Homebrew sans the flash cart [Update]
by Jason Wishnov 
{ Jul 12th 2006 at 5:39PM }
The average DS owner is quite pleased with the games available on their dual-screened wonder. As a result, the need and desire for emulation software is a bit less than...ahem...some other portable systems out there. To even begin loading homebrew apps on a DS, one has to have a bit of technical knowledge, a rather expensive flash cart, and some unwieldy hardware/software setups. Till now.A site called Winsunx is getting ready to release a device suitably named the "Ninjapass". As opposed to previous flash cart setups, this wonderous piece of hardware is quite literally a DS cartridge, functioning normally and independently in your regular DS slot. It comes with a USB 2.0 adapter for easy access to your computer, a convenient way to save game files (previously quite troublesome), and a multi-game menu built right in. It's currently slated as a pricey $51.99, but that may be a bargain for the kinds of illicit pleasures that may come.
[Thanks, Mike Lacks!]
[Update: Fixed a typo. Good eye Mike!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
djfp @ Jul 12th 2006 6:28PM
"Invicible bootup" The spelling is atrocious on that site! Still, I think 51.99 USD is a steal for a true, working, NDS flash ROM (if the thing works as promised).
djfp @ Jul 12th 2006 6:30PM
Even more funny is that I spelled "Invincible bootup" wrong. My Engrish not so strong.
Jay @ Jul 12th 2006 6:37PM
I'm going to wait for a review or two to surface, but if that works as described I'll be ordering faster than..... something that's really fast.
Really, REALLY fast.
Nuno Sousa @ Jul 12th 2006 7:09PM
Bah. It's been done.
http://203.218.21.146:2888/minionlinestore/flashcart/ultra_flashpass/ultra_flashpass.htm
What people are forgetting is that 512Mbit = 64 MB. That won't even fit one copy of resident evil!
The Ultra Flash Pass is cheaper and does the same thing. They are selling it for 37$ + shipping here:
http://ioffer.com/viewBundleItem.do?sellerID=ndsgbaoffer&itemID=12511029
bjrn @ Jul 12th 2006 8:06PM
Yeah 512Mbit is a bit on the small side. I think I'd rather get the G6 Flash Lite thing, which has 4Gbit/512MB. It would need a card in the DS gamecard slot, and fill up the GBA cartridge slot, but who cares. If I'm playing a game, I don't mind having two slots filled. :)
Chris @ Jul 12th 2006 8:36PM
Someone just needs to make a DS cart that has a miniSD slot on it.
Robert @ Jul 12th 2006 11:47PM
Chris, someone has: www.m3adapter.com
Yeah, it's pricey, but your storage is only as limited as your SD/Mini SD/Compact Flash cards.
spam_a_lot @ Jul 13th 2006 1:49AM
The m3adapter is awesome but it is designed for use with the gba system. It will not utilize the DS's finer qualities.
onkel_hedwig @ Jul 13th 2006 7:32AM
It would be awesome if there was some CF/SM-Adapter for the GBA-Slot of the DS wich doesn't stick out of the GBA-Slot of the DS-Lite :)
steveg @ Jul 13th 2006 9:15AM
spam_a_lot - that's just not the case - my m3 utilizes the finer points of my ds quite happily (oh and then it plays movies, mp3's, you know - the extra finer points)
Chris @ Jul 13th 2006 11:37AM
The problem with that is that it's a GBA cart and not a DS cart. That means that you have to stretch the screen to get full screen, it only displays stuff on a single screen, it won't have touch screen controls, and it will stick out of my DS Lite.
All of those problems would be fixed if someone did the same thing on a DS cart instead of a GBA cart.
rudimentalist @ Jul 13th 2006 12:16PM
Chris: No. M3 and all the other current flash adaptors are running DS code in DS mode from the GBA slot. The Passme card you get (just like you get with that above device) goes in the DS slot and redirects that code so it can be used in DS mode. You're confused.
Nick Spacek @ Jul 13th 2006 1:33PM
I don't see why they can't have a NoPass-esque one card one slot DS solution that has a CF/SD/miniSD slot on it. The NoPass technique apparently lets them run code out of the DS slot with no problems (that's what these UltraPass/NinjaPass or whatever are doing), so why not have a card adapter glued on too?
Bearxor @ Jul 13th 2006 2:29PM
So am I to understand that this will also come with a USB DS card reader? if so, I'm buying this + a G6 Lite.
I wanted the G6 Lite, but mainly so that I wouldn't have to carry my games around (I have eight, and most cases seem to be made for only 3), but I encountered a problem... My saves and stuff on my current cartridges. There wouldn't be a very good point to using it to back up my current library, because I'd have to start all over.
So I was looking at a G6L+Passme2, but if this thing works as a Passme and will allow me to backup my commercialy bought games, I'd be sold.
Also, they are coming our with a new M3 player soon that will be flush with the DSLite and take MiniSD cards... No word on a solid release date yet though.
Chris @ Jul 13th 2006 2:57PM
rudimentalist - Ah, I was confused. Anyway, I'd still rather not have to use a GBA cartridge and a DS cart combo, it'd be much more simple to just have a DS cart that has a slot for a miniSD card, much like what Nick said above.
Atomsk @ Jul 13th 2006 5:57PM
Chris, there wouldn't be enough room. Just compare the size of a mini SD and DS card. Micro SD on the other hand very well may fit in there. Though, I have no idea how much space in the DS card is need for the passthrough stuff.
This is cool and definitely a step in the right direction (a DS card with micro SD), but I think i'll, *chuckle*, pass. G6 Lite looks real good next to this.
Brett @ Jul 14th 2006 2:42AM
Bearxor - You can use the M3 to back up all your saved game data from your cards to the adatpter. It's extremely simple. In fact, you can use the device to dump the entire game rom onto the CF or SD card.
Confused @ Jul 17th 2006 6:54AM
These sites all have a million similar items all claiming to be the best choice, so if anyone can help me with this I'd be very grateful.
If I want to back up all of my NDS/GBA games onto an SD card, what do I need?
I thought maybe http://www.gameswebshop.net/product_info.php?products_id=64&osCsid=7bb691ddc805f471f84353f09903ae23 and http://www.gameswebshop.net/product_info.php?cPath=21_27_30&products_id=56. Is that right?
Thanks in advance!
Lick @ Jul 28th 2006 8:47AM
It still is recommended to flash your hardware, so malware doesn't brick the thing. You never know when they get ya!