Hacking Question before i buy..

[fuctfuct]

I was originally going to go with the G6 real so i didn't have to worry about any slowdowns whatsoever.

Now that I'm a little low on moneys it looks like I'm going to get an EZFlash V + Kingston 1GB Japan TF + EZFlash 3-in-1 Combo at DX.

Anyone care to tell me if ill be having any problems (even slight glitches here and there) with this combo? The review looks good but this is only one persons opinion.

Even a little lag would bug me so if there is any i guess ill just have to wait until i can afford a G6.

Thanks

P.S. Anyone know if Mario Advance 4 works and saves from PSRAM with the 3in1 tool or NDStation? I read that some games that have 1024 (I think) saves only work in NOR.

 

[Destructobot]

P.S. Anyone know if Mario Advance 4 works and saves from PSRAM with the 3in1 tool or NDStation? I read that some games that have 1024 (I think) saves only work in NOR.

Here's the deal with the 1024Kbit saves: If you patch them with the EZ4 Client, they can only be run from NOR when using the 3in1 Expansion Pack Tool. You can patch them with GBATA and run them from PSRAM, but that converts them to 512Kbit saves, and some games won't work that way. I'm not sure about Mario Advance 4, I'll test it later and let you know.

If you end up using the 3in1 ExpPack Tool, you need to patch every game that doesn't use 1024 Kbit saves with GBATA, and not run them through the EZ4 Client at all. The EZ4 Client WILL cause lost saves when running games from PSRAM with the 3in1 ExpPack Tool.


NDStation deals with saves differently, so it can run all games (that will fit) from PSRAM. The drawback is that it cannot have the saves for both the game in NOR and a game in PSRAM on the 3-in-1 at once like the 3in1 ExpPack Tool can. This basically means that you always have to run GBA games with NDStation, you can't start the game in NOR from the DS or flashcart menu without risking lost saves.

 

[fuctfuct]

Cool thanks for the info man.

I never play anything that wont fit in PSRAM so i guess ill just use NDStation. But if you do get around to trying out Mario Advance 4 feel free to let me know

 

[Destructobot]

Mario Advance 4 seems to work and save just fine when patched with GBATA and played from PSRAM. Every time it starts it says the save data is corrupted, then it lists all of the different parts of the save (high score, game 1, game 2 game 3, etc.) and says they're all OK. It retained the saves I made, so I guess the error message doesn't matter.

 

[Psyfira]

Wait a minute I'd always thought this "run from PSRAM" stuff was connected to the tools for using the 3-in-1 with other brands of slot 1's, and had nothing to do with using the 3-in-1 with an actual EZ-V. Am I wrong? (I'm gonna go check anyway, but I'm sure there's no mention of PSRAM in the manual...)

 

[fuctfuct]

I'm sure you could use any of the tools on the EZ5 .. i mean they have them stickied in their forums. Plus the official way to use the 3in1 sucks balls.

 

[Psyfira]

Probably true. I'd never bothered reading about the tools because most were developed for use with non EZ-V's (and I don't really use the 3in1 anyway), but it never occured to me that they might have some use there as well.

 

[fuctfuct]

I only looked into it cause i'm sick of my EZ4 sticking out and the EZ5 is the cheapest slot-1 i can find that i would buy (I think, nobody has commented on the main question i asked here) hehe

 

[Destructobot]

The only requirement for running GBA games with the homebrew 3-in-1 tools is full DLDI support. If you like the capabilities or the interface better, there's no reason you couldn't use them on the EZ-V.

 

[fuctfuct]

So.... Nobody can comment on the EZ5? lol .. Is anyone even buying these or is the entire board gone R4? hehe

 

[KidIce]

I own an EZV, and 3-in-1, and have had no problems w/ it... But then I own a retail copy of CoR and thus have never put it on my EZ5. I either have had no interest in the usual other problem ROM's (eg THHJ) or own "real" carts there of.

Please note that I didn't buy "real" carts because of poor performance on my EZV... I'm not saying I don't pirate, but I DO buy the games that I actually think are worth playing... Pre-ordered both DS Castlevanias.

Psyfira, would do well to look in to Rudolph's and/or Cory1491's tools as they are quite useful even for EZV owners (especially the
"run from PSRAM" stuff).

If you have a problem w/ your slow ass SD (not the Japanese Kingston,mind , but you get my point) then try hybrid mode, other then that the only complaint I can imagine anyone having w/ the EZV is managing the save list. Cory and others do a fine job of doing it for you, if the absolute latest warez haven't been added it's dead simple to add them yourself. I usually add the ones I'm interested in myself and then download Cory's updates when available as they're always more complete then my save lists (TYVM Cory).

I can't comment on SMA4 as I've never tried it on the 3-in-1 and I'm about to go to bed so I'm not going to bother to try it now.

