[DS] NDS/GBA Flashing/PassMe discussion

One thing that a lot of people have been getting into is playing ROMs of GBA/NDS games on the actual systems. I've done quite a bit with this, so I'll offer my advice and answer questions here.

GBA Flashcarts

There are a number of GBA Flashcarts out there. One of my personal favorites is the Flash2Advance Ultra. It comes in a variety of sizes and the battery life compared to others is fantastic.

The minimum size you should buy is 512Mbit (This is Megabit, NOT MegaByte!). 1024Mbit is pretty close in price now, so go with that. The reason I say nothing less is that there are a ton of games for the GBA that are 256Mbit, so get one of those and that'll either fill up or not load on a smaller cart. Even 2GB (2048Mbit) is getting cheap, so don't be afraid of getting too much!

You'll also need a way to flash the cart. You'll either need the USB linker that connects to your GBA/SP system, or the USB Linker (which you HAVE to have if you only have a NDS).

DO NOT get the XG cart. Horrible battery life, which results in your saves constantly going bye-bye.

Note that the filesize on your computer is MegaByte (MB). Don't confuse this with Megabit. 1MB is about 8 Mbit. You can look up the ROM's info at www.dgemu.com

A great reliable source to buy your carts (and linkers) is at www.linker4u.com

USB Link Cable (GBA/SP)
USB Writer (GBA/SP, NDS)

Good carts for GBA playing:
Flash2Advance Ultra

Bad carts for GBA playing:
XG-Flash
NeoFlash (as this is simply a relabeled XG)


Emulation on a GBA

NES Emulation: Quite decent. Due to the difference in screen size, things are a bit weird, but gameplay generally is good. However if a special soundchip is used (like the one in Castlevania III (J)), it's gonna be crap.
Emulator of choice: PocketNES

SNES: Sucks. There's very little that can be played and what can be isn't that enjoyable.
Emulator of choice: SNES Advance (but again, what's the point if "the SNES Advance will never be able to emulate sound")

GB/GBC: No personal experience.
Emulator of choice: Seems to be Goomba. Also heard about Goomba Color, which is suppose to be a GBC emulator, currently listed in alpha stages.

Sega Master System/Game Gear: No personal experience.
Emulator of choice: Dr.SMS was originally used, but has been discontinued. Heard that SMSAdvance is replacing it, but I don't know about them. Information appreciated.

PC-Engine: Again, no personal experience.
Emulator of choice: PCEAdvance

Further information and links to Emulators on GBA


Nintendo DS PassMe/FlashMe/and more

Believe it or not you can play ROMs of NDS games on the DS, but it's a lot harder and more complex.

First off, you need to know your version of firmware. It's simple to figure out.

1) Boot the NDS with a game in the NDS slot. If your system is set to autoboot, hold Select+Start.
2) Start up Pictochat, and enter Room A.
3) Pop out the NDS game. This will crash the DS.
4) Based upon what you see, you'll be able to determine your NDS version:

v1: Pictochat hangs
v2: two grayish blue screens
v3: two dark green screens
v4: two golden yellow screens
v5: two magenta screens
v6: two blue screens
DS Lite: two purple screens
iQue: two dark green screens
FlashMe: two dark green screens

If you have v4 or newer, or an iQue (likely not, unless you live in China), it's a little more strict when it comes to ROM playing.

v1-v3:
Anything and everything will work for you.

v4+:
The original PassMe, MagicKey, SuperPass, WifiMe, and PassKey WILL NOT WORK. PassMe2 and NoPass will work for you. FlashMe has been confirmed to work on a v4 & v5.


About FlashMe
FlashMe is a process that reverts the newer DSes to an older style firmware, and can remove the health warning process (if you desire, or not). It also allows booting NDS code off the GBA flashcart.

Info about it HERE


Running NDS ROMs
Depending on whether you have a NDS or NDS lite, you have a few options on what to get.

