Hacking Ds flashcart to use on 3ds?

[wormdood]

“retarded” seems quite offensive in this case (some native speaker correct me). If it has the meaning my dictionary suggests, such words are out of place here.

As I understood the sentence, it means "I'm not piracy oriented." But as I already stated, I'm not a native English speaker.

your correct in both quotes

 

[jnyfive]

"is it not difficult to ignore" . . . what do you mean by that are you suggesting that i should ignore them or is it that they had difficulties in the first place that you think im overlooking
those responses could never be directly quoted from me . . . i literally help people step by step if and when needed . . . if those quotes were from me they would read "here is the link to the guide, take your time and read before you act, if you have any question along the way (or just dont understand a term) come back here and i will be happy to help (or explain)". the only time i tell people to google it is when they ask for piracy and even then i drop them hints.
yeah bad things can happen without one personally making a mistake but that is rare (usually a corrupt sd card . . . which the guide suggest they test for before beginning, which leads to the real problem . . . ), the most common cause of a jam during a cfw install is skipping/ignoring steps

but alas i feel like my post is missing its mark so i will wrap it up with this, yes there are less than helpful people on gbatemp & im a little bummed that you would speak as if i am one of them

Hello. You mentioned a guide for cfw. I have 11.9 on 3ds xl. is there a guide for this FW version?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Hello. You mentioned a guide for cfw. I have 11.9 on 3ds xl. is there a guide for this FW version?

https://3ds.hacks.guide/

Frogminer and NTRboot are the two most popular hacking methods.

 

[jnyfive]

I bought the R4iSDHC Gold Pro card. Found out it has a time bomb and I loaded the 4.0 kernel which sets the date to 2024.
My question is can this be used to load CFW? I've read mixed results that I should use the PLUS, not PRO. If this works then the card doesn't matter afterwards does it?

Thanks all.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

I bought the R4iSDHC Gold Pro card. Found out it has a time bomb and I loaded the 4.0 kernel which sets the date to 2024.
My question is can this be used to load CFW? I've read mixed results that I should use the PLUS, not PRO. If this works then the card doesn't matter afterwards does it?

Thanks all.

The flashcart is a hacking tool to install CFW on the 3DS. Once your system has Luma, B9S, GM9, etc., the flashcart has no other usage except to play DS games.

You can bypass the time bomb with the YSMenu kernel.

• RetroGameFan Updates/Releases

 

[Kazekai]

Bit of a necro but I came across this thread while googling to find out which modern 3DS flashcarts also support DS games. I'm not sure if it would be appreciated to make a new thread when a similar thread from this year already exists and I'd hate for the mods to assume I don't know how search engines work.

So far, all I could find was that you basically need CFW to have an all-in-one cart. I am also uninterested in CFW for similar reasons to the OP (and because bricking a $200 system with all my save data on it sounds a lot less appealing than possibly ruining a $40 cart) so I guess the only solution is to use an older DS Lite for playing DS games now and just not worry about running 3DS games.

A shame, because for some strange reason, my DSTwo won't work on my new 2DS XL, though it worked fine on the new 3DS XL with the last firmware update. I have no idea what's gone wrong, but I suspect, given the DSTwo's history with my 3DSes, the actual cartridge isn't slotting into the new system's port right and this particular console has plainly had enough. It would only be worth the expense of getting a new flashcart to me if it either also played 3DS games, or someone could convince me that it's superior to the DSTwo I already own. Ideally, both.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

So far, all I could find was that you basically need CFW to have an all-in-one cart.

• The only flashcart I know of that supports both DS and 3DS software is Stargate 3DS. I don't see a reason why DS games should not work on Stargate without CFW.
• Sky3DS+ and Stargate are limited to 3DS games of the same region that also exist as retail carts. No eShop-only games, no out of region (without the help of CFW).
• The situation on the forum has not changed since this thread: You will likely not get any help with 3DS mode flashcarts here if there are problems. (I can't help you because I don't have one)

A shame, because for some strange reason, my DSTwo won't work on my new 2DS XL, though it worked fine on the new 3DS XL with the last firmware update. I have no idea what's gone wrong, but I suspect, given the DSTwo's history with my 3DSes, the actual cartridge isn't slotting into the new system's port right and this particular console has plainly had enough. It would only be worth the expense of getting a new flashcart to me if it either also played 3DS games, or someone could convince me that it's superior to the DSTwo I already own. Ideally, both.

