Loud Speaker Dock
Manufacturer: PantherLord
Site: Buy from Brando
Price: $17.00

Overview : Do you feel the sound from your NDS Lite is too Quiet? You always can't listen very clear. This Speaker Dock can help you.

This speaker dock comes with 2 loud speakers which can improve the sound volume and quality, and it include a NDS Lite Li-ion, that can be charged with your NDS Lite AC adapter.

Features :

• Specify design to NDS Lite
• Improve your NDS Lite sound quality
• Included NDS Lite Li-ion 3.7V 1000mAh battery
• It can be charged with your NDS Lite adapter * The AC adapter is not included
• Available in white, enamel navy, light blue, pink and black

Quality/Usability : When I bought the original Nintendo DS, I thought it couldnt get any better than that with the dual screen and great sound. Then Nintendo goes and releases a Nintendo DS Lite with a better brighter screen but theres a problem, the sound didnt sound so great. It was lower even at full volume. The original DS trumped the DS Lite in sound and I was disappointed.

The Loud Speaker Dock runs on a rechargeable battery (included). It goes on the underside, between the two speakers. On the underside, there is also a plug that connects to the headphone jack of the DS Lite. When the plug is not in use, it is hidden in a groove next to one of the speakers.

The front of the dock has a switch. If the switch is on the left, it is the speaker. If the switch is on the right, it is OFF. If an AC adapter is plugged in while the switch is on the right, it will charge the battery. To the right of the dock are two LEDs (power and charge).

There is nothing to clip the DS to the dock. It is held in place by the tightness of the dock when the DS is placed. When the DS is placed onto the dock, accessing SLOT-2, volume switch and headphone jack can be reached easily. Accessing SLOT-1 is also easily accessible as well. There is an opening on the right side of the dock for the power switch. Unfortunately, in order to get access to the stylus, you will have to remove and DS from the dock.

The volume on the dock is very very loud. I was impressed by the loudness of the dock. The sound is clear even at the highest level. Adjusting the volume is done on the DS. There is no volume adjuster on the dock. The dock lasted a good 2-3 hours with on and off play.

Conclusion : Overall, the Loud Speaker Dock is a pretty good alternative for those who want a louder DS Lite. With the added thickness, it feels good in the hands. It would of been nice if it was able to charge your DS as well. Having to gain access or putting the stylus away can be a pain in the butt sometimes. Battery life is decent as well.

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Ewin DS Lite Rumble Pack
Manufacturer: Ewin
Site: Buy from Brando
Price: $12.00

Overview : This NDS Lite Rumble Pak (3rd Party) deliver smooth rumble experience to you. Make you have better experiences when you play the game that support Rumble.

Features :

• Built-in RUMBLE system
• Deliver smooth rumble experience
• 2 colors available, Black or White
• This is not an official Nintendo Product

Quality/Usability : The Rumble Pak was first introduced on the GameBoy Advance (GBA). Since then, Nintendo has released it for the Nintendo DS as well. The first game to receive this was Metroid Prime Pinball for the DS. With the release of the DS Lite which features a smaller design and brighter screen, Nintendo released a new updated Rumble Pak that is more flush with the DS Lite rather then a protruding cart.

Unfortunately, Nintendo only released the Rumble Pak in Japan. Seeing as Nintendo failed to provide a Rumble Pak for other countries gamers outside of Japan were left high and dry. Thats where Ewin steps in. They are well known for their flash carts and their quality of products.

Ewin Rumble Pak's are available in white and black. The Rumble Pak fits flush with the system and does not protrude out of the DS Lite. Its technically the same size as the Slot-2 dust cover that came with the DS Lite. The Rumble Pak does not require any batteries to power it. This however, will not fit on the original DS (phat).

Inserting and removing the Rumble Pak doesnt require much force. As mentioned above, the Rumble Pak doesnt any extra batteries or any special attention. Just insert into Slot-2 of the DS Lite and load a game that supports the rumble feature.

