DS homebrew scene.

[M_the_C]

So...tempted...

Looks great, what is the best way to get a hold of one? Is there anyway to get it without importing?

[ed.kilverts]

A few questions from a technological simpleton:

The basics of it seem to be

a) get the kit you spoke about
b) download games, store them on the MicroSD (is that the little one thats in my phone btw?)
c) stick microSD into big SD, stick big SD into DS and away we go

is that how it works?

2nd bit,is it legal? I presume it is, as you talked about how it's different from the PSP which needs chipping. But downloading games - are there royalties to be paid? Or am I worrying too much?

Cheers for your patience!

[captainff]

Originally Posted by ed.kilverts

A few questions from a technological simpleton:

The basics of it seem to be

a) get the kit you spoke about
b) download games, store them on the MicroSD (is that the little one thats in my phone btw?)
c) stick microSD into big SD, stick big SD into DS and away we go

is that how it works?

2nd bit,is it legal? I presume it is, as you talked about how it's different from the PSP which needs chipping. But downloading games - are there royalties to be paid? Or am I worrying too much?

Cheers for your patience!

Order your R4 card .. .. .. it is exactly the same size as a standard DS game card. You also need to buy separately a micro SD card. My R4 came with a micro SD USB card reader, but you could also put the micro SD card into an adapter (usually an SD card adapter) and then into a card reader.

You use a PC / mac to transfer files (drag and drop) to the micro SD card then once you have the files you want on there you place the micro SD card into the R4 and then put that in your DS.

Is it legal? Yes it is. All of the homebrew software is available for free distribution by the authors so there are no issues with copyright or royalties.

The problem is when people distribute illegal copies of published games (roms) which can also be transferred to these cards... ... ... ... but the homebrew is all above board.

EDIT: World of sand is a simple concept but hours of fun!!

[Pvt. Michael J. Caboose]

Originally Posted by M_the_C

what is the best way to get a hold of one? Is there anyway to get it without importing?

There sure is! Like Amazon.co.uk for instance

If you but the MicroSD card seperate ya might save a couple of quid, but it'll basically be about £35-£40 I think

[captainff]

Originally Posted by Pvt. Michael J. Caboose

There sure is! Like Amazon.co.uk for instance

If you but the MicroSD card seperate ya might save a couple of quid, but it'll basically be about £35-£40 I think

I got mine through Amazon Marketplace from techexplosion .. .. .. .. good service, took about 6 days from order to receiving the R4ds .. .. .. the micro SD card still hasn't come from the other seller .. .. .. email time I think .. .. ..

You don't get any type of micro SD with the R4 so you do need to pick one up .. .. .. Currys sell them at 1GB for about £15 and 2GB for £19

[Pvt. Michael J. Caboose]

Originally Posted by captainff

You don't get any type of micro SD with the R4 so you do need to pick one up .. .. .. Currys sell them at 1GB for about £15 and 2GB for £19

Nah, get that from Amazon too! 2Gb for £1.79 plus P&P!!

Edit: Meant to say, some people on Amazon do sell R4's with MicroSD cards, but it can still be cheaper to buy them seperately sometimes.

[M_the_C]

On Amazon, why are Techsplosion the default? I thought when Amazon don't sell the product, only market place sellers, that the cheapest price was suggested.

Some of the other sellers have got good feedback, and are cheaper at £25 + p&p.

Is it too much of a risk?

Also, that £1.79 for 2GB is a good deal, but you can also get the same card for only £1 more from DVD.co.uk and Play.com. If people would prefer buying from somewhere more reliable.
I still can't quite bring myself to trust Amazon Market Place.

[Pvt. Michael J. Caboose]

Originally Posted by M_the_C

I still can't quite bring myself to trust Amazon Market Place.

It is rather "eBay" isn't it But then PlayTrade can be too it seems..

[Gaffer]

Can I just confirm the following please:

1) Homebrew games and apps are open source and freely distributed (and thus entirely legal to use and own).

2) Games stored on the card as downloaded roms are LEGAL if you physically own the actual cart anyway (so if you have 20 physically owned games, rather than carry 20 carts around, you can store all 20 on your R4).....BUT it is ILLEGAL to download and use roms of games that you do not physically own (as mentioned in the OP).
Generally speaking, on a forum I assume that most questions about roms (no matter HOW MUCH someone insists that they own the games anyway ) is usually a round about way of them trying to discuss illegal piracy of games they don't really own.
So I think that we should assume all "game rom" talk can be used in piracy and therefore we should not really discuss it here .



Moving on to R4 shop stocks, the best place to get them from (I have bought about 4 for various rellies and friends) is from Dealextreme.com. They used to be a standalone company but they have since set up a sister site called Volumerate.com that deals mainly with retail outlets.
When you click on an R4/bundle, you're directed to the sister site (volumerate) where you simply specify 1 unit (as opposed to the 10 or 100 that shops will request).

They do bundles of 2Gb microSD cards (Sandisk or Kingston) with the R4 pack for a total of £30-35 ish all-in (depends on the dollar exchange rate on the day), and they are a US company but they ship from HK so it takes 5-10 days to arrive.

Every time I've used them I've had great service and am yet to find a cheaper UK alternative.


P.S. My biggest complaint about Amazon is that the marketplace sellers usually advertise low prices of £1-£2 but it's when you go to buy that you're informed that postage rates are £7-£10 . I HATE it when they do this.
I really wish Amazon had a search filter that allowed you to ONLY look for genuine "sold by Amazon UK" stuff .......if I wanted extortionate shipping fees I'd go to Ebay .

[M_the_C]

Originally Posted by Gaffer

I really wish Amazon had a search filter that allowed you to ONLY look for genuine "sold by Amazon UK" stuff

That also annoys me, especially when you are trying to find a cheap item to make-up the £15 free delivery.

I shall have to have another look into Dealextreme, last time I checked they were out of stock due to supply problems.