People in the comments are reminding me of something important I left out of the video: the "timebomb feature" some of the sketchier R4s have. This will prevent you from saving or sometimes even booting your R4 after a certain amount of time. This is not something that I've experienced, but it seems some of you have. There are ways to circumvent this, but I think the easiest one is to just wipe the MicroSD completely and just start with a fresh Firmware, like the TwilightMenu that I outlined in this video and linked in the description.
EDIT: (People have told me the DS lite does not have an SD slot, so none of this is valid. I assumed because the dsi had one the lite would as well) You can also just use an sd card and use twilight menu. Twilight menu also comes included with a lot of emulators for other devices. This also works with the newest update unlike some older r4 cards. You of course already know this. [the setup is a lot harder than using an r4, but if money or reliability is an issue this way is recommended]
As someone who used to be very well engrained in the Nintendo homebrewing community, said timebomb can literally be circumvented by setting back the clock on the DS, it does not do permanent damage to the console nor the flashcart itself, it just reads the date and if it's past a certain date is doesn't boot. Going for a third party launch is definitely the way to good to prevent it still, especially since the base launcher on a lot of these flashcarts tend to struggle to load games with heavier anti-piracy features. I remember back in 2017 or so I had a hell of a time finding a menu which was able to load one of the later Professor Layton games without triggering the anti-piracy.
@@appleua4807 Came here for this comment. I don't know about DS/DS lite, but from the DSi onward at least you could set TWLmenu form the console sdcard and never worry about the R4. The R4 is only being used to launch TWL anyway, I don't think any guide even mention using factory firmware from the flashcarts
The BEST is the “New” 3DS (not xl) I have my R4 cartridge for DS. It’s modded with the H Shop with 256GB for the 3DS, and then I installed retro arch for full speed NES/SNES/GB/GBC/GBA/Game gear/Genesis games. You could even do more consoles in retroarch, I just don’t play anything else. That’s the ultimate build I personally have and the one I sell at my Etsy store. It has almost the exact same perfect form factor of the DS lite. The “time bomb”’is almost a non existent thing anymore. If you do have one it’s easy to remove. Edit :forgot to add in GBA under retro arch.
I guess electronics like this, can work up to 100 years, if they kept in perfect condition. Nes was released in 1985, and they are still working. Its like the quality of product, that Nintendo was looking for
Man, I wish I still had mine, I've got a dsi xl and a "new"3ds. I used to be really bad about the trade-in thing constantly getting rid of stuff for the "newer and more exciting" thing. Which I've come to realize was a mistake, so I've been trying to rebuild my collection.
My R4 cart still works after 10 years ++ , I use my DS lite or 3DS for DS emulation. My vita for ps vita and psp. Then i use my miyoo mini plus for older consoles. A perfect trio.
for scaling issues with ds emulation: DraStic - just turn off the filtering in settings, i think its on by default but dont remember as its been over a year since i did a fresh install of drastic DeSmuME - view > magnification filter > scanline. this will slightly darken the image vs other filters but it looks the most like real hardware! in general these issues are also less noticeable if you have a screen layout where neither screen is scaled up too much. if i play on my phone (havent recently due to experiencing in-game saves being broken on a rom hack that wasn't an issue on desmume) i play in portrait mode only, so the screens are around the same size as hardware, and on my computer i keep the screens stacked vertically so the window is just slightly larger than a smartphone screen. if i test the scanline filter in landscape orientation on my 15in portable monitor, it's a more noticeable effect but still looks good in my opinion!
felt like mentioning these tips in case anyone can't get their hands on real hardware or like me just prefers to play pokemon at more than 1x speed sometimes, which real hardware can't do at all
I recently got an R4 card for my DSi (had an og DS that broke about 5 years ago) for £7 off aliexpress and it works great, just load up ROMs on an SD and away you go. Havent tried the GBA games yet, but I still have an original GBA, Mobile phone and a Vita that I can use for single screen emulation. DS games just never felt the same on mobile emulators.
The main issues the DSlites still have tho is the hinges break easily & the LED's are prone to pixel rot, both of which are less likely on 3DS systems.
I have the same coral DS lite with the grey R4 card, though it's been out of action for quite a while. It still turns on, but the D-pad and most of the buttons are in bad shape. It's been collecting dust ever since the R4 card stopped working (I'm almost sure it's a problem with the card port, don't have any other game cards to check though). The years of disuse have ruined the screens too. I've half a mind to get it fixed too. I guess my best bet is to find a broken one to salvage parts off of.
I'm a big fan of most DS's. The Lite is great with the GBA slot but in terms of looks and feel, I prefer the DSi. Even today they look and feel so nice. The DSi XL is even better, I think it's probably my favourite design of any of the DS line, and the huge screens look amazing for original DS games thanks to actually being the right resolution. Cant really go wrong with any DS though, the base library is so great, and the cfw/r4 options can turn them into outrageously good little devices. The Switch is great, but it can never replace the DS/3DS for me. It just lacks a little bit of the charm the old Nintendo consoles had.
I bought a ds lite recently with a not working touch screen and then it turned out that the touchscreen was fine, the firmware on the R4 was just old and disabled the touch screen for some reason. Lucky me !
PS: in my huge suggestion in case someone wasn't aware of its existance, im currently playing the english patched of Ni No Kuni , the graphic is stunning on dslite but althought as many other titles.
Edit (Putting this edit at the top since it seems more important than the rest): 15:40 3DS has GB/GBC/GBA hardware, it's how it can play those games without emulation, just doesn't have the slot for it. I'd argue 2DS/3DS is far superior if anyone's willing to spend the extra $30 or so for a 2DS or an extra $50-150 for a for a 2DS XL/3DS/n3DS XL/etc. (I'm seeing japanese original 3DS for around $70), they can play GB, GBC, GBA, DS, DSi, and 3DS games without emulation at all. DS games are a bit annoying to load because of how long it takes to either load twilight menu then the game or to have the games on the DS itself then it having to switch to DSi mode then load the game, I think it takes around 25 or so seconds to load a DS(i) game. DSi is also an interesting option, you can have the benefits of running GBA games without emulation, just like the 3DS, but at a lower price than the 2DS/3DS, you can also run DS games straight from the SD card, although it does suck to not have a GBA slot to play from a GBA cartridge, it's a nice "in-between" of the 3DS and DS lite for those that don't care about 3DS games. Also I'm pretty sure installing custom firmware on my DSi took even less time than my 3DS, buttons are also feel clicky rather than how the DS Lite's buttons feel mushy, although my L/R buttons on my DSi have stopped working long ago.
3:57 Factor spilled broken glass shards into many of their meals and tried to hide it from customers, only offering the bare minimum notice via email and we had to BEG for refunds.
Just to add, this was 2-3 years ago and was apparently the fault of their rice supplier, only affecting specific meals. That seems to have been the end of it, as I can't find anything about it in the two years since.
I remember my Dad buying both my sister and I original R4 cards for our Nintendo DS Lites back in 2007. Thinking back it's crazy my dad found out about them. I still have it to this very day.
@@robertg6339 The labels, if it comes in plain colors (like black, white, etc.) then it's fake. If it comes in black label with grey circular pattern then it's a legit one.
From what I can remember the GBA CPU is used by DS games as a secondary CPU, but what you can't do is access the DS CPU from the GBA Slot, meaning that flashcarts and stuff that go in the bottom slot can only run GBA homebrew, whereas flashcarts in the top slot can run DS and GBA homebrew. Because the GBA CPU is used by DS games it had to be included in the 3DS so that it could play DS games, which is why GBA Virtual Console games on 3DS actually aren't emulated, which is why they don't support the features that other Virtual Console games on 3DS use - because they run natively.
