Hacking Trying to decide on a 3DS flashcart

[elunesgrace]

So I was going through the forum trying to find which flashcart to buy and I couldn't decide (couldn't find one spot with everything I needed).

I just bought a 3DS, and wanted to get a flashcart for playing DS games (maybe even GBA games). I also wanted to know though which teams at the moment are most active on the scene (I know the DSTwo team is pretty active, which else)? Maybe something that can also handle save states?

Also, I never bought an R4 card, but there are so many! It seems impossible to know which is which (if there's a thread giving a summary of each just point me in the direction!)


What do you guys recommend?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Nathan Drake]

You'll definitely want a DSTwo. Acekard2i does the job well as a budget card, and the R4i Gold 3DS works great with the Wood kernel. The DSTwo gets you the most for your money though, by far.

 

[ZeroLimits]

Refer to this: http://wiki.gbatemp....omparison_Chart

You need GBA emulation right?
Then the DSTwo is a good choice.

If not, then go for the Acekard.

 

[Deleted-236924]

You mentionned GBA games, so your only option would be the DSTwo.

 

[sero]

I used to use a CycloDS until I passed it on to a family member when I got my 3ds. I recommend the Acekard 2i as a good introduction to the idea of using flash carts. No, it won't play your Advance games (although I understand it'll run GBC emulators?). But unless you're a hardcore GBA gamer or REALLY want several games for the GBA, I recommend just trying out the budget card. I got mine for about $18 (and bought one for someone else as a Christmas gift). Amazon had 8GB flash cards for $6 with free shipping (since I am a Prime member). The card was easy to set up and is sitting in my 3ds on my desk right now.

If you only have a couple GBA games you're interested in, it may not be worth spending the extra dough just for a few hours of nostalgia. If you have an SP or DS Lite lying around you could buy those games used if you ever get to the point where you _must_ play them. And used games for the GBA are a dime a dozen at many used game stores anyway.

If you plan on regularly playing at least half a dozen must-have games for the GBA, it may be worth getting the DSTwo. Otherwise, as they say, keep it simple.

 

[frogboy]

Strongly recommend the Acekard 2i or the DSTWO. If you want GBA emulation and RTS, get the DSTWO if you've got the money. If you want cheap yet functional and reliable, go with the Acekard 2i.

 

[andibad]

Acekard 2i for cheap but is basic if just play DS ROM on you 3DS.
DSTWO for feature but expensive if you want gba emulator

decide you want, these two vendor are is good respond at all and is always update if nintendo trying update you 3DS..

 

[CookiesMilk]

If you're just interested in DS games then acekard 2i or R4i Gold 3DS.. Starting when I think I would wanted to play GBA games too, thinking of the good old times but when I played it on my phone, it didn't last even 1 day for me, completely lost the interest >_> Just play with the DS games is enough IMO. If you played with the GBA games and easily lost interest in it like me, you waste the money and the DSTWO eats away more of your battery life

 

[elunesgrace]

Well after reading everyone's post, I guess I should probably just drop the GBA idea. I could probably get it on an emulator or something.

What about the cycloDS? I mean the old one was really good, how come no one suggested the new ievolution? Is it no good?


Seems only the DSTwo has save-state abililty. So if I want that, I'll have to go with this one.


On more question, what is the difference between an R4i gold 3ds and the acekard 2i? The chart isn't specific on that.

Thanks guys!

 

[Rydian]

The iEvo has bugs that haven't been fixed and apparantly has had no support/updates for a while.

And functionally there's very little (if any) difference between the AK2i and R4i Gold.

 

[impizkit]

If you want the best flashcart for any DS or 3DS, get a DSTWO. It will do everything you want except play 3DS games.

 

[Themanhunt]

Indeed, the DSTWO is the best flashcart out there for all DS consoles.

 

[sero]

Indeed, the DSTWO is the best flashcart out there for all DS consoles.

Granted.

The flying tourbillon swiss watch is the best way to figure out what time it is. But at $100,000 a pop, it isn't exactly the best watch for the needs of the average joe.

I may be blowing it a bit out of proportion here, but the ability to play GBA games with ease is one of the few reasons to spend so much on one of these cards (this coming from me, a guy who dropped $50 on the CycloDS card for my DS Phat once upon a time).

Really unless having that far back of compatibility available on your machine is something that you plan to need constantly, it doesn't seem worth it. If most of your favorite games happen to be Advance games, however, it may be worth the $50. For this guy, who to me seems to be a more "casual" GBA player, emulation on a PC may be the best option instead of spending so much on a cart.

My wife, on the other hand, has a ton of games that she enjoyed playing on the GBA, so she may benefit from it. It all depends on your specific needs--and because of that, no single card is best for every circumstance.