At the time of this review, this is the list of games that are compatible with the Rumble Pak:

• 42 All-Time Classics (aka Clubhouse Games)
• Diddy Kong Racing DS
• Elite Beat Agents
• Hotel Dusk: Room 215
• The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
• Magnetica
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
• Metroid Prime Pinball
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• Picross DS
• Star Fox Command
• Star Trek: Tactical Assault
• Super Princess Peach

I have tested the Rumble Pak with majority of the games listed and they all work perfectly. With each hit or move, you can feel the vibration of the Rumble Pak. Although not as strong as what you would find on console controllers, you'll still feel the vibration. As it vibrates, you'll hear the sound of the motor but the sound it produces isnt loud at all. If you're in a quite area with the sound turned off, you'll notice it. But if you're in a noisy area or with the sound on, you wont hear it at all.

During the test of the Rumble Pak, I didnt notice much of a battery drain on my DS Lite. Mind you, I didnt play with my DS Lite in consecutive hours nor did I have a timer. This was going by my estimation of time.

Conclusion : Overall, the Ewin DS Lite Rumble Pak is a well built product. There arent a lot of games that utilizes the rumble feature. Those who use flash carts that uses Slot-2, will not be able to use this. Is it needed for gameplay? Not really but for the price of $12, thats really cheap. Hopefully there will be more games that will support rumble such as Mario Hoops 3-on-3. I would of like the rumble of each swipe of the ball I take or each dunk I make! I guess I can only dream for now.

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NeoFlash MK6 Save Cart & NEO3 TF
Manufacturer: NeoFlash
Site: Buy from IC2005
Price: $59.00


Overview : Store your save game data on internal RAM. Make and play backups of your original games.

Features:

• 1:1 Original small size
• Support all version of NDS & Lite
• NDS Brightness adjustable
• Support auto-sleep mode
• Simple plug and play
• Build in 4M Game Save
• Come with 4K/64K/256K/512K/2M/4M EEPROM hardware save mode
• Don't need battery, game save data can keep over 50 years
• Support NEO2/3 full serial, can backup your original NDS card by one click
• Universal boot, support almost third-party Slot-2 cart

Quality/Usability : Let me start of by stating that even though this is MK6 (MagicKey 6), this is not a successor of the MK5 that we reviewed a couple months back. This is just a Slot-1 PassMe device which allows you to store your save game data on to its internal RAM. The NEO3 (Slot-2; for SD or TF) allows you to make and play backups of your original games. We also want to note that we do NOT condone piracy.

The MK6 is just a simple cart design. The top has a groove as if there was a slot for a microSD but was blocked. The NEO3 looks weird. The top half has a plastic shell while the contacts is gutted and left out naked. Also, the top of the NEO3 sticks out slight from the cart as this is where the microSD is inserted. What I like about this, is that the slot is spring loaded. What I also noticed on the NEO3 cart is that on the bottom of the casing, where it begins to show the contacts, there is an opening on the plastic casing with the bottom part of the microSD slot sticking out. Couldnt they have added a millimeter or two, to the plastic to cover that up?

Included is a MK6 Save Cart, NEO3 TF and a miniCD. The miniCD contains all the required files needed but its best to get the latest files from NeoFlash as the files on the CD may be outdated. As for the NEO3, there are two versions. There is a TF which accepts microSD and SD version, which well...accepts SD cards.

The NEO3 will need to be setup in order for things to work. To setup the NEO3, you'll need to insert a microSD into the NEO3 and copy the latest version of "_boot_ds.nds" to the root of the microSD. As mentioned above, you can get this from the miniCD provided with the MK6/NEO3 or you can get the latest files from NeoFlash.

NEO3 wouldnt be a good choice to play backups even though it can backup your original games. Yes, it sounds contradicting but its the truth. It lacks and fails in the compatibility field. Homebrew files itself didnt work well either as there was no DLDI patcher. Even using NeoFlash's Homebrew Patcher & Burner Maker, I couldnt get majority of the homebrew to work.

