Which is Todays Best Flash Cart for DS ?

[wraggster]

The easiest way to find out whats best is to let others tell you and to newcomers to the DS Homebrew community you dont want to be spending money on a product thats hard as hell to use.

So and this is asking all DS users, what in your opinion is the best flash cart for the Nintendo DS at this time?

Answers via Comments

[kcajblue]

i dont have them but id say that either the M3 Simply or the R4 are the best.

[MasterMunt]

M3 Simply is what I have. Extremely simple to use, and you can always upgrade the memory by buying another MicroSD, you are not limited to space. Its also good for its drag and drop feature, and the compatibility with homebrew and commercial backups is near perfect. The best bit.... Its CHEAP... hehe

[caesar77]

I have the Cyclo DS Evolution and it's easy and without problems. I think is the best now. (2gb. in of minisd)

Cya!

[AaronRocksG]

not games n music. probably r4 or m3

[skipboris]

I have the Cyclo DS Evolution and it's easy and without problems. I think is the best now. (2gb. in of minisd)

Cya!

I also have the evolution. Its extremely easy to use and feature rich. R4 and M3 have been around longer so they will probably have a bigger fan base. One feature the EVO has that sets it above is microsdhc support. This is a hardware supported feature so no amount of firmware will get you this. Microsdhc cards will go up to 32GB in the (near) future. They are currently at 8GB. The other EVO first is DS save state. Its not implemented yet, but it is promised as its grayed out in the main menu (hey its only been out a couple months). There are no cards out there that can do that. It also has all the standard features we come to expect like built in cheats, perfect download play, full ds library support, auto dldi patching, built in media player (moonshell), skinnable, multiple cart colors, ect. I guess the downside is that its the highest cost card out there, as its the newest and most feature rich.

As for a slot 2 for GBA games/homebrew, I have always liked my supercard lite.

[dkjr83]

I have the Cyclo DS Evo, DSX, Supercard Lite, EZflash V and 3in1 slot 2, and an old M3 CF.

Of those, right now, the Cyclo DS Evo and 3in1 are getting used in my DS lite. Perfect GBA play and some awesome features on the Evo make for a great combo. That said, the Supercard Lite is still awesome and CAN run some GBA games well. I go back to it when I need great compatability for some of the newer stuff that isn't working on slot 1s. Of course the M3 CF is still very nice, if a little big.

I also gave an M3 simply to my brother and he's had a great experience with it. These are good times for DS flash cart-ers.

All in all, If money is not an object I would suggest a Cyclo DS Evo with a 2gb kingston (made in Japan) micro sd (until faster sdhc cards are out) and a 3in1. If the DSX team can release a decent update and improve their customer service a little, it's still a great card and USB connectivity is great.

All just my opinions, of course.

[dark.nowhere]

Since the DS is the most rewarding thing I've spent money on, I'll probably end up with a good range of homebrew products for it.

So far I've just used SC lite, and it's nice. The only problem is that DLDI seems to be a bit off for it sometimes, and some things don't work. It's frustrating because some of the better homebrew just doesn't work. Or only sometimes works, or whatever. (Nitrotracker works fairly well at least... such a gem.)

I've got an R4 on the way (along w/ DSerial2), and I'll probably pick up an EVO at some point.

I really don't mind blowing more on homebrew support than I did on the DS in the first place. It's partly because I have a lot of friends that I like to lend these to and partly because it's such a great scene. I do kinda wish a portion of that would go back to Nintendo because it I think they deserve it. (OTOH, given recent NDS sales they're probably bleeding money right now anyway.)

[x999x]

I think the best setup possible is any of the R4/M3 clone Slot-1s paired with an EZflash 3in1 Slot-2.

Simple Drag and drop onto 1 microSD with NDS/GBA/Ram Pak/Rumble compliancy for the win!

[Tegamal]

I'd say the M3 Simply or R4DS. Very simple, easy to use. Works with pretty much anything I've tried.

