Ultra Flashpass EX Review

[zatelli]

Ultra Flashpass EX Review

Official GBATemp Review

GBAtemp's official review of the the Ultra Flashpass EX is now live!


This NAND flash memory based slot-1 flashcard is one the very first to rely on a slot-2 GBA card writer to burn data to the slot-1 flashcard.

Does this impede from its overall performance & ease of use, or do other features make up for that ?

Since it's based on the same kind of flash memory as the DS-X, can it sustain to comparison to such successful card ? Is it any good?

Most of you barely heard of this flashcard. You want to know more, don't you?

Read review


Feel free to leave your feedback in this thread.

 

[Satangel]

Nice review, and WOW at the rom compat!!! Didnt expect it either...
This is a good cart, too bad of the download and play and homebrew but still, way above my expectations!

 

[Costello]

Yeah again: awesome review.

I thought this would be another low-quality flashcard like the previous ones made by this company. But it turns out it's not the case here... thats good!

 

[DjoeN]

Great cards,

but it's identical as the DSLinker / Express Card / DS Fire / MK5

You can use the same Firmware on all of these cards, The Name in the GUI of the DS stays the same, but once booted it shows a background on the touchscreen of the FW you flashed it with.

I love the compatibility and the DLDI/Mouse/Pad thing is identical as Neoteam released for there MK5.
pitty the DLDI only supports READ and no write yet, but as so many cards come out based on the same hardware, we should see better DLDI support for it

The PCB of the SLOT2 card is identical as the Express Card. (I reviewed the Express Card some time ago)

I own an express card, flashed it with DSLinker latest FW and afterwards flashed it to With MK5 Firmware, all worked perfect

You can use the R4/M3 Simply or any other Rom Trimmer.

Great card for cheap money, pitty download play is not that well supported, but that can be improved in future FW updates i hope

 

[science]

WOW! Wasn't expecting that lol. Not going to buy it though, I'm loving the EZ-Flash V with the slot 2 card

 

[Mars]

Whoa, this cart is MUCH better than I expected.

 

[stinkingbob]

First off, to the gbattemp moderators, you may not want to link to that store selling the Ultra Flashpass because:
1) The store has a link where you can download commercial roms games
2) I don't have confidence in buying from a site that xfers you automatically to a paypal screen or and ebay auction listing so you can buy the product. It may be a phishing site or one that records what you enter.

Seems like an intersting flash card. I would actually consider buying it depending upon the price and if other store are selling it. But as of now, nope.

 

[larvi]

Great review, thanks!. One question I have about this card (and similar slot1/2 solutions). Is the slot 2 card needed only when you are transferring the data. After that point can it be removed so you can have another cart in slot2?

 

[Entwinedwithsick]

Just to echo what has been said this is a Firelink clone. It even has the "DS Fireline" typo and Goomba when you go to manually launch it via the DS menu. The Firelink is a fine card, it works real nicely but just be aware it is a clone.

 

[zatelli]

Great review, thanks!.  One question I have about this card (and similar slot1/2 solutions).  Is the slot 2 card needed only when you are transferring the data.  After that point can it be removed so you can have another cart in slot2?

Indeed, it is safe to remove the slot 2 cart after having uploaded your roms. You don't need it to play.

Just to echo what has been said this is a Firelink clone.  It even has the "DS Fireline" typo and Goomba when you go to manually launch it via the DS menu.  The Firelink is a fine card, it works real nicely but just be aware it is a clone.

Nope that's not true, they're not copying each others, all these brands you're seeing (DSFlash 2, XPCard, N-Card, DS FireLink, MK5 and many others) are from the same manufacturer.
They are OEM product that every Team rebrands if they want to. Hence why all these products have the same firmware update versions (1.23A) and in some cases the same internal icons.
The DSLinker for example is a SuperCard Team brand. So nope, the UFP EX nor other similar are clones to the DS Fire Link.

 

[Little]

Okay, wow, the ebay auction that mini online store linked to has it for only £35 with free P&P AND a rumble pack?? With the 1 GIG built in, that seems like great value compared to the prices of the ones that require the Micro SD. Seems like a pretty cheap way to get running with a slot one solution?? With possible GBA support at a later date?

Edit: ok, the one with rumble ended buts its the same price for just the flashpass thingy!

 

[larvi]

Great review, thanks!.  One question I have about this card (and similar slot1/2 solutions).  Is the slot 2 card needed only when you are transferring the data.  After that point can it be removed so you can have another cart in slot2?

Indeed, it is safe to remove the slot 2 cart after having uploaded your roms. You don't need it to play.

Thanks. That being the case I wonder why they don't just use a full size cart so it would be compatible with the DS Phat's as well? It's not like you would be that worried about aesthetics if you are just using it to upload the files and then removing it.

 

[Little]

Uh it is a full size cart (GBA sized) in the pictures I've seen?

 

[Entwinedwithsick]

Uh it is a full size cart (GBA sized) in the pictures I've seen?

Yes it is, since the slot 2 cart is just used to put stuff on the slot 1 cart it doesnt matter. You only have slot 2 being used when transferring.

 

[larvi]

Doh. Nevermind. In reading the review, I read that part about it fitting flush in the DS Lite and took that to mean the slot 2 cart, not the slot 1 cart. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Little]

I think my only concern is how slow is slow for the transfers. and of course, as with all built in memory carts, theres the chance of games becoming bigger than that 1 gig.

 

[deathspawn99]

I think my only concern is how slow is slow for the transfers. and of course, as with all built in memory carts, theres the chance of games becoming bigger than that 1 gig.

no there isnt

 

[Little]

Uhm, why isn't there? Games having been growing in size all the time, an 8 gig bites, 1 gig byte is always possible. It is, quite obviously, easy for nintendo to make game cartridges that are that size (take a look at the 4 gig MICRO SD cards for example). Its just a case of a game needing that much data. We've already seen the need for slot 2 RAM expansions (opera browser), so the DS can certainly support that much data...

Hell even if there was a 1/2 gB game, 2 backups would take up the whole card. Thats good reason to have removable memory. Not to mention being able to switch on the fly. (ie a memory card for movies, a memory card for backups)

 

[arctic_flame]

128MB is quite far from 1 Gig

and you can trim most roms fairly well.

 

[deathspawn99]

Uhm, why isn't there? Games having been growing in size all the time, an 8 gig bites, 1 gig byte is always possible. It is, quite obviously, easy for nintendo to make game cartridges that are that size (take a look at the 4 gig MICRO SD cards for example). Its just a case of a game needing that much data. We've already seen the need for slot 2 RAM expansions (opera browser), so the DS can certainly support that much data...

Hell even if there was a 1/2 gB game, 2 backups would take up the whole card. Thats good reason to have removable memory. Not to mention being able to switch on the fly. (ie a memory card for movies, a memory card for backups)

you will never see a 1gig game. you will also probably never see a .5gig game. at most, 256 but i doubt that. hardly any game out there has been able to use the 128 megs and even then, im sure they could use it more efficiently. MK for example was what? 30 megs? you are talking about a game that is 300x as big as MK. it wont happen. developers are lazy and know they can make money on a 50 meg game, why make a 500 meg game.