The "GBA core" is used for stuff like I/O with DS games, yes. But DS games can't run GBA homebrew or games. The DS slot is too slow for that. Also, you can run DS software in some cases from GBA slot. Early DS hacking was done with a "hacked slot-1 device" (e.g. PassMe) or a custom firmware on DS and a GBA cartridge which was booted in DS mode. This feature is missing on modern GBA flashcarts.
@@Flashcardsinfoif I remember correctly (it’s been a while) there was also a method using the memory expansion for the DS web browser to load GBA games, because the extra RAM on the expansion was enough to load any GBA game and gave it full access to the GBA slot for the required speed. It’s been like 15 years since I messed around with a DS/R4 though. I should pull mine out…
@@VeshSneaks Possible. The DS Web browser RAM expansion has 8MB which would fit many games (but not all). But saving wouldn't be possible because the RAM expansion doesn't have hardware for that
@@BrunodeSouzaLino You can emulate them on 3DS with mGBA, but you can also play them natively with VC injects or open agb firm. The 3DS CPU even has a GBA flashcart "baked in" to support the games
Personally, I think the New 3DS XL is the best handheld, VC injection makes older games run perfectly (except for some obscure gba games), and you can stick a r4 in there for ds games
I heard R4s for Ds is Iffy and difficult is that just half truths or our propaganda? I have seen a few for under $125 used and was tempted to try and make a handheld emulator with it for the kids
@@lost0thech4I bought the first one I saw for my New 3DS in like 2018 and it's still working like a charm to this day 👌Only the games with DS-exclusive accessories are somewhat incompatible (like Guitar Hero)
Once upon a time there was the EZ-Flash 3in1. It's a mess to get working sometimes and it essentially requires you to use a 3rd party tool to get games into it (GBAExploader) but it works nicely and you can have it flush in the DSL.
Damn good console as well. I own 6 different 3ds’ of all the variations and stick to a purple 2ds xl because its sleek, light, and a solid middle ground between the New3ds and New3ds-xl.
i love my 2ds xl....i had a 3ds xl for years but even w the 3d off it was hard to play games for more than 40 min at a time without getting a migraine (i get them chronically)....i do not have that problem with the 2ds at all : ) cant tell you why but im very happy about it. it's also lighter and fits in my bag easier....just wish there had been some more colorways and accessories released before the line ended lol
@@muckpuppy Tbh the only gripe I got with the 2dsXL is the edges where your palms rest against it. Not many people talk about it but dang it does feel like it’s sloooooowly cutting into my hands.
@@WorsePoke yeah probably because alot of people don't have em so they get upcharged, some of my friends didn't even know it existed, If people knew about it there would be more available for resell then they'd be priced like $150 or $100 because that was the orignal price range when it came out. Supply and Demand my friend no one is selling a rare item for less than retail.
I gave up on a lot of handheld emulation devices after modding a 3ds. Really the DS and 3DS are such great handhelds, I'm glad the still get the nod when it comes to emulating. Also the pink gold DS lite looks so nice
I took my DSi out of my desk drawer a few weeks ago, bought a ten dollar micro sd card with an adapter, and loaded up twilight menu. Because it's apparently a little more powerful than the DS lite to support the camera, it runs everything pretty well! Just make sure your ROMs are clean. Edit: After a bit of finagling I was able to transfer my saves of stuff I had played on RetroArch on my laptop over as well. I'm just getting into this kind of stuff and was intimidated at the thought of having to buy a new handheld emulator/ second hand DS Lite plus R4 and flash carts simply due to cost, but it was SUPER easy to breathe new life into this console I've had since I was 8, and now I can play any game I could've wanted as a kid. And Rats! AND! I can revert back to normal DSi functionality and menu if I ever really want to. Literally the most painless mod you can imagine, if you can even call it a Mod. So, if you are like I was and have your childhood DSi hanging around and are feeling discouraged by the lack of GBA port, never fear! You too can emulate some great games! Would a 2DS like Bob suggested be better? Yeah, probably, it can do all this plus play 3DS games. Someday I will play MarioKart 7 or Samus Returns, and my life will have meaning again, but until that fateful day, I'll use my 10 dollar emulation box and be contented. If you've made it this far, thanks! This is really just a little 2am love letter to the DSi for coming in clutch and being a much needed distraction in during midterms at university. Now back to some Advance Wars
I also modded my DSi, and its great, easy to do and works great. I am currently on vacation, and for my flights, I just kept it in my pocket, which could be harder with some of the 3DS versions.
The R4 carts come with a built in time bomb that stops them working after a year or 2, simply change the clock on your DS back a few years and the R4 cart will work again.
in college, when I didn't have a cellphone, I would turn on my DS Lite, and using AIM or MSN I would message my friends. this was BEFORE smartphones (Android /iPhone), it had an MP3 player I would play over AUX in my car. there's a world where Nintendo DS rather than the flip phone evolved into the modern smart device, it was already much closer to the goal.
GBA compatibility will be worse because it's not native. But yeah, the DSi is a really good console and I prefer the DSi screens and feel over the DS lite ones
You should be able to use newer micro SD cards with an old r4 if you format them to fat32. Windows won't let you format anything over 32 GB to fat32 natively, but with third party tools (or on mac or linux) you can do it pretty easily.
I love the R4, I was like 10 when I was using my DS Lite alot and my Dad felt bad for not wanting to buy my little brother and I some games we wanted (understandably so, shit was expensive) and one day we came home from school to find out he got us a new "game" the R4. From then on buying games obviously was a non issue and he was happy to find games for us since we were still VERY new to navigating the internet. Probably one of the best things he's gotten for my little brother and I, and it was the exact same R4 you're showing off. Never thought I was going to see it again lol, my old ones been lost to time and I sadly have no clue where my old DS is but it was a lot of fun while we had it. Thanks for reminding me of that cool piece of tech.
I just bought a GBA SP and swapped the shell, threw a USB C port on it (messed up taking off the old connector so no USB C audio, but oh well), put an IPS screen in it and man it really makes a huge difference. I would definitely recommend that over a Gameboy Micro
I had an R4 back in the day, but gave it away after feeling guilty over stories about how piracy was hurting publisher relationships with Nintendo (GTA: Chinatown Wars was the big story I remember). I've been thinking about picking up another one for years. I can't justify paying those second-hand Kirby Superstar Ultra prices.
I’ve got a DSI LL for my original DS games and a Black Friday N3DS for everything else. I am so happy with that pairing as I can play basically everything I want on there. For everything else? I’ve got a deck and my switch oled! So good!
Why not the new 3ds (not xl)? I'm confused. Like, it does the same but better and with no need for an r4. It runs, not emulates, gameboy advance games from roms, as opposed to your ds lite. It even emulates some psx games perfectly. It's insane. And do you happen to know about a little thing called 3hs?
R4 is nice, but I'm still glad I got a Supercard DSTWO. You can fluidly emulate DOS with a fast i386 in protected mode with the extra CPU and play the classics like Commander Keen. With the stylus, even Dune 2 controls surprisingly well. Not many other RTS on the DS so I loved that. The Neogeo Emulator also just works which is awesome. A Supercard DSTWO plus an overclocked GBA flashcard for extra RAM can run Quake 2! Quake 1 also looks way better this way.
I bought a dsi about a month ago. I jailbroke it and i dont need an r4 anymore. Probaly the best deal in retro gaming right now. It doesnt have the gba slot tho. Thats a minus for accesories. But gba emulation on it is fine.
or DSI XL, i still have my zelda edition DS lite but i barely use it these days, it's either my yellow DSI XL or New 3DS XL instead with twilight menu, i still have the old carts for DS but they are obsolete when even emulation is better than hardware in some cases, for example i play DS games on my steam deck for the convenience
Yup, came to say this. The OnionOS guys worked hard to get DraStic working on the Miyoo. Yeah, sure it's only one screen but it's workable for the majority of games and there are layout options.
