of a good U.S. retailer to purchase from, that'd be helpeful too.

 

[Veho]

The M3 has the Real Time Clock. Pokemon need it for time-triggered events, but you can avoid that with a patch. The M3 also has the GBA movie player capability, meaning you can watch movies (in .gbm format) in GBA mode. Since you'll be using this on the DS, and DS can run Moonshell, you probably don't need that.

Other than that, they are both great cards, both have excellent game compatibility, no difference in in-game performance (apart from the Real Time Clock), so I recommend the EZF 4.

 

[SP0RK]

For the Real Time Clock patch, is that applied to the slot-2 card, or would I have to do it to each ROM that needs support? One of the main GBA games I'm looking forward to playing are the Pokemon series.

 

[FAST6191]

Each rom but there are very few RTC games for the GBA (some pokemon titles, boktai and I can still never remember the third).
As for pokemon game days are about 6 hours and they will only advance when powered (as opposed to irregardless on the original rom), a minor inconvenience perhaps bordering on unnoticeable. What could be a problem is berries and such which take 4 game days to grow.

 

[SP0RK]

I was reading another thread where they're talking about the transferring of Pokemon from the GBA games to Diamond/Pearl. From what I gathered, if I want to be able to transfer Pokemon from GBA to D/P I'd have two options:

1) EZ 3-in-1 and patch the D/P ROM (this option works with any slot-1).
2) M3 Real GBA Expansion (which card is this, couldn't find any by this name on DS Database), but this slot-2 can only be read by the M3 Real slot-1.

Since I've got a Cyclo, the only way around this would be an EZ 3-in-1, but it doesn't have the microSD compatibility I'm looking for. Is there any other way to work around this having a slot-1 Cyclo and a slot-2 with the microSD function? Is the EZ IV able to transfer Pokemon from GBA to D/P?

 

[Veho]

Is the EZ IV able to transfer Pokemon from GBA to D/P?

Yes, through game linkage, but you have to run both games from the EZF4. The card loads the GBA game into its RAM, runs the DS game directly from the memory card, and you can transfer Pokemon (in Pokemon), or do whatever the combination enables (for other games). I can't guarantee you can convert the save file to the R4 save format though (and vice versa; I think you can, but I'm not sure), and if you can't, you'd have to run the whole Pokemon D/P from the EZF4, start to finish.

 

[SP0RK]

So the D/P ROM would run on the EZ IV? Is there a certain process I'd have to go through in order to run it on the EZ IV since it's a DS ROM? Also, I found this file converter for saved games; would that one work for the conversion you are talking about between EZ IV and Cyclo formats?

Sorry to keep throwing more questions out there. The replies have been really helpful so far and I think I'm almost decided on the EZ IV.

EDIT: Random question.. can saves from a GBA emulator on PC such as visual boy advance be used/converted to play on slot-2 cards (specifically EZ IV)?

 

[Veho]

Yes, the EZF 4 can run DS ROMs too. You use the R4 as a Passme device, run the EZF 4 in DS mode, and you can run DS ROMs. ROMs have to be patched for the EZF 4 with the patcher/loader software (patching consists of two clicks: "open ROM" and "send to card"

).

For save file conversion, skim through this thread. Visual Boy Advance sav files can be converted to be used on the EZF4.