NPlayer - New DS Flash Cart Announced

[wraggster]

from the Offcial site (http://www.ndsplayer.com/):


The NPlayer Cartridge is the current top-of-the-line in DS SLOT-1 flash carts. It is just an amazing little device like original DS cart size,it is a complete solution with no need to purchase any additional components or deal with any messy software and truly the easiest mediaenhancer you have ever done; To simply put it, this is a must have peripheral for any regular DS/DS lite owner.

Less current, play longer time (About 10 hours working time)
New generation storage device , high speed of entering games,Support much more game
Flush fitting slot-1 card,the linker with safeguard for TF card
Uses MicroSD and MicroSDHC card, FAT16 or 32,the biggest supports 32GB(1 gigabyte(GB)= 1 billion bytes)
Supports any MicroSD and MicroSDHC card speed with no lag in game
Supports Clean ROM, drag and drop. Works on any OS
Automatically detect save type
Save directly to MicroSD card, not to onboard chip
Supports Moonshell and other homebrew.Open I/O interface
User friendly skin interface. Touch screen or button operation
Supports rumble pak and memory pak
Supports the WiFi game, DS Rumble Pak, DS Browser
Supports changes of the background of Operation Interface
Support Skin DIY by setting background and font colors on Main Menu and Game Menu manually and automatically
Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment( DS Lite only )
Supports the Soft Reset.
Supports Action Replay cheat
Moonshell 1.71 support Software Reset function( Press START key back to the NPlayer menu)
DLDI auto-patching
Full download play support.

Ill post more once it hits a recognised reseller.But looks and sounds like a decent flash cart. Maybe we may get a few samples to review, i can live in hope :P

[kkan]

I have a sample winging its way to me :)

little information on this new card (some the same as above posted ) ....

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/99/nplayerlogoxg2.gif


This is a must have peripheral for any regular Nintendo DS/DS lite owner.

Features:

# Less current, play longer time (About 10 hours working time)
# New generation storage device ,high speed of entering games,Support much more game
# Flush fitting slot-1 card, the linker with safeguard for TF card
# Uses MicroSD and Micro SDHCcard, FAT16 or 32, the biggest supports 32G B(1 gigabyte(GB)= 1 billion bytes)

# No lag in game
# Supports Clean ROM, drag and drop. Works on any OS
# Automatically detect save type
# Save directly to MicroSD card, not to onboard chip
# Supports Moonshell and other homebrew.Open I/O interface
# User friendly skin interface. Touch screen or button operation
# Supports rumble pak and memory pak
# Supports the WiFi game, DS Rumble Pak, DS Browser
# Supports changes of the background of Operation Interface
# Support Skin DIY by setting background and font colors on Main Menu and Game Menu manually and automatically
# Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment( DS Lite only )
# Supports the Soft Reset.
# Supports Action Replay cheat
# Moonshell 1.71 support Software Reset function( Press START key back to the NPlayer menu)
# DLDI auto-patching
# Full download play support.

Package contents:
# NPlayer Slot-1 flash adapter for NDS/NDSL

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8430/npb21od9.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1023/npb3bu8.jpg

could be an R4 clone type it has similar interface ..

from the NPLAYER website ..

top screen ..

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3402/i2az2.jpg

bottom screen

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3563/i3qi7.jpg




shop.01media.com website link to NPLAYER (http://shop.01media.com/info.asp?productID=33801)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/99/nplayerlogoxg2.gif

NPLAYER website with kernel downloads (http://www.ndsplayer.com/)

Will post a proper personal review of this when my review sample arrives :)

[spinal_cord]

The screenshots make it look like another R4 clone. (is it?)

[kurtless]

Seems like an "EDGE" to me.Or maybe it has spring loaded sd card action :D

[spinal_cord]

I downloaded the firmware, the filenames suggest an R4 clone.

[davidcrew]

everyone wants to be an r4 =)

[kkan]

YES its an R4 clone

Ok so my card arrived today!!.....

Here's My review ...

note:- (LOTS OF IMAGES to follow so dial up users BEWARE may take some time loading!!!)

First a couple of screen shots


FRONT of card in package

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/8836/dsc001971gu0.jpg


BACK of package

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3966/dsc002021bp5.jpg


Unboxing the card it looks pretty much the same as most other SLOT 1 type cards the build quality is pretty good so far solid front and back no dodgy sticker over any chips aka R4 clone ...

Although before even testing this I know YES its another R4 clone, I have been given the information that its made by some of the ORIGINAL R4 team apparently!?

FRONT of card

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/167/dsc002231eu5.jpg

BACK of card

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4231/dsc002221ja5.jpg


Instructions for use on the 3 fold card inlay that comes in the package

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/1374/dsc002241nk4.jpg

Back of instruction Inlay

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6563/dsc002281cv6.jpg

Close up of information on back of pack

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3078/dsc002061ik6.jpg


Close up of Instructions (in 3 parts)


Top

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3729/dsc002251xr6.jpg

Middle

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3526/dsc002261hs5.jpg

Bottom

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4495/dsc002271fe5.jpg

You will notice that its practically the same as the information from the R4 website but as mentioned above this is because part of the R4 team are working with/on this card apparently!