NDS "Phat"
M3 Adapter Compact Flash version w/ NDS PassCard 3
M3 Adapter MINI SD version w/ NDS PassCard 3
M3 Adapter SD version w/ NDS PassCard 3
*All these should work in a NDS lite, though the Compact Flash version will stick out A TON. It already sticks out a bunch in a NDS Phat. Even the SD version sticks out a bit on a Phat.

NDS lite
M3 Lite Micro SD Version w/ NDS PassCard 3
*Note, that this does NOT work on a NDS "Phat".

All use basically the same process to run and have a very high compatibility.

The Passcard 3 goes into the NDS slot. Since it is a NoPass device, it is sized the same as a NDS cart, and requires nothing sticking out or any real NDS game.

The M3 requires flash memory in order to store the games/homebrew. You can get these at NewEgg. NOTE WHICH VERSION YOU HAVE TO GET THE CORRECT MEMORY. Of course, you'll need a flash cart reader to load the stuff.

Firmware, instructions, and tons of other great info can be found at: M3 WIKI. This site also has a compatibility list. Read this site first for recommendations on flash cards.

To run any and all NDS games, you will need more than 128MB. Since there are 1024MBit games, they do requite 128MB space + save space, which means you'll need larger. Get as big as you can afford. Or multiple cards.



I'll add more info as I go. Ask questions if you have any.

Update 07.28.2006: Cleaned up a bit, added some links a touched up info a bit. Added Emulators on GBA section.
Update 09.19.2006: Changed NDS section to a much better device.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

You still need to patch them, but doing the FlashMe just prevents needing the PassMe/PassMe2. However if there is no NDS game in the slot, the "close-the-case" sleep mode won't activate.

I haven't done FlashMe myself yet. I'm avoiding it on this NDS I have until I get it replaced for my bad pixel.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'd tell ya Acer, but I'm presently blinded by your av/sig combo.

I haven't played a whole lot yet, but here's what I've gotten to work so far:
Pac-Pix (E)
Super Mario 64 DS (U)
Lunar DS (U)
Super Princess Peach (J)
Trauma Center (U)

The following I've tried but haven't gotten to work:
Sonic Rush (J)
Phoenix Wright (U) (Sorry Tails!)


And thats about it for testing because Super Princess Peach has been way to fun to give up. ^^;;

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I personally recommend the Flash2Advance Ultra. It's what I use and is a great cart.

But you'll either need the PassMe, PassMe2, or you can do FlashMe. The nice thing about FlashMe is that you don't need the bulky PassMe/PassMe2 sticking out the NDS side, just a normal game for the sleep mode to activate. And sometimes the NDS slot side is a bit sensitive to those things moving too (which kills your games).

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

-I must have GBA cart like:Flash2Advance to play DS games?if that need Flash2Advance where best site to buy it (1028 Mbit)?because I have SD card 512 MB

You need some type of flash cart, yes. Where else are you storing your DS games? I haven't tested a SD card device, just the F2A Ultra. Whatever you use, it HAS to support SRAM (which is why I recommend the F2A Ultra).

Quote:

-if buy Supercard or superpass2 or M3 I will not to need anything else if one of them?

Supercard/PassMe/Super Pass/etc is just a device that allows the DS to read the unlocking code from the DS game in it. You still need a flash cart or the equiv to store the game and saves.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Luxo

You also need an original DS game for the Passme to take the ID from.

HEY GUYS, has anyone bought something from linker4u.com or superufo.com? I'm interested to buy a M3 from them but I'm not sure if they're reliable. Some help?

I've made a couple purchases from linker4u.com and no problems here.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Hopefully this will be better than their NeoFlash kit endeavor. That thing was crap.

How ya doing, buddy?

Of course older MagicKey/PassMes don't work with the DS Lite. DS Lite would be based upon newer firmware anyways that obsoleted the original PassMe/MagicKey items about 2 versions ago.

I don't have any problem using GBA flash carts for NDS games other than having to patch everything, but I would like to see something that uses SD cards.

