Hacking Post your questions about which flashcart to buy

[Mr Malice]

Just Putting this up again because I came into a new dilemma. The AceKard2's have a defective batch and this combines with DX's irregularly long shipping time, I'd rather not get it, have it defect in a day, then send it back, then wait for a new one. So What's my next step up?

Thanks
-Mr. Malice

Use? Games/Homebrew/Music/Video (Music and Video isn't needed, (It would be nice though but most flashcarts have them anyways)
Price Range? $65 and under ($65 or under after shipping perferably). (I've been searching a little already, Let's just say that CycloDS is out of range.)
Slot 1/2? Slot 1
Built in or expandable memory? Micro SD, I have a 2GB Micro SD Sandisk picked out for this
GBA compatibility? I won't be using it, so no, or at lease a package that doesnt have a GBA Expansion with it.
Special features? SDHC would be nice in case I want to go up. DLDI sounds nice also. If it boosts the price just to have it then no
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular? I've been Looking at M3 Real, R4, AceKard 2

If I had to say anything about what I'm looking for is that I'm trying to be cheap as Possible. I've been looking at stuff via Amazon so that's why M3 Real, R4, and the AceKard 2 come up. I have a 2GB Micro SD card picked out that's going to be $12 after shipping.

So I'm looking for a bargin. I really just want to Play Games with ease.

 

[Bri]

You can buy an AK2 from Leetmod.com. They will test your cart out before sending it to you, and their shipping takes 2-3 days to the U.S. The AK2 problem apparently can occur a week or two after using it, so having the seller test the cart might not catch the problem. However, Leetmod.com has very good customer service so if you do get a bad one you can exchange it for a new one (and since the shipping is a lot faster you won't have to wait forever to get a new one).

-Bri

 

[Mr Malice]

Sooo the problem with the AceKard 2 is really not any better either way I do it. But due to the prices I'm getting it faster for $11 bucks more? I still don't know. I was also checking out a DSTT, that one looks worse than the AK2 though.


I just found this,

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10401

This DSTT is bundled with a 2GB Japan Kingston, plus with the free shipping it blows both things out of the water. After reading the reviews this one seems pretty solid.

After Reading the cons I wasn't really pushed away from this cart, I'm a man that takes alot to annoy him, so instead of an AceKard 2 Would a DSTT be better? Especially with a 2GB Kingston with it?

Thanks

 

[ojsinnerz.]

Sooo the problem with the AceKard 2 is really not any better either way I do it. But due to the prices I'm getting it faster for $11 bucks more? I still don't know. I was also checking out a DSTT, that one looks worse than the AK2 though.


I just found this,

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10401

This DSTT is bundled with a 2GB Japan Kingston, plus with the free shipping it blows both things out of the water. After reading the reviews this one seems pretty solid.

After Reading the cons I wasn't really pushed away from this cart, I'm a man that takes alot to annoy him, so instead of an AceKard 2 Would a DSTT be better? Especially with a 2GB Kingston with it?

Thanks

Well, Acekard 2 is better as a general, but the DSTT seems to have a smaller defective rate (Or in the current times anyway. There were a lot of reports of it awhile back, now it's a lot more quiet.). Although I'm not 100% sure.

And the DSTT is pretty much an R4 with a sdhc support. It's still a fairly good cart.

 

[Bri]

@Mr Malice:

Yes, at Leetmod.com you're going to pay more for faster shipping and better customer service. In this case, if you happen to get a bad AK2 you could exchange it with a minimum of hassle and you'd only have to wait a few days to get your replacement. It's relatively unlikely that you'd get a bad one, but possible. You could e-mail Leetmod.com and ask them if they've had any returned (in my experience with them, they return e-mail within a day).

I have both a DSTT and an AK2, and I find that the menu system on the AK2 is well worth the extra $4 at dealextreme.com. The DSTT is a decent cart, but its menu system is definitely lacking in some key features. It doesn't sort roms, it doesn't let you organize roms into folders, it doesn't load GBA games or the browser without a loader, the scrolling is slow, etc.

There have also been bad DSTT's (probably more than AK2's). At least Acekard acknowledged the problem, apologized, and worked to correct it.

I'm not sure anyone can give you any better advice because of course there's always going to be the chance that you get a bad one no matter what cart you buy.

-Bri

 

[misanthrope]

Use? Games almost exclusively, occasional homebrew but can live without em.
Price Range? Under $60
Slot 1/2? 1
Built in or expandable memory?MicroSD that autopatches, I use Linux as my OS and build in memory cards often do not write correctly, normal microsd does
GBA compatibility? Not a priority, id be a nice bonus if built into the price.
Special features? RELIABILITY is the most important thing above all.
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular Supercard SD1 or SDHC, R4 v2 ( need a store that sells em though ) ( basically I don't wanna deal with the spring mechanism failing so thats why I'd like the one without it ).

-The sturdiest, best build card available
-Needs to fit perfectly, I don't want connection problems at all
-The least amount of reported "bad batches"
-Works with microsd ( sdhc not important )
-Willing to pay premium price for something that its going to work, I don't wanna "save" like I did with other cards only to have em die and even kill my DS along with em.
-Obviously the only guarantee in life is death but like I wanna know what maker has the best track record, best quality products, etc.

