Can a Homebrew Only Flash Cart Be Made ?

[spinal_cord]

Can someone please explain what is so wrong with the GnM?

Please name a few genuine reasons to not like it.

[Brifry]

I don't think the GnM is a crummy card at all. It runs every DLDI homebrew I've thrown at it. Sure jenesisDS needs to be run through spinal cords Menu program, but that is an easy work-around. Perhaps you should try Spinal's menu to try to fix your problem's your having with other apps/games.
Go and get yourself a 1Gig Sandisk MicroSD and use v1 of the DLDI patch. It works great with the GnM,Don't get a 2gig though.The 1G should be able to be found cheaply too.
Another thing that is funny, is that Nintendo went after Datel for the GnM, something to do with the way it's built or something.
Anyway I agree Brifry,GnM gets a bad wrap when IMO, it's homebrew compatibility is very good. The only problem is the slow read speeds, so games like Doom,Quake and the large NeoGeo games run with lots of lag.

Yeah, I agree with most of this stuff. But jenesisDS you couldn't get to work? That's weird, works great for me. As for the Neo Geo, if you look at that compatibility chart, that's exactly what I've got on every game I've tried, it tells the fps, and I've got that. I like the 2nd release of QuakeDS because it runs faster, never really cared for Doom, so I don't know about that. See and I've got 2 2GB cards, and they both work great, it does depend heavily on the brand, and sometimes the individual card though. But I assume that's how it is with every flashcart. But yeah, it gets a bad rap, and I really haven't heard any valid arguments that makes me think twice about it. Yeah the read speed isn't as fast as others, but that also discourages NDS piracy. Obviously all the homebrew emulators and games, run at full speed (except sometimes NEO GEO, but those stats were on the compatibility sheet, so I'm guessing it's the same as others.) so yeah, there's nothing wrong there. Well, that's what I've got.

The Datel GnM IS a crummy card, the only reason is that it's popular is the fact that you can buy it locally rather than online.

Any reason in particular why it's crummy? And don't say just because it's available in stores, that doesn't automatically make it bad, not that you're thinking that, but the tone kind of puts that off.

[TechRat]

The only problem is the slow read speeds, so games like Doom,Quake and the large NeoGeo games run with lots of lag.

I don't believe this is true. The read speed affects the loading time, but once the game is loaded the speed will be the same for all DS systems regardless of the brand of flash cart used. The only exception is when data is streamed from the card, like during video playback.

I don't know why GnM is the homebrew whipping boy, but I have some theories:

THEORY 1 - GnM used to be a crappy card. Before Chism created a DLDI patch for it homebrew compatibility was pretty low. Now it has one of the highest compatibility rates of all of the brands of flash cards. Still, people remember that it was crummy at one time so that's how they always remember it.

THEORY 2 - People don't like it because it's the closest anything has come to a "mainstream" homebrew solution, and in such a grass roots community there can be an aversion to anything mainstream.

THEORY 3 - The read speed is slower than most other cards so people just conclude that it sucks. The truth is that it is slower, but not slow. It does not take a minute to load larger apps. I don't think any app has taken more than 20 seconds to load for me, and in todays gaming world where almost every game has loading times this really is a minor issue.

THEORY 4 - People don't like it because it does not have regular firmware updates to support DS ROMS. This reason is not even valid as far as I'm concerned. Such people are the ones who are causing the real problems for the homebrew community.

Again, these are just theories. I'm curious to hear other people's opinions about this.

[crookedmouth]

Yeah, I agree with most of this stuff. But jenesisDS you couldn't get to work? That's weird, works great for me. As for the Neo Geo, if you look at that compatibility chart, that's exactly what I've got on every game I've tried, it tells the fps, and I've got that. I like the 2nd release of QuakeDS because it runs faster, never really cared for Doom, so I don't know about that.

JenesisDS works fine, but through spinal's menu program.Many GnM and MMD users have the same problem. About the NeoGeo emulator, I would like to see how you run 1945, it's a shoot em up that when played along side my MMD or R4 has obvious slow downs especially during explosions.My FPS seems to be good even during slowdowns...
While I agree Quake doesn't run too badly, again along side the other 2 cards of mine, a bit of slow down is noticeable.

I don't believe this is true. The read speed affects the loading time, but once the game is loaded the speed will be the same for all DS systems regardless of the brand of flash cart used. The only exception is when data is streamed from the card, like during video playback.