Once the NEO3 is setup and you insert the MK6 into the DS and boot it up, this is where things get confusing. You are brought to a menu with options to select a save type (Boot GBA with 4K Save - Button Y; Boot GBA with 512K Save - Button X and Boot GBA with 2M/4M/8M Save - Button A), What do you choose?! No instructions are given. This should of been auto-detected and chosen for you automatically. The menu scrolling is backwards. If you press UP, the menu scrolls down. If you press DOWN, the menu scrolls up. The menu also seems a bit sluggish.

In order for the DS games to save, you have to set the save type by pushing the Lor R trigger at the start of the game screen. Once you choose the proper save type, the game will save to the MK6 but will run from the NEO3.

To backup your original NDS game, press the X button in the NEO menu. The system will then ask you to insert the original NDS cart and press the A button (OK) to continue. It will then start to dump your DS game onto the NEO3. Depending on game size, it takes about 5-8mins. Once completely dumped, swap the original DS game and place in the MK6. Press A and the game will begin to load. Having tested a couple of my games, I had no problems with any of the dumps.

Conclusion : Overall, the NeoFlash MK6 Save Cart & NEO3 TF to me is a waste of cash. I honestly do see a need for this except for dumping your original games, transferring the .nds and placing it onto any other Slot-1 flash carts such as M3 Simply, R4DS, EZ-Flash V or G6DS Real. There was no support for homebrew files as well as lack of instructions. The lack of auto-detecting the type of game saves is a disappointment as well. NeoFlash makes some great products for both the DS and PSP, but this is one product that they should of not 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 ...

M3 DS Real Cartridge SDHC SLOT-1
Manufacturer: M3
Site: Buy from DealExtreme (w/rumble - Chinese) / Buy from DealExtreme (Chinese) / Buy from VolumeRate (Rumble Bundle) / Buy from VolumeRate (Rumble+Card Reader+Shell / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from Homebrew Dev (Rumble Bundle)
Price: $49.95-$54.99


Overview : The M3 DS Real is a Slot 1 all-in-one backup unit for the Nintendo DS and DS Lite. The M3 DS Real does not require any additional Passcard or Passme devices to operate. Simply copy your ROMs or multimedia files onto a low cost, high capacity MicroSD card, insert the card into the the M3 DS Real and now insert the M3 DS Simply into your DS or DS Lite and enjoy!

You can play MP3's, read TXT books, and run your homebrew applications with ease. The M3 team has made functionality their number one priority with this new generation of DS development. This simply is the best product currently available for the Nintendo DS.

The M3 DS Real supports MicroSD HC media which will allow massive storage capacity.

Features :

• 100% Game compatibility, supports clean ROM's - works on any DS.
• Extreme simple to use: just drag and drop files to the M3 Cart .. ..Standard FAT system.
• Supports the Micro SDHC specification, allowing for high capacity memory cards 4GB, 8GB
• Fully AR Cheat Code compatible engine
• A Ready-Made Cheat Code database file is available for download (English, Chinese, Japanese)
• Support reading individual cheat code file too. (xml, cht, dht)
• Special Game features can be enabled during game playing: (such as: SlowMotion mode)
• Software reset function
• Automatically detect game save type. (No need to provide save type database file.)
• Excellent homebrew support. DLDI auto-patcher.
• Upgradeable system. No size limitation of Flash rom.
• Robust and skinnable GUI.
• Built in PassMe (NO need to use with any boot cart/passcard etc. Support booting Slot1-NDS, Slot2-GBA, Slot2-NDS etc…)
• DirectBoot: Support directly booting games or applications.
• Supports Slot-2 expansions card. (Rumble, Ram , Browser memory and GBA Game card etc.)
• Includes a fully touch screen and button control operating system /GUI Menu.
• NDS-GBA Linkage works fine.
• Build-in “Media-Ex” application + “Moonshell “ media player.
• Support playing MP3 ,OGG music and DPG /DSM / GBM movies
• Super E-book function , support Word/ Txt file directly .
• Super picture viewer function , support *.BMP, *.JPG, *.GIF, *.PNG directly.
• Built in PDA (Worldwide Time ,Memo , Note ,Phone book ,Calculator.)
• Supports Multi-Language France, Germany, Italian, Netherlands, Portuguese, Spanish
• Supports DS sleep mode.
• Brightness adjustment within GUI.

