Hacking R4 + which slot-2 card?

[stephenophof]

Hello,

I have a R4 flashcard, but I want to play GBA games too.
I have a Nintendo DS (Phat), so I can't use the EZ Flash V.

Which flashcard is the best choice to use in combination with R4 (I don't need rumble, only GBA support) ?

 

[Doggy124]

Ewin expansion pak

 

[Nero]

Ewin expansion pak

Unless you want mediocre GBA compatibility, I suggest getting a EZ Flash V 3 in 1.
The Ewin Expansion Pak isn't a bad cart, but the 3 in 1 has pretty much perfect GBA compatibility.

You'll have to use the MicroSD on your R4 to store GBA games, which can be written into the 3 in 1's RAM.

~Nero

 

[stephenophof]

Ewin expansion pak


Unless you want mediocre GBA compatibility, I suggest getting a EZ Flash V 3 in 1.
The Ewin Expansion Pak isn't a bad cart, but the 3 in 1 has pretty much perfect GBA compatibility.

You'll have to use the MicroSD on your R4 to store GBA games, which can be written into the 3 in 1's RAM.

~Nero

But the EZ Flash V 3in1 doesn't work in a old Nintendo DS (Phat), does it?

 

[myuusmeow]

Yes it does.

 

[djgarf]

ever since getting my r4 cart the only time i have used my m3 perfect is for dumping nds games lol

 

[skarthebloodchild]

Go for EZ Flash V 3 in 1.
Most games i have tried works.

 

[Doggy124]

I have a question about 3in1.
If I left it stay in DS but not use it, will it consume more power?

Back in slot2 day SC consume more power when you left it in DS. (cause by its ram)

 

[skarthebloodchild]

No.I think that it will consume more power only if you use it.
If you play from r4 the power reads slot-1 and not slot-2.

 

[DanTheManMS]

It still draws power even if it's not being used. The same is true of all DS and GBA cartridges, not just homebrew devices.

EDIT: for clarification, it obviously won't draw nearly as much power as it would if you were actively using it, but it still does use up some power just sitting there doing nothing.

 

[stephenophof]

Yes it does.

Okay, thank you.
But that GBA Size version is working the same as the 'normal' (DS Lite) version?

 

[Destructobot]

Yes. It's the same thing, it's just shaped differently.

 

[stephenophof]

Yes. It's the same thing, it's just shaped differently.

So, that's a fast reply.

Thank you all very much. I know enough now.

 

[KrAzY3]

One question, why is the 3in1 almost universally recommended? Doesn't it hold just one game at a time? It sounds like a great device, but I really dislike the idea of the constant hassle that seems to be involved.

Why not spend a few extra bucks and get something like this: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10529
I'm just curious, there are a lot of options and the 3in1 seems nice but I'm not sure what makes it on par or better than cards that hold a heck of a lot more.

 

[Destructobot]

Doesn't it hold just one game at a time?

No, not in any meaningful sense (for the vast majority of games anyway). As with all expansion packs, the games are stored on the slot 1 cart and loaded into the 3-in-1's PSRAM when you want to play them. It works pretty much the same way it does with a cart like the EZ-Flash 4.

The only exception to this is 32 megabyte games. The 3-in-1 only has 16 megabytes of PSRAM, so 32 megabyte games have to be flashed to NOR in order to play them. It takes 4-5 minutes to flash a 32 meg game to NOR, but after that it loads instantly and it stays in NOR until you put a different game there. You can only have one game in NOR at a time.

This doesn't matter for most games. There are not that many 32 meg games, and most of them aren't worth playing anyway.

 

[Nero]

It takes 4-5 minutes to flash a 32 meg game to NOR, but after that it loads instantly and it stays in NOR until you put a different game there.

Destructobot.. Are you sure about that?

I flashed KH: CoM (32MB game) to the NOR in my 3 in 1, it only took just over 2 minutes..

~Nero

 

[Destructobot]

It was quite some time ago when I timed it, but yes, that's about how long it took. As I recall I used the same game to test it.

I'll try it again. I timed it with copyTest, which was the first app that could use the 3-in-1 with a slot 1 cart other than the EZ-V. It may be faster with the 3in1 ExpPack Tool.

Edit: I timed it again using the 3in1 ExpPack Tool to flash Kingdom Hearts (untrimmed). Results:

Erase: 2 minutes 24 seconds
Write: 1 minute 52 seconds

Total flashing time: 4 minutes 16 seconds