I recently got my r4 and I've been playing my nintendo ds daily for the past three weeks. It's great to finally play all those games I never got a chance to own
Still play my DS to this day. I have handheld emulators( geezus do I have handhelds ), but my DSi xl and R4 is one of the first units I reach for when taking multi day trips. When I want GBA, it’s the lite. You can’t beat ‘em!
I loved the DS Lite I had as a kid. It was the blue model and I always thought it was the most mature design on a Nintendo handheld. Unfortunately it had hinge issues which turned into screen issues and its completely busted at this point. Ya know what though I should give it a shot and try fixing it up.
Dang dude, your story about how you got the DS Lite, what you played on it vs Emulation, the R4 Card... It's almost exactly my same experience with that device. Still have my DS Lite on the counter next to me - with the R4 card in!
The miyoo mini has official DS compatibility now, I’m surprised you didn’t know that yet! Unless of of course you mean the miyoo technically can’t play 2 screen games properly, but DS has been running on miyoo for months now.
No denying, the DS was my original/gateway portable emulation machine (lookup "max media player" if you wanna feel old) but I was always let down by it's SNES performance and that's the reason I never use it for emulation. I started gaming life on the VIC 20 and grew up with NES but SNES and PS1 are my sweet spot and if the machine can't play those two libraries I just can't hang. I keep a couple DS lites around because I like the DS library and its GBA capabilities but that's the only reason.
If you’re just going to play ds games sure. I used a lite for a decade to emulate… and then I bought one of those $50 handhelds off aliexpress. The ability to use retro achievements is worth it alone. Plus I’m pretty sure it’s cheaper than buying a lite + r4 anyway.
After having played DS games on a 3DSXL, I got exactly this setup with an R4 and an EZFlash. It looks incredible and feels incredible to hold. There is also a gbaswitch file that you can install which gives you a button in your R4 menu to switch to the GBA slot. Some flashcarts require you to instantly boot to them, so it's really handy.
For a while, I considered a DS Lite as an all in one emulation solution, utilizing both a slot1 flashcart and an EZ Flash DE Edition. However, to me, the original DSi is a much more premium feeling DS that is the same size as the DS Lite, and I much prefer it over the DS Lite. With a flashcart, I’ve been able to load up any DS rom hack on the DSi which is an amazing experience. However, of course, the DSi is missing the GBA functionality of the DS Lite, and cannot run GBA games nearly as well. GBARunner has not yet progressed far enough to rival GBA performance on the DSi, as it still can’t play decomp GBA rom hacks, and sometimes even has issues loading standard GBA games on a DSi. Instead of a DS Lite, my solution ended up being getting an Anbernic RG353M to supplement my DSi. The RG353M is a beautiful emulation console that has an incredibly similar form factor to the bottom half of the DS Lite/DSi, and not only can it play GBA games/decomp ROM hacks, but it can play everything up to PS1 if you wanted to, some PC ports like Stardew Valley (which feels AMAZING on a console the size of the DS), and even Pokemon fan games made via RPGmaker such as Infinite Fusion via JoiPlay on the Android OS side, so now you can even play complete Pokemon fan games that aren’t even based on a ROM on a DS sized handheld device. Anyway, the DS Lite is an amazing handheld for emulation, especially after nearly 20 years, but figured I would share my journey of finding my perfect handheld setup with the DSi + RG353M. Emulation handhelds are great but there truly is nothing that can play DS games like the original DS consoles. A console called the Ayaneo Flip DS recently came out that is actually a dual screen Windows handheld that can play DS/3DS games as well as literally anything else, but it’s quite bulky and awkward. The DS is a very special console and I don’t think anything will ever replace it; the same can’t be said for consoles such as the GBA, as there are many different emulation handhelds that have created a better experience than the original hardware.
My main DS complaint is that GBA games on the DS's A and B buttons don't feel right to me-- probably partly ergonomics (they're at a steeper angle than on the GB and GBA) and partly muscle memory from the Super Game Boy that mapped them to B and Y (at least the way I played). Emulators and handhelds like the Analogue Pocket can usually fix that. And if I'm not going to play GBA games on it, I might as well play DS games on my 3DS since it has the better screen (I only have an original DS; missed the DS lite). So my 3DS (and my Analogue Pocket and GBA SP) get a bunch of use still, but the original DS hasn't done much except collect dust.
The ONLY problem with the DS Lite is the stupid hinge that breaks if you give it an ugly look (thanks for the anxiety triggers btw 😂). Isn't there a mod for that? We need a mod for that... I've witnessed the repair process and it's very grueling and not at all beginner friendly; we need an easier alternative (idk what Nintendo did for the 3DS, but the hinge on that one does not break for whatever reason..?) 9.5/10, loooove this console
Still have my new 3ds for 3ds and DS Games ok and for some PC 98 Games My other two daily Handhelds are still my GPD Win 2 and my RG405M (3)DS is just weard by playing on one big screen, no hate about the 2ds
Emulation handhelds and a DS Lite still can't beat my galaxy fold 4 with the USB-C Gamesir X2. DS and GB games are small enough file sizes that I can keep the entire console libraries on my phone and still have 300gb worth of space to fill with regular phone things.
I don't have an attachable controller for my phone, so I'm very limited on the genres that I can play comfortably. I just stick to pinball games such as Dragon's Fury.
I'm surprised the praise you give the DS lite, compared to how much you dogged the retroid flip. It's all that plus ps2/gamecube emulation. And I can't say I've experienced any hinge problems personally. I think you should give it a second look. I'm playing through windwaker and all the kingdom hearts games atm. Definitely worth the price.
Ds lites and GBA SP were the best hanhelds ever made in my opinion. However wouldnt it make more sense now to get a 3DS? It can be hacked without an R4. And it can play DS, 3DS, and GBA natively. On top of extra stuff
Totally in agreement that the DS Lite is one of Nintendo’s greatest (if not the greatest) pieces of hardware they’ve ever made. I owned a PSP and DS lite at the same time back in middle school, and I only really look back at the DS with fondness. It’s experience is timeless.
i had a micro and i think they’re overhyped to all hell. the ergo is not good and the build quality is kinda junk compared to the DS Lite. My RG280V blows the micro out of the water in every way. to say nothing of newer mini handhelds like the 35XX/+
i remember learning about flashcarts when i was younger, and i ordered an Acekard 2i. it arrived the day before i left on a vacation so i was able to load it up with roms and play them during a long car ride that summer.
Splitting hairs but I think the DSi is even better. Runs everything straight from the SD and I personally really like the matt finish. No GBA hardware but I've had no issues 'emulating' with gbarunner - although some are reported, theres a whole compatibility guide and I think it has better performance than DS/lite due to slighty better specs?
dude I'll stand by the 2DS as one of the best deals in handheld gaming like, ever. they were cheap when they launched too and the 3DS library absolutely slaps. I wore the buttons down on my 2DS, I loved that thing so much. eventually replaced it with a 3DS New XL which also kicked ass but sometimes I miss the simplicity of the 2DS. that thing had nothing special going on but it sure as shit worked and I swear to God you could run it over with a bus and it would probably still work
GBA Runner is running GBA games with the GBA hardware, it just does it through DS mode. It makes the DS mode access the GBA backwards compatibility. I would like to mention Twilight Menu. Twilight Menu is an amazing software for DS, DSi, and 3DS that lets you run many things. The thing it is best for in this case is that you can run DSiWare on a DS or DS Lite. It's amazing that this was able to be done, and I love it. This is why it works on DSi and 3DS as well. You're using it, but the features here are amazing and there was no mention of it in this video. DSiWare on those older DS consoles is really cool! Glad you enjoy your DS Lite and R4!
All the DS'ses and the Switch have terrible D-pads, buttons and ergonomics. That's why I do not use my jailbroken new 3ds xl as an emulation device. It cramps up my hands.
@@dragtogo2735 it's targeted towards kids and people on a budget. The removal of the hinge is for durability and to make it cheaper. It isn't made to fit in your pocket. Just like the Nintendo switch.