Quality/Usability : The M3 DS Real comes with everything you'll need such as DS Real Slot-1 cartridge, GBA Expansion Pack, Rumble Pack, card reader and miniCD with files. You may want to download the latest from M3's website or from here as the CD may be outdated.

Setting up the microSD is similar to that of all other slot-1 cartridges. Simply download the latest files and copy them to the root of your microSD. Once files are copied over, homebrew and games will need to be copied over. NDS games would go into /NDS in /SYSTEM. GBA games would go into /GBA in /SYSTEM. If you want to use cheats, they would go in the /SYSTEM directory.

When you boot up the M3 DS Real it automatically skips the Nintendo DS firmware's selection menu and brings you to M3's GM menu. The GM menu allows you to select from seven differenct animated icons such as Game, MyCard, PassCard, Media, PDA, Setting, GBA.

The Nintendo DS game selection screen is accessible by tapping on the Game icon. This will display a list of your Nintendo DS games located in the NDS directory on your microSD. The list shows the icon, name and size of the game. By pressing on "select" a menu pops up that allows you to restore your game save or back it up.

After selecting the game you want to play, a new menu will pop up. This menu will give allow you to choose your cheats, select soft-reset, slow motion and slow motion level. The next tab allows you to choose what cheats you want to enable and disable cheats.

The GBA game screen is similar to that of the NDS but the GBA screen shows the name of the game and file size but no icon is displayed. Pressing "select" also allows you to backup or restore your game save. After selecting your game, you will be given a menu to choose your cheats and enable Real Time Save (RTS). In order to play GBA games, you'll need to have the GBA Expansion Pack since the M3 DS Real will flash the game to the Expansion Pack. If you shut off the Nintendo DS and turn it back on and want to play that same game, you'll have to flash the game again to the GBA Expansion Pack. If you dont, the game will not be recognized.

MyCard allows you to choose NDS and GBA homebrew files and will launch from Slot-1 or flash to GBA expansion pack on Slot-2 respectively. Unlike your NDS/GBA games, they can not be in a folder. They have to be in the root of the microSD. The M3 ...

Penguin United Silicon Jacket (Lite)
Manufacturer: Penguin United
Site: Buy from Penguin United
Price: $9.99

Overview : Light Weight Material that doesn't compromise the mobility of your NDS Lite. Added Protection to NDS Lite from everyday useage. Designed to fit seamlessly with NDS Lite. Easy access to all connection ports. Protects without interfering with game play, opening or closing of NDS Lite. Available colors: white, black, pink, and blue.

Quality/Usability : I'm not a big fan of silicon cases whether its for the original DS, PSP, DS Lite, cellphones or any handheld devices but its a nice cheap solution to protecting your handheld devices. They just doesnt appeal to me much. But I thought I'd give this a try since I use a GBA case that was given to me at E3 and its kind of bulky.

The Penguin United Silicon Jacket for the DS Lite comes in two separate pieces. One piece is for the display half and the other piece is for the touchscreen half. Slipping the silicon jacket on is fairly simple.

