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Hi everyone,
As some of you probably noticed, the payment options changed on NDS-Gear last night, and will be like this for about a week. We have an exciting announcement to make – we’ll be getting a brand-spanking-new website that will make it much easier for you to find the information you need and the cards you want. It will look snazzier and hopefully be more useful as well! The layout of our blog we intend to keep the same – we did all of this ourselves and figured we’d keep a bit of an ‘organic’ feel to it. 
We’re also switching our payment provider with the new website which is why this week we’re ‘learning the ropes’ and replacing our normal buttons with the new one. You see, we’ve had some problems with PayPal in the past – most notably the fact that tracking numbers don’t always register to our orders. And because PayPal is now a company owned by eBay (think big and multinational), they don’t have the time to address individual concerns from their customers. We’ve gotten sick of this as of late (our customers deserve better, to be honest!) and are migrating away from PayPal. They might be big and well known, but they are definitely not the best. Actually, sounds a bit like us – small, but personalised.  So we’re switching to a new provider, AlertPay, who have much better reviews and listen to our suggestions when we tell them what our customers want. Hopefully you’ll like them as much as we do!
A small proportion of our customers who use debit cards that don’t have a Visa/Mastercard logo (old NatWest card holders come to mind, as normal HBOS / HSBC debit cards are now Visa for example) may not be able to purchase cards from us at the moment unless they use a credit card – so apologies for this, we’ll see if we can’t integrate this in the future but need to chat to AlertPay about it. Otherwise, the new system is more secure, better managed, and will be MUCH better when the new website comes out!
We’ll be able to give you discount codes (follow us on Twitter!), include batch-discounts, and have one-page-card payment instead of needing to sign up for an account (To our knowledge you won’t even need an AlertPay account, we’ve got custom programmers working on that part for us)! It will be great, and we look forward to hearing your feedback.
Don’t forget – we read EVERY E-MAIL SENT TO US and your feedback is what makes us better. Do you think there’s something we can improve on? Tell us – we’re not psychic! And we PROMISE to act.
Finally, shipping has been reduced from 3.50 to 3.00 until the new website comes out, as a way of saying “Thanks for being patient!”
Over and out,
The NDS-Gear Team
M3i Zero Review
Much is written about these products on the official website and other sources – NDS-Gear are here to give a plain, short, simple review in layman’s terms! Of course, the original feature list can still be found below our own review.
The M3i Zero follows the highly successful M3 DS Real and M3 DS Simply cards originally developed for the Nintendo DS and DS Lite. At first glance, the M3i Zero appears to simply be a DSi / DSi XL / DSi LL compatible version of the original, but this could not be further from the truth. It appears that a lot of work has gone into this card, along with a few new innovations, that make it a serious contender for the best DSi-compatible product NDS-Gear sells.
First of all, you will notice the package comes with an interesting little cable. Currently (as of Jan/2010) the only card to do this, the M3i Zero comes ready with a cable that plugs from your computer directly into the card itself! This will be used in the future in case any flashing of the firmware (like when Nintendo released the 1.4 firmware update for the DSi) is required. Naturally, all cards bought from NDS-Gear are already pre-flashed, so you don’t need to do anything – but having the cable is nonetheless useful for M3i Zero users in case it’s required in the future!
Another innovation unveiled by the M3i team is the software the card uses. Named Sakura, the M3i firmware was jointly developed by the creators of Moonshell! The code is extremely solid and well written, and even supports smooth scrolling (previously unheard of on Nintendo DS and DSi cards). For this reason, we are confident that future updates from the M3i Zero team will not only be prompt but also effective.
The M3i Zero was easily the best Nintendo DS / DSi card available at the time of its release. Its main contender is the iEDGE DS which was released in January of 2010.
The M3i Zero can accept up to 32GB Micro-SDHC cards, and is, of course, compatible with the DSi as well as the DS and DS Lite!
Official M3i Zero Technical Features List
- Compatible with DS , DSL & DSi .
- 100% game compatibility .
- Supports Real Time Save function . (Save & Restore anytime, anywhere.)
- Supports Multi-Language System (English,French , Germany , Italian , Spain , Portuguese, Dutch, Korea & Thai Language .)
- Continue to update & frequency enhance software/ firmware.
- Support micro SDHC (capacity over 4GB, 8GB ,16GB & 32GB �)
- Extreme simple to use, just plug & Play .
- Super Cheat Function
- Fully AR Cheat Code Compatible engine .
