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[ZzzZilla]

A Guide to flash-carts on NDS/NDS Lite
Written on 9th July 2006 by ZzzZilla. Credit goes out to the wonderful coders on the NDS homebrew scene and the forum members/moderators for their insightful questions and enlightening answers.

Purpose of this FAQ:
   “To answer the questions that typically arise when deciding to use a GBA flash-cart on the NDS/NDS Lite. The presentation of this FAQ will try to emulate the thought process of a first time user as much as possible. As such, this FAQ will cater more to the laymen, although pointers for more in-depth knowledge are provided.”

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS

>GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:

   >> Q1: Why do I need a flash-cart on my NDS/NDS Lite?
   >> Q2: I have a GBA flash-cart I bought for my GBA SP.
                        Can I use it for my NDS/NDS Lite? Anything else I need?
   >> Q3: Do I really need a Passme device? What should I
               look out for?
   >> Q4: What do you mean by ‘flash’ my NDS?
   >> Q5: So, to ‘flash’, or not to ‘flash’?

>HARDWARE:

   >> Q6: What kind of equipment should I get?
   >> Q7: So exactly which flash-cart should I pick?

>COMPATIBILTY:

   >> Q8: I’m going to get ABC Passme device with XYZ flash-
               cart on my NDS/ NDS Lite. Will there be any problems?
   >> Q9: Where can I go to find out exactly which game ROM
                       and homebrews are supported by each of the flash-carts?

>TECHNOLOGY:

   >> Q10: How do I ensure my flash-cart has the newest
                 firmware installed?
   >>Q11: Speaking of memory cards, I’m having some
                            trouble…
               >> Q12: Do I need to do anything to the files I want on my
                             flash-cart before copying them to the memory card?
               >> Q13: By the way, can I save when playing ROMs? Where
                             does it go since I’m not using the original hardware?
   >> Q14: SRAM? PSRAM? NOR memory? NAND?

>NOW WHAT?:

   >> Q15: Help me! I don’t know how to use all these
   equipment!
   >> Q16: Some of my patched ROMs don’t work!
   >> Q17: Could you recommend some nice homebrews?

>F.Y.I:

   >> Q18: You mentioned Malware earlier? What are
                 they?
   >> Q19: I’m ready to buy my flash-cart. Where do I get
                 it?

>FURTHER READING:
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

   Q1: Why do I need a flash-cart on my NDS/NDS Lite?

A1:  You will need it in order to fully utilize your NDS as you will now be able to access homebrews (non-commercial programs) and back-ups (of your game ROMs or game data). In other words, you get to consolidate all the DS/GBA games you are playing onto a single piece of hardware, and even get to play self-made games available online or install additional software which transform your humble NDS into a PDA or text/picture/movie/music player.

   Q2: I have a GBA flash-cart I bought for my GBA SP. Can I use it for my NDS/NDS Lite? Anything else I need?

A2: Most probably, yes. Although it will possibly need the newest firmware update from its developer in order for it to function with the NDS/ NDS Lite. Note that in order for the NDS/ NDS Lite to access the GBA game slot in DS mode, a Passme device is needed in the DS game slot. (On a more technical note, the Passme tricks the NDS into thinking an authentic DS gamepak is inserted and then directs it to read data from the GBA game slot). To access GBA mode, turn on the unit, with the GBA flash-cart attached, without the Passme device inserted.

   Q3: Do I really need a Passme device? What should I look out for?

   A3: As mentioned before, a Passme device enables access to the GBA game slot on the NDS/NDS Lite while in DS mode. It is inserted in the DS game slot and programmed with pass-through technology. On the market now are the generation 1 Passme, the generation 2 Passme and the Nopass. Gen 1 Passme was made for the NDS. However, Nintendo decided to improve their encryption in order to deter what it deemed illegal usage of their hardware. Thus, newer models of the NDS and all the NDS Lite need at least a Gen 2 Passme (such as EZPass 2, PassKey 2, SuperPass 2). Of course, with a Nopass (such as SuperKey, PassCard 3 or Max Multimedia Launcher) there is no distinction between the different NDS models and has no need for programming with an original DS gamepak (unlike the Passme, which also sticks out a bit).