Sounds like contact issues. If it works on latest firmware on a 3DS it should work on a 2DS as well (assuming the 3DS has also no CFW). No flashcart offers the additional processor the DSTwo has for emulating.

I am also uninterested in CFW for similar reasons to the OP (and because bricking a $200 system with all my save data on it sounds a lot less appealing than possibly ruining a $40 cart)

It is worth noting that backing up save data of paid eShop games right on the 2|3DS in decrypted form requires homebrew access or even better full CFW. Backing up saves for the case of theft, loss or damage beyond repair was one of the main reasons why I installed CFW in the first place.

However, (thanks to Seedminer) obtaining movable.sed (KeyY) on time by using bruteforcemovable.com is enough to decrypt (SD) save data on a computer with ninfs even if the source console is destroyed. Restoring the data to another console requires homebrew/CFW if the game(s) in question use the Anti-Save-restore "feature".

Hope this helps.

Have fun!

 

[wormdood]

I am also uninterested in CFW for similar reasons to the OP (and because bricking a $200 system with all my save data on it sounds a lot less appealing than possibly ruining a $40 cart)

I know nothing I say here will change the way you feel at your core but I want to address this the op had irrational fears. admittedly there was once a brick chance when installing custom firmware on your 3DS but that chance has been greatly reduced over time, to the point where it's nearly impossible. its to the point where it's almost like saying that you refuse to walk because you're afraid of tripping its just silly ... also the op mentioned things like not wanting to have to play Tech Support to his 3DS for Life. updates are simple as replacing a single file on the root of your SD card before you update the firmware

 

[Kazekai]

Sounds like contact issues. If it works on latest firmware on a 3DS it should work on a 2DS as well (assuming the 3DS has also no CFW). No flashcart offers the additional processor the DSTwo has for emulating.


It is worth noting that backing up save data of paid eShop games right on the 2|3DS in decrypted form requires homebrew access or even better full CFW. Backing up saves for the case of theft, loss or damage beyond repair was one of the main reasons why I installed CFW in the first place.

However, (thanks to Seedminer) obtaining movable.sed (KeyY) on time by using bruteforcemovable.com is enough to decrypt (SD) save data on a computer with ninfs even if the source console is destroyed. Restoring the data to another console requires homebrew/CFW if the game(s) in question use the Anti-Save-restore "feature".

Hope this helps.

Have fun!

How would I got about fixing contact issues, short of hardmodding the console? I COULD just use an old DS Lite, but, well... I don't see very well, and the Lite's screen is actually too small for me to see these days.

The other information is noted. I am a little more interested in CFW now that you mention its capabilities for making backups, which is actually a constant source of anxiety for me, given how locked-down the console is. I had to transfer my system data from my old system to the new one, which also involved the utter pain of removing the back of the console just to retrieve my microSD card since the console itself wouldn't transfer the data to the new one.

Obviously, and thankfully, they don't make 3DS XLs that require such extreme measures just to replace the microSD, and having it in a reasonably accessible place on my new 2DS should make potentially homebrewing in future easier.

I know nothing I say here will change the way you feel at your core but I want to address this the op had irrational fears. admittedly there was once a brick chance when installing custom firmware on your 3DS but that chance has been greatly reduced over time, to the point where it's nearly impossible. its to the point where it's almost like saying that you refuse to walk because you're afraid of tripping its just silly ... also the op mentioned things like not wanting to have to play Tech Support to his 3DS for Life. updates are simple as replacing a single file on the root of your SD card before you update the firmware

I acknowledge what you're saying, but part of my reason is that the warranty on my console is still good and I'd like to not void it until it runs out. I'm not against doing it in the future though, when Nintendo officially stops supporting the console and I don't need to worry about remembering not to brick my system just by accidentally updating. That sounds like the kind of potato thing I would do, believe it or not.

I take it that a DSTwo is as good as I'm going to get for DS games then? My primary interest in flashcarts (besides the obvious I need not state) is that they allow me to have an easy, convenient means of transporting multiple games around without carrying several physical carts. As I mentioned, I don't see very well, and another constant source of fear is losing something as tiny as a cartridge. (I invite you to now imagine how much I hate the Switch's carts. XD) While playing eShop games would be nice, I don't really mind buying those...although being able to back them up, considering Nintendo's known propensity to axe a console's online without users having much recourse to redownload their purchases, besides hacking the system to make their own backups, is definitely not a point in favor of legitimate customers...

