QJ.net Reviews M3 DS Simply – R4’s Twin?

 

As promised, here’s an entirely different review for the M3 DS Simply than combining it with the R4 DS. I apologize for taking a long time to publish this review; however it is better late than never! These are in fact the same product, just different casing (sticker) and internal firmware. It all comes down to whether or not you like the R4’s logo over the M3 DS Simply logo and their respected internal firmware. The M3 DS Simply offers an excellent solution to current NDS owners looking for a flashcart to enter the “scene” with. Read the review after the jump!

Click on the “Full Article” link below to read the full review.

Vist: [Official Website]

Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]
Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (1GB MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]
Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (2GB MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]

Discuss: [Forum Discussion Topic]

 

As promised, here’s an entirely different review for the M3 DS Simply than combining it with the R4 DS. These are in fact the same product, just different casing (sticker) and internal firmware. It all comes down to whether or not you like the R4’s logo over the M3 DS Simply logo and their respected internal firmware. The M3 DS Simply offers an excellent solution to current NDS owners looking for a flashcart to enter the “scene” with. Read the review below –

—- Review —-

The M3 Lite and the R4, as you have read above, are part of a rare case of twins in the falshcart scene, however how do we tell who is the good and who is the evil twin? With an update just being released that keeps it up to date with the R4’s updates, the only thing it boils down to is your interface and logo preference and the availability of the product.

With M3 being a well-known name in the “scene”, many might go with this product as it comes from a long line of solid products from the team. However, the M3 team seems to have produced the R4 (obviously). The previous “perfect” product released from the M3 team was the M3 Lite as it was one of the only flush-fit DSL flashcarts (slot-2), and now they have done it again with a flush-fit slot-1 adapter!

The M3 DS Simply features the execution of NDS and multimedia files from a MicroSD memory card (which is used in most slim cell phones). With these cards ranging from 10$-40$ depending on their size, you can get a lot for your money with the M3 DS Simply and its low price point of 45$.

Since the M3 DS Simply is not restricted by internal memory capacities you can choose how much you want (memory) which will all come out to less than some of the leading competitors for that memory size. With the inclusion of a memory card reader in the package, there is no need to use or buy another adapter, saving you a few bucks as well.

The interface is a lot like the R4 DS (same layout and control scheme, just a different skin). However, you can not use an M3 skin and firmware files on the R4 or R4 skin and firmware on the M3 unless you do some hardware tweaking. With options of Game, Multimedia and Boot Slot-2 (boots the slot-2 flashcart if you have one), the user is left with little to choose from in terms of options and abilities. Multimedia has been fully transferred to Moonshell in the M3 DS Simply as opposed to the mix support from previous M3 devices.

With support for NDS games only, the M3 is a great device that will start you off easily with whatever you want to do. The click-and-drag functionality has become second-nature to slot-1 flashcarts at the moment, and the M3 works flawlessly as expected. I used a standard Kingston 512mb microSD card for this review and the transfer and read speeds were great with the memory card adapter and the M3 DS Simply itself. The NDS games have all worked perfectly, and all the homebrew games/apps that I had at my disposal worked as well!

This product is very simple and to the point with no needed/extra additives, however updates are coming out (newest one just a day ago) and are adding support for soft reset, brightness adjustment and other small but important features! This, just as the R4, is a product that I strongly recommend if you are planning to enter the “scene”!

Quick Information / Facts

Drag-and-Drop support

Frequent Updates

Multimedia Support

Skin Support

Cheap Price

Memory Card Expansion

Fast and Responsive Interface

High Build Quality

Overall (9.9/10) – I have decided not to give this a perfect score in relation with the R4’s perfect score for one simple reason, the updates for this product come out slightly after those of the R4 for some reason. However it is indeed one of the greatest flashcarts on the market and I recommend it to anyone who intends to join the “scene”.

Vist: [Official Website]

Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]
Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (1GB MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]
Buy: [M3 DS Simply Slot 1 (2GB MicroSD) for Nintendo DS (Lite)]

Discuss: [Forum Discussion Topic]