- Support reading individual cheat code file too. (xml, cht, dht, dat-R4 format)
- Supports software rest function .
- Support slow motion feature .
- Automatically detect and generate game save file .
- Excellent homebrew support ,DLDI auto-patcher
- Robust & skinnable GUI
- Build in PassMe .
- Intergraded least Moonshell 2.0 version .
- Supports download play .
- Supports rumble pack , GBA expansion pack & DS Browser .
- Supports 4-scale-lightness adjustment .
Exciting news for yourselves and for us – the wait for the iEDGE is almost over! The EDGE DS team have confirmed release of the card, and we are in the process of testing and reviewing the card (maximum 1 more week!) and will be unveiling it shortly. Expect an e-mail with review and announcement soon!
The EDGE DS card was always touted by us as the best DS card ever to exist – and sadly they are no longer in production. However, you will soon be able to witness first hand the reason why! And don’t worry – in the mean time, rest assured that we still test every single card that we send out, and have full faith in our DS / DS Lite lineup on the website!
Please stay tuned for more news as it arrives. We’ll keep you all informed! In the mean time, please sit tight for a few days – remember, we are the only place that tests every card individually and we will do a full review of the card before offering it for sale. Naturally, you’ll all be the first to read it!
Happy DSing,
The NDS-Gear Team
Dear all,
It looks like the last few batches of EZ FLash Vi seems to be experiencing some compatibility issues with Kingston 8GB Micro SDHC and above, especially those that are made in Taiwan. We traditionally import only the highest quality cards, which is why we’ve actually been using Kingston, but the EZFlash Vi in particular has developed some small problems with larger versions of these Micro-SDHC cards.
This is most likely a software issue which the EZ FLash Vi team has not solved yet as it only affects EZ FLash Vi with the latest core/firmware.
For the EZ FLash Vi, we have decided to switch to SanDisk which seems to be working fine with the EZ FLash Vi. The switch will be for the 4GB, 8GB and 16GB micro SDHC. Customers may carry on shopping as normal. When the problem is fixed, we’ll let you know! Happy DSing,
NDS-Gear Team
Nintendo has recently announced their new DSi XL console. A brand new DSi for the Japanese market, they have done away with the portability of the old DS Lite and DSi and instead focused on, perhaps, older visually impaired users or game players with larger hands.
 The DSi XL, which will be called the DSi LL in Japan, will be almost an inch wider than the existing DSi. Each screen will get boosted to a much larger 4.25 inches (currently, the DSi has 3.25 inch screens and the DSi has 3 inch screens), which makes the amount of screen real estate about 93% more than the DS Lite. Battery life will remain somewhat the same as that of the DSi, with the console being able to last 4-5 hours on maximum brightness and 13-14 hours on the minimum.
As you can see from the image, two styles of stylus will be available with the new DSi XL. The larger, new style stylus looks much like a pen, while the traditional stylus stays much the same.
With the exception of size, however, the new DSi XL is unlikely to have any improvements over the existing DSi. No prices have been set yet for European or American release.
As big fans of football ourselves, we were always looking forward to getting our hands on the much anticipated FIFA 10 for the Nintendo DS. After waiting since early 2009 for Konami’s Q1 2009 release date that never arrived, we have been reduced to watching real football in the mean time! However, it finally hit the shelves in October, and we have taken it for a very exciting test drive.
Featuring the unmistakable Shrek Wayne Rooney on its front cover, this has been the most anticipated football game since PES 2008, which had rather poor visuals to back up what was otherwise a game with good gameplay. On the Nintendo DS, it will always be difficult to strike a balance, with FIFA traditionally going for nicer camera angles but gameplay that is somewhat less engaging.
Some of the gameplay problems associated with the old FIFA 08 we were hoping were now fixed, to make this game a truly immersive one. Imagine our surprise and shock when we found out that this was not the case at all!
We regret to inform that FIFA 10, on the surface, does not seem to be much more than a clone of FIFA 08. It must be said that this is not the case with the game on any other consoles; indeed, the X-Box versions of both games seem to feature fantastic AI and lots of improvements between the two versions. However, this is not reflected one iota in the DS version of the game, which is a real shame.
The visuals look somewhat better on our new DSi with a larger screen, but this is largely due to the console rather than the game itself. Graphics do not seem to have improved apart from a few new weather scenarios, which don’t tend to be concentrated upon much when you are busy playing the actual game. The replay system is almost identical, while bugs from FIFA 08 (Goals from free kicks, for example, do not warrant a replay no matter now spectacular) were still there.
