Hacking Post your questions about which flashcart to buy

[geigervibe]

@geigervibe
I think the Acekard2 would be best for you. It plays even avis... Though it would be good to know how old your daughter is, to guess what she can handle.

Thanks. Yes, I forgot, she is 9 years old. She is clever but at the same time she is impatient if something is not functioning, as it should be. I would prefer German as selectable languish, but English only would also be ok.

I did not read the whole review of the Acekard2 but I did read the ’Conclusion’;
„To sum up this whole review, the acekard 2 is an acekard RPG - without the built-in memory or open-source firmware. The interface is by far the best of any cart available. Fast, responsive, 25 image skinning, many settings tweak able through "glabalsettings.ini", after using it for a couple minutes you'd think it was the winner of this flashcart race hands down. Thats not necessarily the case. Its still lacking quite a few features touted by its competition, such as real-time save, in-game guide, slow-motion, and integrated expansion cart support. However, if those features aren't a requisite in your purchase, the acekard 2 is definitely a winner.“
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=79368

It sounds like I must do compromises in gaming functionalities, if I would go for the Acekard2. I did hope not to need making compromises in one of hers main sectors like gaming. But I can’t really appraise if these lacking features are important to have or if a firmware update has added these features since then. Are there other carts I should take a closer look onto, or is the Acekard2 the best choice?


The possibility to play back avi is nice, but I would be happy if the cart share one common file format as my N95 Nokia uses.

“# Full-screen video playback to view downloaded, streamed or recorded video clips
# Supported video formats : MPEG-4 , H.264/AVC , H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10“
http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/nokia_n95_cell_phone.html

But I guess it would be hard to find a cart, which support a video format as the n95 does. Or?


Thank you again,…

 

[Cash Machine]

Thanks for the continuing support.

I'm pretty much convinced to get the Acekard 2 over the EDGE. I am a little bit concerned about the build quality of the card itself, but I suppose it won't matter much since I won't be removing it from my DS, well...ever.

One thing that continues to confuse me is the different cards' support of slot 2 expansions like the EZ-Flash 3in1. For instance, I read in the latest Acekard 2 firmware release notes: "Improved supporting of running GBA games via expansion cards." Any idea what "improved" means? What type of compatibility are we talking here? 50%? 99.9%? Does that include GBA homebrew?

Also, if a card has problems running GBA games directly from an expansion pack, is "GBA ExpLoader" a functional solution?

If you couldn't tell, hanging on to all of my favorite GBA games and homebrew is very important to me.

 

[Cash Machine]

Good enough for me. In a fit of uncharacteristic impatience, I went ahead and purchased the Acekard2, the 3in1, and the 4GB SDHC card.

I realized as I was looking at my favorite GBA homebrew apps that most of them were features already included in any Moonshell-capable slot 1 card. In addition, there is, apparently, a DS version of Frotz, and my treasured AGB Rogue will simply be replaced with NetHack DS.

One more bit of curiosity: I've read elsewhere that the open-source-driven updates to the Acekard RPG are easily [and often] ported to the Acekard2. Is this true? Does the continuation of RPG support ensure the continuation of Acekard2 support?

Thanks x3.

 

[Slowking]

It sounds like I must do compromises in gaming functionalities, if I would go for the Acekard2. I did hope not to need making compromises in one of hers main sectors like gaming. But I can’t really appraise if these lacking features are important to have or if a firmware update has added these features since then. Are there other carts I should take a closer look onto, or is the Acekard2 the best choice?
Well you could allways get a Cyclo DS, it has all thos features and a pretty nice menu. Thing is I didn't think you would really need them. They are really just luxury and the Acecard has the better menu and the divx-avi-support.


QUOTEThe possibility to play back avi is nice, but I would be happy if the cart share one common file format as my N95 Nokia uses.
“# Full-screen video playback to view downloaded, streamed or recorded video clips
# Supported video formats : MPEG-4 , H.264/AVC , H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10“
http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/nokia_n95_cell_phone.html

Sorry, no card can play these files and there'll probably never be one.

 

[geigervibe]

It sounds like I must do compromises in gaming functionalities, if I would go for the Acekard2. I did hope not to need making compromises in one of hers main sectors like gaming. But I can’t really appraise if these lacking features are important to have or if a firmware update has added these features since then. Are there other carts I should take a closer look onto, or is the Acekard2 the best choice?

Well you could allways get a Cyclo DS, it has all thos features and a pretty nice menu. Thing is I didn't think you would really need them. They are really just luxury and the Acecard has the better menu and the divx-avi-support.

