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Your Nintendo DS can do a lot of things out of the box. It can play DS games, as well as Game Boy Advance (GBA) games. It can download demos from download stations at places like Best Buy, and you can chat with friends in the same room. It can even play music, videos, display text files, and much more! But if you want to take full advantage of the DS, you may want to mod it. That’s where we come in! Read on to learn everything you need to know about modding a DS with an R4 flashcart.
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I make a R4 card?Abbey M.Community AnswerCreating one yourself is dangerous, as it may damage your DS/DS Lite. Save your money and buy one from Amazon.com or eBay instead.
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QuestionCan I do this on the D.S. with an R4?Community AnswerYes, you can. You may have to adjust the steps slightly, but you will be able to do it.
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QuestionHow likely is it that this will break my DS? I really want to, but I'm kind of scared.Liam DCommunity AnswerIf you get a good card, it should be fine. Since it works like a real card, it is highly unlikely that the DS will break.
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Tips
- Chinese language R4 cards are not compatible with the English language firmware. If you are getting an error message, make sure that you're using the correct firmware.Thanks
- There are thousands of homebrew and freeware games, applications and emulators for the R4 which enable you to play classic and retro games, as well as to watch movies, listen to music and turn your hand held system in to an eBook reader.Thanks
- "With great power, comes great responsibility." The R4 lets you play downloaded games. This does not mean you should stop buying them. Support the companies that entertain you, as you are able.Thanks
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Warnings
- Putting music and video on your Nintendo DS carries the same legal repercussions as putting music and video on your MP3 player or computer. Be aware of copyright status of all media before downloading or placing it onto your DS. Remember, only that which has been released to the public domain is legal to download/distribute freely.Thanks
- The same goes for DS games. While the R4 can play NDS ROMs, it is clearly illegal to do so unless you own the original game and ripped it yourself. Even then, the legality is unclear. To be safe, stick with homebrew software and multimedia you have the right to copy to devices.Thanks
- DO NOT remove the R4 from the DS, or the microSD card from the R4, while the DS is running. This includes sleep mode, so either open the DS or watch for the blinking light. If you took the card out while it was in sleep mode, you can't just put it back in. Shut it down. If you hadn't saved, consider progress lost.Thanks
- You may have heard of "bricking", or things that can irreparably damage your DS. The R4 does have the capability, technically, but the danger is largely overrated. Only two applications were created with the potential to do so, and it was apparently done as a proof-of-concept. Still, the potential is there, so only use homebrew from trusted sites.Thanks
- The R4 and homebrew scene is not perfect. Do not expect the same level of quality in DS homebrew as you find in DS games/programs authorized by Nintendo. Some have it, most do not. Sometimes something may go wrong, but all is not lost - just power off the DS and boot it back up.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite
- An R4 flashcart
- One or more microSD/Transflash memory cards
- A computer
- microSD/Transflash memory card reader
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