Does an EZ-Flash 3-in-1 work in a GBA?

[Jorpho]

Query: If I were to a Nintendo DS to load a GB or GBC game into an EZ-Flash 3-in-1, could I then plug the EZ-Flash into a GBA and play the game that way? Or would that only work for GBA games? Or is the EZ-Flash V completely useless without a DS?

(I suppose it might be easier just to play the game on the NDS using Lameboy, but I understand Lameboy isn't perfect yet.)

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

I think you mean the EZ-Flash 3-in-1. The EZ-Flash V is a slot-1 card and so wouldn't be able to interace with a GBA at all.

The EZ-Flash 3-in-1 has two kinds of memory, PSRAM and NOR. Usually, you'll use PSRAM because it's much faster to write to, but that gets lost when the power is shut off, so there would be no way to write a game using the DS and then transfer the card to a GBA without losing the contents of the PSRAM. The NOR memory is persistent, though, and writing a GBA game to it would indeed allow you to play that game on a real GBA (assuming you have a 3-in-1 cart that fits int your GBA, most are DS Lite sized, though they do make original GBA sized ones as well).

To play original GB or GBC games, you would need an additional component called the GB Bridge that goes between the flash cart and your GBA. Those are getting pretty hard to find, though. I'm not 100% positive that the 3-in-1 would be compatible with GB games even with the Bridge, either. I think it would, though, since the NOR part of the 3-in-1 is functionally exactly like the older GBA flash carts before ones like the Supercard started coming out with removeable memory.

If you want to use it in a GBA, though, I think you're better off getting a dedicated GBA flash cart. The EZ-Flash IV is a good one that's pretty cheap.


...word is bondage...

[Jorpho]

Very informative, thank you.

I think you mean the EZ-Flash 3-in-1. The EZ-Flash V is a slot-1 card and so wouldn't be able to interace with a GBA at all.

Well, it says "EZ-Flash V" on the label anyway, so that's what I assumed. Thread title edited.

(assuming you have a 3-in-1 cart that fits int your GBA, most are DS Lite sized, though they do make original GBA sized ones as well).

Wait, why wouldn't it fit? Because of the little plastic tab on the side? (Because that could just be snapped right off, right?)

To play original GB or GBC games, you would need an additional component called the GB Bridge that goes between the flash cart and your GBA.

I see. But if it goes between the flash cart and the GBA, then a cart that normally wouldn't fit could then be used, right? And what's this?

It also suddenly occurs to me that running Goomba from the EZ-Flash would also be much easier. (Goomba works pretty well, right?)

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Very informative, thank you.
Wait, why wouldn't it fit? Because of the little plastic tab on the side? (Because that could just be snapped right off, right?)

Okay, but then how are you going to get it back out once it's in?

And what's this?

Hah! That's funny if it's true. I really don't know.

It also suddenly occurs to me that running Goomba from the EZ-Flash would also be much easier. (Goomba works pretty well, right?)

Yes, Goomba is quite good. Not really much better than Lameboy, though. I'd say the two are about dead even in terms of compatibility. Though I haven't tested lots of games in either. Neither is especially reliable for GBC games, though, I don't think.


...word is bondage...

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Sounds like you might not be able to do what you'd like to do with that Easy Flash card.

I have one of these. It has built in compatability for GBA, GBC, GB, NES, PC Engine and Sega Master System games (as well as e-books, MP3s and GBA formatted video files) and it works on a DS, GBA, and GBA SP just fine.

The overall speed and quality of emulation is spotty in places (some slowdown in games that use a lot of RAM) but on the software that works well, it's usally 100% perfect (I'd estimate about 75% of the GBA catalog runs perfectly).

With a 2 Gig SD Mini card, I can fit about 75 GBA games, 100 GB games and the entire US NES catalog!

Main product page

http://eng.supercard.cn/products.htm

What I have: http://eng.supercard.cn/manual/mini_sd.htm

You can get just about any of those on www.dealextreme.com at a good price and free shipping.

[Jorpho]

I have one of these. It has built in compatability for GBA, GBC, GB, NES, PC Engine and Sega Master System games

You know, it probably uses exactly the same emulators that are freely available everywhere else.

Aside from the fact that the one you linked to doesn't have the rumble pack or DS ram expansion, I didn't particularly want to get a second MicroSD card (though I suppose they're getting dirt cheap these days).

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

You know, it probably uses exactly the same emulators that are freely available everywhere else.

Aside from the fact that the one you linked to doesn't have the rumble pack or DS ram expansion, I didn't particularly want to get a second MicroSD card (though I suppose they're getting dirt cheap these days).

Yeah, I hear ya. My version doesn't have any bells and whistles ... but they do have the 3-in-1 RUMBLE/RAM/ROM variety on the main product page that uses Micro and Mini SD instead of pass-me transfer, Micro and Mini SD is totally dirt cheap. You can get a 2Gig stick for less than $10 at most well priced electronics outlets.

[Jorpho]

I never did get to the bottom of this. I did find this post elsewhere that suggests a GB Bridge's functionality is limited (not that I can really see where you can buy one).

Also, a GBA-sized EZ-Flash 3-in-1 did turn up on DealExtreme recently, but that's a bit late for me now.

[Ze_ro]

I have a CycloDS that I use with an EZ-Flash 3-in-1... If I'm not mistaken, what you want to do is use the DS flash card to upload a ROM to the 3-in-1, and then plug that into a GBA, right? It doesn't work like that though. The memory in the 3-in-1 is not battery backed, so any data is lost as soon as you turn the power off. If you try to boot a GBA with the 3-in-1 in the cartridge slot, it just sits at the "GameBoy" splash screen and never loads anything.

--Zero

[Jorpho]

I have a CycloDS that I use with an EZ-Flash 3-in-1... If I'm not mistaken, what you want to do is use the DS flash card to upload a ROM to the 3-in-1, and then plug that into a GBA, right? It doesn't work like that though. The memory in the 3-in-1 is not battery backed, so any data is lost as soon as you turn the power off. If you try to boot a GBA with the 3-in-1 in the cartridge slot, it just sits at the "GameBoy" splash screen and never loads anything.

I think what Mr. Sweaterfish said previously about using the EZFlash NOR RAM (which is persistent) is in fact accurate.

[Ze_ro]

Ah, okay, I didn't see that part. I didn't even realize there was an option when uploading games to the device... The CycloDS doesn't seem to give you any such choice.

--Zero

[never-give-up]

I just ordered an EZ-Flash 3-in-1, do I have to get one flashcart to make it work?

[Jorpho]

Yes, the EZ-Flash 3-in-1 is useless without a DS flash cart.

(For the record, I have an EZ-Flash IV now and I'm quite content with it.)