The one bad thing about having to use SD cards is that they're marked in MBytes while typically you see NDS games listed in MBits. Though I guess you can look at your computer and see it listed there. ^^;;

I wonder how well compatibility will be too.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It depends on the type of flash cart, but it needs batteries to protect its volitale memory (your save data), much like the NES, SNES, etc carts do. It doesn't quite work the same was as USB drives do.

Double Post:
I found something new an interesting while checking out some DS wikis.

Quote:

MK4-mini is a DS booting device from the NeoFlash with NoPass functionality. It is physically the same size as an original DS game card, does not require an original DS game card and does not need to be programmed.

MK4-mini has a switch on top so you can boot into GBA mode without taking it out of the DS slot. It also has a built in 2M EEPROM save chip, and can store game saves depending on which patcher you use.

Unlike the MAX Media Launcher, the DS sleep function should work with the MK4-mini in the DS slot.

NoPass is a bit different than PassMe technology. It's built like a NDS cart.

http://wiki.pocketheaven.com/MK4-mini

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Just for anybody's curiosity who wants to test stuff:

http://www.ic2005.com/html/2005/show-49.htm - NEO MK4-Mini ($50)
http://www.divineo.com/cgi-bin/div-us/dd-ds-pssc - Passcard (NoPass system, alternate to the item above) - $25

The biggest difference between the two is that the MK4 has some RAM in it and supports brightness adjustment. But with either one, you will need a GBA flash cart.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

While I've personally haven't tested anything online based, I see no reason why it shouldn't, unless you are using old versions of FlashMe (FlashMe writes to the BIOS of the DS, as does something related to online functions, and older versions of FlashMe clashed with this). As long as you don't reflash your cart or change your DS, your friend code remains the same as well.

Granted this is all speculation.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Shaolin, you can also use a NoPass device (as mentioned earlier in the thread). It's the same size as a NDS cart but works like a PassMe. I haven't tested either one, but they look really cool.

I'm thinking of getting one myself because I agree, using a PassMe/PassMe2 is a pain in the ass. It's just an alternative if you don't want to flash your system.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

You'll still need some type of PassMe device initially to flash your DS.

As for what's compatible, I don't have the "absolute" best DS cart though. I'll leave that to somebody else. As for how you transfer, it depends on what you get. Either you'll have some device to plug your GBA cart into via USB, or a flash cart device.

How ya doing, buddy?

Any reports on the PassCard 3?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Muzza

Another n00b question: can you remove games that you put on the M3/Supercard and then add another? I assume that's how it works, otherwise...

Yes and yes. (N00b question and of course you can remove and add. That's the purpose of flashable memory.)

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Elixir

It's rare that you'll see a DS title over 50 mb.

Hardly. I've got 33 on my comp and one more to download.

34/510 or whatever we're on right now is a fairly good margin.

And granted these are zipped up too. There's another 33 that are in the 40MB range zipped.

And for the record, the largest DS game to date is: 0276 - BioHazard - Deadly Silence (J)(WRG).zip
Followed by the (E) and (U) versions at a whopping 107MB a piece.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Elixir

I was referring to zipped archives, and out of the 510, there isn't even 30. You could count the same game twice since it's released in english as well, but nobody's going to download a game in japanese if it's available in english.

All my DS ROMs are zipped too sir. 34/511 are 50MB+ 15 of those I think are Spiderman 2 games. *laughs*

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Quote:

The only thing I dislike is the need of FlashMe but if it's possible to revert to or reflash the original firmware, then i'm in.

You can revert FlashMe back to the original firmware.

As for that product, what does it exactly do? Your website is sooooo informative. Doesn't even show a sample product in action picture, it's just 15 million pictures of a white DS cart with silly labels on it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

I heard somewhere if you flash your DS then you can't do Nintendo Wifi Connection...

On older versions of FlashMe (v3 and earlier I believe) it DID screw up WiFi connecting, but that was fixed.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The issue was not connecting, but actually semi-bricking the DS. The older FlashMes wrote to a portion of the BIOS that would later be used by the DS to store WIFI settings and such. Thus it "semi-bricked" the DS. However since the first part of the FlashMe code was intact, it could be fixed by reflashing.