Yeah well my R4 kept crashing my DS Lites and messing up the screens... It's junk... I couldn't even go down the list of games it would keep lagging so bad. It wasn't doing it before then all of a sudden it started doing this now.
I was born in 2005 and the ds lite was my first handheld which my parents only got me coz I kept nicking my sister's. Loved it to bits and still have it.
The DS Lite with an R4 was my first Nintendo handheld. I played the hell out of it. My house was burgled by some kids 10 years ago, and the DS is one of the things they took. I've always wanted to replace it, and now this video has me REALLY missing it. It really is a fantastic setup.
whats wrong with a smartphone emulation? the portrait form factor is excellent for DS emulation! I've played many hours of new sup with my phone and a simple gamesir controller! what better portability than ur phone? and if ure at home, whats wrong with a PC? it even has upscalings and better resolutions! and if ure traveling a lot with car or a bag for example ure the kind of person than carriers a lap top around! personally i think consoles (esp ones in good shape) should be preserved or be used very lightly! these things are not getting made anymore! the notion that "these are devices that are made to be played" doesn't apply here, because they're not getting "made"! i get if someone has never held a DS before who wants to experience what was it like, but most people want to play the heck out of these things and that would shorten the fun both for us and the generations to come! my dads nes is still in a very good condition because i dont play it all the time, i use emulators!
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gifted a DSi + R4 combo. It rules. I’m excited because I only this week discovered the GBArunner2 you mentioned. Soon I’ll be loading up a bunch of GBA games on my micro sd.
I've owned many DS's from the Lite to the New 3DS but honestly, much of my nostalgic actually comes from the R4 cards and how I was able to play any game I want and more importantly, with any _cheats_ that I wanted. Sad to say though that many of them bricked and just didn't work after a while and not to mention the fact that Even if it did, for certain games like Pokémon it just wouldn't save I remembered the constant times I would be forced to restart my save file over and over until I was sick of it. The there was one game I completed on the R4 though, and it was Awakening, and considering it was my first Fire Emblem game, it definitely left an impression on me. Honestly seeing this video now unlocks all those memories for me and I kind of want to black dip my toe back into the r4 catalog. So yeah Wolfie, what do you suggest for me to buy then cuz while it makes more sense to buy a 3DS given you can play DS games and 3DS stuff but how much you went on about the impressiveness hardware of the DS Lite, I'm open to suggestions. The most important part though is what type of R4 I should get cuz given my experience with them and how flimsy they could be. I'm not too confident though last that long. So which card do you recommend and where do I buy it from?
It sounds like what you experienced was the "time bomb" feature some R4's have. I think the easiest way to circumvent this is just to format the MicroSD and use the TwilightMenu firmware that I outlined in this video. That way you can be sure there's no sketchy stuff hiding in the firmware
I’ve been playing castlevania dawn of sorrows on the ds lite and it is such a badass game. I wish I had it growing up because I love everything about that game. I wish the ds could do super Metroid on the r4 but it just doesn’t pass :/
@@jwill7998 Yeah, but for a lot of people that requires regressing your device back to old firmware, and that's a whole process -- Not to mention, I've accidentally updated before, it's not unheard of. You're right, a hacked 3ds is generally better. But this is way more accessible, and just as fun (in my opinion)
@NoBody-qf5np Nintendo abandoned the 3ds so that isn't even an issue anymore. Even back then, nintendo only bricked devices that played games before their release date
9:50 "shining light on it" .. people are silly. Do they really think its some big secret. Trust me , nintendo knows long before most people hear about this stuff
I think the reason why ds is really good is because nintendo made the controls feel well but also be in a cooler design and be more flashy flashy in design as well. And because the cards actually had space.
People in the comments are reminding me of something important I left out of the video: the "timebomb feature" some of the sketchier R4s have. This will prevent you from saving or sometimes even booting your R4 after a certain amount of time. This is not something that I've experienced, but it seems some of you have.
There are ways to circumvent this, but I think the easiest one is to just wipe the MicroSD completely and just start with a fresh Firmware, like the TwilightMenu that I outlined in this video and linked in the description.
EDIT: (People have told me the DS lite does not have an SD slot, so none of this is valid. I assumed because the dsi had one the lite would as well)
You can also just use an sd card and use twilight menu. Twilight menu also comes included with a lot of emulators for other devices. This also works with the newest update unlike some older r4 cards. You of course already know this. [the setup is a lot harder than using an r4, but if money or reliability is an issue this way is recommended]
As someone who used to be very well engrained in the Nintendo homebrewing community, said timebomb can literally be circumvented by setting back the clock on the DS, it does not do permanent damage to the console nor the flashcart itself, it just reads the date and if it's past a certain date is doesn't boot. Going for a third party launch is definitely the way to good to prevent it still, especially since the base launcher on a lot of these flashcarts tend to struggle to load games with heavier anti-piracy features. I remember back in 2017 or so I had a hell of a time finding a menu which was able to load one of the later Professor Layton games without triggering the anti-piracy.
These timebomb carts generally support RetroGameFan firmware though which naturally circumvents the timebomb
@@appleua4807 Came here for this comment. I don't know about DS/DS lite, but from the DSi onward at least you could set TWLmenu form the console sdcard and never worry about the R4. The R4 is only being used to launch TWL anyway, I don't think any guide even mention using factory firmware from the flashcarts
The BEST is the “New” 3DS (not xl) I have my R4 cartridge for DS. It’s modded with the H Shop with 256GB for the 3DS, and then I installed retro arch for full speed NES/SNES/GB/GBC/GBA/Game gear/Genesis games. You could even do more consoles in retroarch, I just don’t play anything else. That’s the ultimate build I personally have and the one I sell at my Etsy store. It has almost the exact same perfect form factor of the DS lite. The “time bomb”’is almost a non existent thing anymore. If you do have one it’s easy to remove.
Edit :forgot to add in GBA under retro arch.
The DS Lite still being able to perform this well over this many years makes us DS fans proud
What is funny about this is that the PSP is also still an emulation monster.
In conclusion, this era of handhelds is still relevant all these years.
this comment is AI
I guess electronics like this, can work up to 100 years, if they kept in perfect condition. Nes was released in 1985, and they are still working. Its like the quality of product, that Nintendo was looking for
Even the original battery in mine still holds up. Like 4 hours in DS mode and 6 hours in GBA mode. More than enough for my average session.
@@natalya_volochay Yeah almost forgot that t the Nes is almost 40 years old
The miyoo mini can play DS with Drastic!
Man, I wish I still had mine, I've got a dsi xl and a "new"3ds. I used to be really bad about the trade-in thing constantly getting rid of stuff for the "newer and more exciting" thing. Which I've come to realize was a mistake, so I've been trying to rebuild my collection.
I'd also say the DSi XL has a great screen. Been rocking one with a DSTwo card for a long time!
My R4 cart still works after 10 years ++ , I use my DS lite or 3DS for DS emulation. My vita for ps vita and psp. Then i use my miyoo mini plus for older consoles. A perfect trio.
for scaling issues with ds emulation:
DraStic - just turn off the filtering in settings, i think its on by default but dont remember as its been over a year since i did a fresh install of drastic
DeSmuME - view > magnification filter > scanline. this will slightly darken the image vs other filters but it looks the most like real hardware!
in general these issues are also less noticeable if you have a screen layout where neither screen is scaled up too much. if i play on my phone (havent recently due to experiencing in-game saves being broken on a rom hack that wasn't an issue on desmume) i play in portrait mode only, so the screens are around the same size as hardware, and on my computer i keep the screens stacked vertically so the window is just slightly larger than a smartphone screen. if i test the scanline filter in landscape orientation on my 15in portable monitor, it's a more noticeable effect but still looks good in my opinion!
felt like mentioning these tips in case anyone can't get their hands on real hardware or like me just prefers to play pokemon at more than 1x speed sometimes, which real hardware can't do at all
I recently got an R4 card for my DSi (had an og DS that broke about 5 years ago) for £7 off aliexpress and it works great, just load up ROMs on an SD and away you go.