Thanks, that is my main problem. I don't know what I really need. I have no knowledge nor have I any experience. The only I can do is to read and try to understand. I did look at the comparison chart and saw that the minorities of the carts are supporting these features.
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=100201
So that would not be a reason then. But I did also read some few posts about the Acekard2, and it seems that the vendor has technical problems with the manufacturing at this time.
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=86879&st=0
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=86266
That could be a reason to avoid the Acekard2, but I keep this cart still on my watch list.

Also, I took a look at the shop where I think to buy a cart and looked at the prices and what is included in delivery. The Cyclo is by far the most expensive cart. I saw only one cart that bundled a Rumble Module, the m3real. The m3real was besides that one of the cheapest cart.

That raises a question, my current main question;
Do I need that Rumble Module and do I have some advantage of it. I'm not sure if I remember right what I read at some place, that the Rumble Module was not so good supported and it randomly vibrated uncontrolled??? Can somebody confirm this?

If not, and if I could have some advantage of this module, then I would prefer a bundle with it.

I would like to hear, why you would prefer the Acekard2 and Cyclo to the m3real. What properties make the m3real a bad choice for me?


My watchlist includes following carts;

Mainly; m3real, Cyclo, Acekard2
Secondary; SuperCard, Edge, DSTT, EZFlash V

I can't really explain why these carts are on my secondary watch list, I was reading here and there some good but I can't judging if these carts would fit my needs at the end. Therefore I have a petition, what cart of them should I ignore and why?


Thanks for any advises,...

 

[sidneyyoung]

Buy what you want, stop being a big girls blouse about it.

 

[junkmonk]

Use? Gaming, best homebrew compatibility, Video/audio playback, Web browsing (question about web-browsing however: does web-browsing only work directly connected from your computer, or can you connect to any wi-fi network?)
Price Range? Preferably cheaper, but willing to dish out the full for Cyclo DS if necessary.
Slot 1/2? Slot 1... What is the purpose of slot 2? As far as I'm concerned these are its only purposes: browsing ram, quake ram, gba compatibility. Are there many other homebrew apps that require slot 2? And are these the only purposes?
Built in or expandable memory? Which is better? I'm guessing SDHC is the best.. as its cheapest? Or is microsd better? When referred to SDHC, is it referring to MICROSDHC? How do you connect SDHC/microsd to your DS? Do flashcarts come with readers? Is there a difference between the type of storage to use for slot 1 / slot 2?
Special features? Best gaming / homebrew compatibility
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular CycloDS, supercard (is supercard slower? i read it lags sometimes)


For all slot-1's (ignore if you want a slot-2):
Support slot-2 GBA? Not necessary
Support slot-2 rumble packs? Do they work with NDS or just GBA?
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? Only if web-browser can connect to any wifi...

For slot-2's (ignore if you want a slot-1): expansion pack or its own memory? which is better/cheaper?

Okay basically I'm looking between the CycloDS, supercard, and Acekard 2.
A couple questions about these 3: Which support expandable slot 2 ram for web browsing?
What video files do they support?
Is there any real advantage that the CycloDS has other than realtime-save and realtime-game guide?
What is the point of connecting DS to Wii?
What are the major differences between these 3?
Finally, is web browsing (even with added memory) clunky on the DS?

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[geigervibe]

Buy what you want, stop being a big girls blouse about it.

I will do, as soon as I know what I want. See it like this;
Last week I did not even know that carts like this even exists, my friend pointed me to them but he was not deep in theme at all. Because my daughter should be able to handle this, it must be fitting some requirements. I can't effort to replace or complain until one cart is found. Therefore I'm here, and this thread is made for questions like this.

I do not yet own any Nintendo related hardware at all, therefore I'm not able to troubleshooting if something goes wrong and my knowledge about Nintendo related stuff is very pure in general. In the case of the Acekard2 with the current problems of quality, I could not differ if the microSD, the NDSL or the Acekard2 would cause a potential problem. I have nothing to switch with, nowhere to go to, just an impatient daughter and no time.

But maybe you can tell me, if the Rumble of the m3real is worth it to ignore the Acekard2?
Until now the Rumble bundle is the killer application of the m3real for me but I can't really judging that,...

 

[Cash Machine]

Ugh. After my impetuous purchase, I finally find out A] about the numerous Acerkard2 build issues [extending way beyond just a questionable plastic shell] and B] that the CycloDS does come in a sleek, Cobalt-appropriate black case now. I'm a bit frustrated because I read numerous reviews for both cards before settling on my purchase, and none mentioned either point.