If you don't mind me asking (and are still reading my absurdly long post), how often does the most active and most robust CFW for 2/3DS systems update, is it current with the most recent OFW update, is it possible to revert the system to OFW via backups if the system were even to brick (similar to what I used to do with the Wii), and would making backups without using CFW as mentioned above also allow me to transfer data between microSD cards and have those cards be compatible with a new OFW system or would I specifically need CFW for that? (Mostly asking about the last one in the event I'd like to upgrade the size of the microSD, which is currently grazing its storage limit...)

Thank you both for your replies. I appreciated them a lot.

 

[wormdood]

How would I got about fixing contact issues, short of hardmodding the console?

on the other point of contact ... the flashcard... what you do is cut a playing card and slide it into the flashcard behind the contact strip ... done

I take it that a DSTwo is as good as I'm going to get for DS games then?

actually any old r4 for 3ds would have the same effect as far as nds roms go ... although while we are on the subject a ntrboot compatible nds flashcard would be best as not only would it play nds roms but it would double as a 3ds hack/repair tool

If you don't mind me asking (and are still reading my absurdly long post), how often does the most active and most robust CFW for 2/3DS systems update

honestly I can't answer how often except to say there is most always an update very shortly after a Nintendo official update happens assuming it blocks CFW which actually hasn't happened in about the last 3 or 4 updates but either way it's not really necessary to keep your CFW updated unless you're going to update the console at which point is a single file to drag and drop onto your SD card

is it possible to revert the system to OFW via backups if the system were even to brick (similar to what I used to do with the Wii)

cfw alone will allow you to do this depending on the severity of the brick although for complete access to backing up and restoring system it is advised to get an NTR boot compatible flash card which could access the system as long as it wasn't physically destroyed

and would making backups without using CFW as mentioned above also allow me to transfer data between microSD cards and have those cards be compatible with a new OFW system or would I specifically need CFW for that?

to take it from One console and have it be usable on another console would not be possible unless the second console in question had CFW

 

[Kazekai]

on the other point of contact ... the flashcard... what you do is cut a playing card and slide it into the flashcard behind the contact strip ... done

actually any old r4 for 3ds would have the same effect as far as nds roms go ... although while we are on the subject a ntrboot compatible nds flashcard would be best as not only would it play nds roms but it would double as a 3ds hack/repair tool

honestly I can't answer how often except to say there is most always an update very shortly after a Nintendo official update happens assuming it blocks CFW which actually hasn't happened in about the last 3 or 4 updates but either way it's not really necessary to keep your CFW updated unless you're going to update the console at which point is a single file to drag and drop onto your SD card

cfw alone will allow you to do this depending on the severity of the brick although for complete access to backing up and restoring system it is advised to get an NTR boot compatible flash card which could access the system as long as it wasn't physically destroyed

to take it from One console and have it be usable on another console would not be possible unless the second console in question had CFW

Thank you for answering my questions. Related to NTRboot flashcarts, what would be the best option for those? I take it my DSTwo can't do that? Although if it can, I'll see about finding some slip of cardboard nobody is using and hope it can fit into these new cart slots, since Nintendo has finally, after all this time, given the newer 2DS models a flap to go over the cart slot. (Took them long enough, honestly. >_>)

You mentioned older R4 carts, and someone mentioned an R4i Gold earlier in the thread? When I initially got my DSTwo back in 2013, the opinion of these forums seemed to be that it outclassed the R4 carts, but ate twice as much system battery (which it does. It absolutely does), so I'd definitely be receptive to the possibility of getting a new one anyway and may as well future proof for hacking down the line.