A Passme device is absolutely essential, although it can be considered a one-use item if you decide to ‘flash’ your NDS

   Q4: What do you mean by ‘flash’ my NDS?

A4: As in rewriting the NDS firmware with Flashme, a hacked version of the firmware. The official website is http://ds.gcdev.com/dsfirmware/. In case it’s down, use http://www.dspassme.com/FlashMe.shtml. By installing Flashme, the only time you will need a Passme device is during the ‘flashing’ process. To learn more about ‘flashing’ your NDS, there is an extensive guide and video walkthrough at http://gbatemp.net/; under Guides (this section requires member registration). Alternatively, there are several ‘flashing’ tutorials on Youtube, one of which is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uy28iIn6Lc. Also on the Flashme website is the uninstaller for Flashme (do not use it on a NDSL for now) and a stealth version which leaves the Health warning screen intact (making it less obvious it’s flashed).

   Q5: So, to ‘flash’, or not to ‘flash’?

A5: That’s a choice entirely up to you. Flashme Version 7 supports the DS Lite if you’re considering ‘flashing’. Also consider the following:

       Flashme

PRO
: Eliminates need for Passme in DS slot, saving a bit of energy
: Malware protection. (Malware can corrupt your NDS firmware, and reinstalling Flashme restores it)
: Supports all flash-carts
: Removes the Health warning screen for faster boot-up
: Removes RSA signature check, making it possible to use WiFi Connection as well as receive Download Play

         CON
: Voids your warranty
: Potentially ‘bricking’ your NDS during the ‘flashing’ process. (i.e. the NDS is rendered useless. In the unlikely event you ‘brick’ a NDS, read http://scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3931 to find out how you could recover it. Note: It is possible that flashing on a DS Lite is a do-or-die thing; as in you only have one chance at flashing it properly, or it gets ‘bricked’. For more information on this, click http://scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4339.)

Passme device

 PRO
: Does not require flashing to run
  unsigned code/ROMs
               : Retain your warranty

      CON
: Drains battery more (coupled with a GBA flash-cart, be prepared to lose at least 1 hour of battery life. Click http://scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4768 to see the comparison.)
: Vulnerable to Malware (users should test suspicious ROMs on a DS emulator before using on their NDS)
: May experience flash-cart incompatibility (see Compatibility section, Q8 )

Take Note: There have been cases where certain game ROMs were only playable on ‘flashed’ handhelds, whereas some others were playable only on NDS using a Passme.

HARDWARE

   Q6: What kind of equipment should I get?

A6: For the Passme device, any generation 2 Passme should be fine (see Q3 for more specifics). Additionally, see the Compatibility section, Q8, for a list of Passme devices that might not work with certain GBA flash-carts.
   GBA flash-cart wise, there are many choices on the market now. Search on an online merchant dealing in GBA/ NDS products and you will find them listed under “Development Tools”. A lineup of what you are likely to find are the SuperCards, the EZ Flashes, the M3 or G6, the NeoFlashes (had a horrible reputation at one point which it’s rebuilding, but the earliest on the scene) and maybe even a NinjaDS (a DS flash-cart with no proven track record. However, it acts as a 2-in-1 Passme/Flash-cart, leaving the GBA slot open for using RumblePaks or games like WarioWare). Another new, somewhat similar DS flash-cart is the Ultra FlashPass (not much information on this either). For this FAQ, I’ll be focusing on the top 3 products, namely SuperCard mini-SD, EZ Flash 4 and the M3 mini-SD/ G6 to discuss in the next question.
   Finally, for the current generation flash-carts, memory is external rather than internal NAND memory (the G6 being the exception. Take note that 4 Gigabits [Gb] =0.5 GigaBytes [GB]), meaning memory space is limited only by the number of flash memory cards you have lying around. Most use the SD standard, although some can support the CF standard. In the smaller flash-carts, mini-SD (for carts that are flush with the NDS) and micro-SD/TransFlash (for carts that are flush with the NDS Lite) are used due to the smaller form factor. Another factor to consider when choosing a flash memory is its read/write speed, which will affect how fast data is transferred from the card to the NDS and vice versa. Sustained speeds in the neighborhood of 60x (multiply by 150KB/s to get an idea of how fast it is) should be acceptable.