Havent tried the GBA games yet, but I still have an original GBA, Mobile phone and a Vita that I can use for single screen emulation.
DS games just never felt the same on mobile emulators.
The main issues the DSlites still have tho is the hinges break easily & the LED's are prone to pixel rot, both of which are less likely on 3DS systems.
I have the same coral DS lite with the grey R4 card, though it's been out of action for quite a while.
It still turns on, but the D-pad and most of the buttons are in bad shape. It's been collecting dust ever since the R4 card stopped working (I'm almost sure it's a problem with the card port, don't have any other game cards to check though).
The years of disuse have ruined the screens too.
I've half a mind to get it fixed too. I guess my best bet is to find a broken one to salvage parts off of.
I'm a big fan of most DS's. The Lite is great with the GBA slot but in terms of looks and feel, I prefer the DSi. Even today they look and feel so nice. The DSi XL is even better, I think it's probably my favourite design of any of the DS line, and the huge screens look amazing for original DS games thanks to actually being the right resolution. Cant really go wrong with any DS though, the base library is so great, and the cfw/r4 options can turn them into outrageously good little devices. The Switch is great, but it can never replace the DS/3DS for me. It just lacks a little bit of the charm the old Nintendo consoles had.
I bought a ds lite recently with a not working touch screen and then it turned out that the touchscreen was fine, the firmware on the R4 was just old and disabled the touch screen for some reason. Lucky me !
PS: in my huge suggestion in case someone wasn't aware of its existance, im currently playing the english patched of Ni No Kuni , the graphic is stunning on dslite but althought as many other titles.
Edit (Putting this edit at the top since it seems more important than the rest): 15:40 3DS has GB/GBC/GBA hardware, it's how it can play those games without emulation, just doesn't have the slot for it.
I'd argue 2DS/3DS is far superior if anyone's willing to spend the extra $30 or so for a 2DS or an extra $50-150 for a for a 2DS XL/3DS/n3DS XL/etc. (I'm seeing japanese original 3DS for around $70), they can play GB, GBC, GBA, DS, DSi, and 3DS games without emulation at all.
DS games are a bit annoying to load because of how long it takes to either load twilight menu then the game or to have the games on the DS itself then it having to switch to DSi mode then load the game, I think it takes around 25 or so seconds to load a DS(i) game.
DSi is also an interesting option, you can have the benefits of running GBA games without emulation, just like the 3DS, but at a lower price than the 2DS/3DS, you can also run DS games straight from the SD card, although it does suck to not have a GBA slot to play from a GBA cartridge, it's a nice "in-between" of the 3DS and DS lite for those that don't care about 3DS games.
Also I'm pretty sure installing custom firmware on my DSi took even less time than my 3DS, buttons are also feel clicky rather than how the DS Lite's buttons feel mushy, although my L/R buttons on my DSi have stopped working long ago.
this is 100% correct and the main reason why I havent bought one of the chinese retro hand helds yet
3:57 Factor spilled broken glass shards into many of their meals and tried to hide it from customers, only offering the bare minimum notice via email and we had to BEG for refunds.
Everyone upvote. Let it be known in mass.
Just to add, this was 2-3 years ago and was apparently the fault of their rice supplier, only affecting specific meals. That seems to have been the end of it, as I can't find anything about it in the two years since.
Factor also mass spammed advertising using AI and it was disgusting.
@@bananatoofat Um.. Bob is entertaining?
reminds me of how people are still advertising betterhelp even though they sell your therapy info to advertisers.
I remember my Dad buying both my sister and I original R4 cards for our Nintendo DS Lites back in 2007. Thinking back it's crazy my dad found out about them. I still have it to this very day.
No time bomb?
@@robertg6339Time bomb only exists on the bootlegs R4.
Real R4s don't have time bombs @@robertg6339
@@garburias oh. Didn't know that. How can you tell if it's bootleg or not?
@@robertg6339 The labels, if it comes in plain colors (like black, white, etc.) then it's fake. If it comes in black label with grey circular pattern then it's a legit one.
From what I can remember the GBA CPU is used by DS games as a secondary CPU, but what you can't do is access the DS CPU from the GBA Slot, meaning that flashcarts and stuff that go in the bottom slot can only run GBA homebrew, whereas flashcarts in the top slot can run DS and GBA homebrew.
Because the GBA CPU is used by DS games it had to be included in the 3DS so that it could play DS games, which is why GBA Virtual Console games on 3DS actually aren't emulated, which is why they don't support the features that other Virtual Console games on 3DS use - because they run natively.
The "GBA core" is used for stuff like I/O with DS games, yes. But DS games can't run GBA homebrew or games. The DS slot is too slow for that. Also, you can run DS software in some cases from GBA slot. Early DS hacking was done with a "hacked slot-1 device" (e.g. PassMe) or a custom firmware on DS and a GBA cartridge which was booted in DS mode. This feature is missing on modern GBA flashcarts.
@@Flashcardsinfoif I remember correctly (it’s been a while) there was also a method using the memory expansion for the DS web browser to load GBA games, because the extra RAM on the expansion was enough to load any GBA game and gave it full access to the GBA slot for the required speed.
It’s been like 15 years since I messed around with a DS/R4 though. I should pull mine out…
@@VeshSneaks Possible. The DS Web browser RAM expansion has 8MB which would fit many games (but not all). But saving wouldn't be possible because the RAM expansion doesn't have hardware for that
They are emulated on the New 3DS though, which is a similar move between the first PS3 and the later PS3 models in regards to PS2 compatibility.
@@BrunodeSouzaLino You can emulate them on 3DS with mGBA, but you can also play them natively with VC injects or open agb firm. The 3DS CPU even has a GBA flashcart "baked in" to support the games
Personally, I think the New 3DS XL is the best handheld, VC injection makes older games run perfectly (except for some obscure gba games), and you can stick a r4 in there for ds games
I heard R4s for Ds is Iffy and difficult is that just half truths or our propaganda? I have seen a few for under $125 used and was tempted to try and make a handheld emulator with it for the kids
@@lost0thech4If your 3ds is already hacked you can make any r4 cart work
@@lost0thech4I bought the first one I saw for my New 3DS in like 2018 and it's still working like a charm to this day 👌Only the games with DS-exclusive accessories are somewhat incompatible (like Guitar Hero)
@@lost0thech4a done card is like $8 or so on Ali. That's all you need.
You don't even need an r4 on a 3DS. Just use Twilight menu.
R4 + Everdrive on an OG DS = Powerhouse
Diamond is unbreakable.
DSTWO + EZ Flash Omega DE = Big Powerhouse
Facts but instead an ez flash omega definitive edition now it’s perfect
Once upon a time there was the EZ-Flash 3in1. It's a mess to get working sometimes and it essentially requires you to use a 3rd party tool to get games into it (GBAExploader) but it works nicely and you can have it flush in the DSL.
@@whisperingwooper1763 That's what the DE stands for. "Definitive Edition".
I love my DS lite with R4 to this day. Something about the form factor, library of games, good battery life, and yes...nostalgia.
I know what you mean still got my R4 and lite...That clip noise when you close it 🤌😇✌️🖖
I think people forget the 2DS XL is a thing which is basically a 3DS without the 3D
Damn good console as well. I own 6 different 3ds’ of all the variations and stick to a purple 2ds xl because its sleek, light, and a solid middle ground between the New3ds and New3ds-xl.
i love my 2ds xl....i had a 3ds xl for years but even w the 3d off it was hard to play games for more than 40 min at a time without getting a migraine (i get them chronically)....i do not have that problem with the 2ds at all : ) cant tell you why but im very happy about it. it's also lighter and fits in my bag easier....just wish there had been some more colorways and accessories released before the line ended lol
@@muckpuppy Tbh the only gripe I got with the 2dsXL is the edges where your palms rest against it. Not many people talk about it but dang it does feel like it’s sloooooowly cutting into my hands.