How ya doing, buddy?

I got my new Passcard and M3 combo today, and I am SOOO lovin this.

No more PassMe2 sticking out of my NDS, and I've been able to play Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Sonic Rush w/o any problems (except DOS's intro being a bit choppy, but this is due to my flash card, which was just something I had lying around). Sonic Rush didn't work at all in my F2A Ultra and DOS would crash if I let it play the intro in full (but the game itself worked).

And the program to patch and upload NDS games is fairly simple to use.

Now to try NSMB...

I was speaking idiomatically.

chaofan, for GBA playing, there's two good choices:

Flash2Advance Ultra
M3

The advantage of the M3 over the F2AU is that you can use Flash Carts which are cheaper and expandable. Plus it is easier to change games and backup saves. And if you go with the M3 you're able to use NDS ROMs (if you get a Passcard). I haven't see the M3 by itself though, just the M3 lite. Look through the newly added links on the first post.

I haven't done much testing with emulators on GBA with the M3 though.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote:

- Does the thing actually work in the DS, and provided I wanted to put something like Goomba Color on it to do GB/GBC emulation, would the emulator run fine even though it's on a DS?

I haven't done too much with emulation, though Goomba color did work for me on the M3. You can run the M3 or F2A in GBA mode on a NDS. Or if you get a NDS format emulator, the M3 works great for that.

Quote:

- Is there a place that sells the 1G or 2G F2U that has a reputation of actually completing their orders and not giving you the runaround?

www.linker4u.com I have used several times in the past and haven't had a single problem.

Quote:

All in all I'd like to turn my DS into an emulation monster if I can sometime in the future, because due to certain things happening I'm gonna be using my DS a whole lot more in the future and really don't want to have to spend a ton for a decent portable library.

Is there any specific cart type that'll give me access to GB/GBC emulation (and possibly others in the future) as well as GBA/NDS emulation? The stuff I've read so far seems pretty vague.

If you want to do NDS games or NDS-format emulators, get the M3 over the F2A Ultra. Though the more I'm using it the more I'm going full for it over the F2AU given the time it takes to load up ROMs and get into playing is much faster. Though the F2AU is faster at loading GBA games in the system itself. However there's an interesting tweak for GBA game playing M3 users at m3wiki.com that creates a border around GBA games if you load the system in NDS mode.

Quote:

Now the problem is where to get those elusive NDS roms....?

www.dgemu.com (registation required, though the points might be too much for most games w/o donating)
www.mininova.org (i saw some torrents here)
www.demonoid.com (registration required, go sometime on a Friday to be able to register)

Most amazing jew boots

Quote:

The M3 is only just OK for GBA, I admit. It depends to an enormous extent on what type of card you are using. I went through three SD cards before I found one that could support GBA mode. Even then, the fourth card was one that I just happened to find left over from an old camera, and it was only 128MB.

Weird, I have had zero problems so far with GBA on my M3. And I nailed it on the first card I tried. There is a media card compatibility list at M3Wiki.com which does list some cards to avoid for GBA stuff. I don't understand why it doesn't work though, but my card works fine (and I already had it before looking at the list as I got it with an old digital camera).

Quote:

Get a real GBA flash card if you still want to play GBA games.

Even GBA cards can be flakey. One of their big problems is usually their battery life, as DS flash cards put their memory onto the flash card (which also makes it easier to backup). I've also had a little problem with my F2A Ultra getting a particular game to flash on it. Not sure the cause though, since other stuff works fine. I'm still investigating it.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The FlashMe process is required if you do not get a PassMe2 or NoPass device. Granted I've never honestly booted a NDS ROM from the GBA slot, but apparantly it's possible from what I hear.

However I hear FlashMe with the DSLite is not the best move at this point in time, because it can't be reversed. So only do it if your warranty is null.

Jam it back in, in the dark.