Hacking What flashcart should I get ?

[Distrance]

Well.. I own '' R4 Gold '' now .. Yes I know it's not official R4 but whatever.. Our local shop that sells those flashcarts recommended that one so I bought it .. Well, it's fine other than that for example, Bowser's Inside Story won't work on it ... I could only find one '' working '' one, but even that gets stuck at where you're supposed to select New Save file. Also I experience random freezing sometimes.. Not everyday, but sometimes .. Is this R4 only thing ( my lil bro who has some old official r4 has this prob too ) or is it with all flashcarts ?

This local shop I mentioned, only has three flashcarts.. Those are R4 gold, Acekard 2 and M3i Zero .. Are these any good ? Or is the best one this '' Wood R4 '' I keep reading about .. or some other one ?

Please tell me which is the best one and why .. and if possible, link me to a website that ships to Europe .. Finland, precisely. Unless the '' best one '' is one of the above three.

Thanks!

 

[Dimensional]

I would recommend you buy from shoptemp, and buying the Supercard DS TWO, if you aren't strapped for cash. If money is an issue, then buy the AK2i from them.

There are links to both.

Supercard DS TWO: http://shoptemp.com/products/Supercard-DST...7.html?ref=1037

Acekard 2i: http://shoptemp.com/products/Acekard-2i-Ca...0.html?ref=1037

I honestly don't know if it will ship to your location. I would guess that if you get DHL or UPS out there, you can get it. And with the recently added EMS, I think they would still do that. Just ask a question to the staff if you don't know.

 

[trumpet-205]

Sadly, Wood R4 only works with original R4 or 1:1 copy. R4 Gold is not a 1:1 copy.

Out of those three you mentions, I'll say Acekard 2. This is because they have AKAIO for improving game compatibility.

 

[RupeeClock]

Since you can buy the Acekard 2i locally, I would go for buying that.
Although not knowing anything about your local shop, it's possible that it'll be a fake Acekard, but unlikely.

If you ever want somewhere to buy any flashcarts online though, www.shoptemp.com is definitely the place.

 

[Distrance]

All I require from a flashcart is good game compatibility. All other features they offer, should be irrelevant to me. With that said, is Supercard the best one available with active updates .. What I mean is if game doesn't work on it, new firmware will be released to allow it to work .. or something.

What exactly is this Wood R4 then ? Is it superior to everything else ? Is all I need an original R4 or 1:1 copy .. meaning Wood R4 is actually a firmware of some sort ?

And by the way, the Acecard on my local shop costs more, than Supercard or Acecard on shoptemp. I don't have any hurry for a new flashcart so I would definitely buy online, seeing as they have free shipping. Or is that only for customers residing in ?

And what's with that text on '' Please Note '' on the Acecard 2i on Shoptemp ? I only have DSi and I don't even have Wi-Fi .. ( is it required ? ). It also says about some premium flashing service.. what's this all about.. someone care to explain ?

Edit : Is there a flashcart that will let me play GBA roms from it .. or does me having DSi mean that GBA games are no good, flashcart or not ?

 

[Dimensional]

Since you can buy the Acekard 2i locally, I would go for buying that.
Although not knowing anything about your local shop, it's possible that it'll be a fake Acekard, but unlikely.

If you ever want somewhere to buy any flashcarts online though, www.shoptemp.com is definitely the place.
Distrance said AK2, not AK2i. But yes, you have to be careful. I was lucky to get a real AK2i, as AKAIO will no longer work with the clones/fakes.

QUOTE(Distrance @ Aug 22 2010, 01:40 PM) All I require from a flashcart is good game compatibility. All other features they offer, should be irrelevant to me. With that said, is Supercard the best one available with active updates .. What I mean is if game doesn't work on it, new firmware will be released to allow it to work .. or something.

What exactly is this Wood R4 then ? Is it superior to everything else ? Is all I need an original R4 or 1:1 copy .. meaning Wood R4 is actually a firmware of some sort ?

And by the way, the Acecard on my local shop costs more, than Supercard or Acecard on shoptemp. I don't have any hurry for a new flashcart so I would definitely buy online, seeing as they have free shipping. Or is that only for customers residing in ?

R4 Wood is only the firmware, and won't work with R4 Gold. Sorry, but you will have to buy a new cart if you want better compatibility. Now, the AK2i is very cheep, but you have to consider the fact that there are many fakes out there now, which means even though it's cheap, if its a fake, AKAIO won't run and you lose a lot of compatibility right there. Supercard DS TWO can't really be cloned or faked right now, so I would say that's your best bet. I would recommend you use my link to buy the DS TWO. With free shipping, you will get in a while, but at least you only pay for the package itself.

I'll post the link again.

Supercard DS TWO: http://shoptemp.com/products/Supercard-DST...7.html?ref=1037

edit: Oh, the AK2i only needs flashing so it can run on the DSi's 1.4 firmware. But since you don't have a DSi, you don't have to worry. All flash carts that run on the DSi can run on the DS, because they are just DS flash carts that can fool the DSi's system. The flashing would only be required if you have a DSi and it can't run on it.

