New Review - R4 DS

[marblearch111]

Just letting everyone know this: the microSD card reader that came with my R4 today doesn't work. My PC wouldn't recognize it when I plugged it in except in Safe Mode. My other computer would read and write just fine but now the light doesn't even turn on on the reader in either computers.

my microsd card reader that come with my r4 works fine

 

[SpaceJump]

Great review as usual. I only have one question which I think wasn't answered in the review: How are saves handled? Are they temporarily put into a SRAM/EEPROM and then transferred to MicroSD on next boot? Or are saves directly written to MicroSD?

 

[MaxThrust]

Cheapmod.net in the UK are doing r4 + 1gb card for £51.90 + 68p for 1st Class Recorded Signed For (loss upto £32)

 

[BlueStar]

Cheapmod.net in the UK are doing r4 + 1gb card for £51.90 + 68p for 1st Class Recorded Signed For (loss upto £32)

Looks a pretty good deal, but according to this page all the microSD cards are out of stock.

Just ordered from gameyeeeah.com, similar kind of price. Not too fussed if the bundled reader works cos I've got an SD card reader already for my trusty old steampowered SCSD.

Now time to get a DS lite

 

[jelbo]

Just letting everyone know this: the microSD card reader that came with my R4 today doesn't work. My PC wouldn't recognize it when I plugged it in except in Safe Mode. My other computer would read and write just fine but now the light doesn't even turn on on the reader in either computers.

It was also hot the last time it worked so I think it must have EXPLODED. How cheap. I already have an SD reader in my computer but it's slow to write. The microSD reader from the R4 (when it worked the one time) wrote at the real speed of the Ultra II card.

Oh well.

Yeah, I wouldn't rely on the shipped readers, they're the most cheap-ass one can get. The silver coated one that iirc comes with the M3 Simply is the same one I ordered several weeks ago from eBay for a couple of bucks, and that one got very hot as well and didn't work either. Yet it has a somewhat reliable sturdy look.

I ended up buying a multi card reader from HAMA which has worked fine.

 

[MaxThrust]

That page shows no microsd cards.. but on the r4 ordering page you get the option to include a 1gb one

 

[The Teej]

Fantastic Review, Shaun

I was REALLY impressed with the R4 up until I found out Homebrew support sucks donkey bollocks. Is there any chance that support can be improved via firmware updates?

 

[shaunj66]

Fantastic Review, Shaun

I was REALLY impressed with the R4 up until I found out Homebrew support sucks donkey bollocks. Is there any chance that support can be improved via firmware updates?

Thanks.

Homebrew support is really down to developers writing in specific support for the card, or the manufacturer to add some tricks to get it working otherwise.

 

[mond]

Homebrew support may suck on the R4, but just use the built-in passme feature to run that stuff off of a slot 2 card. Easy!

 

[Devante]

shaunj66, how did you get your DSLite to bypass the health warning screen completely?

I thought there were two FlashMe's. One that showed the screen as normal, and one that showed the screen, then automatically went to the next screen (DSLite menu or DS game).

But yours doesn't even show the warning screen.

 

[g.crow]

normal flashme doesnt show the screen at all. flashme stealth does.

when using my passcard3 there is the screen but you dont have to press a button.

mars

 

[The Teej]

Homebrew support may suck on the R4, but just use the built-in passme feature to run that stuff off of a slot 2 card. Easy!

Whoa, I totally never thought of that! Awesome

 

[ssj4android]

Sounds good.
How are you testing download play, though? That is, what firmware version is the unflashed DS? The newer firmwares, 4 and up I believe, don't allow first generation passmes, WiFiMe, and can't download play some games that work on older firmware DSs. For example, download play works fine with a SuperCard SD to an unflashed V1 DS in Tetris, both Jump games, Elite Beat Agents, Magnetica, and other. While Tetris at least wouldn't work if the unflashed DS was a DS Lite.

 

[stinkingbob]

Yeahhh!
Finallyther eis a product that can at least give ds-x a run for their money and hopefully prompt the company to make a ds-x with removable memory.
This is great news for everyone. I am going to order one for myself. I really don't care about download play and at $40 its a great price.

 

[SeanoRLY?]

great review. Helped me to figure out what the R4 was all about and gave a great in depth look of it!

Are you guys doing a review on the SC ONE and M3 DS Simply?


- Sean

 

[mewchewz]

does phoenix wright 2 and trauma center work on it ?

cheers

!

 

[BlueStar]

does phoenix wright 2 and trauma center work on it ?

cheersÂ

!

Everything seems to work on it

So far...

 

[k2theman]

Excellent review, I placed my order for an R4 last night at gamersection.ca. 100% compatibility, no slowdowns, easy as hell to use...sounds like a great product.

I was thinking about waiting for the M3 Simply review, but honestly, there doesn't seem to be anything missing from the R4 that I would hope the M3 to have.

I also ordered a Kingston 1GB microSD card from Buy.com Canada.

 

[smelialic]

Great review, really looking forward to the battery life results.

 

[joedodgy]

nice review.. as always

received a few of the R4DS carts today (from winsunx.com)

totally impressed with it - its definitely faster than the dsx, even with a standard sandisk 1g microsd.

it even plays 'nacho libre' - which i thought most cards refused to play on principle alone