 

[wormdood]

Thank you for answering my questions.

no problem thank you for putting up with my horrid grammar and lack of punctuation

Related to NTRboot flashcarts, what would be the best option for those? I take it my DSTwo can't do that?

https://www.nds-card.com/ProShow.asp?ProID=575 this card comes preflashed with ntrboot and has a physical switch on it to shift the flashcard between ntrboot and nds mode (making it the easiest ntrboot flashcard to date) ... and no the scds2 isn't compatible with ntrboot (it was planned but never happened)

When I initially got my DSTwo back in 2013, the opinion of these forums seemed to be that it outclassed the R4 carts, but ate twice as much system battery (which it does. It absolutely does), so I'd definitely be receptive to the possibility of getting a new one anyway and may as well future proof for hacking down the line.

the scds2 was and still is more feature rich than the average r4 but the most important features are now included in r4 and as far as nds loading the cheaper r4 card is on par and anything else the scds2 had over the r4 (like its gba emulator) is made redundant due to cfw ... if the console was a nds family system scds2 would be the best hands down ... but in a 3ds family system with cfw the flashcards features are well redundant and outclassed

... I hate doing this but since it's no longer in production and you sound like you're done with that flashcard I have to ask when you are can you please keep me in mind I have a collection of a ds flashcards and don't have that specific one yet I have the scds2+ and the gbatemp Edition scds2 but not the original model ... we could discuss a price at that point if you so choose

As far as your contact issue there is a guide for the issue although it's for a different flashcard the problem and fix are exactly the same https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Solving_Acekard_2i_Contact_Issues your looking for the tk paper trick

 

[Kazekai]

no problem thank you for putting up with my horrid grammar and lack of punctuation

My posts have been confused expository messes so I won't judge. XD

https://www.nds-card.com/ProShow.asp?ProID=575 this card comes preflashed with ntrboot and has a physical switch on it to shift the flashcard between ntrboot and nds mode (making it the easiest ntrboot flashcard to date) ... and no the scds2 isn't compatible with ntrboot (it was planned but never happened)
the scds2 was and still is more feature rich than the average r4 but the most important features are now included in r4 and as far as nds loading the cheaper r4 card is on par and anything else the scds2 had over the r4 (like its gba emulator) is made redundant due to cfw ... if the console was a nds family system scds2 would be the best hands down ... but in a 3ds family system with cfw the flashcards features are well redundant and outclassed

... I hate doing this but since it's no longer in production and you sound like you're done with that flashcard I have to ask when you are can you please keep me in mind I have a collection of a ds flashcards and don't have that specific one yet I have the scds2+ and the gbatemp Edition scds2 but not the original model ... we could discuss a price at that point if you so choose

As far as your contact issue there is a guide for the issue although it's for a different flashcard the problem and fix are exactly the same https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Solving_Acekard_2i_Contact_Issues your looking for the tk paper trick

I tried the paper trick, it didn't work. The cart does work in the old DS Lite, but I wonder if it has anything to do with the shape of the new 2DS's port? I have to push pretty hard to get the flashcart to fit in there at all now. I'm guessing the R4i fits better, at least judging by some stray grumbling from other users after doing a cursory forum search about flashcart comparisons? (Apparently the DSTwo is just like this and it isn't just me?)

Related to your comment about GBA emulation: How good is the 3DS/new 3DS at console emulation in general? I tried using a PSP 2000 as a portable emulator many years ago and the thing chugged hard on SNES/genesis games. It could run PSX games just fine, given the OFW itself contained an emulator for PS store classics, but when I initially asked about this, I was told "that's just the raw deal with SNES/Genesis emulation." I'm curious if this is improved with the 3DS, or if the system is still too weak for 4th gen console games?

To answer your last question, honestly I don't like giving out identifying information about myself to people online, including my address for shipping. Plus, I'm not actually sure when I'd be getting a new cart since I'm still trying to exhaust every possible option for making this one work. I don't want to say 'yes' or 'maybe' and then not follow through for months either. I really do appreciate your help, I'm sorry I have to say no like this. I do understand where you're coming from though.

 

[wormdood]

It's a shame to hear the paper trick didn't work for you it definitely did the trick for me

Regarding GBA emulation it's funny that you would bring up the PSP cuz much in the same way that the PSP was good with PS1 games the 3DS has almost all the same Hardware as a nds as such it carries the same processor as the gba so it plays GBA games near flawlessly via virtual console injection but if you try to put an emulator on there to run say PS1 games that would be very sluggish

And on the last topic it wouldn't actually involve you giving out any of your personal information at most a PayPal email address but it's alright if you don't want to but please keep me in mind if you decide to in the future

 

[Kazekai]

Wow 2020 sure has been a thing.