Edit: Sadly, the only flash cart that can play GBA roms on it's own would be slot-2 flash carts, and the Supercard DS TWO, as it has it's own internal CPU allowing for emulation. If GBA roms is a selling point, I would go with either the EZ 3in1 flash, as that is just a slot-2, or the DS TWO. They both have their own cons and pros. The slot-2 will work almost always, never having any problems, while the DS TWO has compatibility issues (They are working on it). But the DS TWO's GBA emulator will allow you not to need a slot-2, as you have to flash the slot-2 cart if you want to play and save a game most of the time.

 

[Distrance]

Shoptemp offers Acekard too though, but is Supercard still better ? Acekard would be considerably cheaper .. All in all, I dont want to spend 35 bucks to a flashcart, then pop in the Bowser game and see how it still doesn't work. ( Or some other games that may have compatibility issues ). Since there are GBA emulators on PC and they work fine, I don't necessarily need one compatible .. but if Supercard is as good as you're claiming.. then I suppose that's what I have to buy.

Also why doesn't Shoptemp have those official Hori screens for DSi

. I bought ones from here from the local shop I mentioned, and though they didn't look like fake, the size of the protectors wasn't as big as the screen .. unlike was promised in the description. There would be small gap between the edge and the protector

 

[Dimensional]

Shoptemp offers Acekard too though, but is Supercard still better ? Acekard would be considerably cheaper .. All in all, I dont want to spend 35 bucks to a flashcart, then pop in the Bowser game and see how it still doesn't work. ( Or some other games that may have compatibility issues )

Also why doesn't Shoptemp have those official Hori screens for DSi

. I bought ones from here from the local shop I mentioned, and though they didn't look like fake, the size of the protectors wasn't as big as the screen .. unlike was promised in the description. There would be small gap between the edge and the protector

 

[Distrance]

Ahem.. I mean the Hori Screen protectors ... http://shoptemp.com/products/Official-Hori...ctors-p-64.html but for DSi.

Shoptemp doesn't sell the official ones, and I don't know where to get official ones. The ones I bought from my local shop claimed to be official, but as explained, the protectors left small gap between the edge of the screen and the protector .. meaning that area still could be scratched when playing a game.. It's supposed to protect the whole screen, after all.

Thanks for the advice regarding the carts though, I'll buy one once I get the money. Kinda ticks me off that I spent more than the Supercard costs in shoptemp for the R4 Gold .. It's not like anyone would buy it either .. waste of money :/

btw.. is Gbatemp related to Shoptemp .. just wondering because similar names..

Edit : Finally, related to the Supercard.. Should I pay $1 extra for the flashing service ? What's that even good for ?

 

[Dimensional]

Ahem.. I mean the Hori Screen protectors ... http://shoptemp.com/products/Official-Hori...ctors-p-64.html but for DSi.

Shoptemp doesn't sell the official ones, and I don't know where to get official ones. The ones I bought from my local shop claimed to be official, but as explained, the protectors left small gap between the edge of the screen and the protector .. meaning that area still could be scratched when playing a game.. It's supposed to protect the whole screen, after all.

Thanks for the advice regarding the carts though, I'll buy one once I get the money. Kinda ticks me off that I spent more than the Supercard costs in shoptemp for the R4 Gold .. It's not like anyone would buy it either .. waste of money :/

btw.. is Gbatemp related to Shoptemp .. just wondering because similar names..

Edit : Finally, related to the Supercard.. Should I pay $1 extra for the flashing service ? What's that even good for ?

No problem. A DS TWO already has the flashing needed for the DSi 1.4 firmware, plus it has an upgradable firmware so it can be flashed in case the DSi gets a new update that the DS TWO can't fool. And as I said before, the DS TWO is a good investment, as it has been updated a lot, and many homebrew developers are remaking their software using the SC SDK so the programs will utilize the CPU and ram on the cart.

As for the unofficial screen protectors, I don't know how to help you with that. Last time I had one on my DS, I couldn't see anything, and I had it on perfectly. I would just recommend you be careful with the system. The DSi is suppose to be a little better with it's touch screen than with the DS. Either that, or just don't get too close to the edges, which most players already know not to do already.

Shoptemp is affiliated with GBAtemp. I don't remember how, but they are now an official store trusted by GBAtemp.

The flashing service only puts the Supercard's OS files on an SD microcard if you buy it as well as updates it's firmware to the latest, which more than likely was already done. You don't have to use that extra $1 for it. You can just download the files off the website and copy them to the card. When I bought my DS TWO, I got a USB SD micro card reader with my package. The extra $1 in my opinion is a waste.

Edit: The necessary files are over 50MBs in a compressed file.

 

[Distrance]

Well.. As it would seem, my firmware is actually 1.3E .. Does this mean Supercard will not work on my DSi until I update to 1.4 ? As i told before, I don't have Wi-Fi .. and USB-Wifi adapters are NOT cheap

Also if I never play any retail game on the console, it's not like I will ever need to update right .. ? What if I want to play online ( assuming I get that wifi adapter ) some older game with a friend who has 1.4 ( or later on perhaps 1.5 ), will it not work because different versions ?