I think I'll ask the folks at Dealwoot if I can send them back the Acerkard2 for a CycloDS. Any suggestions for doing so?

 

[Slowking]

The faulty Acekard batches are history for some time now...

 

[omgroffles]

Use? DS Roms - GBA - Minimal homebrew
Price Range? Cheaper helps
Slot 1/2? Slot 1
Built in or expandable memory? Expandable
Special features? Intuitive, responsive GUI, great solid functionality out of the box
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular Acekard 2 and M3 Real
Other?

Support slot-2 GBA? Native support is ideal, small patching is livable, don't want to use loader though (GBAExpLoader)
Support slot-2 rumble packs? Not necessary but not unwelcome
Support slot-2 RAM (web browser)? Same as rumble


Let's talk reliability first. AFAIK the batch of bad Acekard 2s have been fixed and I don't plan on removing/inserting my flash cart repeatedly, so I'm not worried about my card falling apart. But what about these FAT problems, wedging paper in the slot because of poor contact (wtf?), and whatever else? It seems people are ready to claim the problems are gone, but there are some people who say it only takes a few weeks for the card to show its problems and ultimately fail. I'm having a hard time figuring this out, so what's the verdict among owners?

Reliability aside, the main things I care about right now are GUI, GBA functionality, and product support. I'll say right now that I'm starting to lean towards the Acekard and EZ 3-1, but there are just a few things I want cleared up.

GUI
To me, looks like the Acekard is considered to have one of the best GUIs which is a big selling point. I've tried my friend's M3 Real and I'm pretty disappointed in the more than noticeable lag when browsing menus. He only has maybe 8 games and 30 MP3 tracks. I plan on storing more, will it be even worse as the count goes up?

I realize there's Sakura, but this will be my first flash cart and I'm not sure I want to mess around too much with custom/hacked firmware right away. But would you say Sakura is worth the extra effort and foreseeable hassle? And if I were to get into unofficial releases, would AKAIO be better or comparable to Sakura? Just to make it clear, I'd rather stick with official releases, but if the tradeoffs are minimal I may use custom firmware.. The Triple Loader does seem appealing, but I'd sacrifice that extra flexibility for a solid-robust-enough GUI.

From my limited research, people seem to prefer
Sakura > AKAIO > Acekard official > M3 Real official

Agree or disagree? I'd like to hear all opinions.

GBA
I think I may have gotten a little confused on this: does Acekard's official firmware support the EZ 3-1 or will I need to do some patching? If so, would I be using a separate Slot-2 loader or could I do it all from Acekard's GUI? How does this work in AKAIO in case I go that route?

Same goes for the M3 Real. From what I remember, its GBA support requires no extra loader or patching which is ideal. However, a big negative is the fact that the rumble and expansion are separate, on top of not coming in white from the factory.

Support
I know the M3 team is infamous for their support, but how does Acekard compare? Is the difference minimal or night and day?


So for you guys who have tried both Acekard and M3-- AKAIO and Sakura-- what say you?
I'll also add that I'm not afraid of patching or anything else custom firmware requires. I'm very computer literate, it's just that I want my flash cart to be a more refined experience as opposed to a high maintenance and partially buggy hobby.

Thanks in advance for the help. I'm really excited about how active this community is and I'm looking forward to becoming a knowledgeable member of it

 

[Cash Machine]

Dealwoot is being pretty helpful in regards to my constant waffling, so that's cool.

Just to clarify: I wasn't attempting to whine about any reviewers. I was, perhaps, whining a bit about the curiosities of fate.

 

[omgroffles]

Still hoping for a reply

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?s=&showto...t&p=1380349

 

[omgroffles]

Thanks for the helpful reply Pharaoh.
A few more questions.

You mentioned that both carts patch GBA roms on the go. If I wrote the rom to the slower more permanent memory in the expansion card (forgot what it's called), would I still patch every time or would it just be once? What if I don't want any special features at all, could patching be skipped altogether? And I thought I had read somewhere that AKAIO supports RTS for GBA. It's not too important and cheats are completely irrelevant to me, but can you confirm this?

I'm definitely leaning towards the Acekard 2 + 3-in-1, but the eventual failures are holding me back now. Since resellers obviously know about the failure, do they honor the 1 year warranty if the card fails in say a month or two? Or do I have to chase Acekard themselves, which btw doesn't sound exciting at all since they're overseas. Also do you know if the more popular North American resellers charge shipping? I don't mind the risk just as long as I get free (except shipping maybe) replacements.