But if it has a 1k save then you're best bet is to just burn it to NOR w/ the EZ5's manager and run it from there. It's really in your best interest anyway, as it seems very important to you to be able to run this game: 1) it will be faster to access there 2) guaranteed zero problems there 3) no copy time (anything run from PSRAM needs to be copied from the slot 1 every time you run it) 4) etc

 

[fuctfuct]

Thanks

I get that the saving thing is kinda dumb.. The list and having to wait for it to save at reboot. But if the compatability is so good why is the R4 so popular if the EZ5 is cheaper?

 

[science]

I think its cause the R4 is older and has already gotten a fan base behind it. The EZ-V is way better IMHO. I have the EZ-V + Kingston Japanese 1GB + 3 in 1 and am very happy with it.

EDIT: Never have had any slowdown issues.

 

[fuctfuct]

Guess ill try it out. Thanks.

If i don't like it i'll sell and save up for a G6.

EDIT: have you played PoR?

 

[VVoltz]

P.S. Anyone know if Mario Advance 4 works and saves from PSRAM with the 3in1 tool or NDStation? I read that some games that have 1024 (I think) saves only work in NOR.
Here's the deal with the 1024Kbit saves: If you patch them with the EZ4 Client, they can only be run from NOR when using the 3in1 Expansion Pack Tool. You can patch them with GBATA and run them from PSRAM, but that converts them to 512Kbit saves, and some games won't work that way. I'm not sure about Mario Advance 4, I'll test it later and let you know.

If you end up using the 3in1 ExpPack Tool, you need to patch every game that doesn't use 1024 Kbit saves with GBATA, and not run them through the EZ4 Client at all. The EZ4 Client WILL cause lost saves when running games from PSRAM with the 3in1 ExpPack Tool.


NDStation deals with saves differently, so it can run all games (that will fit) from PSRAM. The drawback is that it cannot have the saves for both the game in NOR and a game in PSRAM on the 3-in-1 at once like the 3in1 ExpPack Tool can. This basically means that you always have to run GBA games with NDStation, you can't start the game in NOR from the DS or flashcart menu without risking lost saves.

That should be a sticky note on the EZ forum, really.
BTW, I'm also waiting for the same combo =)
...and I also got a second hand G6.... ok, I'm weird. (Because I own a DS-X and a EZ3 too).

About the R4 and the EZV, I've asked the same question, and many told me that the R4 is a "standard" of price and quality, I'm not sure about it, but now with the DX deal, I bet the EZV will get ubberly popular.
I own an EZ3 and I hate it with all my guts because of its software, I started hating it so much that I ended up buying a G6 just to stop using it. I bought my EZV combo to replace my DS-X.

I think afterwards I will sell both my DS-X and my EZ3.

 

[Psyfira]

The EZ-V on it's own is more expensive than the R4, it's only if you go for a 3-in-1 bundle deal that the prices match. Before the 3-in-1 was released more people owned the R4 than the EZ-V. They brought the 3-in-1 as an afterthought, so it makes sense that they'd recommend the cart they own to newcomers, who in turn buy an R4 + 3-in-1 combo too, and on it goes.

Even so, I'd rather put up with savelists and a week of nonexistant fingernails (the microSD slot is really tight on a new one but it gets a lot better) than buy a product that's going to break in 6 months. I'm surprised this breaking spring issue hasn't put more people off; considering a large chunk of the R4's user base is inexperienced people looking for something easy to use they don't strike me as the kind who'd want to muck around getting the thing apart to fix it themselves.

The savelist isn't as bad as everyone makes out anyway. It's copy-pasting one small file to the microSD, you only need to update it if you're playing something released later than your last update. Painless really.

I can't say much about the 3-in-1 cause I haven't really used it (as you can probably tell

)

 

[fuctfuct]

The EZ-V on it's own is more expensive than the R4, it's only if you go for a 3-in-1 bundle deal that the prices match.

Everywhere I'm looking the EZ5 on its own is cheaper or at least the same price (Mostly cheaper). *shrugs*

Just noticed the G6 Real at DX .. decent price.

EDIT: But now that i think about it DX isnt THAT much cheaper considering the slow shipping...

DealXtreme: G6Real + 3in1 = $80 CAD shipped .. $96 CAD if i go EMS.
DealXtreme: EZFlash V + Kingston 1GB Japan + EZFlash 3-in-1 = $60 CAD Shipped ($75 EMS)
Kickgaming: G6 DS Real 8G (1GB) + EZ-Flash 3-in-1 Expansion Pack = $100 CAD Shipped.
Kickgaming: EZ-Flash V Bundle Edition + Kingston 1GB MicroSD (JAPAN) = $87 CAD

Think I'll go with #3 if i can

 

[fuctfuct]

Went with... Kickgaming: G6 DS Real 8G (1GB) + EZ-Flash 3-in-1 Expansion Pack = $100 CAD Shipped.