[Tripsk8er333]

I got an M3 DS Simply when it came out and I have loved it ever since. I then got a EZV 3 in 1 GBA expantion. They are GREAT and worth every penny!!
:thumbup:
If I was you I would get a M3 DS Simply or a R4DS. with a EZV 3 in 1 expantion.:thumbup:

[addcombatinenvy]

I have an r4 and it's smooth to operate. No real snags that I've seen. Doesn't the M3 run almost exactly the same? And didn't DS Scene have an article on how the Cyclo DS Evo was just a repackaged M3 or something?

I really don't see anyone losing in the situation between the three.

[MHentai]

supercard 4 life

[fischju]

R4...it's only 29.90! (chinese at dealextreme, can easily be patched to english, you know)

[XDelusion]

http://starwarslegacy.net/NDS.aspx

I use (as you can see in the link above) the M3 Simply combined with the Ez Flash 3 in1, which together open up the entire catalog of GBA and DS software at only around $50 or $55 after shipping total!

With that you get Rumble and Extra Memory support to boot! You really can't beat it for the $$$!

[Taris]

I'd have to say i'm very happy with my R4 and EZFlash5.

[skipboris]

I have an r4 and it's smooth to operate. No real snags that I've seen. Doesn't the M3 run almost exactly the same? And didn't DS Scene have an article on how the Cyclo DS Evo was just a repackaged M3 or something?

I really don't see anyone losing in the situation between the three.

Firstly, that propaganda originated from the supercard homepage, so take it with a grain of salt. Secondly, that was referring to some of cyclos older cards, NOT the Evolution. The Evo is a cyclo original, as it has hardware features nowhere else on the market. BTW, each run of the Evos has been selling out. I think it might be eating into supercards profits. For a slot 2 I love my supercard lite, but for slot ones the cyclods evolution seems to be best right now.

[BirdFLU]

I have the DS-X and while the card is easy to use and has great potential, their customer service has killed any chance of me recommending their product. Check their forums for the complaints from Mac and PC users alike. There are other cards with the same features that are way cheaper.

[wiggy fuzz]

m3 simply/r4 should be taken down a notch, it's great and all, but the spring can get to be a real **** (well, the lock that stops the card from flying out):D

my spring broke after two months and being frustrated (pokemon fever and sick of having sd card hit me in the eye). but i managed to remove the spring and the lock so the sd card is firmly in, but requires you to draw it out with your fingers

nowadays you don't even get a spare white case for it, which is a bummer, because the clips on my m3 simply have all broken - it's just the screw holding mine together (but that's just me, i'm clumsy)

[gamev8]

Games N Music is a fair card IF paired with Dragonminded’s DSOrganizer.
(I’ve found it to be fairly reliable)

[Eyedunno]

Another vote for the M3 Simply and R4, though I haven't tried the CycloDS, so it might well be as good or better (though I think the only way it could possibly be better is a more reliable spring mechanism, or no spring).

One minor issue that keeps Slot2 solutions relevant is the lack of a hack to play GBA stuff from Slot1. Here's hoping somebody cracks that egg (And I hope they do it with virtualization of some sort rather than a reverse PassMe, as I think it would be awesome to have a button mapping feature for GBA games, particularly if it allows assigning combinations to the extra buttons, which would finally render the GBA Street Fighter games almost perfect).

[Echo1]

The only cards I've tried are the ones I own and they are: R4DS and EZ-Flash 3in1, which make a great combo for under £35.

They're both very easy to use and require little learning (3in1 needs a tad more, mind).

[jacksprat1990]

I have the M3 DS Simply. I've gotta say it's very easy and very reliable to use. Awesome cart. Also, could anyone name a good Slot 2 device that would fit my DS One so I dont have to change my GBA games all the time and could also get saves off my origianal ds games. Thx

[naruto777]

Hands-down. R4 is my favorite at this time. Maybe the EVO is a bit better, but the R4's great price is a good reason to get it.

[reluttr]

In my opinion the SC One is the best, I have tried the SC 1, R4, M3 Simply, and Ez Flash and out of all of them I perfer the SC one.