I've been searching for an used 2ds XL, trust me, they know... Because I can't imagine them not knowing and putting 200$ USD as a price
@@WorsePoke yeah probably because alot of people don't have em so they get upcharged, some of my friends didn't even know it existed, If people knew about it there would be more available for resell then they'd be priced like $150 or $100 because that was the orignal price range when it came out. Supply and Demand my friend no one is selling a rare item for less than retail.
I use a DS Lite with the EZ flash Omega in the Game Boy slot add an R4 in the DS slot and I can play every Nintendo game from the DS backwards
The DS is still one of the sleekest and sexiest consoles to ever exist. Still one of my favorite consoles
Facts
How ?
@@floki2095 cuz it’s sleek and sexy that’s how duhhh
@@AUGUSTIN-MUSIC😅
@@Rdott82 😉
I gave up on a lot of handheld emulation devices after modding a 3ds. Really the DS and 3DS are such great handhelds, I'm glad the still get the nod when it comes to emulating. Also the pink gold DS lite looks so nice
Personally, some SNES/GBA hacks are hit or miss on my New, but it works pretty good all things considered
I took my DSi out of my desk drawer a few weeks ago, bought a ten dollar micro sd card with an adapter, and loaded up twilight menu.
Because it's apparently a little more powerful than the DS lite to support the camera, it runs everything pretty well! Just make sure your ROMs are clean.
Edit: After a bit of finagling I was able to transfer my saves of stuff I had played on RetroArch on my laptop over as well.
I'm just getting into this kind of stuff and was intimidated at the thought of having to buy a new handheld emulator/ second hand DS Lite plus R4 and flash carts simply due to cost, but it was SUPER easy to breathe new life into this console I've had since I was 8, and now I can play any game I could've wanted as a kid. And Rats!
AND! I can revert back to normal DSi functionality and menu if I ever really want to. Literally the most painless mod you can imagine, if you can even call it a Mod.
So, if you are like I was and have your childhood DSi hanging around and are feeling discouraged by the lack of GBA port, never fear! You too can emulate some great games! Would a 2DS like Bob suggested be better? Yeah, probably, it can do all this plus play 3DS games. Someday I will play MarioKart 7 or Samus Returns, and my life will have meaning again, but until that fateful day, I'll use my 10 dollar emulation box and be contented.
If you've made it this far, thanks! This is really just a little 2am love letter to the DSi for coming in clutch and being a much needed distraction in during midterms at university. Now back to some Advance Wars
DSi is always my recommendation for first handheld softmod. Easy and VERY effective
I also modded my DSi, and its great, easy to do and works great. I am currently on vacation, and for my flights, I just kept it in my pocket, which could be harder with some of the 3DS versions.
The R4 carts come with a built in time bomb that stops them working after a year or 2, simply change the clock on your DS back a few years and the R4 cart will work again.
Literally genocide.
this only happens to some ones, and in case you could change the firmware to ysmenu or similiar to remove the bomb
@namesurname4666 if you change it to the firmware bob used in the video will the timebomb thing be fixed?
@@Wavystarj yes
The actual R4 brand ones don't. But now it's pretty much impossible to tell if what you're buying is legit or not.
in college, when I didn't have a cellphone, I would turn on my DS Lite, and using AIM or MSN I would message my friends. this was BEFORE smartphones (Android /iPhone), it had an MP3 player I would play over AUX in my car.
there's a world where Nintendo DS rather than the flip phone evolved into the modern smart device, it was already much closer to the goal.
Moonshell on CycloDS was my MP3 player during college/post-secondary. Loved rocking that.
I remember when my parents would take my notebook at night and I would spend HOURS chatting with my high school girlfriend through MSN on the DS lmao
the things i like about the ds is its reliable and just works
@@batmabel
Talking to a girlfriend for hours?
That's a simp's chore.
Whilst you were talking to her she was likely taking another boy's jiz.
That's neat, but I think you're describing a DSi, not a DS Lite.
DSi is also worth considering. It can do all this stuff without having to buy flashkarts, just a regular SD card and a GBA BIOS will be fine.
I tried adding a GBA BIOS for Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission but they still wouldn’t work.
@@Joel-bt4ttthen you didn't do it right. It's literally a drag and drop into a folder.
GBA compatibility will be worse because it's not native. But yeah, the DSi is a really good console and I prefer the DSi screens and feel over the DS lite ones
@@Flashcardsinfo It is native actually if you use GBARUNNER2 on twilight menu the dsi just doesn't have a cart slot
even with the 3ds
You should be able to use newer micro SD cards with an old r4 if you format them to fat32. Windows won't let you format anything over 32 GB to fat32 natively, but with third party tools (or on mac or linux) you can do it pretty easily.
I love the R4, I was like 10 when I was using my DS Lite alot and my Dad felt bad for not wanting to buy my little brother and I some games we wanted (understandably so, shit was expensive) and one day we came home from school to find out he got us a new "game" the R4. From then on buying games obviously was a non issue and he was happy to find games for us since we were still VERY new to navigating the internet. Probably one of the best things he's gotten for my little brother and I, and it was the exact same R4 you're showing off. Never thought I was going to see it again lol, my old ones been lost to time and I sadly have no clue where my old DS is but it was a lot of fun while we had it. Thanks for reminding me of that cool piece of tech.
He's a good dad
That’s a heartwarming story. Dads are the best.
I just bought a GBA SP and swapped the shell, threw a USB C port on it (messed up taking off the old connector so no USB C audio, but oh well), put an IPS screen in it and man it really makes a huge difference. I would definitely recommend that over a Gameboy Micro
If you ripped the pads you can bypass them to the audio test pads and get audio working. Use some enameled wire.
That's a project I'd love to try someday, it sounds like fun.
Game boy micro is also crap.
2:53
Dammit, Bob, I didn't need that kick to the gut.
Dam that did hurt
The GBA is 23 years old now... You're welcome 😢
@@kimkrimson*got an n64 when they released*
Help
I had an R4 back in the day, but gave it away after feeling guilty over stories about how piracy was hurting publisher relationships with Nintendo (GTA: Chinatown Wars was the big story I remember). I've been thinking about picking up another one for years. I can't justify paying those second-hand Kirby Superstar Ultra prices.
Cant hurt their feelings anymore lol. Just do it and have some fun!
I’ve got a DSI LL for my original DS games and a Black Friday N3DS for everything else. I am so happy with that pairing as I can play basically everything I want on there. For everything else? I’ve got a deck and my switch oled! So good!
I’ll be back when the ds lite can drink
In the eu it already can
I'm just curious. Could you just delete the games you don't want/play?
Yes, and the folders for systems you never play. I have a DS lite with an R4 card and only have about 15 DS games.
The DSI wants a word.
Excellent alternative if you don't care about gba physical carts. R4 and gba games are there, and it's a bit better CPU I think
What a throwback. Having an R4 in 2007 was life changing
Why not the new 3ds (not xl)? I'm confused. Like, it does the same but better and with no need for an r4.
It runs, not emulates, gameboy advance games from roms, as opposed to your ds lite.
It even emulates some psx games perfectly. It's insane.
And do you happen to know about a little thing called 3hs?
R4 is nice, but I'm still glad I got a Supercard DSTWO. You can fluidly emulate DOS with a fast i386 in protected mode with the extra CPU and play the classics like Commander Keen. With the stylus, even Dune 2 controls surprisingly well. Not many other RTS on the DS so I loved that. The Neogeo Emulator also just works which is awesome.
A Supercard DSTWO plus an overclocked GBA flashcard for extra RAM can run Quake 2! Quake 1 also looks way better this way.
Miyoo Mini can play DS games btw. They added it like 6 months ago.