   Q7: So exactly which flash-cart should I pick?

A7: I won’t go into a nitty-gritty analysis of each product, so I will compare them based on features I think are most relevant to a buyer. (Note: M3 and G6 are the same system-wise, except for internal memory in G6 and a smaller form.)

<LOOKS> As all the flash-carts fit in the NDS, I personally feel how the cart looks has no real impact (the M3 does protrude though). For the NDS Lite however, only the EZ Flash 4 Lite and the G6 Lite (EDIT: the SuperCard Team will be releasing their own lite version flash-cart on 28th July) sit flush with the handheld. By only considering the GBA-sized flash-carts, we arrive at a tie for Supercard and EZ Flash, although the M3/G6 build quality looks more professional. Here’s a look at how the GBA-sized carts look in the NDS Lite.


<PRICE> The SuperCard and the EZ Flash are both competitively priced, while the M3/ G6 costs a princely sum. It’s a tie for the SuperCard and EZ Flash for this round.

<SUPPORT> All 3 teams have good online forum support with regular updates/fixes. Note that the Chinese forums go down periodically, and the moderators on the English side aren’t commissioned by the actual developers themselves, so getting responses straight from the horse’s mouth may take some time. M3 team wins this time for their more frequent updates.

<NDS> All 3 products support NDS games well, with the M3 having near complete NDS ROM compatibility, the SuperCard doing just as well while the EZ Flash trails the pack. Take note only a small minority of ROMs have problems, so unless you plan on playing every single NDS game, all 3 are acceptable. M3 and SuperCard tie for first.

<GBA> Due to the inclusion of PSRAM and NOR memory in the cart, the EZ Flash 4 wins hands down when it comes to  GBA ROMs gameplay. While the other 2 do support GBA ROMs, they do it slower, with M3 faring better. EZ team wins this round.

<MEMORY SLOT> The GBA-sized SuperCard and M3 load their memory carts from the cart’s top whereas EZ Flash has a side-loader, which will prove to be a hassle when changing memory cards, especially if you use different cards for different functions. Additionally, the EZ Flash 4 Lite does not have a spring-loaded carriage and many have expressed difficulties in removing the memory card from it. SuperCard and M3 tie for first place this round.

<BATTERY LIFE> Using a flash-cart draws power from the unit, which drains the battery faster. It is widely believed that the M3 has little to no drainage, while the SuperCard drains the battery less than the EZ Flash. All in all, you stand to lose an hour of battery life). Winner of this round is the M3.

<CLIENT/LOADER> The client is the program used in converting/transferring files to a memory card through your desktop. The loader is the interface you use on the NDS itself. All 3 flash-carts have simple and straightforward programs (albeit with badly translated language), but it gets the job done. M3 wins simply because it looks the prettiest, with EZ in at a close second. (Note: This is based on the defaults as they can be customised using skins.)

<HOMEBREWS> Homebrew support is available on the 3 flash-carts. However, EZ team does a poor job at it as the EZ Flash doesn’t access and save data right from the memory card’s FAT library, which causes it to be incompatible with many popular homebrews. SuperCard and M3 come in at joint first.

<MULTIMEDIA> Multi-media files (like images, movies, and music) can be converted and viewed on the NDS using the Moonshell homebrew. Luckily for EZ team, they collaborated with the Moonshell team to make a homebrew suitable for use on the EZ Flash. SuperCard and M3 have their own multi-media viewer pre-installed, but the SuperCard’s is a rip of the M3’s Crystal Media Engine and lacks the proper components for optimum viewing. M3’s Crystal Media engine can hold its own against Moonshell (which is also conveniently pre-installed), but only excels when it comes to movies. M3 deservedly wins this round.