For the flashing firmware thing.. what does this exactly mean, and what is required to do it. If it involves opening up DSi, thus ruining my warranty.. well, then I'm not doing it.

Regarding those protectors.. I actually failed applying them... I got dirt and dust underneath it .. how do you even apply one without getting any ? Dust is constantly on the air and I found it impossible to apply the protector without something getting underneath it

. Additionally, with the fibre cloth that was included which I used to clean the screen ( or tried to ) .. Those fibre things, dunno what to call them .. white hair ? got off, and somehow got stuck between the DSi screen and the edges.. It's not like dust that just gathers there, it's actually stuck.

No matter what I do, I can't get them off. Even with full power of air duster won't do anything ... Any tips on that or am I doomed regarding that ?

Some of these questions have nothing to do with the original topic but meh.. cant be bothered to make new topic for every question

 

[Dimensional]

Well.. As it would seem, my firmware is actually 1.3E .. Does this mean Supercard will not work on my DSi until I update to 1.4 ? As i told before, I don't have Wi-Fi .. and USB-Wifi adapters are NOT cheap

Also if I never play any retail game on the console, it's not like I will ever need to update right .. ? What if I want to play online ( assuming I get that wifi adapter ) some older game with a friend who has 1.4 ( or later on perhaps 1.5 ), will it not work because different versions ?

For the flashing firmware thing.. what does this exactly mean, and what is required to do it. If it involves opening up DSi, thus ruining my warranty.. well, then I'm not doing it.

Regarding those protectors.. I actually failed applying them... I got dirt and dust underneath it .. how do you even apply one without getting any ? Dust is constantly on the air and I found it impossible to apply the protector without something getting underneath it

. Additionally, with the fibre cloth that was included which I used to clean the screen ( or tried to ) .. Those fibre things, dunno what to call them .. white hair ? got off, and somehow got stuck between the DSi screen and the edges.. It's not like dust that just gathers there, it's actually stuck.

No matter what I do, I can't get them off. Even with full power of air duster won't do anything ... Any tips on that or am I doomed regarding that ?

Some of these questions have nothing to do with the original topic but meh.. cant be bothered to make new topic for every question

No. You won't have to update. The only thing Flashing of the Flash carts firmware does is add something so that it can trick the new firmware. The old firmware would still work. Flashing the firmware means you are erasing the data from the bootloader, like a bios on a computer, and writing new data to it. It doesn't require opening your DSi, because the firmware I'm talking about is the one that makes your R4 Gold boot, but not making it run. What would happen is you have the firmware file in there, you start the Flash cart, and you select the file and it will overwrite your bootloader in your card.

Firmware is different from the files you normally download when they release updates every day. Those are system files necessary to run the flash cart. Firmware is something necessary for your flash cart to boot, and it's not a file that you'd find and have to keep on the SD card.

Now, the latest firmware for the DSi is 1.4. Nintendo has yet to release a 1.5. So far, every flash cart now days supports 1.4, meaning that it will still work on 1.3.

Now, as for the fibers stuck between the screen, I can't help you there, other than telling you to take apart or damage your DSi to get rid of them, which I know you won't do.

 

[Distrance]

I figured as much regarding those stupid fibers .. I guess when 3DS comes out, the first thing I'm doing is applying those protectors so that shit won't get in there

 

[Dimensional]

I figured as much regarding those stupid fibers .. I guess when 3DS comes out, the first thing I'm doing is applying those protectors so that shit won't get in there

 

[Distrance]

Well if that happens then it happens. Then I'll have to use DSi for DS games and 3DS for 3DS games.. that means buying games though ..

Well.. maybe no flashcart will immediately work on 3DS but it's likely that one will be developed if that happens.. right ?

 

[Dimensional]

If a flashcart doesn't work on the 3DS, then most likely it will never work, as the ones now days are made to work on the DSi, meaning you'd have to get a brand new flash cart. But we never know.

 

[Distrance]

Well I actually meant if new flash cart made specifically for 3DS would be made.. though I guess that should be obvious.. so yeah, nevermind. I wont mind buying new flash cart when 3DS comes out then.

 

[Dimensional]

Same, that is if I buy a 3DS myself. But still, I would highly recommend the DS TWO.

 

[Distrance]

Yeah, I'm definitely buying the Supercard TWO .. I tried to look up if Bowser's Inside Story actually works on it or not, but all I could find was threads about it not working on Supercard one or lite .. whatever that is.

Well, I guess I'll just have to take your word for it.

 

[Distrance]

Hmm.. I was wondering.. If I buy a Poke Walker separately, will it work with R4 or Supercard 2 that I'll buy soon ? My friend said it wouldn't as there's something special about the Pokemon game cartridge itself so flashcart wouldn't be able to emulate that .. or something.

I don't need speculation, I need facts. So anyone ?