Hacking Should I get an Acekard 2i?

[Matteo Palmero]

I recently purchased a DSi XL and am looking to get a flashcart for it. My DSi XL is currently running on the 1.4.3 firmware. I was leaning towards the Acekard 2i, although the Acekard team has stopped releasing updates for the DSi's firmware. Now the Acekard will in fact still work on my DSi Xl as long as I do not update it to the current firmware, correct? I chose the Acekard 2i because I like the features that the Acekard presents. Such as the auto trim function, anti piracy measures, battery life, compatibility rate, and the price. I don't plan on using the cart for anything other than playing roms either. I am looking for the honest opinions of people who are more experienced and knowledged in this department. If you have any alternative suggestions, feel free to make them and state your case. Also, if you do support the Acekard, could you list some trusted and reputable sellers. I would prefer an American distributor, so that I can receieve my card in a timely manner. I am willing to pay a little extra to keep myself from having a couple of weeks to get the cart. Thank you to everyone who reads this and replies.

 

[crazyace2011]

I would get the r4i 3ds card as it will work on the latest firmwares. were as the acekard 2i is no longer supported and they both run about the same price. get it from realhotstuff.com they are quick on getting it to you .

 

[BORTZ]

R4i is fine as long as you get a legit one and not a fake. Which are everywhere. There are also counter fit Acekards out there, but I think its harder to get your hands on one. AKAIO should support just about everything you need for a DSi. Again though, make sure you get an Acekard 2i and not an Acekard 2.1, which is their RPG revision for DS phats and lites.

 

[Fishaman P]

I love my Acekard, except for one HUGE sticking point:
It doesn't work on fully-updated DSi or 3DS units.

Other than that, the firmware, compatibility, etc. is awesome.

 

[Lacius]

You have every reason to get the R4i Gold 3DS or Supercard DSTWO instead.

 

[Matteo Palmero]

You have every reason to get the R4i Gold 3DS or Supercard DSTWO instead.

Like what reasons? I honestly have no interest in the Supercard. It is too expensive for a lot of features I won't ever use. While it is the only card that has not needed to be updated, it hardly seems worth the price if any other cart will work. Now I believe the R4 is a good option. It is cheap and simple. However, it lacks some of the features that are useful that the Acekard has which is also similar in price. I am concerned about all the different cards that R4 puts out and all the fakes. I honestly don't have a clue which version of the R4 would be optimal for my system.

 

[crazyace2011]

go with one and don't look back. it is basically the same card but the r4i is still supported as far as updates go. the acekard 2i is no longer supported. so if you get the acekard and accidently update your ds then you can kiss that card good bye but the r4i card would still work.

go with this one and don't look back. http://www.realhotstuff.com/R4i-Gold-3DS-RTS_p_86.html
and you can use the skins from the acekard website they work fine ive tested a lot of them.

 

[Ryukouki]

Like what reasons? I honestly have no interest in the Supercard. It is too expensive for a lot of features I won't ever use. While it is the only card that has not needed to be updated, it hardly seems worth the price if any other cart will work. Now I believe the R4 is a good option. It is cheap and simple. However, it lacks some of the features that are useful that the Acekard has which is also similar in price. I am concerned about all the different cards that R4 puts out and all the fakes. I honestly don't have a clue which version of the R4 would be optimal for my system.

The thing about the R4 is that a lot of the time they will get nullified with an update. With the Supercard DSTwo, it eventually pays for itself in that it can continuously update itself and still survive. It's not entirely invincible, as in some day it might get blocked permanently, but I've owned one for over five years and it still goes strong. The R4i chips, depending on which ones you buy, will fail at some point down the road, and you'd end up wasting more money on the chips than you would should you have bought the Supercard instead. The reason R4 clones fail is due to cheap hardware being used to minimize price and maximize profits. Most if not all R4 chips are just using the R4 brand name because it was once reputable at some point.

With the DSTwo, you get a ton of extra features like the ability to emulate GBA/SNES games and a hoard of other systems from way back when. On the R4i you would not get that. If you do decide to go this route, I would highly advise caution and order from http://www.r4ids.cn. A lot of the other chips just a) do not work or b) require modifying the hardware itself in order to function, and that's simply not sustainable in the long run.

 

[stomp_442]

I'd pick the AK2i over an R4 any day. There's no reason to update your DSi, so the AK2i will not be blocked.

 

[Matteo Palmero]

Okay, I do have to admit that I was interested in the Supercard's ability to emulate the GBA and SNES. I probably will upgrade to a 3DS XL in the future, so I probably will buy a Supercard then and give my DSI XL and whatever flashcart I get to go with it to my younger brother.

 

[Ryukouki]

Okay, I do have to admit that I was interested in the Supercard's ability to emulate the GBA and SNES. I probably will upgrade to a 3DS XL in the future, so I probably will buy a Supercard then and give my DSI XL and whatever flashcart I get to go with it to my younger brother.

It's not just the features that separate it but the stellar support that comes with each update, as the DSTwo is usually updated within hours of each new firmware release.

 

[Matteo Palmero]

It's not just the features that separate it but the stellar support that comes with each update, as the DSTwo is usually updated within hours of each new firmware release.

That is also a fair point. I still think it is out of my price range right now, especially for an older system.

 

[Ryukouki]

That is also a fair point. I still think it is out of my price range right now, especially for an older system.

May be out of range, but there's a reason why people call it the best. I would highly highly HIGHLY (did I forget to say highly) suggest saving up for it though. Trust me, you won't regret the decision. You will have many systems at your disposal for emulation, GBA and SNES to name a few.

 

[crazyace2011]

if your on a budget and want to play ds roms. why buy the acekard 2i for the same as a r4i 3ds basically the same card and haS the latest firmware on the card and still able to use the skins from acekard.

 

[Matteo Palmero]

if your on a budget and want to play ds roms. why buy the acekard 2i for the same as a r4i 3ds basically the same card and haS the latest firmware on the card and still able to use the skins from acekard.

Well honestly, I am a bit uneducated on the R4. The main reason I was so interested in the Acekard was because I researched it more than the other cards. I started looking at it back when it was up to date with the firmware updates. I know the Acekard had a lot of features that optimized it for playing roms and made it more ideal for that purpose than the R4, in my opinion.

 

[Ryukouki]

if your on a budget and want to play ds roms. why buy the acekard 2i for the same as a r4i 3ds basically the same card and haS the latest firmware on the card and still able to use the skins from acekard.

The Acekard is outdated in terms of firmware and actually no longer receives support/updates. Not to say that AKAIO is bad or anything, hell AKAIO is one of my favorite interfaces.

Well honestly, I am a bit uneducated on the R4. The main reason I was so interested in the Acekard was because I researched it more than the other cards. I started looking at it back when it was up to date with the firmware updates. I know the Acekard had a lot of features that optimized it for playing roms and made it more ideal for that purpose than the R4, in my opinion.

The R4 name, in all honesty, was reputable several years ago but has stopped since. The Acekard is a fantastic cartridge if your device supports it, but has stopped receiving updates and support. The Supercard, while slightly more expensive, gives you all of those ROM optimizing features and more on the plate, combined with excellent support. It's the best of both worlds, and at the price of one standard Nintendo DS game.

 

[Matteo Palmero]

May be out of range, but there's a reason why people call it the best. I would highly highly HIGHLY (did I forget to say highly) suggest saving up for it though. Trust me, you won't regret the decision. You will have many systems at your disposal for emulation, GBA and SNES to name a few.

Yeah, twenty extra bucks or so isn't really daunting on my wallet. I am just a cheapskate.

 

[Ryukouki]

Yeah, twenty extra bucks or so isn't really daunting on my wallet. I am just a cheapskate.

It is fine to be a cheapskate, but the point is you will get what you pay for in this case. Nothing wrong with saving a few bucks, but technically if you want to future proof your device you get the DSTwo.

 

[crazyace2011]

The Acekard is outdated in terms of firmware and actually no longer receives support/updates. Not to say that AKAIO is bad or anything, hell AKAIO is one of my favorite interfaces.

understand. but why support a company that gave up on the users that own the card. that did update their ds and the card no longer works for them they had to move on to another card. so why support a card that doesn't care gets any support anymore. at least the r4i 3ds still gets support and people there to stand behind the card. that's just my opinion.

 

[Ryukouki]

understand. but why support a company that gave up on the users that own the card. that did update their ds and the card no longer works for them they had to move on to another card. so why support a card that doesn't care gets any support anymore. at least the r4i 3ds still gets support and people there to stand behind the card. that's just my opinion.

It's not about supporting the company, it's more about suiting the OP's needs. The R4i 3DS is popular only by association to the original R4 team. If they were not named that it'd be a different situation.