Gameboy Advance Flashcard

[Ghost]

Hello,

I am not sure if this is the right forum but does anyone on the board have any experience with Gameboy Advance Flashcards?

I would like to purchase such a Flashlinker and cards for a couple of games I wish to play on my Nintendo DS but I haven't got a clue how it all works or where to look for said equipment.

[Harrison]

I've been using GBA flash cards for years, since they first came out. The first Flashlinker card I have is huge and sticks out of the system, and also came with a parallel port interface for connecting to the PC. The later revised version is the same size as standard GBA carts and much bigger capacities (can fit 16+ games on one at once) so looks fine when in the system. Also the later readers are USB so much easier to use on newer systems.

But I think the current NDS flash carts can run both DS roms and GBA roms, so are a much better purchase than limiting yourself to the older GBA only. You need to double check they can run GBA roms though. Ask JT as he might know.

I recommend the store http://www.modchip-store.co.uk I've used them for a long time, they are fast to ship products and have an extensive range of hardware available including premodded systems.

As for the actual cart to buy, there are two main DS options to look at. The DS-X, which has just been updated and now has 16Gb of ram built in, or the cheaper M3 DS Simply that uses Micro SD cards instead of fixed storage. I think that the latter is the card JT has, so he should be able to tall you more about it.

The cheaper M3 DS Simply card has the big advantage of removable storage so you can just buy more SD cards and carry them around to have access to more games at once, whereas the DS-X uses fixed storage, but with the new card have 16Gb (2GB) of built in storage it can still hold a few games at a time.

In addition these flash carts also extend the DS's abilities to playing MP3's and Video files, as well as homebrew applications such as browsers and PIM software which might be of interest to you.

[J T]

I never had a GBA, I went straight into the DS.

I have the M3DS Simply and it is a very good card, and is much cheaper than the DS-X. There is also the R4DS which has pretty much the same internals as the M3. It's incredibly easy to use, I have had no major problems with mine, just drag over the ROMs and you're good to go - but here's the rub, it won't play GBA roms.

Currently, no slot 1 (the DS card slot) device can run GBA ROMs and it's unlikely they will (something to do with the gba chips not being able to read from that slot).

If you have no intention of running DS ROMs you could just get an EZ flash lite and a separate passcard/pass me/no-pass or flash your DS firmware to allow booting from a slot-2 card reader. Personally, I wouldn't recommend flashing the DS as it sounds a bit risky when there are so many other alternatives.

However, many slot 1 devices will act as a pass-me style device and allow GBA Roms to be loaded from another flashcart-style device in the GBA slot (yes, this means that you would have both a slot 1 and a slot 2 device). I have not done this so you would need to check on forums to ensure compatability but I hear a lot about EZ-Flash cards for GBA.

I hope this helps and hasn't just added to confusion - i'm not quite up to full speed yet today. I can break it down further and more simply if you like.

[Ghost]

Hello J T,

So if I understand you correctly I can not run GBA roms on a DS disc for example on the DS?

I was of the understanding that I would be able to put roms on the discs for the GBA slot.

[J T]

Erm, I think we're getting a tad mixed up but we're almost in harmony.

The DS card slot does not have 'access' to the GBA chips, apparently - and the DS itself is not powerful enough to run a GBA emulator.

As it stands, if you want to play GBA roms you'll need a slot 2 (the bigger one at the bottom of the DS) flashcard.

GBA Roms have to go on a flashcard that sits in the GBA card slot.

The DS-X, M3DS simply, R4DS can play DS roms easy peasy, but cannot run GBA roms themselves.

[Harrison]

I'm sure I read on the feature list of one of the DS flash carts that it could run GBA games. I may have been mistaken but will let you know if I find the information again. Of course, you could buy a PSP and run GBA games via emulation that way! ;)

Not sure where you can buy a GBA flash cart from these days though as most of the sites I use have stopped selling them and just sell the DS carts. I will ask a few contacts and see if any of them know anywhere in Europe that still sell them at a good price.

[J T]

I'm sure I read on the feature list of one of the DS flash carts that it could run GBA games. I may have been mistaken but will let you know if I find the information again. Of course, you could buy a PSP and run GBA games via emulation that way! ;)

Not sure where you can buy a GBA flash cart from these days though as most of the sites I use have stopped selling them and just sell the DS carts. I will ask a few contacts and see if any of them know anywhere in Europe that still sell them at a good price.

It'd be good if you could, but possibly the feature was the ability of the card to boot from a slot 2 device that would also be present (without having to flash the DS firmware).

It may have been mentioned in these threads (sorry but I don't have the time to go back and check, but maybe someone else there could help... You see I have little personal experience with GBA roms, I'm currently only interested in DS ones).

http://z1.invisionfree.com/forums/worldofstuart/index.php?showtopic=5344&st=0

http://z1.invisionfree.com/forums/worldofstuart/index.php?showtopic=5620&st=0

[Ghost]

Hello J T,

Thanks for clearing that up, yes it is my intention to run GBA games so I probably would have to get a GBA flashlinker and discs.
However if the device and the discs are discontinued.

