DS flashcards Explained.

What is a flashcard ?

Nintendo Ds Flashcards have been around since the GBA . Flashcards where developed for the original Gameboy  Boy Advance and have also been developed for all the Gameboy’s successors. There are a huge variety of flashcards for DS, all modern flashcards allow for backup games and homebrew software to be played on the Nintendo Ds.

The different varieties of DS flashcards means that finding information an comparing them can be quite time consuming , finding out which is the right Flashcard for you may have many factors such as price, functionality and size. This guide will serve to help you make a more informed decision on which DS flashcards are the bess for you.

Due to the amount of flashcards on the market today means that we here at Modsandhacks will only be comparing the most popular and what we consider to be the best of the DS flashcards.

Before we talk about the features of our rated flashcards you should probably know a few things about how flash cards work and what features are available. the nature of flashcards makes it possible to boot unsigned code from your Nintendo DS.

first generation flashcards came in the form of GBA SLOT-2 cartridge, this would be plugged into the Ds Slot 2 as it is compatible with with GBA cartridges. SLOT-1 devices made an introduction in 2007 and have been in rapid developement since then.

There are two types of Flashcards:

	DS SLOT-1 Flash Cards	DS SLOT-1 SD / TF/ Adapters
	This is a complete solution where memory and all flashcard functionality are packed into an all in one DS SLOT-1 Flashcard. This does not need a Passkey to run. However DS SLOT-1 has no way to run GBA Roms, unlike SLOT-2 Flashcards. SLOT-1 Flashcards are the easiest to use and to configure. These cards are a good choice for the novice hacker.	These are just like SLOT-1 flashcards, where the major difference is that these cards have no internal memory. Memory can be added to the flashcard by inserting either SD or TransFlash memory stick, where Roms can be stored on.

	DS SLOT-2 (GBA) Flash Cards	DS SLOT-2 SD / TF /CF Adapters	PassCard / PassKey
	These can come in the form of a GBA cartridge or like a DS Lite Dust cover. It has intergrated re-writable memory which is used to store backup files such as  DSRoms, GBA Roms and all DS Homebrew.	These are similar to DS SLOT-2 (GBA) Flash Cards, except these cards have no internal memory. Memory can be added by inserting a SD,microDS,TF or FC memory card. This allows for upgradable memory or even multiple uses of memory cards.	A PassKey is used to allow the DS to boot and run unsigned code form the GBA SLOT-2 on the DS. A Passkey is a requirement if using a SLOT-2 Flashcard. With out this Roms and Homebrew will not run. Flashcard sellers will often supply a PassKey with SLOT-2 flashcards.

Ok so now you understand the difference between SLOT-1 and SLOT-2 Ds Flashcards you can make a better descision on what kind of card will be suitable for you.

To Summarise:

If you dont want to use a seperate PassKey and prefer easy funtion with an easy setup and intall as an all in one solution, its a good idea to go with a SLOT-1 Flashcard,.DS SLOT-1 SD/TF adapter are also a good idea if you want upgradable and mulitple memory sources. Remember SLOT-1 Flashcards can NOT play GameBoy Advanced roms.

If you would like to run GBA Roms and run most of the Homebrew available on DS, I suggest that you use SLOT-2 Flashcards. Remember  SLOT-2 Falshcards REQUIRES a PassKey in order to Play backup games

What about DSi?

Not all Flashcards work with all models of the DS. For example  some first generation DS Flashcards will not work with the DS Lite or DSi. When purchasing a Flashcard you will need to take note of what DS models it is comaptible with.  Some of the newer Flashcards support all models of the NDS. There are certain Flashcards that have been made specifically to work the the Nintend DSi. The chart below show a list of DS flashcards along with the Flashcard compatibility. Here are a List of Popular Flashcards available on the market today:

For a comparison chart of  Individual flashcard Features

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