Best GBA Cart?

[Amethyst]

I want to buy a GBA flashcart. Something to replace the filler on my white DS Lite. What's the best cart with the best compatibility? Will it require a pass device? I really don't want to buy one.

Thanks.

[DanTheManMS]

GBA flash carts can get expensive. I got a Flash2Advance Ultra cart that holds 128 MB and cost about $120, plus a $12 linker and shipping costs. This is because they use NOR memory which is very expensive. They are also fairly slow to write to, and you can't delete entries from them - you must rewrite the entire cart if you want to free up some space.

NOR memory is used because it is very fast to read from, which is something the GBA requires. NAND-based media is too slow.

For these reasons, it might be easier for you to use a CF- or SD-based adapter. If you're only going to be using it for GBA stuff, I would recommend either an M3 Perfect or a G6. These use NAND based storage, but they copy the GBA file over to the faster built-in RAM before executing. The downside is that you will probably have to patch your files before using them, but I'd say it's worth it for the convenience offered. In addition, both the M3 and G6 come in Lite versions that fit fully into the GBA slot of the DS Lite so that nothing sticks out.

You could alternatively get a Supercard product since it's cheaper, but realize that it has slower RAM than the M3 and G6, so many games will actually slow down or not run at all.

If you're only going to be using GBA mode, you will not need a passthrough device.

[Amethyst]

Thank you so much. I think I'll go with an M3 Perfect when I save up the money again. Do you know a good place to buy it? Also cheap SD cards?

EDIT: Gameyeeeah.com is selling one with a Passcard for $80. Is that a reasonable price? I've read that Gameyeeeah.com is a trustworthy site. Is it true?

[DanTheManMS]

If you're not going to be using it for DS stuff, you can go even cheaper by skipping the PassCard, but yes that is a great price for an M3 Perfect, and I have heard good things about Gameyeeeah. Just make sure you're buying the M3 Perfect and not the M3 Pro.

[Tonx_9]

I got a Flash2Advance Ultra cart that holds 128 MB and cost about $120, plus a $12 linker and shipping costs.

were did you get yours from?...i dont trust anything with my credit card so i need a working store that actuly sells them for real.

[DanTheManMS]

I got mine from Linker4U, but I've heard reports that they are actually sold out of them (despite what the website says). As such, I'm not entirely sure that I can recommend them for buying one. They shipped the product fine and I received it within a week, but if they're out of stock it won't matter too much.

If you decide to get a GBA cart, remember to divide the capacity by 8 to get the capacity we're used to seeing. For instance, my "1 G" cart is actually 1 Gigabit, which is 128 Megabytes.