I got a little information from this site

http://www.emu-zone.net/gba-sp/buy-flash-card-linker.html

Harrison, if you do find stores that still sell the device and cards, please tell.

[Harrison]

I found this site recommended by many on another forum. Not sure how useful it is as I cannot read it myself :lol: but thought you might find it of use:

http://www.nds-lite.nl/

[Ghost]

Hello Harrison,

Hey a Dutch site, that's even better!

[Ghost]

Hello,

I never heard from anyone if it was possible to run GBA roms on a DS card?
Is it?

[Harrison]

I'm not sure if it is or not. I don't own a NDS myself so have no way of testing if they can or not.

However I do know that you can get a HD Flash card that comes with many emulators built in including a GBA emulator, so an alternative could be to buy that and just run them games via emulation on the DS.

[Ghost]

Hello Harrison,

I plan to respond to your PM soon.

Regarding the emulator, how would that work on a DS?
I have only played games so far you simply have to plug in, would there be some type of menu when you open the emulator?

[Harrison]

Yes. Most flash cards for the NDS have a built in OS with a menu system so you can navigate the files you have copied onto the card and launch them. The ones with emulators have them on the card's own firmware so you can navigate to them using the cards OS and then run the emulators. You can also get quite a lot of open source home brew emulation and other software for the NDS.

It is very similar for the Sony PSP, except that instead of running a custom OS from the flash cart, on the PSP you normally run a hacked version of the main PSP OS that can run homebrew and emulation directly.

[Ghost]

I still have so much still to learn

[Ghost]

Would VisualBoyAdvance work the same way on the DS as it works under Windows?

[Harrison]

You mean run the Windows emulator VisualBoyAdvance on the DS? If so that isn't possible as the two are not compatible. You would need to use a GBA emulator written specifically for the DS.

[Ghost]

Aha, good that I asked that one.

[Harrison]

Have a look at http://nintendo-ds.dcemu.co.uk/

Scroll down the page and you will see a large list of the emulators and other homebrew software available for the DS. The site also has lots of information about everything to do with the DS.

[Demon Cleaner]

Btw, I need a GBA tosec or goodtools or another collection, do you know where I can get one? I'm still missing a complete set, UG and PD don't have any. Guess you have yours from Eggman.

[Harrison]

Underground Gamer don't have GBA files at the moment because they don't view the system as being safe yet. But their sister site does host GBA sets and they have the current GoodGBA v3.12 set which is 18.43GB. They also have a lot of other GBA sets too.

I can't remember if you are a member of BitGamer or not. I don't have any invites for it at the moment as my ratio is only just over 1.0 but if you need an invite let me know and I will see what I can do.

[Ghost]

Sorry for reviving a dead topic but I am still interested in getting flash cards for my DS to run some GBA roms and perhaps DS roms in the future.

If I am correct I need a GBA flashcard device + cards in order to put GBA roms on, and a DS flash card device + cards in order to put DS roms on.

Do any of you know of stores here in Europe that (still) sell these items?

[Harrison]

http://www.modchip-store.co.uk (http://modchip-store.co.uk)

I've ordered from them a few times in the past and they have been very fast and reliable.

They also currently have 5 different flash carts for the DS in stock. I'm not sure which if the current cards on offer is the best to recommend so I will leave that for others to recommend one. Or take a look on http://forums.maxconsole.net/ in the DS section to get some more info about current cards for the DS, plus info on playing GBA games.

[Ghost]

Hello Harrison,

Thank you for the links, it seems the GBA flashcard writer and cards are no longer supported.

[Harrison]

http://www.gameboy-advance.net/nintendo_ds/nds_flash_card.htm

That page details all the known GBA flash carts and how well they work with the NDS.

As for where to buy a GBA flash cart, have a look at this (http://www.gameboy-advance.net/site/shopping_guide.htm)page as some of the sites linked may still be selling them.

Failing that post a wanted advert on Amibay.net in the Wanted Hardware section. I'm sure one of our members will have a spare one.

[Ghost]

Hello Harrison,

I guess like every piece of computer hardware the various flash card writers also have their own technological specifications and capabilities.
Could you or one of the people on this forum tell me a little at what details I should look?
I haven't got a clue which ones are good and which ones aren't.

[Ghost]

Hey Harrison,

Could you look up that last PM I sent you?

To others, is this a GBA Flash Card writer?

http://www.flashlinker-shop.com/product_info.php?products_id=388

I honest don't know as I have never looked for one before.
Also which technical specifications are important?

[Zetr0]

Hello there,

that seems a little pricey for whatyour getting,

have a look at this http://www.consoleplus.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=supercard-sd-to-gbands-adapter

its much cheaper and in truth a better product IMHO :)

hope it helps.