Official support seems to be a toss-up, so it seems the most support I get will be from the community, meaning I'll be going with hacks and such. Just glazing over some topics before, it seems that hacked firmware can sometimes bring up other issues such as breaking Download and Play for some games. Is this true to an extent, or should I not worry about it?

 

[MichaelVash7886]

Use?Homebrew games and apps, roms, music is nice, but not neccessary
Price Range?Under $35 would be great
Slot 1/2?1 1
Built in or expandable memory?SD or SD Micro is best
Special features?cheat tools are cool and all, but not neccessary. Saving would be nice.
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particularnope
Other?great compatibility

Really looking at Supercard, DSTT, and iTouch. Any recommendations among those?

 

[omgroffles]

You can't chase AceKard team, they will just relay you back to the reseller that you get it from. Basically you HAVE to deal with the resellers. I know that DealExtreme, which I bought pretty much all my AceKard 2's from takes them back, they probably do honor the 1 year seeing as one of mine was 4-5 months old, and they accepted it no problem. They refunded the shipping and everything, and actually I'm expecting my package to arrive within the week.

When did you place your RMA? Curious to know the turnaround time for replacements for DealExtreme, Kick Gaming, and any US reseller if you have any experiences with them

 

[hakujintanuki]

Use? DS games, GBA games, homebrew old console emulation
Price Range? doesn't matter
Slot 1/2? 1, but with RAM/GBA expansion
Built in or expandable memory? expandable
Special features?
Any flashcarts you are looking at in particular I'm looking at the M3DS Real with GBA expansion or possible an R4 with EZ 3-in-1.

As I said, I'm really mainly concerned with DS emulation and GBA emulation.
Although with the two options I've stated, do these devices allow for more than one GBA rom to be loaded into memory at once, and then chosen from a list through the software? (I remember reading about something that didn't allow that, it simply booted as if there was a cartrdige in the GBA slot). And how do they handle GBA emulation in peoples' own experience. I always seem to read somethign like "not too bad" in reviews, but nothing more specific.

How are they for homebrew support in the arena of older console emulation? From the lack of details in file descriptions, I can't seem to determine which would work with these two devices, or if they would work well.
Mostly interested in NES, GB, GBC,
SNES (if possible), Sega systems and Turbo Grafx (if there is anything).

I'm leaning towards the M3 because I like the idea of everything being built in, flush together, rather than having to run GBA through a separate utility (as in with an R4 plus 3-in-1 idea). But let me know which device would be better for what I have in mind, if you can.

Thanks very much.

 

[omgroffles]

I won't be able to answer all your questions, but I can already tell you that if price doesn't matter then you'll be recommended the CycloDS Evolution slot-1 and probably an EZFlash 3-in-1 for slot-2. AFAIK the CycloDS team has made additions to their firmware to specifically support the 3-in-1, making use of all functions without patching. The CycloDS is the most coveted card and is known for tremendous support and rich features, which is why the price is so high. The 3-in-1 is the most convenient slot-2 device that plugs into the bottom of your DS and features built-in rumble, GBA expansion (for roms), and memory expansion to use the Opera web browser. The 3-in-1 is actually more complete than the M3 Real Perfect Bundle, because the perfect bundle actually comes with 2 GBA cartridges (one for rumble, the other for GBA expansion and Opera).

Also if I'm not mistaken, the CycloDS can load GBA roms directly from it's GUI. Or you can use GBA ExpLoader (a program for slot-2 devices) to load roms like most people

SNES emulation doesn't seem to be at full speed from my limited research. I'd imagine any other systems of that generation would be the same, though I'll let somebody else chime in on that. There are classic Nintendo remakes made specifically for the GBA (Super Mario Bros, Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island) which will play much better than through an SNES emulator.

Hope I cleared some things up. At least you have some products you can look into now while you wait for more informative responses

 

[EmperorOfCanada]

Also if I'm not mistaken, the CycloDS can load GBA roms directly from it's GUI. Or you can use GBA ExpLoader (a program for slot-2 devices) to load roms like most people

Correct. Cyclo + 3 in 1 is what I use, and with the latest firmware you can just go into to Cyclo settings menu and Enable GBA support then just run it from within the cyclo menu (you DO need the 3 in 1 in your slot 2 though)

*EDIT*
BTW Roffle, your avatar making me hungry =(

 

[omgroffles]

Me too, can't even remember the last time I had waffles.
I think I'll grab some next time, along with vanilla ice cream.



Vanilla BEAN ice cream