So what was it like?

[Manjack]

I'm relatively new to the world of flash carts. I knew about them for a while (My first real interest in them was around the time the first DS-Xtreme came around), but I could never part with the money for one until recently. Now, while I'm still waiting for both cart and card (Which it seems I'll be waiting up to two more weeks before I can actually play with my Cyclo), I'm curious as to how the rest of you felt when you bought your first. What was the wait like for you? How did it feel to open the box on your doorstep (or what you got at the post office) to find your cart? Did you just rip right into the package like a kid at Christmas? Did you just treat it like another piece of tech? Maybe it's boredum, maybe I'm curious, but I'd like to know what other people's first experiences with their carts were like.

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

The wait for my first cart was a busy one. I did tons of research, to make sure I know what to do and how to troubleshoot my own problems. Opening the box gave me a sense of satisfaction (good price

) and uncertainty (I wonder if its defective? Is it a chinese version?

) But yeah, my first experience was a fulfilling one. I did at least a weeks worth of research prior from acquiring the cart, and every second was worthwhile.

It was as many may say, a learning journey and a very memorable one at that.

Oh, my first cart was a Supercard Mini SD.

 

[wilddenim]

First of all - congratulations in your first cart! You'll love it!

I remember I felt so excited when I received DS FireLink (one of worst card - I didn't know that back then) and of course, I downloaded lots of games! I don't want to tell you how many days I spent on my DS Lite after receiving the Card.

The waiting for awful for me!! I was stuck with Animal Crossing and Spyro. And yes, I ripped open the package apart like a kid at Christmas! I waited for two weeks!! The waiting was a nightmare.

That was last August.

Now, I hate my Card. It died on me. I think. Don't worry from what I read, Cyclo is MUCH better than DS FireLink. I'm about to buy R4DS - although I'm split between R4DS/Cyclo/DSTT.

But, despite this, I admit my first experience with my first carts was excellent - you get to try out games for free!

When you receives your cart - I can send you websites where you can download ROMs if you like. However, the website I often go to is best for these IPs which changes every time you get online.

Hope you'll have fun with your first carts!

 

[Bourbanog]

My first time? Well I was very shy and was unsure of what was ahead. In the end I made a big mess everywhere.

Oh wait flash carts? I started off with an R4 though the wait was pretty sucky it was good when it arrived. I just opened it like any other piece of tech.

 

[Cermage]

My first cart got given to me... it was an R4 i didn't open it >

 

[Destructobot]

My first flashcart was the G6 Lite. I researched it before I bought it (that's how I found GBAtemp), so I knew more or less what I was getting.

The G6 Lite served me well. The only reason I parted with it was because my friend offered me an insane amount of money for it ($140 for the G6 and passcard!) so that he wouldn't have to order one off of the internet. I told him what a crappy deal he was getting, but he wanted it anyway.

Currently I have an M3 Simply and an EZ-Flash 3-in-1. They have also served me well. I keep thinking that I'd like to get another flashcart, but every cart that does more than the ones I have comes with some limitation or flaw, so I wait.

 

[Sinkhead]

My first flash kit (last year just before Christmas) was rather exciting, because nobody knew what they were getting me was actually for. And they still don't

They think it's something to play films on your DS.
It (a SuperCard Lite) arrived at the beginning of December and it was put away in my Dad's room until Christmas. And even then, when I opened in on Christmas day, I still had to wait for my aunt to come round with my MicroSD card and SuperKey (NoPass).
I remember installing the patching software weeks ahead.

And when I finally got to use it, I loved it.

 

[Harsky]

My first ever flash cart was a F2A Ultra which I bought in Hong Kong. It was really quite expensive but when I took it back home to the UK, I spent ages trying to get it to run on my crap Windows ME. Even then, it only held one rom at a time.

Fast forward to January 2006 and the M3 CF was announced. I bought it from ebay after much research into what other alternatives there was at the time. It arrived and many a happy months were spent on playing GBA roms AND DS roms.

It also taught me about flashing a DS which... in the days of R4s and Slot 1 cards, seems a bit redundant now.

 

[FAST6191]

CD writers and similar stuff (c64 cart copiers) as well as emulation aside my first flash cart was my 256Mbit EZ2, I regret not springing for the larger 512/1024Mbit one but I use it to this day for for GBA and when I need a "raw" gba cart (no messing with ram, slow memory, loaders....). I forget exactly how much it cost but it was well over $100 US by the time all was said and done.

To add on to/contrast Harsky I still use my GBA slot carts for DS too because for what I need they do the job as good as any of the new fangled DS slot carts plus they have GBA capabilites.