There were minimal changes to the gameplay itself – most notably an attempt to make 1-2 passing more interesting by choosing how long the second player will hold on to the ball before passing back to you. Unfortunately, while an entertaining idea, this was a complete flop. By choosing to pass with a 1-2, choosing the timing has now eliminated the “quick 1-2″ that we are used to seeing from FIFA 08. This means that any time a player wants to play a 1-2, it feels like an eternity before the ball can be returned. No strategic long 1-2’s are possible either – you are unable to control the second player, who is almost certainly going to be tackled within three seconds of receiving the ball.
We looked towards the Manager Mode in the hopes that other bugs have been fixed – and alas, we were met with the same result. Players given yellow cards in career mode, for example, NEVER have them disappear – so if you receive another yellow card ten games later, you are automatically suspended from the next game, regardless of which competition you are in. The system is quite simply broken and needs a major overhaul if FIFA wants to keep any of its handheld-console market share in the future.
All in all, we have to admit – FIFA is still a fun game to play. However, with the exception of new members of teams, NOTHING of value has been added to FIFA 10, which is essentially still the old (buggy) game. Considering what a fine job that Konami did with FIFA on other consoles, we really do have to wonder why they’ve put zero effort into their contribution to the DS. Highly disappointing.
The NDS-Gear Verdict: An entertaining game, but don’t buy. Let’s see if Pro Evo can do better.
Breaking news! As I’m sure some of you have noticed, we have labelled the EDGE DS on the website as having Limited Stock at the moment. This situation appears to be permanent, and after selling out our last 50 or so EDGE DS cards, they will be permanently discontinued!
This is particularly sad because the EDGE DS is without a doubt the most reliable DS card we’ve ever laid our hands on. It’s had the best packaging, is the most reliable card, and has genuinely been a joy to work with.
 EDGE DS Card The good news, however, is that within a month, a new DSi-compatible card will be released from the EDGE DS team! We are anxiously awaiting the new arrival of these cards and will inform you the moment they arrive.
Dear All,
We will be away from the 1st to the 6th October 2009 due to the National Day celebrations starting on the 1st of October. Any orders placed before 12.00 noon on the 30th September 2009 will be sent out on the day. Orders placed after 12.00 noon on the 30th September 2009 will be send out on the 7 th of October 2009.
If you need to buy DS/DSi Cards urgently, please do so as early as possible.
Thanks in advance, and happy DSing!
The NDS-Gear Team
Most DS and DSi card owners today have it good. Back in the good old days, operating a DS card (or shall i say a GBA card) was really troublesome and setting them up was an even bigger nightmare. The old style GBA card was really difficult to use.
This all changed with the invention of new slot-1 DS cards. I remember getting the R4DS… and it blew our mind away. It was simple to use, super fun and we didn’t have to carry a case of cards everywhere. Its the first DS card that I fell in love with and I still love it to bits. I then started buying it for eveyone of my friends and family who have a DS and after a while, I began selling them too. My relationship with the R4DS has gradually deepened.
For almost a 2 year period, I have swore by the R4DS and proclaim it to be the best card in the world. However all good things must come to an end and the once mighty has fallen.
All good things must come to an end, and with newer and better DS cards coming out like the EDGE DS card, the R4v2 is fast becoming obselete and the once ‘best card in the world’ has become nothing more than a cheap alternative to more expensive, better cards.
With the recent reduction in price of the DSTT and R4 SDHC due to the release of new DSi cards, we have decided to discontinue the sale of the R4v2. The R4v2 has served us well in the last few years and has laid the foundation and standard by which all future DS card are measured.
 Shows the R4v2 card and packaging
Good news people,
It looks like the Acekard 2i have also come up with a fix for the 1.4 firmware problem. All Acekard 2i cards bought from NDS-Gear will now be updated with the fix. Our customers will not have to do any manual fiddling themselves; both cards will work out of the box!
Acekard 2i has now joined EZ Flash Vi as the only updatable cards that have fixed the 1.4 DSi firmware to date. We will be interested to see how other cards fare in the near future.
In other news, due to the very sharp increase in demand for the EZ Flash Vi and Acekard 2i, we are currently very low on stock so there might be a 2-3 days delay for orders within the next few days. We’re keeping on top of it right now, though, and we’ll do our very best!
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