I bought a dsi about a month ago. I jailbroke it and i dont need an r4 anymore. Probaly the best deal in retro gaming right now. It doesnt have the gba slot tho. Thats a minus for accesories. But gba emulation on it is fine.
or DSI XL, i still have my zelda edition DS lite but i barely use it these days, it's either my yellow DSI XL or New 3DS XL instead with twilight menu, i still have the old carts for DS but they are obsolete when even emulation is better than hardware in some cases, for example i play DS games on my steam deck for the convenience
I did the same thing and with GBA runner I'm able to play pretty much everything. I have yet to find a game that doesn't work.
I love my old DSi, it’s just that little bit sleeker… one of the best looking handhelds of all time IMHO.
Still can't believe there were ever believers in the lie that a New 3DS was required to play SNES games...
It kinda works, its a nice as a demo, but its not good.
Bruh Snes9X on 2ds/o3ds worked great. Never had any problems
Imagine calling the DS a "getway drug"
Hey Bob! Miyoo mini can now run drastic emulator and NDS games! Just some slowdowns and hiccups but not bad at all!
Yup, came to say this. The OnionOS guys worked hard to get DraStic working on the Miyoo. Yeah, sure it's only one screen but it's workable for the majority of games and there are layout options.
@@gbamck trying to figure out my "save data cannot be accessed/ saved" error on some NDS games but some work fine
I recently got my r4 and I've been playing my nintendo ds daily for the past three weeks. It's great to finally play all those games I never got a chance to own
I have a white DS Lite with an R4i and EZ-Flash. An unbeatable combination. Also have a N3DS XL and 2DS, so the entire gamut is covered.
Still play my DS to this day. I have handheld emulators( geezus do I have handhelds ), but my DSi xl and R4 is one of the first units I reach for when taking multi day trips. When I want GBA, it’s the lite. You can’t beat ‘em!
I have a homebrew 3DS with H shop and an R4 with 300 DS games on it, perfect combo for the 3DS
I loved the DS Lite I had as a kid. It was the blue model and I always thought it was the most mature design on a Nintendo handheld. Unfortunately it had hinge issues which turned into screen issues and its completely busted at this point. Ya know what though I should give it a shot and try fixing it up.
Dang dude, your story about how you got the DS Lite, what you played on it vs Emulation, the R4 Card... It's almost exactly my same experience with that device. Still have my DS Lite on the counter next to me - with the R4 card in!
I've fixed like 20 DS Lites and yours has the best screen I've ever seen, no wonder you like this one so much.
I still have my SupercardDSTWO drains the battery like nothing else but worth every second
You said 18 years ago and I had to turn the video off and think about life
Dude, the DS was my first console… you saying that is 18 years old hits extremely hard 💀
The miyoo mini has official DS compatibility now, I’m surprised you didn’t know that yet! Unless of of course you mean the miyoo technically can’t play 2 screen games properly, but DS has been running on miyoo for months now.
It runs a lot of DS games pretty poorly
It's kinda crazy with the advancement in dedicated emulation devices that the DS lite & PSP3k are still two of the best options.
No denying, the DS was my original/gateway portable emulation machine (lookup "max media player" if you wanna feel old) but I was always let down by it's SNES performance and that's the reason I never use it for emulation. I started gaming life on the VIC 20 and grew up with NES but SNES and PS1 are my sweet spot and if the machine can't play those two libraries I just can't hang. I keep a couple DS lites around because I like the DS library and its GBA capabilities but that's the only reason.
I can't believe how I just put one of these into my wishlist at about 10 dollars when you post this and possibly inflate their prices again 😂
If you’re just going to play ds games sure. I used a lite for a decade to emulate… and then I bought one of those $50 handhelds off aliexpress. The ability to use retro achievements is worth it alone. Plus I’m pretty sure it’s cheaper than buying a lite + r4 anyway.
After having played DS games on a 3DSXL, I got exactly this setup with an R4 and an EZFlash. It looks incredible and feels incredible to hold. There is also a gbaswitch file that you can install which gives you a button in your R4 menu to switch to the GBA slot. Some flashcarts require you to instantly boot to them, so it's really handy.
For a while, I considered a DS Lite as an all in one emulation solution, utilizing both a slot1 flashcart and an EZ Flash DE Edition. However, to me, the original DSi is a much more premium feeling DS that is the same size as the DS Lite, and I much prefer it over the DS Lite. With a flashcart, I’ve been able to load up any DS rom hack on the DSi which is an amazing experience.
However, of course, the DSi is missing the GBA functionality of the DS Lite, and cannot run GBA games nearly as well. GBARunner has not yet progressed far enough to rival GBA performance on the DSi, as it still can’t play decomp GBA rom hacks, and sometimes even has issues loading standard GBA games on a DSi.
Instead of a DS Lite, my solution ended up being getting an Anbernic RG353M to supplement my DSi. The RG353M is a beautiful emulation console that has an incredibly similar form factor to the bottom half of the DS Lite/DSi, and not only can it play GBA games/decomp ROM hacks, but it can play everything up to PS1 if you wanted to, some PC ports like Stardew Valley (which feels AMAZING on a console the size of the DS), and even Pokemon fan games made via RPGmaker such as Infinite Fusion via JoiPlay on the Android OS side, so now you can even play complete Pokemon fan games that aren’t even based on a ROM on a DS sized handheld device.
Anyway, the DS Lite is an amazing handheld for emulation, especially after nearly 20 years, but figured I would share my journey of finding my perfect handheld setup with the DSi + RG353M. Emulation handhelds are great but there truly is nothing that can play DS games like the original DS consoles. A console called the Ayaneo Flip DS recently came out that is actually a dual screen Windows handheld that can play DS/3DS games as well as literally anything else, but it’s quite bulky and awkward. The DS is a very special console and I don’t think anything will ever replace it; the same can’t be said for consoles such as the GBA, as there are many different emulation handhelds that have created a better experience than the original hardware.
3DS DOES have GBA hardware, it's only missing the gamecart slot, but it can run GBA games natively via VC injects or via open_agb_firm.
My main DS complaint is that GBA games on the DS's A and B buttons don't feel right to me-- probably partly ergonomics (they're at a steeper angle than on the GB and GBA) and partly muscle memory from the Super Game Boy that mapped them to B and Y (at least the way I played). Emulators and handhelds like the Analogue Pocket can usually fix that.
And if I'm not going to play GBA games on it, I might as well play DS games on my 3DS since it has the better screen (I only have an original DS; missed the DS lite). So my 3DS (and my Analogue Pocket and GBA SP) get a bunch of use still, but the original DS hasn't done much except collect dust.
Soon people will find a way to explain why the Atari 2600 is great for emulation
The ONLY problem with the DS Lite is the stupid hinge that breaks if you give it an ugly look (thanks for the anxiety triggers btw 😂).
Isn't there a mod for that? We need a mod for that... I've witnessed the repair process and it's very grueling and not at all beginner friendly; we need an easier alternative (idk what Nintendo did for the 3DS, but the hinge on that one does not break for whatever reason..?)
9.5/10, loooove this console
The coincidence of this video coming out the same week I finally got around to modding my 3DS is not lost on me
Still have my new 3ds for 3ds and DS Games ok and for some PC 98 Games
My other two daily Handhelds are still my GPD Win 2 and my RG405M
(3)DS is just weard by playing on one big screen, no hate about the 2ds
Emulation handhelds and a DS Lite still can't beat my galaxy fold 4 with the USB-C Gamesir X2. DS and GB games are small enough file sizes that I can keep the entire console libraries on my phone and still have 300gb worth of space to fill with regular phone things.
yeah i still have the NES, SNES e.t.c on my fold 4 so i can play them when i'm bored while i'm on the go
I don't have an attachable controller for my phone, so I'm very limited on the genres that I can play comfortably. I just stick to pinball games such as Dragon's Fury.