<EXTRAS> (a) A real-time clock is present on the SuperCard and M3, but not the EZ Flash (which only affects games like Pokemon). (b) All 3 have special commands like Soft Reset and Cheat Mode, but EZ Flash seems to lack a Real Time Save. (c) Emulators for Game Boy, GB Color, NES etc come pre-installed in the M3 and SuperCard but not the EZ Flash, but these are hardly the latest versions. (d) EZ Flash alone seems to be able to detect ROMS in compressed ZIP/RAR files during patching. (e) SuperCard and M3 can support multiple game saves, useful for units with multiple users.
>Thus, SuperCard and M3 emerge tied again.<

Results:
(Relative) SuperCard=11.5 EZ Flash=6.5 M3=15.0 Seeing as PRICE is a very influential factor, by imposing a -0.5/factor on the M3, we get this:
    (Scaled) SuperCard=11.5 EZ Flash=6.5 M3=10.0
   
Hopefully, this will help you to make an informed decision when buying a flash-cart. As you can see, the M3 gives you the best of the SuperCard and the EZ Flash, if you don’t mind the steep price, while the SuperCard has the best value for your money. If you value your GBA games, the EZ Flash is not a bad investment either, seeing as its coders are constantly working to improve the areas where it’s lacking in.

For an explanation on the (relative) and (scaled) rating system used here, see the end of this FAQ.

To learn more about each flash-cart’s hardware and software, http://gbatemp.net has some very good reviews on the flash-carts available today (under Reviews and guides to using them (under Guides). If you want a second opinion, there is also //www.iso420.com, just look under Nintendo DS.

COMPATIBILTY

   Q8: I’m going to get ABC Passme device with XYZ flash-cart on my NDS/ NDS Lite. Will there be any problems?

A8: As mentioned before, it is best to get a Gen 2 Passme device or a Nopass device; and if you are planning to install Flashme, it doesn’t really matter which. Obviously, Passme devices coming from the same developers will be compatible with their own GBA flash-carts (SuperPass with SuperCard, PassKey with M3/G6 and EZPass with EZ Flash). For the Nopass devices however, there are some things to take special note of.
   SuperKey and PassCard 3 both have a new and old version, and there are no issues with using the new version (which has a boot-up screen) on the SuperCard or M3. However, the EZ Flash is compatible only with the old versions, though it is speculated the EZPass 3 is being released soon. (Edit: On 10th July, EZPass 3 was released. A Nopass device, it is compatible with all flash-carts.) Other Nopass on the market are the Max Multimedia Launcher, which again is incompatible with the EZ Flash (a new version of the MML is though), and the MagicKey 4 Key, which is compatible with all flash-carts (MagicKey 4 mini is the same as the key version, except it has a 2MB EEPROM for game saves. This only matters on flash-carts that have problems saving to the cart, like NeoFlash’s previous flash-carts). Another thing to take note about the Max Multimedia Launcher is that it doesn’t support sleep mode, although it can be modified to do so by connecting the 1st and 7th pin. You can read more about it at http://scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4741&highlight=mml+sleep.

   Q9: Where can I go to find out exactly which game ROMs and homebrews are supported by each of the flash-carts?

   A9: Homebrew wise, SuperCard and M3 ought not to have any problems, although some may require additional tinkering for them to work (look around their individual forums for help on the homebrew you’re having problems with). On the EZ Flash side however, a very limited selection of homebrews are usable due to the fact that EZ Flash doesn’t read off straight from the memory card’s FAT library (although it seems likely to change in future updates). As a result, unless the homebrew has an EZ Flash compatible version (like Moonshell does), you most likely won’t be able to use them.
   As for game ROMs compatibility, you can find them by clicking the following links: SuperCard List(http://scdev.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1057), EZ Flash List(http://www.ezflash.cn/list.asp), M3 List (http://www.m3ndsrs.ift.cx/). The M3 also has another list over at its wiki (http://www.m3wiki.com/index.php?title=M3).

TECHNOLOGY

   Q10: How do I ensure my flash-cart has the newest firmware installed?

A10: Due to regular updates and fixes being released, it is highly unlikely that the firmware on your fresh-out-of-the-box flash-cart is up-to-date. Unlike flash-carts of the past which had a USB linker from your desktop to the flash-cart itself, current generation flash-carts use external memory. Hence, firmware updates are now done via the memory card, whereby the update is placed into the card through a card reader. Following which, the memory card is inserted into the flash-cart. When the unit is turned on, the file will execute and ask if you wish to upgrade. It’s as simple as that!