EDIT: I forgot the format.

 

[neoice]

Use? Games/Mp3s
Price Range? $50 or less
Slot 1/2? 1
Built in or expandable memory? No
Special features? Skinnable. It would be nice if it could connect to Pokemon on the Wii, and doesn't really matter.
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular Arkcard 2, R4, Supercard DS One Ver 3
Other? I'm sure every card has cons, ie Supercard has slightly longer loading times, or depends on the speed of the microsd. If you could list those out that would be great too.

Thanks!

 

[Bri]

Of those you listed, the R4 can be eliminated immediately. It's outdated and doesn't have some of the basic features that newer cards have, including support for microSDHC cards.

Between the AK2 and SCDS1, it would depend on what you're looking for. The SCDS1 currently has some features that the AK2 doesn't have (features that the majority of people will never use), but it's a bit more expensive and its menu isn't nearly as responsive or intuitive as the AK2's menu (the AK2 has one of the best menu systems of any cart).

So if the extra features are worth the higher price and worse menu, go with the SCDS1, otherwise go with the AK2.

-Bri

 

[tinymonkeyt]

Use? Games almost exclusively, occasional homebrew but can live without em.
Price Range? Under $60
Slot 1/2? 1
Built in or expandable memory?MicroSD that autopatches, I use Linux as my OS and build in memory cards often do not write correctly, normal microsd does
GBA compatibility? Not a priority, id be a nice bonus if built into the price.
Special features? RELIABILITY is the most important thing above all.
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular Supercard SD1 or SDHC, R4 v2 ( need a store that sells em though ) ( basically I don't wanna deal with the spring mechanism failing so thats why I'd like the one without it ).

-The sturdiest, best build card available
-Needs to fit perfectly, I don't want connection problems at all
-The least amount of reported "bad batches"
-Works with microsd ( sdhc not important )
-Willing to pay premium price for something that its going to work, I don't wanna "save" like I did with other cards only to have em die and even kill my DS along with em.
-Obviously the only guarantee in life is death but like I wanna know what maker has the best track record, best quality products, etc.

EDIT: I forgot the format.

again, no R4. there are much cheaper carts that are far more worth your money
the only problem with your request is that the supercard is spring loaded
otherwise, its a pretty well off cart (not sure the best build though. not heard of many "bad batches")
otherwise, you could go with the cyclo, but its outta your range.

 

[misanthrope]

Ive seen it on realhotstuff under that but they are out of stock right now. Basically I am thinking supercard at this point since the price is right, seems like a good sturdy card and I don't really mind things like waiting time on load or very basic GUI as long as it works. Only thing that I stops me is that it doesn't direct write when games are on patch mode ( and some of em need to be patched to load ) and when that little battery dies then it might have its compatibility greatly reduced. But looks like it would be easy enough to replace that battery anyway.

Regarding the spring....Since I posted that Ive seen that people with spring problems basically took it out and use it without the spring, maybe with a tape to hold in place...a very guerilla style solution but the spring shouldn't affect whenever or not the microsd can be read. But well other than this the spring problem seems to be more common in R4 and not as widespread in Supercard SD1 right?

 

[ojsinnerz.]

Ive seen it on realhotstuff under that but they are out of stock right now. Basically I am thinking supercard at this point since the price is right, seems like a good sturdy card and I don't really mind things like waiting time on load or very basic GUI as long as it works. Only thing that I stops me is that it doesn't direct write when games are on patch mode ( and some of em need to be patched to load ) and when that little battery dies then it might have its compatibility greatly reduced. But looks like it would be easy enough to replace that battery anyway.

Regarding the spring....Since I posted that Ive seen that people with spring problems basically took it out and use it without the spring, maybe with a tape to hold in place...a very guerilla style solution but the spring shouldn't affect whenever or not the microsd can be read. But well other than this the spring problem seems to be more common in R4 and not as widespread in Supercard SD1 right?

In a SCDS1 SDHC, you don't need to patch anything. The cart itself already has a "Patch" button, and it's just for if it's not a clean ROM. Not sure about the battery part, but yes, it's very easy to replace the batteries.

And as for the spring, it's fine. I've had mine for a few months, and it's been working fine. It accidently "launch" once, but that's because I pushed it down very hard. Usually, there aren't any problems with springs whatsoever.

 

[ojsinnerz.]

Use? Games/Mp3s
Price Range? $50 or less
Slot 1/2? 1
Built in or expandable memory? No
Special features? Skinnable. It would be nice if it could connect to Pokemon on the Wii, and doesn't really matter.
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular Arkcard 2, R4, Supercard DS One Ver 3
Other? I'm sure every card has cons, ie Supercard has slightly longer loading times, or depends on the speed of the microsd. If you could list those out that would be great too.

Thanks!

R4 is outdated, featureless, and is crap. It can't take micro sd cards that are over 2 gigs.

Acekard 2 is a good choice, but there's been a report of bad batch lately, so you can risk it, or ask the place you're buying from to test it. I hear leetmod.com does that, but not too sure.