OK now on with the BUTCHERING erm OPENING of the card!

Its screwed together much like its predecessor the R4 so a mini screwdriver is all it takes to crack it open :)

so here it is the MAIN BOARD (front + rear)


http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/5819/dsc002331pt6.jpg

Main Board front

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6416/dsc002401vx3.jpg

note the main board looks nothing like the R4

you will note it has 2 clearly visable square small chips whereas the R4 has just 1 (see r4 image below)

R4 BOARD for comparison

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3202/r420boardmn9.jpg


another shot of NPLAYER disassembled

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9701/dsc002341gx4.jpg


OK enough with the destruction ....(quickly bolts its all back together)

onto the testing ...

For this test I will be using a spare 1gb Kingston micro sd that I happen to have lying about on my desk :)

download of the latest NPLAYER kernel can be obtained from ..

http://www.ndsplayer.com/

current version at time of testing is version 3.02

Finishing Date:2008-9-27 (guessing finishing date means release date)

[kkan]

loading the NPLAYER it boots and looks exactly like the R4 and its MANY CLONES

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3697/dsc002442mz1.jpg

and as such the themes are fully compatible YAY!!! good news if you already have a load of R4/M3 simply themes :)

it has the USUAL game icon/media player icon/ slot 2(gba) icons

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/8789/dsc002431ww8.jpg


games TESTED ..

MARIO KART - PASS wifi play PASS - Download play - PASS

POKEMON DIAMOND - PASS - wifi PASS + GTS pass - DS to DS PASS

POKEMON PEARL - PASS - wifi PASS + GTS pass - DS to DS PASS

CARNIVAL GAMES (known to fail on R4) - PASS

INCREDIBLE HULK (known to fail on R4) - PASS

DRIVING THEORY TRAINING (known to fail on R4) - PASS

IMAGINE TEACHER (known to fail on R4) - PASS

SONIC CHRONICLES DB (known to fail on a few cards inc R4) - PASS (note needs latest Nplayer 3.02 kernel)

UNKNOWN SOLDIER MOKUBA (JAP) - PASS

ZUBO - PASS

Homebew tested

UsrCheatUp - PASS but ...same problem as R4 missing cheats (cheat file too large) so use the UE cheat file from NARINS cheats and it will work ( helps if you edit .ini file to point to UE cheat file) ;)

UAPaint - PASS

Bunjaloo 0.7 - PASS

Phidias - PASS

Lameboy 0.11 - PASS

everything I threw at it so far WORKED :)

It kicks R4's backside that's for sure all games to current date WORK using NPLAYER 3.02 kernel file!

My thoughts ..

YEP its ANOTHER R4 CLONE .. but THIS ONE WORKS with everything so far!!!

Its also getting UPDATES that the R4 sadly misses .. along with the fact this is SDHC too as an added bonus!

If you upgrading but like the R4 you had before ... then maby this is the card to replace it :)

YES other cards have better features and yes this is a clone but IT WORKS it does what it says it does like most other cards out there it plays what you need it to play!

SCORES ON THE DOORS for the NPLAYER

I give this 8 outta 10

It could of had a different menu to make it stand out amongst the R4 CLONES but .. I suppose if its not broken WHY FIX IT .. the menu works and is no nonsense .. no fiddly messing with extra settings and if you once owned or still own an R4 then this is NO different it looks the same and works the same ONLY BETTER lol :)

Other functions are the same as R4 too middle button is still MOONSHELL and 3rd button is still GBA/SLOT 2

Guessing also this can be patched to use YASU MENU but real need at the minute as this kernels getting the badly needed updates that the YASU menu is being used to replace :)


overall my FINAL thoughts ... its an R4 CLONE it plays ROMS/HOMEBREW/DPG etc and works with current releases .. that's what people need to know!

prices .... around £22 GBP ($35,64 USD) (27,95 € EU) Other places may vary in price but about same price as R4 cards

Note these are MY VIEWS THOUGHTS and images etc yours may differ along with other reviewers!

lastly ....thanks goto .. http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/9577/01shlogo100x9308102zn7.gif

shop.01media.com (http://shop.01media.com) (who are now stocking the NPLAYER)

as they are the NPLAYER official distributor for Europe (Wholesale prices are available) :)


Thanks for supplying my review sample cheers guys!

************************************************** ****************************

Update .. forgot to test this with my EZFLASH 3 in 1 card doh!

Tested using Rudolph's Gba-ExpLoader 0.57 and GBA rom Mario Advance - PASS

...works great no worries at all loading it to the 3 in 1 and booting from within Gba-ExpLoader.

Pressing Start button takes it back to the NPLAYER menu and once a GBA rom has been loaded to the 3 in 1 you can boot it via the

NPLAYER menu option Boot Slot-2 icon in the same way you can load proper GBA roms

Tested Opera DS Browser with the 3 in 1 RAM setting (load Gba-ExpLoader and select Expansion Ram option) it will reset the ds back

to NPLAYER menu and then you can then load the Opera DS Browser and use it with your wifi.