   Q11: Speaking of memory cards, I’m having some trouble…

A11: First off, some flash-carts have a storage limit on the memory card used (SuperCard, for example, limits it at 2GB for now). Currently, SuperCard and EZ Flash reads FAT 16 (plain FAT on Win XP), so if the card you’re using is using FAT 32, you need to format it to FAT 16 (M3 is fine with FAT 32 though). Make sure you back up any data you have on it before reformatting or you’ll lose them. Finally, if you see that you can only utilize a portion of your card’s memory capacity, you should be aware that each folder under the card’s directory can only access 350MB, so the solution is to create more folders and separately place the data into them.

   Q12: Do I need to do anything to the files I want on my flash-cart before copying them to the memory card?

   A12: Unmodified ROMs you download straight off the internet are referred to as ‘clean’ ROMs. In order to use them, you need to patch them using the desktop client. For the multimedia files, Moonshell can read them in their original format (.txt, .jpg, .bmp, .mp3, etc); although movie files need to be converted into .dpg format (while M3’s Crystal Media Engine converts all files from their original format). For the M3 and EZ Flash 4, the files are patched automatically by the desktop client as they are transferred to the memory card.

   Q13: By the way, can I save when playing ROMs? Where does it go since I’m not using the original hardware?

   A13: Yes you can. When you are playing a game, the cart’s SRAM stores the game’s save data. Without patching the ROMs, this data would be written to the gamepak’s EEPROM, which is absent when we use a flash-cart (unless you use a MagicKey 4 mini Passme device). For current generation flash-carts, the SRAM is retained, after powering off, through the use of an internal battery in the cart. So the next time the unit is turned on, it detects the SRAM and writes it (if you desire so) to the game’s corresponding save file (created during patching) in the memory card before proceeding to normal functions. (Saves can also be handled differently in the SuperCard, saving directly to the memory card instead of using the battery-backed SRAM.)
      The M3’s save files are huge at 257KB for DS saves and 1MB for GBA saves, but it allows you to create multiple saves for a game, very useful for units with more than one user. The SuperCard is also capable of this function, which is designated as the “More Saver”.

   Q14: SRAM? PSRAM? NOR memory? NAND?

   A14: SRAM is where game data is stored until it is written to a save file. PSRAM and NOR memory are found in the EZ Flash 4 and are what allow it to have high compatibility and high speed with GBA games. (On a technical note, ROMs below 16MB in size are sent to the PSRAM. For files above that, they are saved to the NOR memory (holds up to 32MB) and this process may take several minutes. The game then stays there until overwritten, so it does not need to be rewritten every time you play a big game, unless you switch between games). NAND is the name for memory storage used in SD/CF cards and the past generations of flash-carts. They have approximately the same read speed and write speed, which is 1000 times slower than a NOR memory’s read speed (which falls in the nano-second range). NOR memory, however, has a very slow write speed.

NOW WHAT?

   Q15: Help me! I don’t know how to use all these equipment!

   A15: There’s a step by step walkthrough on how to use the SuperCard and M3 over at http://gbatemp.net under the ‘Guides’ section. In summary, you’ll need to format the memory card to FAT 16 (FAT 32 is fine for M3), download and use the latest firmware/client, patch the ‘clean’ ROM (if not automated), transfer it (with its corresponding save file) to the memory card via a card reader, insert it in the flash-cart, turn on the unit and run the ROM.

   Q16: Some of my patched ROMs don’t work!

   A16: Make sure you use the same client version as the one that patched the ROMs that do work. Just patch the ‘clean’ ROM through that particular client version. Occasionally, you have to use a slightly older version for certain ROMs to work. It may also just turn out to be a faulty/incomplete ROM, or an incomplete patch. Also, use the links in Q9 to check if the ROM in question is supported or not.
   Different flash-cart clients patch differently, so if you’re converting from a SuperCard to a M3, you cannot use the SuperCard-patched ROMs on the M3. As mentioned in Q12, the M3 and the EZ Flash 4 have clients that patch transferred files automatically.

   Q17: Could you recommend some nice homebrews?