SCDS1 SDHC is the most advanced out of the three, and also the slowest. However, it has lots of features, and a support team that never drops support for any of their products.

Acekard 2, if you want something simple, cheap, and easy.
SCDS1 SDHC if you want something that has features

 

[halomasta]

You should consider the M3 DS Real with the Sakura hack

 

[smokey_teh_behr]

ya sorry about the double post my computer is slow..

so i ordered the EZ flash v and 3 in 1 from deal extreme looking back i probably shouldve gotten a cyclo evolution and an m3 lite perfect... wat do u guys think?

 

[ojsinnerz.]

ya sorry about the double post my computer is slow..

so i ordered the EZ flash v and 3 in 1 from deal extreme looking back i probably shouldve gotten a cyclo evolution and an m3 lite perfect... wat do u guys think?

Uh..... EZ flash V is worse than the R4.... No AR cheat support, and lots of problems with games...... You really should've gone with a Cyclo Evolution with the 3-in-1, not EZflash with 3-in-1......

 

[abaddon41_80]

ya sorry about the double post my computer is slow..

so i ordered the EZ flash v and 3 in 1 from deal extreme looking back i probably shouldve gotten a cyclo evolution and an m3 lite perfect... wat do u guys think?

Uh..... EZ flash V is worse than the R4.... No AR cheat support, and lots of problems with games...... You really should've gone with a Cyclo Evolution with the 3-in-1, not EZflash with 3-in-1......

Actually they just added it

http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?f=...p;sk=t&sd=a

 

[scopenoob]

Use? Games, homebrew. Other features are nice too.
Price Range? About $50
Slot 1/2? No preference
Built in or expandable memory? No preference
Special features? Cheat support
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular CyoloDS, R4
Other? I need game support to be really reliable, and decent homebrew support.

For all slot-1's (ignore if you want a slot-2):
Support slot-2 GBA? Preferingly
Support slot-2 rumble packs? No preference
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? No preference

For slot-2's (ignore if you want a slot-1): expansion pack or its own memory? I don't understand this.

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Pizzaroo]

Use? games and homebrew/emulators
Price Range? anything under $50
Slot 1/2? slot 1, with
Built in or expandable memory? dosent matter. both, if there is one.
Special features? uhhh... not really, soft reset is all I need
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular? Acekard R.P.G. and iTouchDS
Other? NOTE: THIS IS MY SECOND FLASHCART! I dont need a cyclo, thats what I use for testing my own crappy stuff.
For all slot-1's (ignore if you want a slot-2):
Support slot-2 GBA? if It's cheap
Support slot-2 rumble packs? nah.
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? Not at all.

Sorry to break this to you, but Acekard RPG is 80 bucks. And iTouchDS doesn't have a good reputation.

I recommend DSTT, SCDS1 SDHC, EDGE, Acekard 2. They're all under 30 bucks, and you have to get a micro sd with it. Just choose what you like. Each has their own advantages, and disadvantages. I can name them if you want.

I have a REAL review of the SCDS1 on my proflie. Check it out if you want...

im willing to drop 80 dollers if it has 100% compatibility. and it also has 1gb onboard memory in addition to adding your own microSD card, right?

(I already know you need one).

Yea, it does have the micro sd addition. So, you can have up to 9 gigs (With a 8 gig micro sdhc). But 80 bucks is a bit much, don't you think? Unless you got the money to spend....

I have money. And i can play it even when my microSD breaks! (what?).

 

[abaddon41_80]

Use? Games, homebrew. Other features are nice too.
Price Range? About $50
Slot 1/2? No preference
Built in or expandable memory? No preference
Special features? Cheat support
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular CyoloDS, R4
Other? I need game support to be really reliable, and decent homebrew support.

For all slot-1's (ignore if you want a slot-2):
Support slot-2 GBA? Preferingly
Support slot-2 rumble packs? No preference
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? No preference

For slot-2's (ignore if you want a slot-1): expansion pack or its own memory? I don't understand this.

Thank you in advance for any help.

If you don't mind spending more than $50 get a CycloDS but then you will have to get a microSD as well so will probably end up spending around $65 before not including a slot 2 card to play GBA games on. It sounds as if you want something simple and reliable so I would go with an Acekard 2 + Ewin 2-in-1

 

[scopenoob]

Use? Games, homebrew. Other features are nice too.
Price Range? About $50
Slot 1/2? No preference
Built in or expandable memory? No preference
Special features? Cheat support
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular CyoloDS, R4
Other? I need game support to be really reliable, and decent homebrew support.

For all slot-1's (ignore if you want a slot-2):
Support slot-2 GBA? Preferingly
Support slot-2 rumble packs? No preference
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? No preference

For slot-2's (ignore if you want a slot-1): expansion pack or its own memory? I don't understand this.

Thank you in advance for any help.

If you don't mind spending more than $50 get a CycloDS but then you will have to get a microSD as well so will probably end up spending around $65 before not including a slot 2 card to play GBA games on. It sounds as if you want something simple and reliable so I would go with an Acekard 2 + Ewin 2-in-1

What advantages does the CycloDS really have? I hear it's good, but what's so great about it compared to something like the AceKard 2?