Once they are placed on the DS Lite, all ports are easily accessible. For the touchscreen half of the DS Lite, there is an opening for the DS cartridge slow as well as for the charger port on the top. On the right side, there is an opening for the power button as well as access to your stylus pen. The bottom of the silicon jacket is the GBA slot along with an opening for your headphones as well as a cut out for the volume slider. On the inside of the jacket are two little bumps. These bumps go into the bottom left side of the DS Lite. This prevents the silicon jacket from moving or slipping off.

Now for the display half, there isnt much to it. There is a big opening on the display side of the case leaving the speakers and screen open. What would of been nice was for it to at least cover majority of the screen area but leaving a small cut out for the speakers and screen itself. Probably the same for where the directional pad/buttons and touch screen are.

Conclusion : Overall, the Penguin United Silicon Jacket is just like any normal silicon case. I personally prefer to have cutouts for the each opening fat the top and bottom rather than one big opening. Same for the screens. I rather have majority of the DS covered with cutouts for the screens, buttons and speakers. The one strip of silicon on top of the DS where the DS game slot is feels a little loose and flimsy. Had it been connected to the bottom of the silicon case, it wouldnt be.

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DSTT DS Top Toy TTDS SLOT-1
Manufacturer: DSTT
Site: Buy from BambooGaming
Price: $36.00


Overview : Essentially based off the NeoFlash Top Toy DS (TTDS), which supports SDHC 256Gbit, plug and play, support cheat code and soft reset!

Features:

• DSTT = 100% NEO-DSTT, Same OEM products, only the brand Different .
• DS original cartridge size, Slot1 interface.
• Plug 'n Play, easy to use, just Drag 'n Drop file from PC to flash memory card.
• No FlashMe, built-in NoPass, and the GBA cards in slot2 can be started directly.
• Supports CleanROM, No covert.
• 100% SDHC TF and standard TF compatibility up to 4GB (4096GByte) flash memory card.
• High speed SDHC. Supports any TF card speed with no lag in game,
• Save directly to TF card, not to onboard chip, Never lose your saves.
• Automatically detect and generate save type.
• Supports Moonshell and homebrew. DLDI auto-patching.
• Supports FAT/FAT32, works on any OS.
• Supports Action Replay cheat and edit the code base.
• Built-in energy-saving design.
• User friendly skinnable interface. Touchscreen or button operation. Supports Skin DIY.
• Supports the Hot-Key SOFT RESET.
• Supports the WiFi game, DS Rumble Pak, DS Browser.
• Supports Download play.
• Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment (DS Lite only).
• Free SDHC high-speed reader, Ultimate copy documents.

Quality/Usability : So with the R4DS being highly sought after and the constant backorder, gamers having been searching for other alternatives. I just so happen to stumble upon a new product called DSTT. Some people stated that it was better. Is it better than the almighty R4DS?! Little did I know, the DSTT is actually the same product as the NeoFlash Top Toy DS just rebranded and a whole lot better looking. But to be fair, instead of just copying and pasting the NeoFlash review, I'd start fresh.

My review sample did not come with packaging, instructions, GBA carts/packs or software CD. All I received was the DSTT cartridge and a very small microSD USB Card Reader. There is another package offered that includes GBA Expansion Pak, Rumble Pak and even a USB Nintendo DS Charger. That is the first time I heard a flash cart manufacturer throwing in a USB DS charger. The TTDS didnt even come with one.

Like all flash carts on the market, the size is the same as the original DS cartridge. Unlike some carts on the market, you do not see a protruding chip coming out from the sticker. The DSTT is white and has a spring loading mechanism. The microSD Card Reader itself is very very small compared to others included with different flash carts. But due to the size, removing the microSD can be a pain in the ass.

Set up is the same like any other flash carts. Download the latest system files from DSTT's website, load it onto the microSD along with some games and homebrew and you're ready to go. As mentioned above, since the DSTT is rebranded from the NeoFlash TTDS, you can use NeoFlash's system files on the DSTT and vice versa. You can place your files anywhere even in folders and it will be read. Unfortunately, it does not put your files in alphabetical order but in the order you placed your files in. You're also able to add your own background image which is known as skinning. The included skin is just an image of DSTT's logo.