   A17:
Moonshell (Multimedia Player)
      http://mdxonline.dyndns.org/archives/nds
DSOrganise (PDA function and file manager)
      http://www.dragonminded.com/?loc=ndsdev/DSOrganize
DS Drum Machine (play drums on the NDS. Woah.)
      http://thechuckster.homelinux.com/tr909/
      NDS Mail (Mail client. ‘Nuff Said.)
      http://bronto-online.de/ndsmail.htm
      SnezziBoy (SNES Emulator)
      http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=166961
      NES DS (NES Emulator)
      http://www.cs.utah.edu/~tew/nesDS/
      PicoDrive (Sega Genesis/Megadrive Emulator)
http://www.cryptosystem.org/projects/nds/picodriveds-0.1.4/
Virtual Game Maker (RPG Maker)
   http://perso.wanadoo.fr/Globoeil/VGMDS/VGMDS.htm
      ScummVM DS (Scumm port)
      http://www.drunkencoders.com/scummvm/
      Beup  (MSN-esque messenger)
      http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?p=83323#83323
      Win2DS (use DS as gamepad to access PC)
      http://www.1emulation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18070
      REIN (back up your NDS save data)
      http://www.pat.hi-ho.ne.jp/sata68/nds.shtml#rain
      SlyphIRC (IRC Client)
      http://www.sylphds.net/ev2/contentview.php?id=401
      WiFi Chat (chat via Wifi, duh)
      http://bafio.drunkencoders.com
      Draw (paint application)
      http://blog.davr.org/2006/04/26/saving-to-sram-loading-for-all/
      NitroTracker (is that a voice recorder I see?)
      http://nitrotracker.tobw.net/
      HelloDS (VoiP program)
      http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=gotodownload&downloadid=1249
      TxtWriter (word writing program)
      http://ds.spacemonkeymafia.com/txtwriter.php

   And much, much more. Up and coming homebrews include DOOM , Quake, NintenCats, WonderSwan emulator and NeoGeo emulator. Find out more at http://gbadev.org or http://dsdev.org .

F.Y.I

   Q18: You mentioned Malware earlier? What are they?

   A18: Malware are files that corrupt your NDS firmware. While only 2 known Malware are known to exist, they could potentially be renamed, so one should exercise caution in using homebrew programs. The 2 Malware are r0mloader and Taihen. DO NOT USE THEM AT ALL COST. Sizes are 151,361 bytes and 548,673 bytes respectively.

   Q19: I’m ready to buy my flash-cart. Where do I get it?

   A19: Reputable online merchants include:
      --//www.winsunx.com (China based)
      --//www.kicktrading.ca (Canada based)
      --//www.jandaman.com (US based)
      --http://shop.01media.com/en (Europe based)
      --//www.bamboogaming.com (Australia based)

   Browse through and compare each merchant before deciding. Winsunx has low prices, but high shipping while bamboogaming ships products without the original packaging. All have, more or less, good shipping times.

FURTHER READING

>ROM trimming: learn how to cut out redundant data from ROMs at http://ezflash.sosuke.com/viewtopic.php?t=457.
   >SuperCard Forums: http://scdev.org/forum
   >EZ Flash Forums: http://ezflash.sosuke.com
   >EZ Flash 4 Wiki: http://www.sosuke.com/ezflash/wiki/index.php/EZFlash_4
   >M3 Forums: //www.m3-forum.com
   >M3 Wiki: http://www.m3wiki.com/index.php?title=M3

~END~

Spotted something wrong with this FAQ? Think there’s something I need to add that people should know about? Email me at zzzzilla@gmail.com with the title “Flash-cart FAQ Erratum”. Thanks in advance!

“Regarding Q7’s rating system:
There are a total of 11 factors in play. For each factor, 1st place is awarded 2 points, 2nd gets 1 and last gets 0. In the event that there’s a 2-way tie, those tied for 1st get 1.5 points each while those tied for 2nd get 0.5 points each. A 3-way tie results in all getting 1 point each. By totalling up the points each flash-cart amassed, we get the (relative) rating. Note that due to the way the points are awarded, the results are more or less empirical (in the sense that it’s a measure of how many positives it has as opposed to how much more positive it is; an important distinction seeing as there are many close calls). For the (scaled) rating, I penalise the M3 for its last placing in PRICING (as it is the more influential factor of the lot) with a -0.5points/factor. With 10 factors it scored points in, the M3 (scaled) rating is reduced by 5 points

[ZzzZilla]

Most of my FAQ can now be seen in the post above.

