Hardware What GBA cart to go with an R4?

[nloding]

I was looking at the GameYeeeah M3 Lite + R4 + SD card combo:

http://www.gameyeeeah.com/m3-perfect-lite-...card-p-243.html

Is the M3 Perfect Lite the best for GBA ROMs at the moment? I kept up with the DS scene, but GBA is something that is completely new to me. That seems like a pretty good deal, and I've seen good things about the M3 Perfect ...

... what do the Tempers think of that deal?

 

[leetdude_007]

how much cash are you willing to burn?

 

[nloding]

As little as possible and still get a great cart. But I don't mind dropping a little bit of money on a good product. If it lasts and works, I'm good.

 

[golden]

IMO M3 perfects have great GBA compatibility. 99.9% IIRC. It can play 100% of NDS games so I don't see the point of the R4 but that's up to you. But yes, M3 perfects are great.

 

[Playset6199]

I personally recommend an EZ Flash IV, only problem being the lack of a RTC.
But it doesn't stick out like an M3 Lite.

 

[nloding]

So that's a good buy then?

 

[myuusmeow]

Get an R4+EZ Flash 3-in-1.

You store your GBA ROMs on your R4 and then using a homebrew program flash them when you want to play. Great and the 3-in-1 and is only $22 or so. (The other 2-in-1 is Rumble and RAM for homebrew and Opera browser)

 

[nloding]

I dunno, the M3+R4 bundle still sounds fantastic.

 

[Nero]

I dunno, the M3+R4 bundle still sounds fantastic.

Yes, it is fantastic.
If you're willing to burn a lot of cash of course. Just go with it, if you have no spending limit.

~Nero

 

[Venko]

I also have an R4 and am interested in something to play GBA games. I want it to fit in a DSLite slot fine without it sticking out. Perfect, or as near to, GBA game compatibility is important. Is there a device that does what I want along with clock support (for games like Pokemon Ruby/Saphire)?

I've been looking through the reviews page on GBAtemp but there's so much stuff there. I figured it was better to ask and this topic had already been made.

 

[Destructobot]

• fit in a DSLite slot fine without it sticking out.
• Perfect, or as near to, GBA game compatibility is important.
• with clock support (for games like Pokemon Ruby/Saphire)?

M3 Perfect Lite or G6 Lite. I don't think there are any other choices that fit these requirements. Those also happen to be two of the most expensive slot 2 carts available.

If you can live without the clock, I'd recommend the EZ-Flash 3-in-1 expansion pack. It costs about 1/4 as much as those carts, and it has better compatibility than the eWin GBA expansion cart.

 

[striding]

yes Go for it M3 Lite + R4 is the best combo!

 

[Venko]

£39.99 on Model Gadget just to play GBA games whilst my R4/M3 Simply only cost me £29.95 for NDS playback and that was 11 months ago (it's considerably cheaper now at £25.49 or even less for an R4: £23.49).

That's without a PassMe as I believe the R4 can act as a PassMe device and boot Slot-2 devices. My main aim is to play the Pokemon games, Zelda games and Final Fantasy games that have been released on the GBA on my NDS. I'm pretty sure clock support is essential for the Pokemon games :-\

Oh and Merry Christmas everyone

 

[Destructobot]

If linking the GBA Pokemon games with Diamond or Pearl on the R4 is important to you, the 3-in-1 is your only option (aside from the actual retail GBA Pokemon carts). No other slot 2 flashcart will work for linking a GBA Pokemon with the R4.

You can play the pokemon games without the clock, you just won't get the time-based events (or something like that, I haven't bothered with Pokemon myself). You can also patch Sapphire and Ruby (but not Emerald) to enable the time-based stuff without a clock.

AFAIK Fire Red and Leaf Green don't use a clock anyway.


The R4 does indeed act as a NoPass. Even if it didn't you could just get a Superkey rom from one of the SCDS1 service packs and use it to boot the slot 2 cart in DS mode.

 

[Venko]

What is the 3-in-1 card support for GBA games like? I looked around a bit but I haven't been able to find a compatibility list (much like the M3 Simply/R4 ones that are available).

Am I right in thinking that a 3-in-1 card is controlled through third party homebrew off of my Slot-1? Are the amount of GBA games I can store on my NDS only limited by the amount of space on my microSD card in Slot-1?

 

[Destructobot]

What is the 3-in-1 card support for GBA games like? I looked around a bit but I haven't been able to find a compatibility list (much like the M3 Simply/R4 ones that are available).
I have yet to find a game that doesn't run on the 3-in-1. The only game I've found that won't save on the 3-in-1 is the Dr. Mario + Puzzle League double pack, and that seems to be because the save patchers can't patch that particular game.

The 3-in-1 is basically a stripped down EZ-Flash 4, and it has the same excellent GBA compatibility. And no, you cannot use the EZ-Flash 4 for GBA DS Pokemon linkage with the R4.

Am I right in thinking that a 3-in-1 card is controlled through third party homebrew off of my Slot-1?
Yup.


QUOTE(Venko @ Dec 25 2007, 12:26 AM)Are the amount of GBA games I can store on my NDS only limited by the amount of space on my microSD card in Slot-1?

The 3in1 Expansion Pack Tool ("Rudolph's 3in1 tool") is the most popular choice for managing the 3-in-1, and AFAIK it has a limit of 100 games on the card at a time.

NDStation is another choice, and it integrates the GBA games with the DS games by adding a loader to each GBA rom, converting it to a .nds file that you run the same way you run your DS games. In this case you are only limited by the space on the memory card.

 

[GGC]

I was also wondering about playing GBA games on my DSL.
I have a bunch of GBA games but it's a hassle carrying them around.
I have an R4 so the best thing would be an EZ-Flash 3 in 1 then? like this one: EZ-FLASH 3 in 1 expansion pack Rumble White
Thanks!

 

[Destructobot]

Yes, that's the one.

IMO the 3-in-1 is currently the best option for adding GBA support to a slot 1 cart (other than the M3 Real, in which case you should get the M3 Real GBA expansion pack).

The eWin GBA expansion pack patches GBA games automatially, it loads them faster, and it can run 32 megabyte games from RAM (the 3-in-1 only has 16 MB of RAM, so 32 MB games have to be flashed to NOR), but it doesn't have the same high compatibility with GBA games.

Basically, the eWin cart is simpler to use, but the 3-in-1 runs more games.

 

[Venko]

Alright. I'll order a 3-in-1 card then

The website that I've always used before, Model-Gadget, doesn't seem to sell them, however. Does anyone know of a good website that sells the hardware to Britain?

 

[Rayder]

Another vote for the R4/M3 lite combo.

I like a dedicated slot2 card over the somewhat limited 3in1 design. Sure, it may be little trickier (for noobs) to get stuff going on a full-fledged card, but the extra space and versatility is a real plus.


Personally, I have an R4/Supercard miniSD (aka SCminiSD) combo. The SC works pretty well for built-in legacy emus, but GBA games slow down when you're playing them.

If I was ever to buy another slot2 card, I think it would be the M3lite. No slowdown in GBA games and better GBA compatibility.

I have over 200 GBA games on my SCminiSD. About 25% of them slowdown at some point or another. The M3 seems not to have that slowdown problem.

I might even just get the M3miniSD version, just so my cheap ass won't have to buy another SD card. I noticed IT said that it had the built-in emus, the microSD version doesn't....at least not where I looked. So you MIGHT lose those going from a miniSD to a microSD...I dunno....

Does the M3 lite still have the built-in emus like the M3miniSD version does?