Hacking OK, I'm set!

[vmkstar99]

OK, so I think I'm set to order my copy of an M3 real for DS. I'm barely 10 years of age so I just want to make sure I get this all right.
I need a MicroSD card, correct? It can be SD or SDHC?
I'm going to be getting a 4gb (class-6, to my understanding) MicroSD from a local store along with an All-in-one USB memory card adapter.

And the rumble pack is just a substitution to Nintendo's offical rumble pack, but you can also get the Rumble RAM Pack which has built-in RAM (good for the Offical Nintendo Browser), correct?
I can also get the GBA Expansion Pack (but I won't get this as I don't play any GBA games nor do I need GBA homebrew), and I can get a 'Perfect' bundle with the M3 Real, rumble pack, and GBA expansion pack (however this pack does not come with the rumble RAM cartridge)...?
I'm going to get an M3 DS Real bundled with a Rumble RAM Pack from http://www.realhotstuff.com.

Also, if I want to use the Rumble RAM Pack or GBA Expansion Pack on a DS Phat, I need to order a replacement GBA case.
I'm going to get a set of replacement cartridges for the GBA Expansion Pack (they will work with the Rumble RAM pack... right?) that includes a GBA replacement case from http://www.realhotstuff.com.

To run it on my DS, I need to download the latest firmware and unRAR it. Then I need to copy the contents of that to the microSD card, and then drag-and-drop any game back-ups and homebrew software and music and videos onto the microSD card root (or can I make it easier and make folders on the card root to organize the file types?). Then all I gotta do is load the microSD into the M3 DS Real, boot it up, and I'm set!
(At least I hope =/)

The firmware that I'll use is the triple-boot Sakura/M3 Real/iTouch firmware that FiRsT-aNd-LaSt made.

I know there's more to using the M3 Real, but I just want to make sure that I've got the set up right.
If all of the above is correct and good, then great!
If there's some mistakes, then please tell me so that I can get the M3 Real set up the right way!

Thanks guys,
~99ratskmv

 

[Sinkhead]

All sounds good to me! Have fun

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Sinkhead said it right.....You're correct with everything.....Just have fun with it, I know I do!

 

[thedicemaster]

just some info, the m3 original firmware in the triple boot requires the official games to be in a folder named "nds"

also, if you want to use the rumble-ram with the opera browser(the official nintendoDS browser) you need to patch it first, since the m3real ram works slightly different from the official browser ram.

 

[Fat D]

and the Rumble RAM pack sucks with DS homebrew that requires RAM. Some only detect a fraction of the RAM, like M3 Sakura, some detect the whole 32 MB of the GBA expansion pack and fail when writing to the areas not present on that pack, such as DSLinux or any (?) homebrew running the RAM unlocking API.
And you can change the NDS directory with Start IIRC.

 

[themuddaload]

if i were you i would get the perfect bundle. the gba expansion doubles as a ram pack, you probably will never use the rumble pack, all it really does is screech at you when you get shot in metroid, and there are very few games that it actually works on.

also, i would check how much cheaper you can get that 4 gig microSDHC card online, i got mine for just over $20 from newegg after shipping. (mine is an A-Data 4 gig class 6) and you probably will want to get a better microsd card reader, because it will eventually die and kill your card.

other than that, i have no suggestions, it looks like you are on the right track.

 

[Cheater388]

The GBA expansion pack has 32 megabytes of memory and will utilize all 32 megs of it, meaning that it will play all GBA games that are 256Mbits or less (which is official max size of a GBA cart). The thing is that the official memory expansion pack that comes with the opera browser only comes with 8 megs. As a result of this difference, you have to patch your opera browser using a program listed here and you have to use that rom to correspond with the cart.

The website you are buying from looks a tad bit sketchy. Please look at reviews of the website, stating whether it is bad or good.

Since you are getting a 4Gbyte card (Class 6 at that! Wow, I'm impressed you found one of those), I guess you can consider a rom trimmer. A rom trimmer converts NDS and GBA roms so that unused space on the rom is not included in the file, hence 'trimming' the rom. You can find a few of this type of program in the download section of this site.

Only when watching videos will you have to convert them into a certain file format. The converter is either DPGenc (found with a download of moonshell) or batchDPG. When using sakura, make sure to change the pixel format to RGB24. Also note that the DS cannot play a video smoothly on full quality! You will have to actually tone down the options. I personally play the video bitrate at full blast and put the sound bitrate at 128kbs (I can't tell the difference in sound quality up front).

The rumble pack: all it really does is screech at you when you get shot in metroid.

Well, it also gets rather annoying in Elite Beat Agents.

But yeah, you get the point. I never use rumble.

 

[vmkstar99]

Oh thanks guys!
You don't know how close I was to getting the M3 without the GBA expansion pack.
So from what I understand, I can just order the perfect bundle and give the rumble pack to a friend or something, and I'll still have the GBA exansion pack to use for RAM?
cool!

I think that realhotstuff is an official m3 reseller from what I can remember.

And also thanks for telling me about making an NDS folder - would have been totally confused when trying to run a game!

And realhotstuff apparently can bundle a GBA replacement cartridge with the purchase of a perfect bundle for onlu 1 - USD.

