R4 DS Slot 1 – Homebrew Game Player for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite

There are numerous Nintendo DS slot 1 solutions on the market today. Two of the most notable are the R4 DS slot 1 solution and the M3 DS Simply. The favorite of the two seems to be the M3 DS Simply. Often out of stock at many online retailers. However, a little known fact could have you playing the game without worrying that the item is out of stock. I say this because my research has shown me (and confirmed by the manufacturers themselves) that the R4 DS and M3 DS Simply are virtually identical to each other in features and functions.

Both the M3 DS and the R4 DS Slot 1 solution are made by the same people, or at least the same factory. What this means for gamers and homebrew enthusiasts is that they can get their hands on the R4 DS and know that they will be getting the exact same product that they would get if they bought the M3 DS Simply from another store.

You see, the R4 DS and the M3 DS Simply are EXACTLY the same. The only difference between the two units is the packaging and the logo that is displayed on the main screen when you turn on your Nintendo DS or DS Lite. Functionality, features, even firmware upgrades and updates are released at the same time, and it seems that all features and functions in each update are identical to each other. Whether you get the M3 DS Simply or the R4 DS Slot 1 Solution, you basically get exactly the same things: everything you need to load games, homebrew, and apps is included in the box.

The R4 DS Slot 1 Solution Pack

It’s pretty much a dead giveaway here, except for the fact that the R4 DS comes in its own R4 DS box. But you will notice that once you open the box, the contents of the box are identical to the M3 DS Simply, you even get the same light blue keychain/case that comes with the M3 DS simply. You get everything you need, right out of the box. This includes the R4 DS slot 1 cartridge, a USB microSD reader/writer (and this actually allows you to use your microSD as a USB drive), as well as the keychain carrying case and software CD.

Setting up the R4 DS is easy

Setup is as simple as it gets. The included instruction manual (found on the same CD) details exactly what you need to do to get your R4 DS up and running. The first thing you’ll need to do is insert your microSD card (not included, but you can buy it anywhere) into the micrSD reader/writer and plug it into any free USB port on your computer. It will instantly appear as a portable drive / flash drive. Here, you can do one of two things. You can copy the software from the CD as instructed in the manual to the microSD card to put all the system files on it. However, I would recommend that you go to the R4 DS firmware page and download the latest drivers as they are often updated there.

Once you’ve copied your system files to the micro SD card, it’s time to load up the games and home apps you’d like to play. Again, this works exactly the same way with the M3 DS there is simply no difference between the two units. Simply copy and paste the desired files from your PC onto the microSD card. A simple drag and drop is all it takes. Games and home apps work without patches, fixes, or compression. They work as-is, right out of the box, so to speak.

Now that you’ve copied your system files and the files you’d like to use and play, it’s time to put your microSD card into the slot at the top of the R4 DS cartridge. The R4 DS cartridge is the same size as any standard Nintendo DS or DS Lite game cartridge, so it doesn’t bulge or stick out once it’s inserted into the cartridge slot on your NDS. The micro SD slot is located at the top of the R4 DS and is actually spring loaded. The microSD card is inserted into the slot with the SD label on the opposite side of the actual R4 DS cartridge label. You will hear a CLICK once you have inserted the microSD card into the slot, this is to let you know that it is in place and you are ready to power on your Nintendo DS system. The microSD card fits perfectly flush with the R4’s case.

Once you have powered on your Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS lite, the system files will load from the R4 DS cartridge, exactly the same way as when using the M3 DS Simply. The main menu takes about 2 seconds to appear, with the R4 DS logo on the top screen and the menu at the bottom. On the lower screen you can select one of the 3 options.

1. GAME MENU – When you select this menu, you will instantly access a list of all your game files, home apps, etc. that you have stored on your microSD card. You can use the NDS control panel to select the file you want to upload. If you are loading a game for the first time, you will be prompted after selecting the game to confirm that you want to create a save file for the game. This is necessary if you want to save your game. Game saves are stored on the same microSD card as the game files themselves; this is great if you want to delete those games later, to replace them with other files, as you can copy the saved game files back to your PC, for future use when you’re ready to continue playing that game again.

2. MEDIA MENU – When you select this second option, it will launch the media player / moonshell. Within this menu, you can view digital photos stored on the microSD card, listen to your favorite MP3 songs, watch movies you’ve converted from DVD with the included software, as well as read e-books in TXT format. Basically, this turns your Nintendo DS or DS Lite into a complete multimedia entertainment unit.

3. BOOT SLOT 2 – This menu option allows the R4 DS, like the M3 DS, to boot the GBA slot, or slot 2, on your Nintendo DS / DS Lite system. This is for those of us who also want to get our hands on a GBA Flash card and want to run GBA Homebrew games and applications as well as Nintendo DS. It also adds extra storage for NDS Homebrew, because you can actually use a GBA Flash card to boot NDS files, as long as you use R4 DS as a PASSME/PASCARD solution.

All in all, no matter which one you get, both the R4 DS Slot 1 Solution and the M3 DS Simply are great accessories for the Nintendo DS/DS Lite. Which one you get should just depend on which model is in stock. As stated earlier in this article, the two drives are identical in every way. The only difference is the box packaging and the logo that appears when you first start up your Nintendo DS system.