I'm surprised the praise you give the DS lite, compared to how much you dogged the retroid flip. It's all that plus ps2/gamecube emulation. And I can't say I've experienced any hinge problems personally.
I think you should give it a second look. I'm playing through windwaker and all the kingdom hearts games atm. Definitely worth the price.
Thanks man! I have one of those laying around in a drawer somewhere from my daughters. I will have to dig it out and give it a go.
Ds lites and GBA SP were the best hanhelds ever made in my opinion. However wouldnt it make more sense now to get a 3DS? It can be hacked without an R4. And it can play DS, 3DS, and GBA natively. On top of extra stuff
Totally in agreement that the DS Lite is one of Nintendo’s greatest (if not the greatest) pieces of hardware they’ve ever made. I owned a PSP and DS lite at the same time back in middle school, and I only really look back at the DS with fondness. It’s experience is timeless.
i had a micro and i think they’re overhyped to all hell. the ergo is not good and the build quality is kinda junk compared to the DS Lite. My RG280V blows the micro out of the water in every way. to say nothing of newer mini handhelds like the 35XX/+
i remember learning about flashcarts when i was younger, and i ordered an Acekard 2i. it arrived the day before i left on a vacation so i was able to load it up with roms and play them during a long car ride that summer.
Splitting hairs but I think the DSi is even better. Runs everything straight from the SD and I personally really like the matt finish. No GBA hardware but I've had no issues 'emulating' with gbarunner - although some are reported, theres a whole compatibility guide and I think it has better performance than DS/lite due to slighty better specs?
Love these videos when I’m at work, thanks Bob! It must be Thursday I have my Wulff Den hoodie on.
dude I'll stand by the 2DS as one of the best deals in handheld gaming like, ever. they were cheap when they launched too and the 3DS library absolutely slaps. I wore the buttons down on my 2DS, I loved that thing so much. eventually replaced it with a 3DS New XL which also kicked ass but sometimes I miss the simplicity of the 2DS. that thing had nothing special going on but it sure as shit worked and I swear to God you could run it over with a bus and it would probably still work
GBA Runner is running GBA games with the GBA hardware, it just does it through DS mode. It makes the DS mode access the GBA backwards compatibility.
I would like to mention Twilight Menu. Twilight Menu is an amazing software for DS, DSi, and 3DS that lets you run many things. The thing it is best for in this case is that you can run DSiWare on a DS or DS Lite. It's amazing that this was able to be done, and I love it. This is why it works on DSi and 3DS as well. You're using it, but the features here are amazing and there was no mention of it in this video. DSiWare on those older DS consoles is really cool! Glad you enjoy your DS Lite and R4!
All the DS'ses and the Switch have terrible D-pads, buttons and ergonomics. That's why I do not use my jailbroken new 3ds xl as an emulation device. It cramps up my hands.
The 2DS is Not Ugly 🤦🏻
The New 2ds xl isn't. The 2ds is.
@@dragtogo2735 The widescreen game and watches look so much cleaner than the dual screen ones ✋😭
@@dragtogo2735 it's targeted towards kids and people on a budget. The removal of the hinge is for durability and to make it cheaper. It isn't made to fit in your pocket. Just like the Nintendo switch.
I own a DSTWO and, while not perfect at all, emulation on ds is quite nice indeed.
Goes over and picks up their DS that's been sitting for 5 plus years... You're still alive. (the battery)
Yeah well my R4 kept crashing my DS Lites and messing up the screens... It's junk... I couldn't even go down the list of games it would keep lagging so bad. It wasn't doing it before then all of a sudden it started doing this now.
I was born in 2005 and the ds lite was my first handheld which my parents only got me coz I kept nicking my sister's. Loved it to bits and still have it.
Yeah I rather revived my PSP and DS Lite than to emulate stuff. BUT a big factor in that is my already existing physical collection of games for them.
The DS Lite with an R4 was my first Nintendo handheld. I played the hell out of it. My house was burgled by some kids 10 years ago, and the DS is one of the things they took. I've always wanted to replace it, and now this video has me REALLY missing it. It really is a fantastic setup.
whats wrong with a smartphone emulation? the portrait form factor is excellent for DS emulation! I've played many hours of new sup with my phone and a simple gamesir controller! what better portability than ur phone?
and if ure at home, whats wrong with a PC? it even has upscalings and better resolutions!
and if ure traveling a lot with car or a bag for example ure the kind of person than carriers a lap top around!
personally i think consoles (esp ones in good shape) should be preserved or be used very lightly! these things are not getting made anymore! the notion that "these are devices that are made to be played" doesn't apply here, because they're not getting "made"!
i get if someone has never held a DS before who wants to experience what was it like, but most people want to play the heck out of these things and that would shorten the fun both for us and the generations to come!
my dads nes is still in a very good condition because i dont play it all the time, i use emulators!
Emulation in general can never beat real hardware.
I have mine almost set up the same way. Only difference for gba I have a blue multicart with dozens of games on there. Primarily Pokémon but still.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gifted a DSi + R4 combo. It rules. I’m excited because I only this week discovered the GBArunner2 you mentioned. Soon I’ll be loading up a bunch of GBA games on my micro sd.
the 3DS can also natively play GBA roms, bur you need to spend some times changing the file so the 3DS thinks it's a Virtual Console game
I've owned many DS's from the Lite to the New 3DS but honestly, much of my nostalgic actually comes from the R4 cards and how I was able to play any game I want and more importantly, with any _cheats_ that I wanted.
Sad to say though that many of them bricked and just didn't work after a while and not to mention the fact that Even if it did, for certain games like Pokémon it just wouldn't save
I remembered the constant times I would be forced to restart my save file over and over until I was sick of it. The there was one game I completed on the R4 though, and it was Awakening, and considering it was my first Fire Emblem game, it definitely left an impression on me.
Honestly seeing this video now unlocks all those memories for me and I kind of want to black dip my toe back into the r4 catalog. So yeah Wolfie, what do you suggest for me to buy then cuz while it makes more sense to buy a 3DS given you can play DS games and 3DS stuff but how much you went on about the impressiveness hardware of the DS Lite, I'm open to suggestions.
The most important part though is what type of R4 I should get cuz given my experience with them and how flimsy they could be. I'm not too confident though last that long. So which card do you recommend and where do I buy it from?
Just set the date back. That's what bricks it
It sounds like what you experienced was the "time bomb" feature some R4's have. I think the easiest way to circumvent this is just to format the MicroSD and use the TwilightMenu firmware that I outlined in this video. That way you can be sure there's no sketchy stuff hiding in the firmware
I’ve been playing castlevania dawn of sorrows on the ds lite and it is such a badass game. I wish I had it growing up because I love everything about that game. I wish the ds could do super Metroid on the r4 but it just doesn’t pass :/
A hacked 3DS is better.
Yeah but Nintendo can remotely brick those. A DS Lite is pretty much untouchable. At least to my understanding
@@NoBody-qf5np
Not if you don't update the firmware
@@jwill7998 Yeah, but for a lot of people that requires regressing your device back to old firmware, and that's a whole process -- Not to mention, I've accidentally updated before, it's not unheard of.
You're right, a hacked 3ds is generally better. But this is way more accessible, and just as fun (in my opinion)
@NoBody-qf5np Nintendo abandoned the 3ds so that isn't even an issue anymore. Even back then, nintendo only bricked devices that played games before their release date
for me, it is 3ds with Luma -> game NES, SNES, GB, GBA, NDS, 3ds without aditional hardware
I want a ringtone on my phone that goes
YAAAHUNNGRRYYYYYYYY
every time someone calls ...
Wouldn't that soundbite work better as a notification noise instead?
9:50 "shining light on it" .. people are silly. Do they really think its some big secret. Trust me , nintendo knows long before most people hear about this stuff
I think the reason why ds is really good is because nintendo made the controls feel well but also be in a cooler design and be more flashy flashy in design as well.
And because the cards actually had space.