Regarding the CycloDS question: their team has provided no updates for about seven months so they are for all intents and purposes retired. The hardware is sound, but the software simply is not there to back it up. They may have been the best thing around a couple years back, but being out of the game for so long has caused them to lag behind other, more active teams.

 

[MakiManPR]

DSTWO is the best one around but Acekard come in second place really close and is also cheaper. I have it
But is your decision I'm just saying.

 

[Zerosuit connor]

Cyclo cards are crap. R4i Gold is the best option thanks to wood r4.

 

[Rydian]

Woah, talk about blowing things out of proportion.

First off, $50? For some US/import shops yeah, but at most you can find it for $35-40.
http://www.etcome.com/product/supercard-ds-two-dstwo-for-3ds-dsi-xl-dsi-ds-lite-ds.html
http://www.zhuzhuchina.com/store/supercard_dstwo_slot_1_multilanguage_1_4_3_compatible_gba_iplayer_mediaplayer_3ds_preflashed.html?search_string=dstwo&search_category_id=0
https://www.modchipcentral.com/store/supercard-dstwo-ds-two-w-free-usb-reader-and-usb-charge-cable.html
http://realhotstuff.com/supercard-dstwo-p-499.html

Second, it's granted many people are going to use this for piracy, so bitching about it when it costs the price a single new retail game is just looking for reasons to dislike it, I mean even with shipping and the cost of a MicroSD, if you pirate two new retail games it's already made up for the money spent.

inb4 "yeah well you can do that with a cheaper cart too" - With far less features, which is where the bulk of the price difference is. Now whether those features are worth the money or not depends on the individual person... but again the price difference is insignificant compared to the cost of the games many people are going to pirate.

For those people that aren't going to use it for piracy and will be using it for homebrew and development.. again it's the price of a new game anyways, and cheaper than many pre-set development kits.

 

[sero]

Woah, talk about blowing things out of proportion.

First off, $50? For some US/import shops yeah, but at most you can find it for $35-40.
http://www.etcome.co...ds-lite-ds.html
http://www.zhuzhuchi...h_category_id=0
https://www.modchipc...arge-cable.html
http://realhotstuff....stwo-p-499.html

Second, it's granted many people are going to use this for piracy, so bitching about it when it costs the price a single new retail game is just looking for reasons to dislike it, I mean even with shipping and the cost of a MicroSD, if you pirate two new retail games it's already made up for the money spent.

inb4 "yeah well you can do that with a cheaper cart too" - With far less features, which is where the bulk of the price difference is. Now whether those features are worth the money or not depends on the individual person... but again the price difference is insignificant compared to the cost of the games many people are going to pirate.

For those people that aren't going to use it for piracy and will be using it for homebrew and development.. again it's the price of a new game anyways, and cheaper than many pre-set development kits.

14,000 posts and you can't take time to read my actual post?

My wife actually plans to buy a DSTwo in a couple weeks, and after shipping it will probably be a few bucks under $50 as we only order from the Realhotstuff website due to our previous satisfaction with their speed and service.

I stand by my previous thesis: that no card is automatically the "best" for every person. Your needs may differ from those of other users, so the card that is "best" for you may not be "best" for me and vice versa.

Some cards, like the Cyclo iEvolution, are generally not "best" for almost any user due to lack of support. But because both Supercard and Acekard seem to have good support networks ensuring continued compatibility, they are both good candidates based on a user's specific needs.

Note that we have a comparison chart so people can make the decision on their own--instead of just some sticky saying "This card is the best, any other decision is just stupid."

 

[elunesgrace]

It seems to me the DSTwo is the premium card that can do a ton of stuff.


So what is the difference between the acekard and the r4i gold 3ds?

Also, what are good places for someone like me in Canada to buy? I think it's probably cheaper to get from asia rather than canada right?


Thanks!

 

[sero]

It seems to me the DSTwo is the premium card that can do a ton of stuff.


So what is the difference between the acekard and the r4i gold 3ds?

Also, what are good places for someone like me in Canada to buy? I think it's probably cheaper to get from asia rather than canada right?


Thanks!

I don't know much about the R4; I know it's insanely cheap so it is popular as a result. I don't know whether it has as much support as Acekard and Supercard have (it may; I just am unsure).

I'd feel comfortable having any of the three, but I don't think any others would make my list.

 

[frogboy]

So what is the difference between the acekard and the r4i gold 3ds?

People love R4s because of the Wood firmware, plus they're cheaper. However, there are many more R4 clones out there than Acekard clones. Acekard 2i is a bit more reliable than the R4i, but usually gets updated less.