R4DS Review

Introduction


First off, before I start this review, I would like to thank NDSCard sale for the R4!


(Click image for link to site)

Hey everyone, today I am going to be reviewing the R4DS or Revolution 4 DS. When I first received the package, I was intrigued by how small the packaging was. It was small, just had a bit of space to put the logo R4 on it and fit the card. This suited me just perfectly because I do not like big extravagant packages all that much, anyways this is a 1:1 clone of the R4 and is able to run WoodR4 on it, and that is what I am going to use throughout this review, now let's get started!




Packaging


As I said in the introduction, the packaging was very small, a good size but does not show off too much, which is rather nice to see that some packages are less show and get you to concentrate on the main part of it, the flashcart itself. The package is plastic and has little clips at the top that holds the plastic together, it just takes a bit of a tug and then you can get to your R4, nice and easy.


Packaging is pretty small




The back of the package has a micro SD/Trans Flash for the PC, and behind that is the little piece of paper that shows the features of the R4. I don't really like this set up because it interrupts the view of the features, I had open the package and remove the paper just to read the features, but it still is good packaging, nothing could possibly be harmed inside it while it was being shipped, everything was nice and sturdy.


The back of the package



I give the packaging 9/10, it is good, but it is a bit small for my liking, I could just make out what the features were because the text was so small, and the T-flash reader was in the way, but overall it was good packaging, didn't have any troubles removing anything from it.




Build Quality


The build quality of the R4 is adequate, there are some flaws in the cartridge itself, mainly the bottom of the cart, a little piece is easy to move around and feels as if it could be easily broken off. The R4 is held together by adhesive and a screw at the back, so if you ever want to get to see the PCB of the R4, you would have to find a really small screwdriver and pry it apart, not the kind of thing I would want to do.


The screw at the back, and some plastic teeth on the sides



The Micro SD slot is not spring loaded and on the top. I like the design because it is easy to remove and I don't have to worry about the Micro SD launching across the room, which is good, but bad at the same time. The con to having a spring-less Micro SD slot means that I need a fingernail in order to grab the Micro SD. Along with the Micro SD slot being spring-less, it is not very flush with the card itself, the Micro SD sticks out the top a bit, but doesn't really interfere with anything, just a little speculation.


The Micro SD pops up just a little bit



The durablility of the card is great. The flashcart doesn't seem to have a flaw in it, except for the bottom piece which is easy to pull at, but aside from that it is wonderful. If I were to drop it from the height of my head to a concrete floor, I think it would not break, it would most likely scratch, but definitely not break.


When you insert the R4 into the ds, it is really easy to insert, like any other flashcart, but taking it out is a bit more difficult. The cart seems to catch on the two indents it has where you put your fingers to pull out of the DS, which is troublesome. In fact, the R4 has collected a few scratches on the sticker because it was stuck in the DS slot.


I give the build quality 8/10. Although the durability was excellent, the quality was kind of iffy. If it did not get stuck in the slot in my DS, it would be much better, but that is the only complaint for the build quality of the R4.




Software:


The software, WoodR4, is amazing! It is like the AKAIO menu, but for R4, it is really nice, and even has a file manager, unlike the SuperCard DS ONE and M3 DS Real. With WoodR4, you are able to delete, cut., paste, copy, show file info, change the User Inteface(UI), change the language, and even change the file types you see when you browse through the Micro SD.


Graphical User Interface:


The graphical user interface(GUI) is amazing. When you first boot up the R4, you are met with a menu with three options: SD, Slot2 Card, and Favorites. Micro SD goes to the SD card and you can browse through everything in it, Slot2 Card allows you to boot to whatever is in the GBA Slot, and Favorites shows what you have marked as a favorite, which is easier to browse games if you have a lot on your Micro SD card.


A little look at the main menu




When you go to wherever your games are in the R4, you have a choice of three different ways of showing the titles, you can switch these by pressing the Select button. The first way shows the image of the game, the name of it, and the company. The second way shows the title of the game that you named it when you placed it onto the Micro SD card, and the third way gives a list view with no images, but the names that you put it as, plus the file extension.


I give the GUI a solid 10/10 because it was nice to have a file browser that can cut, copy, paste, delete, and move. There really isn't anything wrong with it, to me, it's the perfect GUI, it would be hard to top this GUI.


Compatibility:


The compatibility of the R4 using WoodR4 is exactly the same of every modern cart today; basically everything works on it, but just for information purposes, here is a list of compatible games:


Super Mario 64 DS: works
Mario Kart DS: works
Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time: works
Tetris DS: works
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies: works
Tetris Party Deluxe: works


And now for a homebrew list of compatibility:


CLIRC: works
Lameboy: works
nesDS: works


I give the compatibility 10/10. Everything works fine, like every other flashcart, can't really complain.


I give the software a total of 8.5/10. All in all, the software is perfect, except it doesn't have a Real Time Menu or Real Time Save, which is kind of bad considering most flashcarts do, but other than that, the soft reset and cheats and everything is perfect!


Pros and Cons


Pros:
Compatibility
Multiple save slot support
Built-in file browser
Skinnable GUI


Cons:
No SDHC support
No DSi/XL support
No Real Time Menu or Real Time Save


Conclusion:


Packaging: 9/10
Build Quality: 8/10
Software: 8.5/10


Total: 8.5/10


In conclusion, the R4DS(using WoodR4) is a cost efficient flashcart. If you want to pay cheap, like around three to five dollars, it is definitely worth the few bucks. Even though it doesn't come with all the features more recent flashcarts do, like Real Time Save and a Real Time Menu, it is a perfect basic flashcart, for anyone who is purchasing their first flashcart.


Lastly, I would like to thank, once again NDSCardSale for giving me the opportunity to review this flashcart!


Demonstration video:


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iywbyyq3Bg[/youtube]
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iywbyyq3Bg