The Sc 1 has built in moonshell so there is no worry's about booting additional apps for media, The GUI of the Sc 1 is completely skinnable even the supercard logo on the top screen. Rom compatibility and speed is surprisingly good and id be willing to say close to 100%, and there is a constant flow of updates.

Also the Sc 1 "and all other homebrew enabled slot one carts" can use the EZ flash 3 in 1 expansion with the use of 3rd party app's

I personally recommend the Sc 1 because it has excellent compatibility and a awesome GUI for a very good price :thumbup:

[cal360]

M3 simply is the best to me but that's because its what I own. i've had no problems with it at all and everything works fine. The new firmwares for it also give new options like autopatching so for me its perfect.

[Eyedunno]

Also, could anyone name a good Slot 2 device that would fit my DS One so I dont have to change my GBA games all the time and could also get saves off my origianal ds games. Thx
Sure, SuperCard MiniSD is the best Slot 2 card for the original DS (and not a bad choice for the Lite either, even if it sticks out a wee bit).

I DO NOT recommend the MicroSD Slot 2 SuperCard (for DS Lite), as that thing is hell to pull out, or at least mine is. :(

[wodur]

DSone
is the first flashcart (slot 1) that updates gamelist compatibility.
was the unike that worked backups after number 1000
, other flashcarts updated it later.
easy to use and support of Supercard team.

this is only an opinion.

[jacksprat1990]

Sure, SuperCard MiniSD is the best Slot 2 card for the original DS (and not a bad choice for the Lite either, even if it sticks out a wee bit).

I DO NOT recommend the MicroSD Slot 2 SuperCard (for DS Lite), as that thing is hell to pull out, or at least mine is. :(

Thx allot for the reply. I will have to invest in one of these babies :thumbup:

[XDelusion]

m3 simply/r4 should be taken down a notch, it's great and all, but the spring can get to be a real **** (well, the lock that stops the card from flying out):D

my spring broke after two months and being frustrated (pokemon fever and sick of having sd card hit me in the eye). but i managed to remove the spring and the lock so the sd card is firmly in, but requires you to draw it out with your fingers

nowadays you don't even get a spare white case for it, which is a bummer, because the clips on my m3 simply have all broken - it's just the screw holding mine together (but that's just me, i'm clumsy)


My spring gave out on me once after 2 months, but I could manually push the card in and it held firm...

...but then after 2 weeks my spring began to work again, so now I no longer have to use my finger nails to pull it back out.

It was kind of pissed when that happened, then again it still worked, it was just harder to get back out was all. None the less, a small pay off for such a cheap and yet flexable card! And with the 3 in 1 it is the perfect marriage!

[XDelusion]

I have the M3 DS Simply. I've gotta say it's very easy and very reliable to use. Awesome cart. Also, could anyone name a good Slot 2 device that would fit my DS One so I dont have to change my GBA games all the time and could also get saves off my origianal ds games. Thx

If you want to save money and have the greatest compatability with your GBA roms, I would go for the Ez Flash 3 in 1 since you already have the M3 Simply!
This will not only add GBA support to your device (infact you can now convert most GBA titles to NDS files to put beside your NDS files), but you also get extra RAM so you can use the Opera Web Browser, and you get Rumble features!

[MrTyzik]

I have had no problems with my M3 DS Simply. Since the latest system software supports auto-DLDI patching and cheat codes, the only thing the Evo has an advantage on is the MicroSD HC support. I am sure anything in the M3 Simply/R4 and Evo/Supercard Lite lines are fine.

[Thanatos 2.0]

M3 R4 with EZ 3 in 1 Expansion all you ever need (right now) for the DS can support the web broswer, rumble, GBA and all that.

[Steely]

Actually, I have an M3 Simply, and I'm tempted to get the Cylco-DS evolution. The M3 Simply most likely won't allow me to play Mario Party with download-play. I use download play a lot, because I have friends who have a DS and no good games or only one. Also, although I probably wouldn't it use it much, save states during DS games would be great. The feature I least care for is the MicroSDHC support, but for all the people who want 30+ dpgs at a time, they're satisfied to. And Cyclo-DS evolution also has auto-patching.