And actually the 4gig memory card that I am getting is twenty dollars, although it is made by the store that's selling it - should I trust it?

Thanks for all your help guys!

-99ratskmv

 

[pokemongalaxy]

And actually the 4gig memory card that I am getting is twenty dollars, although it is made by the store that's selling it - should I trust it?



-99ratskmv

hey good luck dude

you say $20for 4gb ? whered u get it from?
EDIT: if theyre the ones who made it, then u should trust em, but give me a link to them just to make sure!

 

[vmkstar99]

And actually the 4gig memory card that I am getting is twenty dollars, although it is made by the store that's selling it - should I trust it?



-99ratskmv

hey good luck dude

you say $20for 4gb ? whered u get it from?
EDIT: if theyre the ones who made it, then u should trust em, but give me a link to them just to make sure!

You can find it here.

I'll actually be going in store to get this, so at the same time I'll try to find a nice card reader.
Has anyone else ever had to transplant the inside of the GBA Expansion Pack into a replacement GBA cartridge? How tough was it?

 

[Joe88]

And actually the 4gig memory card that I am getting is twenty dollars, although it is made by the store that's selling it - should I trust it?



-99ratskmv

hey good luck dude

you say $20for 4gb ? whered u get it from?
EDIT: if theyre the ones who made it, then u should trust em, but give me a link to them just to make sure!

I got my 4GB for $20 also on amazon

 

[Toni Plutonij]

Has anyone else ever had to transplant the inside of the GBA Expansion Pack into a replacement GBA cartridge? How tough was it?

No, but I opened mine and studied it a bit......So actually, I disassembled it and assembled, so you can count it as a "replacement"....
No problem at all, you have one screw to unscrew, slide a shell to one side a bit, and it just opens.....Be sure not to touch contacts and inside with your fingers too much, and just place it in other shell...
Really it's NO problem at all!

 

[Densetsu]

Has anyone else ever had to transplant the inside of the GBA Expansion Pack into a replacement GBA cartridge? How tough was it?

I actually did this for the first time ever today.

What stumped me for about 15 seconds was that on the DS Lite shell, the single screw goes through a hole in the PCB. So I thought that the screw on the DS Phat shell also has to go through the PCB; but that's not the case. In other words, don't try to align the hole in the PCB with the hole on the DS Phat shell. Place it down lower--the gold connector pins should be flush with the bottom of the shell. The DS Phat shell has some bits of plastic that outline the area where the PCB sits; if it fits perfectly and doesn't move, then you know you've seated it correctly. With the PCB seated in place, just snap the other half of the shell on, and replace the screw. Like Toni says, it's very easy.

 

[vmkstar99]

Has anyone else ever had to transplant the inside of the GBA Expansion Pack into a replacement GBA cartridge? How tough was it?

I actually did this for the first time ever today.

What stumped me for about 15 seconds was that on the DS Lite shell, the single screw goes through a hole in the PCB. So I thought that the screw on the DS Phat shell also has to go through the PCB; but that's not the case. In other words, don't try to align the hole in the PCB with the hole on the DS Phat shell. Place it down lower--the gold connector pins should be flush with the bottom of the shell. The DS Phat shell has some bits of plastic that outline the area where the PCB sits; if it fits perfectly and doesn't move, then you know you've seated it correctly. With the PCB seated in place, just snap the other half of the shell on, and replace the screw. Like Toni says, it's very easy.

OK, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Anything else I should look out for?
Like a paticular microSD reader that I shouldn't get?

 

[themuddaload]

OK, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Anything else I should look out for?
Like a paticular microSD reader that I shouldn't get?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2870461
^^ i got that one for $15 at staples, it is supposed to be quite good.

you will have to let us know how that microsdhc card works for you, since i have never heard of that berand, and im assuming im not the only one. try running HD Tach on it when you get it and see what the bitrate is.

thanks

 

[vmkstar99]

OK, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Anything else I should look out for?
Like a paticular microSD reader that I shouldn't get?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2870461
^^ i got that one for $15 at staples, it is supposed to be quite good.

you will have to let us know how that microsdhc card works for you, since i have never heard of that berand, and im assuming im not the only one. try running HD Tach on it when you get it and see what the bitrate is.

thanks

Thanks, will do!

Can anyone check the http://www.microcenter.com website (that's the store that I'll be going to) and see if there are any good USB memory card readers that support both SD/HC and xD (my mom uses xD cards) cards?

 

[pokemongalaxy]

And actually the 4gig memory card that I am getting is twenty dollars, although it is made by the store that's selling it - should I trust it?



-99ratskmv

hey good luck dude

you say $20for 4gb ? whered u get it from?
EDIT: if theyre the ones who made it, then u should trust em, but give me a link to them just to make sure!

I got my 4GB for $20 also on amazon

wow good deal. Theyre like $60+ here in stores!

 

[themuddaload]

it doesnt look like they have alot for readers on that stores website.

to: pokemongalaxy
newegg has 8gb class 6 cards for less than $60 =P

 

[JPdensetsu]

indeed souds good !!!

 

[Densetsu]

newegg has 8gb class 6 cards for less than $60 =P

Are you sure about the Class 6 part? This is all I could find.

*EDIT*
If you're talking about regular SD and MiniSD cards, I found those, but not MicroSD.