I've actually gotten back around to investigating hacking my 3DS, because I came across this on Newegg:
https://www.newegg.com/p/0P2-000T-00146#

I, uh, didn't know such things were commonly sold on Newegg.
Would this be basically the same thing as what was listed above or is it a bit shady?

(Edit: Also, I'm not sure if I should've necro'd an old thread or created a new one, but wasn't sure if this question would be enough to merit clogging the forums with the latter.)

 

[wormdood]

Wow 2020 sure has been a thing.

I've actually gotten back around to investigating hacking my 3DS, because I came across this on Newegg:
https://www.newegg.com/p/0P2-000T-00146#

I, uh, didn't know such things were commonly sold on Newegg.
Would this be basically the same thing as what was listed above or is it a bit shady?

(Edit: Also, I'm not sure if I should've necro'd an old thread or created a new one, but wasn't sure if this question would be enough to merit clogging the forums with the latter.)

basically the same thing except it's not pre flashed with ntrboot so if you wanted to use it to hack your system you'd have to install ntrboot yourself. that being said it's as simple as running a DS game on it then it you can hack your 3ds with it and finally you will need to flash back the flashcards os and use it as normal in your ofw 3ds

And on how Shady it is I trust New egg. it's just really awkward to see something like this on that site because they ship to countries where it's illegal to buy a flashcard (as circumvents anti piracy measures in place ... a crime in some countries)

 

[Kazekai]

Thanks, I might investigate this option since it's a lot cheaper and currently on sale.
Honestly I'm surprised to see it on Newegg for the same reason, was why I wasn't sure it was real... Newegg's third-party sellers can sometimes be shady.

Are there any other drawbacks to this version besides having to do a bit more work? And, is there a comprehensive guide on that? The version with ntrboot seem to be sold out everywhere anyway.

(Also thank you for still answering my questions so many months later. )

 

[lilyuwuu]

Some people say that flashcarts from Newegg/eBay/Amazon have a higher chance of being counterfeit -- not something I've been able to verify. Such carts can end up bricked if flashed with ntrboot.

If your end goal is playing DS/GBA backups on a 3DS, nds-bootstrap has gotten quite advanced with time (and GBA VC has always been great), so flashcarts aren't "mandatory" anymore. They tend to perform better with older DS homebrew and DS download play though.

In the past eight months, a couple of cfw routes have been released that are pretty reliable, one even negating the need to mine movable.sed. 3ds.hacks.guide has been updated accordingly.

Once installed, cfw is actually safer than ofw in a way. Since it loads before everything else on the console, any brick can be fixed with the exception of maybe hardware issues. Ntrboot would only be necessary if you removed cfw while leaving system files modified.

You can still mod your console with ntrboot of course, it just might not be a good idea with a potentially counterfeit cart. If you're going that route it might be better to mod the console with the current free method and just use the flashcart as a flashcart.

 

[MarioKartFan]

Thanks, I might investigate this option since it's a lot cheaper and currently on sale.
Honestly I'm surprised to see it on Newegg for the same reason, was why I wasn't sure it was real... Newegg's third-party sellers can sometimes be shady.

Are there any other drawbacks to this version besides having to do a bit more work? And, is there a comprehensive guide on that? The version with ntrboot seem to be sold out everywhere anyway.

(Also thank you for still answering my questions so many months later. )

It’s not remotely the same cart. The one on NewEgg is a cheap knock off with a timebomb. Still with some work you can make it good for playing DS games with YSMenu and TWiLightMenu, which are excellent and evade the timebomb. But there’s less reason than ever to use ntrboot to jailbreak your 3DS.

 

[wormdood]

It’s not remotely the same cart. The one on NewEgg is a cheap knock off with a timebomb. Still with some work you can make it good for playing DS games with YSMenu and TWiLightMenu, which are excellent and evade the timebomb. But there’s less reason than ever to use ntrboot to jailbreak your 3DS.

yeah timebombs are a minor annoyance... but that's just it annoying... nothing more
Also unless he has dramatically changed stances in the past 10 months (that's necro lol) cfw is only an afterthought he wanted one for ds roms I stated that a ntrboot flashcard will not only get the job done but will act as a hacking/brick recovery tool but I agree it's not usually necessary for cfw installation but its always nice to have a recovery device it gives a certain protected feeling that makes modifying a system and installing things you found in shady corners of the internet feel safer to do