So, right now, I say M3 Simply/R4 or CycloDS evolution with an EZFlash 3in1 is the ultimate and easy homebrew solution.

[XDelusion]

The latest M3 update is supposed to support in game download now, but I think you have to run the Rom Trimmer or something on the ROM first.

[Kraton]

G6 Real 16Gbit

[paul1991]

The Ncard if your looking for a very cheap(less than 30$ at sky2k.com) Flash Card. It is the only card that plays all games without slowdowns. It lacks download play support on Unflashed DSs and has no cheats, but is a good cart for the beginer.

My R4 is nice too, but it is intimidating for newcomers to have to choose between microsd cards. My friend wanted to buy one, but they all take microsds and he did not want to deal with that. (He bought an Ncard too.)

EDIT: Both Ncards and the R4 have auto DLDI patching. Thats a plus.

[carpman]

G6 Real 8Gbit here.

[arabhottie916]

want to play mario cart

[skipboris]

m3 simply/r4 should be taken down a notch, it's great and all, but the spring can get to be a real **** (well, the lock that stops the card from flying out):D

my spring broke after two months and being frustrated (pokemon fever and sick of having sd card hit me in the eye). but i managed to remove the spring and the lock so the sd card is firmly in, but requires you to draw it out with your fingers

nowadays you don't even get a spare white case for it, which is a bummer, because the clips on my m3 simply have all broken - it's just the screw holding mine together (but that's just me, i'm clumsy)

cyclo EVO has no spring to break. The decision to leave it out is exactly this reason.

[blakey87_1]

M3 Perfect all the way

[Öhr]

nothing goes over cyclods evolution. great support, lots of features, nice fanbase. thats what r4/m3dss doesnt have!

[PharaohsVizier]

I have done this before on my site already. Conclusive results can be found here. http://dsdatabase.org/bestflashcart.html

[frostymoon]

I have the Cylco-DS Evolution...first flash cart I ever tried... I'm pretty happy with it.. but not 100%! It's seems that everyone (or at least a lot of users) have problems with the DS seeing the cart! It's frustrating to have to turn off, turn on, turn off, take out the cart put cart back in, turn back on, cross fingers...

Does any one if the 3 in 1 Expansion works with the EVO?

[skipboris]

I have done this before on my site already. Conclusive results can be found here. http://dsdatabase.org/bestflashcart.html

Its the opinion of 20 or so people. I wouldn't call it conclusive.

[PharaohsVizier]

The thing about the 20 people is that they are all respected members in the community. Not just some R4 fanboys (which let's admit, dominate lots of forums).

[imprompt]

Have a Cyclods. DS-X & ezy3 in 1. In slot 1 I was looking for the most advanced feature rich product in the market. The Ds-X was that card, Now I'm extremely happy with the Cyclo DS. I think its the premier product on the market.

[thefanaticgamer]

from what i have researched the cyclods evolution has the best features but when i went to buy it i could only find it on a couple of website selling for at least $54 all with at least $10 shipping on the other hand it seems the m3 has a little less features ut its a lot cheaper.... i was just able to pick one up for $32 with free shipping it seems good enough for what i need... i think the best really depends on what you want and how much youre willing to pay

[korrosive]

anyone know How good the G6 Real (Slot 1) is? (i ordered one online and im expecting it tomarrow or saturday)

Im only really curious about game play, i have an iPod mini so i don't need music (good video playback would be a bonus)

And the card has 1 Gig of space, how many games is that?


Edit: Answering my own questions, my G6DS arrived yesterday and it is an amazing peice of hardware, and it holds about 15+ games, and if you go to the site (G6flash.com) you can download newest system files with auto DLDI patching + moonshell. This card has everything i wanted and more

[wiggy fuzz]

8 gigs would sound like 8 gigabits, which if i'm correct is 1 gigabyte. i was thinking of getting it but the sd card solution coaught my eye - i have lots of sd cards lying about (watching movies on the ds isn't half bad :) )

anyway, does anyone know why r4/m3 simply stopped supplying a spare different coloured shell? the clips on mine have broken, and i'm toying with the idea of gutting my ds browser card so i can keep the m3 in it (yeah, i'll have to open it every time... but it says "nintendo" on it)

[Narutonoor]

M3 Simply, probably the best made Slot-1 Flashcart, great readme's if you're new and afraid to jump in, but when you do it's easy!
Click and drag, great skins can be found online, music player is great if you have headphones, a lot of homebrew support, may require dldi patching which is the only hassle I've come across because some stuff doesn't get patched correctly.