 

[Skye07]

My first flash cart was for my Gameboy Color, hell I was barely 12 years old, I have no idea what the name was, nor the size or anything else. My dad bought it from an online store I guess.

Good old times

Anyways, same goes with my GBA flash cart (which I still have today). The R4 was the first cart I actually bought myself from an online store along with first reading reviews about all the carts available on the market back then. The wait wasn't that annoying, only was 5 days of shipping or so ^^

 

[Psyfira]

A 256mb EZFA (that's 32MB to you kids who count in big numbers). I'd been thinking it over for a year before getting one, they were really expensive back then so I wanted to be sure I was getting the right thing. It completely took me by surprise when it arrived too; I ordered a few days after christmas from a small seller so was amazed when it turned up 2 days later. And I still use it now.

 

[JPH]

Had me a SuperCard Mini SD

I had a lot of problems with it, but I wasn't complaining - games were free!
It was a bit complicated at first - but I got the hang of it.

Now I've got an R4 and M3 Lite...couldn't be better.
Since I've bought those, I look back at how crappy that SuperCard Mini SD was compared to what we have today.

 

[Mangofett]

Kinda same as JPH...

Supercard Mini with an EZPass. Yep. Good times.

 

[ShadowStitch]

Haha, oh man... I feel old. Like Fast6191, if we're ignoring Cart Copiers and all that old-school stuff (SWC, baby!)

My first flashcard experience was a Bung GB Xchanger for GB and GBC...4mB. XD (Actually, they had a package deal at the time I bought it -- a 4Mb and 16Mb with the old parallel port linker..a great deal!) Eventually I upgraded to a 64Mb and never thought I could possibly fill it all! It included a PSX adapter, to allow you to load roms from a CD, using your playstation.

This was circa 2000...which doesn't seem like so long ago, but man...leaps and bounds since then. It was terribly exciting, though there was a lot of issues if you had upgraded from 98 to the then-new Windows XP.

 

[Issac]

Well, my first flash cart, or first DS flash card?
my first was a red EZFA 256Mbit, ordered it and waited a month to get it. First I chose one cart, but something fucked up and I got the EZFA, and I'm glad for that, because I mixed it up first... The one I intended to order was one with good reviews, but I accidently ordered one with CRAP reviews... but then something happened and I got the EZFA which was really really awesome!

That was a while ago, so I don't know what to say.. don't remember much...
it was hot, summer, and all the games I wanted to try, oh my!
I downloaded one after another that I wanted to try, and I think I spent more time with the cart plugged to my computer than I played it

then the gaming-feeling dissapeared.. I had too much to choose from, so I just started one after another without finishing one...

Then it was basicly the same with the DS-card..
bought it, came before i got my microSD... then I tried one after another, and I don't think i've completed a single DS game that I downloaded... or.. yeah.. ouendan and ouendan 2... those... (and tetris.. lol)

so My tip to you is: DON'T TRY TOO MANY GAMES AT THE SAME TIME!

 

[wilddenim]

My tip to you is: DON'T TRY TOO MANY GAMES AT THE SAME TIME!

Perfect tip!! I'm doing that and never finished a game. So the thread of what games you've done recently have help me getting games finished!

 

[anime_junkie]

I don't know, my first cart hasn't come yet.

Still waiting for my R4. I ordered from Gameyeeeeeeeeeah on the 27th. I'm anxious as hell, but I have my 3.71 M33-4 PSP Slim to tide me over till then.

 

[j5c077]

flash2advance

it was the shit at the time

 

[Taras]

My first Cart was Mario Kart 64. Woot! is the only word.

 

[wiithepeople]

I'm relatively new to the world of flash carts. I knew about them for a while (My first real interest in them was around the time the first DS-Xtreme came around), but I could never part with the money for one until recently. Now, while I'm still waiting for both cart and card (Which it seems I'll be waiting up to two more weeks before I can actually play with my Cyclo), I'm curious as to how the rest of you felt when you bought your first. What was the wait like for you? How did it feel to open the box on your doorstep (or what you got at the post office) to find your cart? Did you just rip right into the package like a kid at Christmas? Did you just treat it like another piece of tech? Maybe it's boredum, maybe I'm curious, but I'd like to know what other people's first experiences with their carts were like.

The wait was horrendous, it was my first order from Dealextreme so I was like, "omg omg it's already been one week! Now one week and one day! Now one week and two days! HURRY UP AND GET HERE

"
But when it finally arrived, I felt giddy with excitement. But I managed to control myself and opened the package WITHOUT ripping it