Unfortunately, there is still Qn 15, where I'm experiencing some weird problems. Will attempt to fix it with Socket asap.

EDIT: ALL SYSTEMS GO! Please be gentle...

[ZzzZilla]

##### EDIT BY SOCKET ######

Very detailed guide

thumbs up

The Supercard (and other GBA media adapters) is not a flashcard...

G6lite => 65 Euro's (around)
SuperCard SD + 512Mb SD card =>  61 Euro
SuperCard miniSD + miniSD card 512Mb => 69 Euro

Averidge is the same.

And where did NoPass go?

Also, SRAM can also just be used to keep the save file in (not having it written to a .sav file or any other type of file, this is dependent on the GBA media (adapter)).

Anyway, nice guide, something close to what I'm writing at the moment (although I start of by thinking people really know nothing about the DS homebrew scene , and mine will aim more at homebrew rather then ROMS).
Sadly I haven't finished mine (still a work in progress), and I can't enter two works.
So I'm not hurrying to get it out for this compo (also with the thought that I might forget something ).

Anyway, (lol repetition) nice guide and keep up the writing as people new to the scene are always helped by such things (why I write).

##### END EDIT BY SOCKET ######


You guys are just too quick for me...
Experiencing funky connection problems at the moment, hope i can reset this topic as socket seems to be able to extend the post limit so i can consolidate all my entries together.

Scor: what term would you use in place of flash-cart for SC, EZ and M3, other than development kits?

[Scor]

I use GBA media (aka GBA flash cards) and GBA media adapters.
Adapters = GBA slot --> Media card slot.
Read my (unfinished still in beta/alfa stage) Beginners Guide To NDS homebrew to make it clearer for you .
You can read it here.

[Scor]

The Supercard (and other GBA media adapters) is not a flashcard...

G6lite => 65 Euro's (around)
SuperCard SD + 512Mb SD card => 61 Euro
SuperCard miniSD + miniSD card 512Mb => 69 Euro

Averidge is the same.

And where did NoPass go?

Also, SRAM can also just be used to keep the save file in (not having it written to a .sav file or any other type of file, this is dependent on the GBA media (adapter)).

Anyway, nice guide, something close to what I'm writing at the moment (although I start of by thinking people really know nothing about the DS homebrew scene , and mine will aim more at homebrew rather then ROMS).
Sadly I haven't finished mine (still a work in progress), and I can't enter two works.
So I'm not hurrying to get it out for this compo (also with the thought that I might forget something ).

Anyway, (lol repetition) nice guide and keep up the writing as people new to the scene are always helped by such things (why I write).

*edit*
Quotes look so ugly

[baiken122]

how big is the file size of r0mloader and Taihen?

[ZzzZilla]

taihen.zip, which claims to be a hentai viewer, is: (.nds size 548,673 bytes)

r0mloader.zip, which claims to be a rom loader for those not using the commercial flash-carts, is: (.nds size 151,361 bytes)

No need to be over-paranoid, cause they have not been seen in a while. However, it does pay to be cautious, so be sure to test suspicious downloads (if they passed an anti-virus test) on a DS emulator.

Regarding Scor's post:

1) Regarding the price, I believe it's US$88 for the G6lite, US$50 for the SC lite and US$44 for the EZ Flash 4 lite. For my calculations, I ignored the memory card's cost for a variety of reasons, like the fluctuating prices of these cards, the possibility of some folks already have them lying around the house, etc.

2) NoPass devices were mentioned in their relevant sections.

3) I'm aware that saving from the SRAM to the save file is entirely optional, hence the comment "(if you desire)" in A13. Perhaps i was being too subtle, but I didn't want to go into exactly HOW to accomplish this as the 3 flash-carts do it differently.

Hopefully 2) and 3) were brought up because you couldn't see my FAQ in its full form previously, otherwise I'm afraid I failed in my objective of this FAQ being straightforward enough for anybody to understand...