[emuking]

r4 is awesome

[devkit4384]

M3:
Original DS slot 1 cart size
Built in PassMe support (acts as its own device and a Passme Device to your other M3 products )
MicroSd Support for external storage. Choose your storage size and brand.
Boot clean dump images
Drag and Drop Functionality (no patching required)
No drivers required
Standard FAT system support .
Upgradable Firmware ( OS / Bios / Kernel )
Touch Screen control
Skinning support
Auto detect the saves
Homebrew support , IO lib will release on launch .
Watch movies , listen to MP3 & read TXT on the DS via Moonshell.
WiFi , DS rumble pack & DS browser Support .


R4:
Original DS slot-1 cart size
Built in PassMe support (acts as its own device and a Passme Device to your other DS products )
MicroSD Support for external storage. Choose your storage size and brand.
Boot clean dump images
Drag and Drop Functionality (no patching required)
No drivers required
Standard FAT system support .
Upgradable Firmware ( OS / Bios / Kernel )
Touch Screen control
Skinning support
Auto detect the saves
Homebrew support , IO lib will release on launch .
Watch movies , listen to MP3 & read TXT on the DS via Moonshell.
WiFi , DS rumble pack & DS browser Support .

G6:
One single unified device, no need for GBA Cart, external memory or passme/flashme
Functions as a flash cart, compatible with homebrew, media and other image files
Plug 'n Play, no PC software required allowing for some seriously sweet Drag 'n Drop file transfer
Intuitively designed custom operating system which is fully upgradeable
Included 8GBit (1 Gigabyte) onboard flash memory
Compatible with all current and future DS consoles Guaranteed!
Same size as original DS cartridge does NOT stick out!
Custom engineered High-Speed USB 2.0 mini-B connector, and full sized EEPROM.
Durable and elegant casing
No Software required for programming
Custom Operating system

[ninja9393]

i love my r4 but it has been the only one i have

but i been thinking about gettin the EZ flash exspansion for it

[fast3kgt]

I had a MMD but that thing sux :mad: and i never use it. Sounds like r4 or m3simply is the way to go. The evo sounds good too. i cant really tell a difference between them except price. im going to get one of them :thumbup: , not sure which one yet. I just want microsd support and no patch drag drop rom play. what types of roms do they support? what format and resolution movies do they play? :confused:

[Lars Vegas]

I got a Supercard SD, a M3 simply and a M3 Perfect Lite.

The M3 simply is the easiest to use. No converting.

The M3 perfect has the most features, but it,s a little more difficult to use it and you have to convert every application or game. But it run´s GBA files and has a really great menue.

Its the same with the supercard but the menue really suck´s but allmost everything works, and converting runs much faster than on the M3 perfect.

I can´t decide wich of the M3 is best because both of them have different features but the supercard is loosing!!!

And every flash card with build-in memory is waste of money.

[::Xraxa, plz:.]

Ive only used one, R4, but the experienceIve had w/ it has been great, and i suggest it to all.

[SweetFA]

Are these CycloDS Evolutions any good?

Really like the sound of them, i haven't bought a DS Flashcart yet....

http://www.emuboards.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=28740

[Buttertoast45]

I use games n music but it only plays homebrew nds games ;)

[cooldude5538]

hey guys. I have bought 3 flashcards in the last year and all of them have somehow someway broken or stopped functioning correctly. My first GBA flash card was an Ultra Flash Card 512MBIT and it worked fine for a while but after a week it stopped saving ($40 down the drain). My second GBA FLASH CARD flash card didn't support some games and after 2 weeks it stopped burning 25% through the process (another $40 down the drain).I just bought an EZ-Flash V and it was fine after a little tinkering and for a while i was happy. But after about a week it stopped working. I put the micro sd card in it with the shell folder and i made sure i had the most recent loader (done twice!) but when i put the micro sd card in all it said was "no found EXFS." After a few more nights of tinkering and lots of formatting i figured out that the micro sd card slot on the EZ-V was broken and unless i forcibly knock the micro sd card into the slot it would start and pop up a blue screen and instead code going down it would show "no found EXFS" and then freeze...$60 down the drain...

