Hacking R4DS + EZ Flash 3 in 1

[DNAx]

Will this work, because i read something that the 3 in 1 only works with the EZ Flash V? And how good is the 3 in 1? Worth it or are there better alternatives? Hope to hear from you.

 

[Upperleft]

Yes, it'll work
you'll need GBAxploader or something like that

 

[Fat D]

The 3in1 ws MADE for the R4, but thanks to Rudolph, it works with nearly every Slot-1 card. The alternatives are the M3 Expansion Pack (clock, 256 Mbit (32 MByte) RAM, 8 Mbit (1 MByte) SRAM, no NOR Flash or Rumble) and the eWin Expansion Pack (256 Mbit (32 MByte) RAM, 2 Mbit (256 kByte) SRAM (1 Mbit/128 kByte in the DSTT variation), no NOR Flash, no Rumble, no nothing, but cheap).
I am currently interested in the M3 Expansion Pack, however I have not yet tested it. GBA ExpLoader requires manual patching on the M3 Expansion Pack (and only that one) for playing 1Mbit Save Roms like Pokémon, but the clock is an advantage. Additional features like Real-Time saving and Cheats are only available with an M3 Real, though.

 

[Destructobot]

Are you sure the M3 GBA expansion has a clock? I thought it didn't.

Even if it does, it will probably only work if the M3 Real patches the game to use it, just like the M3 Lite and G6 Lite required the games to be patched to use the clock.

 

[DNAx]

Ok thnx, good to hear that it will work for me!

 

[Fat D]

Are you sure the M3 GBA expansion has a clock? I thought it didn't.

Even if it does, it will probably only work if the M3 Real patches the game to use it, just like the M3 Lite and G6 Lite required the games to be patched to use the clock.

I thought every OTHER cart required patches for the clock in order to make the game forget the lack of it. And GBAlpha even advertise the clock feature on the GBA-sized replacement shell. (pic)
I do not know why the review says there is none. Probably because of the confusion arising from the similarities to the eWin pack.
Anyway, I will be ordering an M3 Real with GBA Expansion (not Perfect Bundle, but Rumble RAM with standalone pack) within the next few days, so I will be able to tell you more next week.

A few counter-arguments against the patching requirements for the clock on the M3:
a) there is no toggle for it on the game manager
b) I have had a friend test a few differently patched versions of Pokémon (Ruby) on his M3 Lite Perfect with GBA ExpLoader: unpatched, GBATA-patched and the three M3 Game Manager patched. The GBATA one had save errors, but no clock errors.

 

[Destructobot]

Maybe the M3 Perfect and the G6 lite aren't as similar as I thought. On the G6 Lite you have to enable the in-game menu that lets you use the real time saves in order for the clock to work. The game manager doesn't say anything specifically about the clock, but it won't work otherwise.

I was not referring to the patches that make the game clock run on carts that don't have an RTC.

 

[Joe88]

Anyway, I will be ordering an M3 Real with GBA Expansion (not Perfect Bundle, but Rumble RAM with standalone pack) within the next few days, so I will be able to tell you more next week.

you get ripped off by not buying everything together

 

[Fat D]

in fact, at the cheapest supplier in Germany, the standalone expansion is 5 cents (Euro cents, that is nearly 8 dollar cents) cheaper than the extra from Rumble Bundle to Perfect Bundle AND includes the replacement shells, which do not come with the perfect bundle. Also, the Perfect Bundle also includes only the Rumble Pack.

Aibo, what happens if you run a GBATA-patched Pokémon (you WILL get save file corrupted errors, and do not do clock fix) on the G6 using a Slot-1 card?

 

[Destructobot]

Aibo, what happens if you run a GBATA-patched Pokémon (you WILL get save file corrupted errors, and do not do clock fix) on the G6 using a Slot-1 card?

I don't know of any way to run a GBA game on a G6 Lite from a slot 1 cart.

Ignoring the slot 1 part, I never tried doing that when I still had a G6 Lite, but I imagine it would do the same thing it would do on any flashcart: complain about corrupt save data but still save, and the clock wouldn't move. Like I said, the rom has to be patched to use the G6's RTC instead of the one it was designed for, and if you SRAM patch the rom with GBATA it will be forced to use 64KB saves, and that's what causes the corrupt save error.

 

[Fat D]

Aibo, what happens if you run a GBATA-patched Pokémon (you WILL get save file corrupted errors, and do not do clock fix) on the G6 using a Slot-1 card?
I don't know of any way to run a GBA game on a G6 Lite from a slot 1 cart.
GBA ExpLoader supports the M3 cards (G6 and M3 Perfects and GBA Expansion) since 0.53.

Ignoring the slot 1 part, I never tried doing that when I still had a G6 Lite, but I imagine it would do the same thing it would do on any flashcart: complain about corrupt save data but still save, and the clock wouldn't move.indeed, this would be the most likely scenario judging from the experience you have made with your G6QUOTELike I said, the rom has to be patched to use the G6's RTC instead of the one it was designed for,

either that or the G6 needs to enable the built-in RTCQUOTE

and if you SRAM patch the rom with GBATA it will be forced to use 64KB saves, and that's what causes the corrupt save error.

I know that.

 

[Joe88]

Also, the Perfect Bundle also includes only the Rumble Pack.

thats odd
the GBA pak is supposed to be included in the perfect bundle, it says on the box also
the supplier may be scamming or something...

 

[Fat D]

I guess there is a slight misunderstanding here. I was talking about the rumbling device packaged with the GBA Expansion Pack and the M3 Real itself being the Rumble Pak and not the Rumble RAM Pack.

 

[Joe88]

ah, I see now

the GBA exp pak also acts like a ram pak
the rumble/ram pak only includes 4MB while the GBA pak includes 32MB that can be used for homebrew and the browser and such

 

[Fat D]

I know all that, but having some RAM on every device I use beats having to switch devices all the time.
and if it is only 4MB, how can Opera use it?

 

[Joe88]

I do not know
people were posting specs in other threads
I always see rumble/ram pak =4MB

that way it prevents you from booting any GBA games

the browser needs to be patched also with a IPS patch for it work
it will return a no ram pak

 

[DNAx]

It seems that GBA ExpLoader is an app that i will need to use for GBA roms. Will this app also support rumble and ram expansion for opera? If not, what programs should i use for those and if it does, then it is fine.

And do i need to do something special for opera to work or is it boot opera and it will work fine?

 

[Destructobot]

Will this app also support rumble and ram expansion for opera?

Yes, as long as GBA ExpLoader supports soft reset with your slot 1 cart. In order to enable rumble or RAM expansion mode for DS software, GBA ExpLoader has to set the 3-in-1 to that mode then soft reset back to the slot 1 cart's menu so that you can run the DS software. The R4 and M3 Simply are supported directly. Most other carts require a bit of fiddling, and a few are not supported at all.

 

[DNAx]

Will this app also support rumble and ram expansion for opera?

Yes, as long as GBA ExpLoader supports soft reset with your slot 1 cart. In order to enable rumble or RAM expansion mode for DS software, GBA ExpLoader has to set the 3-in-1 to that mode then soft reset back to the slot 1 cart's menu so that you can run the DS software. The R4 and M3 Simply are supported directly. Most other carts require a bit of fiddling, and a few are not supported at all.

Lucky me, i have a R4DS. I am expecting the 3 in 1 today, so i want to be ready to use it immediately. Is it difficult to set them to ram/rumble, or is it via the exploader? It would be nice if it was easy to do.

 

[Shyvnal]

Nevermind, Destructobot beat me to it

Ahah, i can be useful!
DNAx:
Just keep pressing R, you will be able to select rumble or ram, then it will reset.