Yes I know that streaming video has lag but the before mentioned 1945 is nearly 86 MB, Doom wads are much more then the 4mb as is Quake.

I'm not knocking the card just expressing w one downside.

[Jeric]

Well part of my beef with Datel's card is the fact that datel themselves seem to nolonger care, support, or even really acknowledge the card exists (outside of continue to offer it up for sale). It could easily just be my experiances but DSO has done nothing but completely destroy data, then again that could also be due to the fact I was trying to use the ds as a substitute notepad to write on.

Lets see, firmware updates arn't only to maintain pirating compatability, but to improve thigns like read/write speeds, update the default menue (which is usually moonshell or a derivitive), the fact that it came out before sdhc became more or less standard (and even if its possible to add in via firmware, which I'm unsure of, it ain't happening due to the 'support' datel provides), the spring on the bloody thing breaks rapidly, and for those of us that are lazy no auto patching.

Oh and I bought my 1gig microsd card in january, its already starting to fail (i can't copy stuff back over to the pc side).

With all that said though, it does show that you CAN have a homebrew-only cart, and with it being homebrew only you can sell it in brick n morter outlets.

[masterchief929]

The Datel GnM IS a crummy card, the only reason is that it's popular is the fact that you can buy it locally rather than online.

wow... come copy what someone else already sed so that u can individually be proved wrong. almost every DLDI compatible game runs on the GnM. it is very durable, i have dropped it on hard surfaces. (tile, blacktop, gravel) the interface is very clean and easy to navigate. it has a built in mp3 player that is unique to the GnM. it runs on bigger sd cards. it has a built in file browser. it is anti-piracy!!!!!! and last, but certainly not least, it has a durable spring loader.

the GnM does what it is supposed to do and more.

[kurosakinaruto-]

Well, most of the ppl who pirate games(including me) don't have enough money to buy games, and the only reason why most of us bought a Nds was to get a flash cart, and nintendo doesn't really LOSE any money, because the money wasn't there's to lose in the first place. So if anything, they're GAINING money from the Nds console sales.

[Jeric]

Flawed Logic is flawed.

Just because they turn a small profit with hardware sales you are NOT able to justify piracy due to the sheer ammount of money lost due to games, which (despite what some may think) are nintendo's bread n butter.

Lets see.

buying 1x ds:
total cost: $120

buying mario kart, zelda, metroid, any number of pokemon games, castlevania, etc etc:

$27 - $40 per game:

Ergo 10x games: $270 - $400.


I can understand the justification of demoing, but nintendo can cover you there too, if they'd embrace flash carts that is and offer downloadable demos as opposed to only from specific keosks.

Edit: Oh and as for the 'they're not losing because it wasn't there to begin with' argument? Pfft. Nintendo ships x number of units to stores. If those units don't sell nintendo has to write up the costs of unsold units at a loss and possibly even have to buy the materials back pending what their agreement is wit hthat store chain (obviously i don't know, just taking a potshot here). Now all those people pirating, say, contra, rather than buy it for whatever reason now leave contra on the shelves. You may be poor, but hey, so'm I. ITS CALLED SAVING MONEY! Granted I can't buy dozens and dozens of games (i have...four games. Days of Ruin, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, Puzzlequest, and new super mario brothers) but I DO buy games. I just make sure the games i buy are the ones I want.

[spinal_cord]

I think kurosakinaruto-'s argument was -

(although the 'being poor' part should be irrelevent)

Most (if not all) of the people who pirate games would NOT buy them even if there was no piracy.

So, picture this...
If there is piracy, kurosakinaruto would have bought a DS, but no games. If there was no piracy kurosakinaruto would not have bought a DS and also no games.
Conclusion kurosakinaruto would never buy games and Nintendo will not loose money over it, Either way kurosakinaruto does NOT BUY GAMES, weather he(?) has a DS or not. Nintendo can not claim any lost proffit from someone buying a DS but no games.

Having a DS and not buying games is not loosing Nintendo any more money than not having a DS and not buying games (for the DS you don't have). In fact they are gaining hardware sales. So by people pirating games, Nintendo are making more money than people not pirating, as they are UP on DS sales but NOT down on software sales.



Either way though, if you like playing a game, you should buy it.

[Jeric]

You've got a point, but still...'wouldn't buy anyway' isn't an excuse to pirate.