DSTT uses Action Replay codes for your cheats. To enable cheats, simply press the (+) button or SELECT and choose the cheats you wish to enable for play. You can also enable and disable cheats in-game as well simply by pressing the corresponding buttons: L+R+START+UP (enables cheats); L+R+START+DOWN (disables cheats)

If you're in a game and want to go back to the DSTT menu system, simply press A+B+X+Y+L+R in-game and it will exit the game and goes straight to the menu system.

There is no dedicated Media button like some flash carts such as the M3 or R4, so the Moonshell will be listed with your games/homebrew files.

Speaking of homebrew, all homebrew games are automatically DLDI patched. Just select your homebrew and it will automatically patch it and run your game. No longer do you have to manually do it yourself.

Having tested the DSTT with a 1GB microSD (Japan) and a 4GB microSDHC (Japan), I can say that there was no problems with games that I threw at it. Granted there are so many DS games available, I didnt have a chance to test them all but for the majority that I did, I did not have a problem. All games are saved immediately and directly to your microSD in a .sav format similar to that of the R4 and M3.

Conclusion : Overall, the DSTT DS Top Toy TTDS SLOT-1 may sound new, its actually a rebadged NeoFlash TTDS and different packaging. The DSTT was very sturdy, clean looking and worked how a flash cart should work. The spring mechanism for the microSD was very smooth. Although the microSD Card Reader is probably the smallest I have seen and is cute, removing the microSD can be a pain in the ass due to its very small size. Those looking for an alternative to the R4 or any other ...

NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case
Manufacturer: Xtreme Enterprises
Site:
Price: $34.99-44.99


Overview : The saying goes, if everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking each other and the same goes for the Nintendo DS Lite. It's time to Shock! your DS Lite and give it a unique and vibrant look wherever you go via Xtreme Enterprises range of SHOCK! DS Lite replacement cases. Manufactured with the highest quality in mind, SHOCK! are a range of stellar replacement cases for DS Lite suitable for a fantastically aesthetically pleasing makeover of Nintendo's handheld or as a replacement to damaged or defective original casing. Every SHOCK! case is created with rigorously durable ABS material which will ultimately preserve the shockingly wonderful appearance for the entirety of the handheld.

SHOCK! cases included everything required for a complete overhaul of your DS Lite. As standard the following is included in every professionally boxed case:

• Top and bottom casing, complete with battery compartment
• All buttons (both triggers, left control pad, right buttons, start/select and power/volume)
• GBA front cover
• Screwpads

Quality/Usability : We have all dreaded the cracked hinges on our Nintendo DS and Lites. It is a known problem and issue with the DS. This is due to the poor quality of the plastic that Nintendo used. My onyx DS Lite and original grey DS phat didnt have this problem but my white DS Lite did. Luckily, I kept it around for desperate moments or for parts. Xtreme Enterprises is known for their replacement cases such as the Chuckii Wiimote Replacement Shell. The NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case comes in a glossy black cardboard box with all necessary parts wrapped in a bubble padded package.

You can view videos on how to dismantle your Nintendo DS Lite: step video 1, step video 2, step video 3 and step video 4.

Once the original case is off, the replacement case is a perfect fit. The quality and how sturdy the case is, is on par with Nintendo's own OEM casing. But not everything is the same. At a close look, there are 3 extra speaker holes on each side of the DS allowing better output of sound. There were some stuff that Xtreme Enterprises have left out such as the upper and lower LCD frame, silicone cover pieces that are used to cover up screw holes and matching stylus. Since the shields and LCD frame are not included, you'll have to remove them from your original case.

What I also noticed was that the top of the case no longer has the dual screen logo. This makes customizing whether it be applying skins or painting a lot cleaner. Also, the START/SELECT buttons are slightly different. It's not smooth or flat like the original buttons. It has a slightly raised edge around it.

Conclusion : Overall, the NDS Shock! DS Lite Replacement Case is a great product for those looking to stand out from the rest of the DS crowd or just looking to replace a damaged case. Although the case fits like the OEM, it does really feel like the OEM case. The lack of silicone pieces and other parts, makes the case short of being fully a replacement case. The price of the case is a bit high as well costing almost 1/3 the cost of the Nintendo DS Lite itself. Since the case is plastic, both the clear and chrome will shows scratches if not kept properly.

By removing the faceplate, you void you warranty. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Networks is not responsible for any damages that user may have caused.

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iTouchDS DS Card SLOT-1 MicroSDHC
Manufacturer: M3 / iTouchDS
Site: Buy from Homebrew Dev (iTouch2) / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from DealExtreme / Buy from VolumeRate
Price: $34.95-$36.99


Overview : iTouchDS introduce a new concept to NDS gaming. Now you will be able to launch your favorite Homebrew and games with a touch of a button. iTouchDS features a system which will allow you to create custom shortcuts pointing to any homebrews or games. These shortcuts will appear in the iFav menu from here you will be able to access, run and manage your shortcuts.

Features :

• Plug and play feature for it is easy to use.
• 100% Game compatibility.
• Automatically detect and generate game save file.
• Built in cheat engine.
• Fully customizable skin interface.
• Supports both the Micro SDHC and MicroSD. (Capacity over 4GB)
• Supports homebrew applications.
• Supports software reset function.
• Supports Multi-Language.
• Supports Download Play.
• Single-chip solution, highest level of stability & lowest power consumption..
• Support Multi-Language: English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Thai Language.

Quality/Usability : M3 Team has a new flash cart for you Nintendo DS users. M3's new product is called iTouchDS. Although the iTouch DS does the same as the M3DS Real, only difference is sticker on the cartridge, packaging, GUI, no RAM/Expansion pakc and quality of the cart.

I love the new packaging design even though it comes in a cardboard box. Inside the cardboard box is a plastic sleeve that holds the iTouchDS and microSD card reader. The card reader is pretty much a standard with flash carts that uses microSD's. If you have a bunch of flash carts like I do, you'll have a lot of them. The back of the box lists the features that you read above. However, no mini-CD is included. Usually the CD contains files to load onto your microSD. You can download the latest files at Simple + Easy.

The quality of the cartridge itself feels cheap and flimsy. Its similar to the M3DS Real and is the same size as the original cartridge. Instead of a screw holding the shell together, there are clips along the side holding them together. Like some flash carts on the market, the PCB chip protrudes from behind the iTouchDS sticker just slightly. At a certain angle, you can see it as well as moving your finger over the center of the sticker. On the back of the iTouchDS, the plastic guides are no longer present like the original cartridges. This can cause potential scratches if not kept and protected correctly.

The iTouchDS automatically boots into the main menu of the iTouchDS. In the main menu, you are unable to change the brightness of the Nintendo DS Lite screen. Some areas of the GUI does not utilize the touchscreen capabilities. The main menu has 3 options: iCard, iFav and iGame.

iCard is your file browser where you can view all the contents on your microSD. It also lets load homebrew files. iTouchDS auto-DLDI patches your homebrew files. All you do is load the file and let iTouchDS do all the work. You can save files as favorites to iFav by simply pressing the X button. This will than place an icon on your iFav.

As mentioned above, iFav is where all your favorites are stored. This directly links you to your games and applications. You'll mainly see icons but once an icon is highlighted, the file name and path of the file is shown at the top of the screen. This is the only menu that allows you to use the touchscreen.

iGame is where the game loading takes place. Here, only .nds files are viewable. Unfortunately, you can not load homebrew files from this menu. As mentioned above, you can only open homebrew files from the iCard menu. You will also need to place your games in a folder and not in the root of the directory. Doing so will result in an error message stating that it can not create a save file. Within the iGame menu, you can choose your cheats, adjust settings such as soft-reset, Normal or Download Play and a reset button.

In the system settings, you are able to enable/disable and choose cheats, enable/disable slow motion, slow motion level, back up save files, Normal or Download Play. The GUI is also skinnable but the icons are not moveable. You can only change the looks but not placement.

Conclusion : Overall, the iTouchDS DS Card SLOT-1 MicroSDHC did what it was suppose to do. Compatibility, auto-DLDI patching, cheats all work great. The new GUI system is very nice looking and user friendly. However, although these budget cards are a cheaper alternative and they work, I feel that the build quality is compromised. The cart feels really cheap in the hands. But those looking to upgrade their M3 Simply or R4 to a card that supports microSDHC, they may want to consider getting the iTouchDS.

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 ...

N-Card 16Gbit SLOT-1 (2GB)
Manufacturer: N-Card (Chinese)
Site: Buy from SuperCardNDS
Price: $57.99

Overview : N-Card is a slot 1 device (no passcard required). It does not use any external storage cards such as microSD. There is a 1GB and 2GB versions.

Features :

• Same size as the Original DS Card. Same Manufacturing technology. Colours of case to choose.
• No FlashMe, No PassMe, No conversion anymore.
• Support clean rom, no transfer software need.
• NAND chip inside,provides your same experience of Original DS Card. Internal memory and comes with 8Gbit/16Gbit memory card (16 Giga bit = 2048MB).
• Low power consuming and long sustaining time.
• Support Moonshell and lots of homebrew which could patched with DLDI.
• Firelinke exclusive, your DS could be a Mouse or a game controller.

Quality/Usability : There have been a lot NAND memory Slot-1 flash carts such as DS Linker, DS Fire, Express Card, Ultra Flash Pro EX, MK5 GIGA, etc., but each has its own limitation as the internal memory is not upgradeable.

The packaging is pretty much similar with a cardboard box and inner plastic tray. The tray holds the Slot-1 N-Card, Slot-2 N-Card Flash Linker, USB cable and manual underneath the tray. No software CD was included but you can download the latest files from their website. Another alternative download location would be here. The manual is in Chinese so if you cant read Chinese, it would do you no good. Whats also weird is that the images they used in the instructions, they are either backwards or upside down.

Like all Slot-1 flash cards, it is identical is size to the original Nintendo game cards. It fits flush in the DS. Whats awkward is that the Slot-2 says NDS/NDS Lite but the design of the cartridge will only fit on a NDS Lite. But when placed in to Slot-2 of a NDS Lite, it fits flush with with the DS. The included USB cable is short. So if you have a USB port that is not close to you, you may either have to stretch or walk back and forth.

To transfer files to the N-Card, you will need to connect the USB cable to the flash linker. Once connected, turn on your DS. Your PC will not recognize it and you will be able to drag and drop files.

The GUI isnt the prettiest of things. The top screen displays the games information such as file name, file save, etc. The bottom screen displays icons of the games you have loaded onto the N-Card. If you dont like the background images, you can simply change them just like all other Slot-1 flash carts.

Every game loaded has worked fine. I did not notice any slowdowns or lags. I did however have problems with some homebrew. Hopefully the DLDI support would be better when new updates are released.

Conclusion : Overall, the N-Card 16Gbit SLOT-1 (2GB) is a decent product but falls short in some areas. The short length of the USB cable can be a turn off for some. Although it says NDS, the Slot-2 flash linker will only work with NDS Lites. Would of been nice if they included the GBA flash linker size but this would probably raise the price due to manufacturing costs. Transferring of files takes a little longer than any of the other flash carts. The upside is that it works with all if not most of the games available on the market. Considering this is a 2GB version, I would think this is enough space...for me that is. But for some, it may be too small and would prefer a flash cart with removable memory. But for the price of a N-Card, its fairly reasonable in price.

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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