[Harrison]

That flash cart you linked to looks like a GBA flash cart to me, but as Zetr0 said it does seem quite expensive.

If I were you do some digging around forums like max console and ask some questions because I think you can get some NDS carts that support running NDS and GBA roms together, so you might not need a separate GBA flash cart. I can't give you all the information you need as I don't have a DS or use any DS flash carts, just a GBA and a flash linker. You used to need a passme cart too in order to use the GBA carts in the DS, but I'm not sure these are needed any longer.

The M3 DS Perfect is meant to support GBA games for example, so you wouldn't need an additional GBA only flash cart. It has a GBA emulator built in.

[Zetr0]

Wow, your looking for DS flash action too...

well well well.... then your local friendly zetty can help you...

firstly the DSOne is the best there is.... I have two of them.... one for the wifie and one for the daughter.... the monster child thing has 37 titles on her 4GB one... which at an average of £25 a title..... over £900 of software.... so for the £35 + £20 for the 6gb micro sd card.... well worth it

heres where you get it from (http://www.consoleplus.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=supercard-ds-one-for-ds-and-ds-lite-slot-1)

I am yet to try these to see if the GBA roms will run from them, on the previous one they need to be converted before being put on the cf / sd card, so I am unsure. (might try it later on the wifies DS)

[Harrison]

That would be really useful if you could test some GBA games with it to see if they work. I don't think it is really a problem if they need converting to run though as it's a quick process and only needs to be done the once before adding each game to the card.

What makes the DSOne so good? I've not read much about this cart. I mainly know about the M3 range. The price definitely looks really appealing. Does it run all DS games you have tried?

[Zetr0]

still yet to test the GBA ROM functionality on the DSOne card, will do it this evening :D

what makes the DSOne card fantastic is both the HCSD nature of the dongle (allowing upto 6GB in micro SD form)

the fact there has NOT been a rom it wont run!!! it has moon shell linux, which means if you want to spend the time you can configure a web browser, email, watch movies from the card / online etc. I know other dongles would give you moon shell, but this is the most aproachable to date!

plays MP3's etc you can even install a form of winamp too... it really releases the DS from the grip of Nintendo.

I could not rave enough about this card to be honest. it doesn't need a pass key or anything like that its as simple as plug and play, drag and drop, and thats it! fantastic!!!

[Harrison]

Do NDS roms need converting before copying to the card, or will it run most standard formats of game rom?

[toomanymikes]

Im late to this post but i do have an M3 DS Simply card and it is fantastic. I managed to get the amiga versions of monkey island and beneath a steel sky running on a homebrew scumm engine too.

[Harrison]

Do the M3 DS Simply cards run both NDS and GBA roms? And do they need a passme or other additional card for full software support?

Also I had another question. (sorry to hijack your thread a bit ghost).

I currently own a GBA flash linker and a couple of flash carts for it and use them on the original GBA. Will these work with the NDS if I were to just plug them in? Or is anything additional needed?

[Harrison]

I've just found a great guide to all things NDS flash cart related. I've posted details and the pdf download here. (http://forum.classicamiga.com/showthread.php?t=1919) I hope you find it useful. :)

[J T]

Do the M3 DS Simply cards run both NDS and GBA roms? And do they need a passme or other additional card for full software support?


This is important. I can't be bothered to read the whole page ATM, just a yes or no answer wanted.

I'd really like to play Rhythm Tengoku (it's a GBA game) on my DS.

[StuKeith]

Ive just ordered the M3simpy from Mobymemory.com and the M3Real from Anytoys.com

Both with 2 gig cards. (MM ment to be out of stock so ordered new one, then they said been sent doh!) Given one to my daughter who has a DS

I have downloaded around 300+ DS games and around the same GBA games so Be fun thursday night when I get the cards and try them all out!

[Harrison]

Nice. Let me know what you think of the two cards once you have them. Also if you are looking for any more roms have a look on BitGamer as they have a torrent containing the complete scene releases for all NDS games to date, and it gets updated regularly.

[StuKeith]

Nice. Let me know what you think of the two cards once you have them. Also if you are looking for any more roms have a look on BitGamer as they have a torrent containing the complete scene releases for all NDS games to date, and it gets updated regularly.


Got the M3 Simply today. Dosent come with any instructions on how to use it, so was wondering why it wasn't working to start off with.

Had to goto the m3 website and find I needed to install a os onto it.

Non of the Dls on the site seem to work for me, If someone can try the site and download the software that would be great. Its about a 16mb dl.


haven't got the Real yet. but the M3 seems to be good. Just dl some emulators for it and will be trying them soon.

[Buleste]

Whats the name of the website?

And whats the name of the file?
I found this (http://www.linfoxdomain.com/nintendo/ds/) website which claims to have everything on but i haven't got a clus as what would be what.