So what i ask is what is THE most reliable NDS flash card out there? I've heard a lot about the R4DS and the CycloDS but which one will last a long long time without it screwing up? Thanks in advance guys!!

P.S. Please quote my question so i know you're answering it! Thanks :)!!

[SweetFA]

Are these CycloDS Evolutions any good?

Really like the sound of them, i haven't bought a DS Flashcart yet....

http://www.emuboards.com/invision/index.php?showtopic=28740
Bought one, very happy with it.

I do wish the cart was spring-loaded though as it's really hard getting the MicroSD out.

Disappointment so far is that the DSOrganize Web Browser doesn't work, whether that's down to the Cart or not i don't know :(
The QuakeDS wifi works fine though....

[Joel92]

I would say any of the M3 products are. They are high quality, have the best features in my opinion, have versions for all different memory cards, and have the best compatibility. I especially like slot 2, for no particular reason.

[Narutonoor]

M3 Simply ftw. Easy to use, fully compatible with games with latest firmware. Cheaper than r4 by 5$ too.

[Grinny]

Hello DS community,

Just got me DS the other day with a CycloDS Evolution card and I have to say I hoped for it to work well and efficently but I was quite taken back when even after using it for a couple days not to have any problems with it but a few homebrew games not able to use wifi (QuakeDS) and a odd file corruption with PokeMon Diamond(prob my fault).

The auto patching system is something I can't do without as I just want to drag and drop and forget not spend an extra 10 min trying to find the right patch for the right card, 100 % compatiblity with roms, downloaded play working, cheat function, SlowMo and some other stuff

Anyway top hardware that I'd recomend to anyone.

ps if you have a CycloDS Evo checkout the ROM trimmer it cuts down the sizes of most roms allowing more roms in a smaller card, However a few grow bigger acording to rumor :/ (can someone confirm that?)

[SweetFA]

Hello DS community,
Just got me DS the other day with a CycloDS Evolution card and I have to say I hoped for it to work well and efficently but I was quite taken back when even after using it for a couple days not to have any problems with it but a few homebrew games not able to use wifi (QuakeDS) and a odd file corruption with PokeMon Diamond(prob my fault).

QuakeDS works fine for me on my CycloDSEvo, try upgrading the firmware.
Presumably the zipfile you downloaded was
quakeds_wifi_180507_pre2a.zip
Well it works for me.

I couldn't get the wifi in DSOrganize to work but the new version of DSOrganize works just fine.

The CycloDS Forums are here, worth a look if you get stuck with anything.
http://www.teamcyclops.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2

[brandrob]

I have an M3 Simply, and i am happy with it.

[jmm0070]

ds-x is the best card out there!!!! it has in built 2GB (16Gb) and an awesome simplicity and compatibility with all nds files. its just drag and drop, with an incorpored cable, and it auto dldi patches all the files and all that! in addition it has many extra features and awesome interface, plus the best quality music player in ds, which includes also the option for dancing leds!! (youtube it, it rocks). And the cart is the size of a ds card (no sticking out, ultra-powerful multicolor leds, and 2GB, wow...)

I really reccommend it, i think that even if it is that expensive ($125), you need to but nothing else for it, it brings all, and i simply love it, its an awesome card!!! :thumbup: better than the r4, only that newer. It claims also that it even pushed the ds off its limits, with imcorpored battery life and supposedly boosting the ds's firmware.

The only bad thing is that the developers always stay quiet about their firmware releases, and ppl get angry at them and start whining about all their problems... but ive got none (And i filled the card) and i personally think it needs no other firmware upgrade :eek: