R4SDHC R4 SDHC Revolution DS SLOT-1
Manufacturer: R4 (awaiting confirmation)
Site: Buy from Colourful Zone
Price: $42.99


Overview : The R4DS 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 media enhancer you have ever done; To simply put it, this is a must have peripheral for any regular DS/DS lite owner.

However, does the R4SDHC work just as well? Is this the cart that everyone has been wanting?

Features :

• 2nd Generation Storage Device (no booting tool required)
• Flush fitting Slot 1 Card
• Uses microSD/microSDHC Memory Card (supports memory size up to 32GB), FAT16 or FAT32 File System
• Supports any microSD/microSDHC Memory Card speed without lagging in game
• Supports Clean ROM, drag and drop. Works on any OS
• Built in NoPass
• Automatically detect save type
• Save directly to microSD Card, not to onboard chip
• Supports Moonshell and other homebrew. Open I/O interface
• User friendly skinnable interface. Touchscreen 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
• Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment (DS Lite only)
• Supports Soft Reset
• Supports Moonshell 1.6 Software Reset Function (press START key back to the R4 Menu)

Quality/Usability : Rumors have been circulating the web that R4 is done for thanks to Nintendo or that R4 is still alive and kicking. There are even reports of the R4 Team releasing a new R4 that supports SDHC but at the same time, R4 has told me that there is no plan for SDHC support.

So in my hands, I have a R4SDHC. Images have been floating on the web of this product along with a couple of different websites that seem to be fake. The URL on this packaging is http://www.r4sdhc.com. The site looks identical to R4's (www.r4ds.cn). There are some stuff that looks different between the two sites and the email on R4SDHC is a Gmail account. My contact at R4 has a "@r4ds.com" email. This makes me wonder if this truly is real or not. I know majority of people will probably call this a fake and I'm not denying it or agreeing with it. Coloruful Zone does state that this is the real deal.

In the mean time while people ponder whether this is real or not, we want to know if it works just like the original R4 but with SDHC support.

When it comes to the cards physical appearance, there is no difference with the exception of the sticker now containing a SDHC logo. The same stuff is included just like the original R4. However, this time its missing the installation CD. It still comes with USB microSD card reader, silicone DS cartridge keychain holder and a strap. Since no CD is included, you can download the latest firmware files at R4DSHC's website or here. As of this review, the latest version is 1.21.

The R4SDHC cartridge size is identical to that of the original R4DS cartridge. The microSD card is inserted through the top of the cartridge and fits flush with the cartridge. The microSD slot is not spring loaded so you will have to manually pull it out.

If you are familiar with R4 or any other flash cart, setting up the R4SDHC is the same. Simply downloaded the latest firmware, extract the file and transfer the files onto the microSD or microSDHC and thats it. Adding ROMs and Homebrew is simple. Once you have the microSD/SDHC card inserted into the card reader and the card reader connected to the computer, its a simple drag and drop. You'll need to setup two folders, one for your DS games and one for your Homebrew files.

The firmware or looks exactly the same. There is no difference in it. You'll still have the touch screen for selecting mode and folder. But when it comes to navigating through the list of games and files, you'll need to use the directional pad and "A" button to select. Upon loading of OS, you are given three options; GAMES, MULTIMEDIA and BOOT SLOT-2. When GAMES is selected, the file browser is located on the top screen. This is where all your selecting is done.


All it takes to change the look of the OS is four simple images and placing it into the "_system_" folder:

• logo.bmp -- Background of the Top Screen of R4's startup.
• icons.bmp -- Background of the Bottom Screen of R4's Startup.
• bckgrd_1.bmp -- Background of the Top Screen of R4's Explorer.
• bckgrd_2.bmp -- Background of the Bottom Screen of R4's Explorer.

Note:
Do not change the picture's name;
Make sure the picture is .bmp format, 8-bit/24-bit;
Make sure the picture is 253*192 pixels.

Testing the R4SDHC with commercial ROMs that I own, it works the same as the R4. There was no difference in functionality at all except that I can now store more games and homebrew on a single microSDHC card. Here is a list of compatibility list, go here. Even though this is for the original R4, the same applies for the R4SDHC.

Testing of homebrew worked flawlessly for most programs. There were only a couple that I encountered that did not work for me. The compatibility list link above will also give you list of homebrew files that work and dont work.

R4SDHC includes Moonshell which allows you to play multimedia files on your DS. In order to watch movies, you must use DPG tools (PC Software) to convert the files to a format Moonshell will recognize. Playing a movies is a nice feature to the R4SDHC but the quality will not compare to that of the PSP. Playing MP3s is a nice addition as well and plays flawslessly.

Conclusion : Overall, the R4SDHC R4 SDHC Revolution DS SLOT-1 works just like the original R4DS. There is no cosmetic change to the cart itself. There is no longer a spring in the microSD slot so you will have to manually pull the microSD card out. Functionality and compatibility is the same and nothing has changed except that you can now use microSDHC. I only tested this with a 4GB microSDHC but it is stated to work up to 32GB microSDHC.

Whether this is real or a fake, the bottom line is that it works. It may or may not be from the R4 Team (confirmation pending) but there are many other flash carts that is a clone of the R4 and they work just as good. For the price of $43, I feel this is overpriced for an outdated product. Yes, it now has microSDHC support but the UI (user interface) is the same. Its bland looking and there is no true touch screen navigation. So if you swear by R4 and only want R4, you may want to take a look at this if you're looking for SDHC support.

Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.

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SuperCard DSTWO DSi XL SLOT-1 Card
Manufacturer: SuperCard
Site: Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from VolumeRate / Buy from Acekard.ca / Buy from Acekard.ca (+2GB Combo) / Buy from Acekard.ca (+4GB Combo) / Buy from Acekard.ca (+8GB Combo) / Buy from LighTake / Buy from PriceAngels / Buy from NDSCardSale
Price: $44.95


Overview : The Supercard DSTWO Card for Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi & DSi XL is a high-end slot-1 flash cart solution that allows you to launch homebrews, run applications and play media directly from the device. Simply place your files onto either a micro SD or SDHC memory card (sold separately), insert the micro SD into your Supercard DSTWO, your cart into your DS, and turn the system on. Playing homebrews and media has never been easier!

The Supercard DSTWO, with its beautiful Evolution (EOS) operating system and a powerful on-board processor offers unique and exciting features that you won't find anywhere else. Features such as full GBA emulation, a powerful new GUI, a real-time guide, an integrated auto-patch database, as well as being one of the few flash carts that allows users to upgrade the core firmware. If you're in the market for a sleek and feature-rich flash cart for the Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi or DSi XL, the Supercard DSTWO is the one for you.

Features :

• RealTime Functions: RealTime Save, RealTime Game Guide (txt, bmp, jpg) & RealTime Cheat. (More stable, more easy to use, cheat code compatible with R4 and DSTT now)
• Multi Saves (Up to 4 slot), Easy to backup and restore saves.
• Unlimited MicroSD storage space support. SDHC support. FAT or FAT32.
• Multiple languages (English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Spanish)
• Built-in GBA & SNES Emulator.
• Action Slow Motion (4 levels,).
• File Management System (Copy, Paste, Cut and Delete, long file name support).9. eBook (BMP, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, GIF, TXT, PDF).
• Perfect support for long file names;
• Real-time save slot increase to 4 slots. (Exclusive built-in automatic detection of 3D game engine technology, stability, greatly enhanced);
• Give up cheat-code slow motion game play method, improved use of CPU to do operations, "precise control of CPU speed" Achieving the action slowed down, stability / compatibility and better.
• Real-Time Game Guide will support txt formats without conversion, beautify the font is more beautiful;
• New UI interface design. Easier-to-use.
• Advanced multimedia playback: native DivX/XviD playback as well as other major formats, similar to the iPlayer.

Quality/Usability : The SuperCard DSTWO (SCDS2) is a Slot-1 flashcard that supports both DS and GBA games out of the box as well as e-books and other media formats. DSTWO comes in a simple box with a tray that contains the DSTWO flashcard, a USB card reader for microSD cards and a simple start up guide to get you on your way. Getting the DSTWO is very simple. All you have to do is go to SuperCard's website and download the latest operating system, unzip the files onto your microSD card and your ready to start adding games, pictures, e-books, emulators and AVI and DivX video playback.


The quality of SuperCard flashcards have always amazed me. The quality of the carts are top notch and sturdy. Like all other flashcards on the market, you'll have that protruding chipset popping through the sticker. But they never get in the way or ever cause a problem. The microSD slot is spring loaded.

The part that truly catches my eyes is the user interface that these SuperCard flashcards have. The GUI of the menus are sleek, stylish, clean and crisp interface. Honestly, I thought the Acekard R.P.G.'s user interface was nice looking but the DSTWO's blows it out of the water. SuperCard team never dissappoints! As fancy as SCDS2 is, it does not skip the Health and Safety screen. You will either need to click on the screen or wait for it to timeout.

The SuperCard EOS software contains four main directories: “_dstwo”, “_dstwoplug”, “moonshl2” and “NDSGBA”. These four directories must be placed in the ROOT of your microSD card.

— “_dstwo” directory contains system related files, user interface theme files and language .TXT files.

— “_dstwoplug” directory contains EOS shortcut icons known as “plug-ins”. These shortcuts includes a .bmp image file and .ini file. The .ini file contains a path to the icon file and the name is displayed in the EOS software. The .nds file itself must also be located in this directory and named the same as the .bmp and .ini files.

— “moonshl2” directory contains files found in a normal Moonshell v2.10 installation.

— “NDSGBA” directory contains all required files for the Slot-1 based GBA emulator.

The default SuperCard EOS software has five pre-installed icons: “DS_GAME”, “SLOT2 NDS”, “SLOT2 GBA”, “MoonShell” and “GBA Emulator”. The first three icons will boot .nds files, PassME mode and Slot-2 Expansion devices, respectively. The last two icons will boot MoonShell or DSTWO GBA EMU. cons are user created and stored in the “_dstwoplug” directory. You can rename or remove thes icons from the EOS software. The only one you can not remove and would require some hex editing is the "DS_GAME" icon. To rename, you'll need to hex edit the “dstwo.nds” file found in the “_dstwo” system directory.

Want to make a look good icon?

1. Make a 16-bit 40X42 bmp picture,name with the same homemade software. Such as homebrew.nds need a picture file name homebrew.bmp.
2. Create a *.txt text file and then enter the following text, save the txt file and then rename the *.txt file to *.ini. Such as homebrew.nds need a *.ini file name homebrew.ini.
   
   [Plug setting]
   Icon = fat1: / _dstwoplug /homebrew software name.bmp
   Name = homebrew software name
3. Finally to copy the *.bmp file and *.ini files to the _dstwoplug folder, restart the "DSTWO Desktop" you can see the new icon added to the list

With newer Nintendo DSi's, the GBA Slot-2 were removed completely. If you wanted to play old GBA games, you were not able to. However, the SuperCard team has included a GBA emulator that is built into the SuperCard DSTWO's firmware. The emulator is not perfect and tweaking is needed as some games run fine and some may run slow or have graphical glitches. With each new system release (OS), the compatibility and progress of games have improved but its not 100%. As far as I know, SuperCard DSTWO is the only flashcard to offer GBA emulation through Slot-1 and has some nice features built-in such as frame skip, cheat code options and real-time saves. Unfortunately, there is no full screen mode. You'll be left with black borders around games played on DSi and DSi XL systems. I'm sure in future updates, this would be implemented.

Like all other flashcards, setting up games to run is as simple as dragging and dropping. Compatibility with NDS games these days are great. A new feature implemented is a new anti-piracy patch system that can bypass any current anti-piracy system. This means there is no need to patch clean ROMs anymore.

The same goes for homebrew applications. Compatibility these days are great and shouldn't cause any problems.


The nicest plug-in application available is none other than the SNES. NDSSFC is a SNES emulator only for DSTWO with Real-Time-Save(RTS), Cheats, Screen Snapshot and etc functions. Simply download and unzip, then copy the /NDSSFC/ and /_dstwoplug/ folder to the root of your MicroSD card. For better management of files/games, its suggested that you put your SNES roms in a separate folder under /NDSSFC. You can name the folder whatever you want. There are 4 display modes and because the resolution of the SNES is higher than the Nintendo DS, there is no perfect way. The images will look a little squished. You can look for and get the most updated plug-ins in their PLUG-IN section.

Conclusion : Overall, the SuperCard DSTWO DSi XL SLOT-1 Card is a well built Slot-1 flash card. The GUI menu is by far my favorite. The most interesting and unique feature is the GBA emulation but the compatibility has its flaws as it requires tweaking, running slow and may not work with all GBA roms. The anti-piracy patch system is a nice feature as well as you no longer have to patch roms anymore either. The nicest plug-in is SNES. Now, I'm able to play SNES games on the go! DSTWO has a lot of potential and as of this review, it was announced that there would be a DSTWO Video Player. The iPlayer, slot-1 flashcart dedicated to multimedia and homebrew only, is the Supercard's older sister. It was only a matter of time before the DSTWO's embedded CPU allowed the same video playback capabilities as the iPlayer: DivX, WMV and other formats, all natively played back on the Nintendo DS. I'm looking forward to what this has to offer when its released.

Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.

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NeoFlash Top Toy DS TTDS
Manufacturer: NeoFlash
Site: Buy from IC2005
Price: $59.00


Overview : NeoFlash Top Toy DS (TTDS), support SDHC 256Gbit, plug and play, support cheat code and soft reset!

Features :

• Slot-1 1:1 Original small size
• Build in passme function
• Not need patch, just need drag and drop, then plug and play
• Support all roms, compatibility = 100%
• Support homebrew app & game, auto DLDI patch in memory
• Support moonshell MP3/Movie player
• Support cheat code function, more fun now
• Support 4-class brightness adjust in menu (NDSL only)
• Pure hardware save, never lose data
• Automatically detect and generate save type
• TF menu core upgradeable
• Supports FAT/FAT32, works on any OS
• Supports any TF card speed without any lag in the game
• Built-in power-saving function
• User friendly skin able interface. Touch screen or button operation
• Supports skin DIY
  
  • Support normal TF and SDHC, up to 4096GByte.
  • Support soft reset in the game
  • Support wireless multi-player (WIFI Game)
  • The save data can use in NDS Emulator directly

Quality/Usability : The Top Toy DS (TTDS) is a new slot-1 flashcart released by NeoFlash. They're known for other DS flashcarts as well as memory adapters for the PSP. The TTDS comes in a blister pack included with TTDS Flashcart, microSD USB reader and a mini-CD.

Each time a manufacturer releases a flashcart, it seems like these USB microSD readers get smaller and smaller each time. Not to mention, if you buy flashcarts regularly for whatever reason whether its for collecting, you'll have lots of them.

The mini-CD contains some drivers but to download the latest TTDS menu, you can download it here. Once downloaded, copy over the files to the root of the microSD. You can copy over your hombrew and games into any folder on the root of your microSD as well.

Upon booting up your Nintendo DS, TTDS automatically skips the Nintendo DS logo and brings you to the main menu of TTDS which displays all of your hombrew and games that you copied over to your microSD.

On the top left corner is a OPTIONS button. Here, you can choose the following options:

• Enable Soft Reset: lets you enable or disable
• Passme Mode: boot slot-2 device into NDS mode
• GBA Mode: boot slot-2 device into GBA mode or boot inserted GBA game
• Power Off: turn off NDS
• Adjust Light: adjust brightness with four different settings

Back on the main menu, each game will show icon (if available), file name and size. Under each file name are additional icons.

• Image of CD with green arrow - Enables cheats and soft reset
• Image of key - Cheat codes have been selected
• Image of WiFi - WiFi/Download play game
• Image of power button - Soft reset has been enabled
• Image of [+] under File Size - Brings you back to options menu

For those who dont know, soft reset allows you to exit your game and it brings you to your file list of games. In order for soft reset to work, you must enable it and once its been enabled, simply push the following buttons simultaneously..."L+R+A+B+X+Y". If done correctly, you'll be take to your game list.

Cheat tab will take you to another menu where you can select which games you want to enable cheats for. Cheats will be listed for those you've selected and it will list cheats for all regions. Choose the correct region of your game.

These flashcart manufacturers pretty much has NDS games performance down pact. All the NDS games I have loaded, booted up perfectly without a problem. Load time was quick as well. Download play was iffy a couple months back but now, these manufacturers have no problem and games run perfectly.

Whats great about these flashcarts is the ability to play homebrew games. Homebrew games are applications made by amateur developers. There are applications such as games, PDF applications, calculators, music/video players and many more. These are stuff that normal developers/publishers wouldnt release but are useful to average gamers.

TTDS supports automatic DLDI patching. DLDI allows people to patch homebrew files in order for it to work on a flashcart. It is pretty much found on all newly released flashcarts as it is a standard feature. Without DLDI patching, homebrew would not work on certain cards and developers would need to release different versions of their app to work specifically with that flashcart. DLDI will do all the work.

Conclusion : Overall, the NeoFlash Top Toy DS TTDS is another flashcart on the market. It supports the new microSD SDHC flawlessly. What is nice about the TTDS is that it can also load R4DS game saves and cheats. TTDS works great but like all other NeoFlash flashcarts, the menu and OS isnt the prettiest of them all. But so as long it does the job well...who cares?

Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" and/or "flashcart" are to allow you to play imported games and homebrew software that you legally own or simply just for experimenting with hardware. We in no way endorse piracy, and encourage all users to do the right thing and support the developers/manufacturers that support them. We do not take any responsibilities for any use outside of these parameters or where the use of such a device is illegal.

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