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The SuperCard Review for DS Fanboys

Call me crazy, but I'm going to pretend for a minute that you don't know anything about the DS “Scene”. That you somehow stumbled onto this page by accident. And, that for some unknown reason you've decided to read every word of this document. So let me explain what's going on. What you're looking at now is a hardware review for a small device that was created in China a few years ago when game “back-up” technology for the GameBoy Advance was just starting to kick-off. They called it the SuperCard.

At that time, people who wanted to run back-up copies of their GBA games were forced to resort to re-writable game cartridges from overseas. These cartridges, often referred to as “flashcards”, were not only expensive but also didn't have much room to store programs. As you can guess, the latter caused a serious problem when the games got larger. “Oh well,” said the industry, “Just junk your old flashcard and buy a larger one.” So when the SuperCard arrived from an unknown company at a street price of only $60 (USD) and featured a new back-up technology that read games from a removable (and thus upgradeable) type of media called Compact Flash, people did buy it. And they never got ripped off by those other flashcard makers again.



Now, in the Summer of '05 and after the release of a new Nintendo handheld, the SuperCard continues to be the cheapest solution for playing back-ups on the GBA. Even better, the same product that people bought years ago can now be used to play Nintendo DS games at full speed thanks to continuing support from the SuperCard Team! Now that's customer loyalty. Unfortunately, because the product was initially intended for the GBA there are some drawbacks to its DS functionality. So is the perfect solution for those who want to use it just for the DS? Not yet. But believe me, you'll want to read on.

The SuperCard Team blew everyone away last month with the release of PC Software v2.41, which was the first patcher released for any flashcard or adapter that let its users convert unmodified game code (or clean-dumps) to run on the DS. This release only shortly followed the last breakthrough, Kernel Software v1.50, a modified firmware for the SuperCard that provided a way to launch DS code through the device's in-game menu. And in just a few days we'll see the completion in DS compatibility, Kernel Software v1.51. This new firmware will correct the SuperCard's current inability to boot individual files over 256Mb, give users the power to save directly to their Compact Flash (or newly released Secure Digital) cards, and annihilate loading times�"making the SuperCard the faster than any adapter or USB-Disk back-up solution on the market.

I know what you're thinking, “How can you be so sure?” I'll tell you. In the short time I've owned a SuperCard I've seen its company provide faster updates and more community interaction that I've ever witnessed with the developers of any of my four other back-up units. I've also been privy to the rise of a die-hard community, The Unofficial SuperCard Forums, which houses a fanbase more dedicated and diverse that of Nintendo themselves. Believe me, when the SuperCard Team makes a promise, they follow through. And they give you updates all along the way.



Not interested in the questionable legality backing up commercial games? I salute you, and so does the development community. You'd probably be interested to know that the SuperCard is already compatible with all the DS homebrew already out there. Whether you're just interested in using your SuperCard to listen to MP3s with MoonShell, drawing pictures with rPaint, or some Wi-Fi IRC with Stephan's soon-to-arrive client, there's plenty of programs already available. Just find the nds.gba binary on NDSHB.Com, rename it to a nds file extension, then throw it on your CF or SD card, and you're ready to go. Development for the Nintendo DS is just starting to get exciting and you can be there for all of the major breakthroughs.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. If you want to run homebrew or commercial DS code then you'll also need a PassThrough device for any back-up solution you choose. Because most units fit in the DS' GBA slot, they need a way to trick handheld into loading code from there. Strange, I know. The easiest to use is PassMe, which you can find at many places online for around $25. Unlike the most of the competition, the SuperCard doesn't care if you use their PassMe, called SuperPass, or a PassMe from different developer. So if you've already got one from NeoFlash, Natrium, or Lynx, then you're ready to go. I should also mention it's FlashMe, a firmware upgrade for the DS that acts like a PassMe. It's my personal favorite.



So, you've got some removable Compact Flash or Secure Digital media laying around the house, a PassMe, $60 (USD) to blow, and want to give the SuperCard a try. Unfortunately, you won't be able to find at your local Toys 'R' Us or Best Buy. You probably won't even be able to find a import store that sells them in your country! If you live in the U.S. Then I'd strongly suggest giving the online shop KickTrading.Ca a try. Not only are they great to respond to e-mails, they also ship to the Americas in under a week. The last time I bought something from them they even let me upgrade it to a newer product when I decided I'd purchased the wrong one. I can't tell you how much that impressed me.

In conclusion, I give the SuperCard a 7.0 out of 10.0. Features include the ability to select from multiple files stored on a CF or SD card (depending on SuperCard version), full-speed compatibility with Nintendo DS homebrew and commercial code, reliable PC software, the ability to burn programs with Window's Copy & Paste functionality, upgradeable size�"once again thanks to its ability to read removable media�"and a dedicated online community. Its drawbacks include file size limitation, hefty loading times, a lack of extended patching options for DS roms (or programs), and an inability to save directly to its removable media. All of which will be fixed in the next firmware update. The SuperCard is really a diamond in the ruff, a device that many either didn't know existed or realize was so capable. It just might be the best solution out there once it matures.

[Dudu.exe]

Great review =] congratulations!

[torne]

You might want to mention the issues with GBA slowdown, in the interests of balanced reporting, since at least some of these issues cannot be corrected in software.

[Syldaril]

Very incentive and thorough.
Thank you for your efforts!

Syldaril

[DeVS]

Well done review!

[brakken]

Unfortunately, you won't be able to find at your local Toys 'R' Us or Best Buy.

ROFL

[socket]

I really enjoyed this review as a SC fanboy.... but if I bought one based on this review, I'd be quite disappointed that you did not mention the speed issues.