To Pokémon (Homebrewed Part 2)

I am loath to admit my fall for the children's marketing giant, Pokémon. I can't yet determine if this is an after Christmas gaming slump or if I really do like the game. In any case I have played about 10 hours of Pokémon Pearl and can't wait to play more. It is essentially a generic Japanese role playing game (JRPG if you will) of old, except your party is a bunch of pokémon in poké balls. Come across a wild pokémon or trainer and you battle out for cash and experience points.

This affection for "catchin 'em all" was driven by my new DS homebrew love. I have skipped playing Call of Duty 4 and World of Warcraft for going on three nights to play with and organize my applications, roms and music on my little friend. If this keeps up I will most likely ditch my DS fat for a lite. Even with the rumors of a smaller, brighter and more efficient DS on the way (DS lite lite?).

To follow up on my homebrew experience on Monday, I have knowledge and wisdom to share...

First, don't get a M3 Simply or a R4 Revolution, well that is a bit of an overstatement. They are perfect for running applications, roms and media, but there are better options. The M3 Real and the CycloDS Evolution have the same functionality, but support both micro SD and micro SDHC cards in larger formats. This means that in theory you could have up to 32 Gb of space (currently the biggest is 8Gb SDHC) to work with in your homebrew cart. The card I got (M3 simply) and the R4 have a max capacity of 2Gb. If you don't plan to get a 4Gb or 8Gb micro SD card (they get expensive) then any of them will work.

Second, follow a guide if there is one available. I was lost for must of my discovery before my purchase and the installation afterward. I have since come across some great guides on GBAtemp.net that would have been great for starting to understand the DS homebrew scene. Any information in the guides below should apply to most homebrew carts on the market.

- Sub Forums by product - discussion on each of the homebrew cart options.

- M3 Simply & R4DS Guide - if you recall they are the same hardware with different firmware.

- FAQ:R4DS and M3 Simply - Quick and useful FAQ.

- DLDI Guide - a bit more complex, but worth a look for application use (organizers, browsers, etc).

Third, shop around. I picked up my M3 Simply from Real Hot Stuff, but there are loads of online shops that sell them for varying prices and shipping charges. I was inpatient and bought my 2Gb micro SD from best buy for $34. A lot of the sites that sell homebrew carts, sell micro SD cards bundled or separately for a lot cheaper. You can go to a ton of other sites to find them as well. They are used in cameras and cell phones primarily so they are everywhere.

Site Watch
DS-Scene and GBAtemp are the two best DS homebrew news sites I have come across so far. I'd give the node to DS-Scene for application downloads (much better organized) and to GBAtemp for their forums (much more informative).