Passcard 3 First Look!

[T-hug]

Passcard 3 First Look
Retail Date 11/06/06

This morning GBATemp received the Passcard 3. Here is a quick look at the card:

The packaging is more or less identical to the Passcard 2 except for the picture of the card on the box. The box contains no CD software as it is not needed to use the Passcard.

The back of the box explains:
-The perfect flash card boot-up solution for DS LITE & NDS Compatible with most types of flash cards including M3, Neo, SC & G6.
-Simply insert both PASSCARD & flash card into the slots of NDS and that's it!
-Music, Movies, Freeware, Homebrew games and other files stored on your flash card can be launched.
-In addition, it works fine in sleep mode

As I am waiting for my DS Lite to be returned (dead pixel) I cannot test the card so I will be sending it to thieves_like_us today, and hopefully he can tell us what he thinks of the card in a small review!

To order Passcard 3, checkout our affiliates: Shop01 & Kick Trading.

 

[erbsland]

OK I can confirm the features on the box of the passcard3 :-)
it really DOES work with sleep mode and DSL!

got my passcard yesterday and everything rocks!

 

[chillyp]

Does this passcard contain copyright game code like most of the other single card solutions?

 

[meangreenie]

According to the EZ forums (sosuke) it doesn't work with EZIV where the SuperKey does.

 

[Darth_Small]

Was this supposed to be available in multiple colours? I vaguely recollect something of that nature.

 

[leoedin]

I got my free review sample today as well. I've taken some pics, but until I have a newer DS to test on I don't really know how well it works.

Expect a review on the M3 Wiki soon

 

[XtremeD]

Ok, two things first and foremost...

How much is it... and where can I get it?

The Passcard would certainly solve the issue I'm having with my PassKey, which if nudged slightly, the whole thing freezes up. The pins are also very sensitive, and I feel like I'm trying to line everything up in a fashion similar to trying to get an NES game working on a really old NES console.

I look forward to a review on both the DS & DS Lite with the various flash cards (especially the M3 CF version, which is the one I have).

 

[leoedin]

XtremeD. You can buy it from kicktrading.ca and divineo.net/com/cn or whatever

One thing - you can take your passkey out when your at the M3 main menu, and not have to worry about it.

The passcard 3 works with the M3 CF perfectly. See http://leo.rampen.ca/gbatmw/index.php?topic=59.0 for pics. I haven't tested it with a new-firmware DS though.

Thanks

 

[OrR]

@XtremeD: How about putting FlashMe on your DS? It's safer and much more convenient.

 

[keiith]

Just wondering, is there any effect on the overall battery life of the DS when also using the Passcard? Thanks!

 

[knutjob]

@XtremeD: How about putting FlashMe on your DS? It's safer and much more convenient.

Just curious how it is safer???

 

[Newbie1234]

I hope my passcard 3 comes soon... I've been looking in my mailbox everyday for the past week, as I ordered it from kicktrading almost a month ago.

 

[Hanafuda]

@XtremeD: How about putting FlashMe on your DS? It's safer and much more convenient.


Just curious how it is safer???

Not only that, but how do you figure its more convenient? I got nothing against flashme, but this passcard3 requires no programming, no wires, no jeds, no savs. You just put it in the DS slot and its done. How does it get more convenient than that?

 

[OrR]

Simple: It hasn't got the Passcard boot screen, it hasn't got the health screen, you don't have to carry another cartridge around with your bought games.
It's safer because it protects your DS from being bricked. If your firmware gets destroyed by malicious bricker code, it is very easy to restore. If you don't have FlashMe, you've got a problem.

 

[Darkforce]

Flashme is safer because it has a fail safe feature into the firmware, meaning if someone released an app/game with malicious code, instead of corrupting and bricking your DS, a DS with flashme can be restored back to normal.

Flashme is convenient because it removes the health and safety screen.

Also once you have flashme on there you don't need any sort of passcard anymore... so with one passcard and flashcart you and all your friends could have DSes with flashme on and capable of playing backups/homebrew.

EDIT - Beaten to it! Doh! xD

 

[litesaber]

I hope my passcard 3 comes soon...  I've been looking in my mailbox everyday for the past week, as I ordered it from kicktrading almost a month ago.

i couldn't find kicktrading selling passcard 3, could you link it for me? and how much did you pay for it total including s/h?

edit: has there been confirmation that passcard3 or superkey works with EZ4?

 

[knutjob]

I hope my passcard 3 comes soon... I've been looking in my mailbox everyday for the past week, as I ordered it from kicktrading almost a month ago.

I dont even see them listed on the kicktrading site...or am I blind?

 

[ron555]

Finally.

I can't wait until there's an ultimate solution to the NDS Lite, in an affordable package of some sort.

 

[ZildjianKX]

According to the EZ forums (sosuke) it doesn't work with EZIV where the SuperKey does.

I read that same post. I could be wrong, but it has to be a BS rumor by the SuperCard team.

From wikipedia:

The program entry point is written in its header, so the PassMe changes its value to redirect it to the GBA Slot address. However, header is protected from tampering by a CRC (Cyclic redundancy check). To work with more than one cartridge, the PassMe is able to calculate a new CRC.

It is just a redirect to the GBA slot, so it shouldn't matter which flash card you have in the GBA slot.

 

[meangreenie]

I dunno about the technicalities of it all, but I have also now seen posters saying that it not even working on the EZ-3 either ...shrugs...