Ask Joystiq Nintendo: All DS Edition
by JC Fletcher 
{ Apr 2nd 2009 at 5:00PM }
Do you have a question about the Wii, DS, or anything else related to Nintendo? Send us an email at asknintendo AT joystiq DOT com!
Kim Won Jin asks:
I'm going to be in Japan when the 358/2 Days limited edition hits stores, and plan on buying it. will my Japanese DSi work with America's DSi store? Hope to hear from you soon.
Don't buy a Japanese DSi expecting to use the American DSi Shop! This is one of the most confusing issues around the DSi. When people talk about the system being region-locked, even if they don't know which aspect their referring to, it's this one. You can play DS carts from any region, but each region has its own shop. There's a faint hope that some genius will figure out a homebrew method for accessing cross-region shops, but don't spend money assuming that will happen.
Jamie asks:
Does anyone have any idea whether or not a later firmware update will/could tank the current DSi flashcards? I need homebrew for music creation!
It would be hard to imagine Nintendo including upgradeable firmware for any other reason! The good news is that the DSi firmware has been updated since the release of the system, and the few DSi flash carts still work just fine. There's a bit of a Russian roulette element to using your DSi for homebrew -- Nintendo could go off at any time and disable it. Although that's ameliorated a bit by the fact that you can just not update.
Lord Bowser asks:
How can you spot whether your DS game is a fake? It's not as obvious as with the old GBA games. Your help would be well appreciated, thanks.
The best guide I've found for spotting a pirated DS cart is this one from 4cr. It's a bit vintage, and I actually haven't run across any bootlegs in a while, so I'm not sure if the crafty fakers have improved their methods. This video shows that the contacts seem to be the same color now (an old method of checking for a fake) but the black text stamped under the patent-pending notice is missing.
If your cartridge came with a box, generally the cover will be a crummy photocopy. Sometimes the text is replaced with random stuff about the game pulled off of the internet!
ProTip: if you end up with a DS game for which the text somewhere in the package has been replaced with something I wrote, it's even better than buying a retail copy.
Every week, we'll answer reader questions about the Wii, the DS, or any other Nintendo-related topic in Ask Joystiq Nintendo. If you have a question, e-mail it to asknintendo AT joystiq DOT com! You need your questions answered, and we need content for this column. It's a symbiotic relationship!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dv8thwonder @ Apr 2nd 2009 5:31PM
Where's the legal disclaimer? Does Joystiq now support piracy and if so, whats stopping Nintendo from destoying this great site?
Ross @ Apr 2nd 2009 7:44PM
We are.
Sam @ Apr 3rd 2009 5:31PM
Oi! Power to the people!
JC Fletcher @ Apr 2nd 2009 9:56PM
If you're referring to the flashcart discussion, we have a long history of supporting and highlighting homebrew. Not piracy!
If you're referring to the preference for fake boxes with my text on them, that was a joke.
Lumpkin @ Apr 2nd 2009 8:44PM
How are game features like the pal park and the "dongle" method for capturing pokemon going to be affected?
Donald @ Apr 2nd 2009 8:54PM
They flat out won't work on the DSi.
Though I suppose they could finagle something with DSiWare re-releases of the 3rd gen Pokemon games...
Tzivya @ Apr 2nd 2009 10:59PM
@donald:
I love your Shaymin icon!
I hope they work something out with that, it's a dealbreaker for my family, my kids are utterly obsessed with pokemon and restart them monthly.
Josh @ Apr 2nd 2009 10:59PM
So, how does one come across pirated DS games? eBay?
Why not just buy them at reputable stores and stuff?
Bowser Rogozhin @ Apr 3rd 2009 6:54AM
Video Games have limited print runs. Sometimes they run into the millions, but usually it’s much less. Some low profile games often have print runs that last 10-20000 copies. This is a common problem in the handheld arena. Buying new copies becomes impossible a fortnight after launch.
So when you go to the dark alleys of eBay or your local pawn shop, you need to be 100% sure you’re picking up a genuine game pak and not a Hong Kong bootleg. Remember kids: piracy funds terrorism.
Josh @ Apr 3rd 2009 8:56AM
and MORAL DECAY
Jorge @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:34PM
Does the Dsi accept SDHC cards?
MRLN @ Apr 3rd 2009 7:46AM
Yes, since they updated the Wii software to handle SDHC, too.
tony @ Apr 3rd 2009 8:40AM
When ordering off Ebay...most bootlegs have a buy it now price....a rare game with a cheap Buy It Now Price...is a dead giveaway.
I've been screwed before...but all it usually takes is a few nasty emails to get a full refund...most times you won't even have to send the bootleg back.