M3i Sakura M3i Zero Sakura M3i Adapter for DSI

DS Compatibility :

works on any DS.

Features : 

M3i Zero Kernel Update,support NDS mode of 3DS! M3i Zero support DSi V1.41 firmware with new F_core file.Download F_core V1.61 here! (2010.09.21),Newest M3i Zero arrived at Cool2deal ,m3i zero sakura full in stock nowadays,Buy m3i zero sakura from cool2deal with official price now!

Finaly, the M3i Zero by M3 team released.This can't be a news cause everyone knows the m3 team will move on to DSi card.Cool2deal has been asked why the M3i is so delayed,the only reason is that M3 team don't want their product to be a Rush one.And now we got the answer the M3i Zero will be a all upgradable dsi flashcard with the constantly support from M3 team,powerful ever.

Not surprisely,Cool2deal will be the first few sites to have m3i zero in stock and we promised you to have the world-first batch m3i zero like before.Get it with confidence.

-Unique technique, from Zero to Infinity ('0 '-> '∞ ')
1) upgradable "Boot Flash data"
2) upgradable "Kernel"
3) upgradable "Firmware"

(Maximize the ability to cope with the new DSi and coming game protection.)

M3 product does not contain any copyright data or firmware program, though users may upgrade the software to make M3i Zero become the most powerful flash cart.(Means your country's custom have nothing to do with the card!!!)

Features of M3i Zero :  
 
-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 

Upgradable and Unbeatable

The M3 Team began toting this DSi product during the summer as the end-all be-all cartridge for DSi owners. It features upgradable system software (like any other cartridge), along with a separate flashing cable for upgrading the cartridges firmware. So, if Nintendo releases a DSi update that blocks flash cartridges (like 1.4), you will be able to upgrade your M3i Zero, without the use of a DS, to defeat that change.

The M3 team also hyped up the M3i Zero as a “new” flash cartridge, from top to bottom. They slapped the M3 Sakura logo on the box, and seriously seemed to market it as something entirely different. This was the M3 that was to be designed specifically for the DSi. As you will find out, that was a bunch of horse dung.

Packaging/Presentation

Before slagging the product entirely, I must give M3 props on their presentation. The box features a great design, and the packaging is really well done. There’s a blue cartridge case, a wrist strap, a MicroSD USB 2.0 reader, the Firmware Flashing Cable, and – naturally – the M3i Zero in the box.

The Cartridge

There’s not much to say regarding size of these Slot-1 carts anymore. They all fit snug into a DS without any protrusion. The MicroSD slot is on the side, and is spring-loaded, which I still enjoy on my cartridges. The build quality is good all-around, though I still miss the “slats” over the PCB at the bottom of the cartridge.

The System

Did you know you have to flash the M3i Zero with firmware in order to begin using it at all? As in, it’s a complete useless piece of plastic without even a bootloader when it arrives? Did you also know there’s no instruction sheet for where/how to obtain/flash said firmware?

Considering I received my unit before its official street date, I had to google and forum search for about 15 minutes or more just to find someone who put the bootloader firmware on a Rapidshare site. I then found a website that sells the M3i Zero that had a PDF about how to flash the bootloader to the M3i Zero. So far, not so good.

Okay, so I got the firmware and the guide and began the procedure. Step 1, put firmware files on a MicroSD using the USB 2.0 adapter. Step 2, hook up the included Firmware Flashing Cable to the M3i Zero and plug it into the PC. Step 3, LED light begins flashing.

Side Note: I really did think that the LED inside the M3i Zero was a nice touch. I had no clue it was there until this procedure began and definitely thought it upped the “presentation” a bit. Too bad it really only needs to be used to flash the firmware which, to date, has only been required twice.

So, with the bootloader flashed, my DSi was happily seeing an M3i Zero in its main menu. Of course, I couldn’t load it, as I didn’t have the system software (menu/interface). I hunted furiously for “M3i Zero System Software” on Google. I was sent to many a website containing the M3 Real/G6 Real system software. I kept repeating to myself, “This is a brand new card; it doesn’t use the M3 Real software”. How wrong I was.

Repackaged with DSi Support

The M3i Zero is nothing but an M3 Real DS with DSi support. Believe me, with the disappoint I was facing once I realized the repackaging bait-and-switch, I was contemplating doing this for this review. The bottom line is, I am asking you to please read that review of the G6 Real DS, and then come on back here. I will be pointing out the differences from here on out.

It’s 95% G6 Real DS, 5% Updated G6 Real DS Software. Since that initial review, the G6/M3 team has updated the Save File extensions to be the preferred “.sav” extension, and added in Real Time Saving. Cheat support is identical (and still just as slow), the GUI is just as unresponsive and bloated, and skins are still few and far between. I will actually take from the G6 Real DS Usage section and put it below, if only to explain the clunkiness.

The GUI

Startup from DSi Menu to M3i Zero GUI takes over 15 seconds. That’s not very good. However, startup time aside, the M3i Zero interface fully supports the touch-screen, along with the control pad. You’re presented with 6 options at the main menu: Game, MyCard, Boot, Media, PDA, and Setting.

The “Game” menu loads whatever is in the “NDS” directory, and is the meat-and-potatoes of the M3i Zero. The “MyCard” menu is a file browser, and is what is currently used for launching homebrew. “Boot” is used for launching Slot-2 cards (No use on DSi), with NDS or GBA options. “Media” launches a modified Moonshell. “PDA” launches a PDA application, which you have to download separately from the M3 off-site download site. The “Setting” menu contains two options: “BootIcon” and “Skin”. “Skin” obviously lets you select different skins, and the BootIcon is for those with unflashed DS units (remember, this is still compatible with the regular DS/DSLite units). Setting this option to “Yes” will make you go to the NDS startup menu each time you turn the machine on. Setting this to “No” will start the M3i Zero automatically, and even automatically bypass the Nintendo Health and Safety warning after 1 second. Neat.

The Game menu contains all the options for running NDS Roms, including cheats, slow motion, Download Play, Real Time Save, and In-Game Reset settings.

Real Time Saving
While it’s a feature many desire, I still do not see the need for Real Time Saving (RTS) on a portable unit. It’s still too slow to be “split-second” (takes about 4 seconds for saving, 4 for loading), and the majority of DS games are programmed with the idea that you’ll be stopping/starting at any time. While it may be good for those RPGs where you’re about to take on a big boss, or Pokemon games where you’re hunting for just 1 rodent, it’s not that great for games where you have to make a jump or dodge a bullet.

Plus, sometimes your saves will restore with crackling sound or broken graphics. This affects the majority of cards with RTS, so I can’t totally slam M3 for it.

ROM Compatibility

Everything seems to be working. If there are incompatible games, the M3 teams claims they are “focused” on releasing updates as soon as possible. Time will tell on that claim.

Download Play
The Download Play option, available in each game’s settings menu, will disable all patches and launch a game with as “true” a header as possible. Is it 100% compatible? No idea. But it did work for what I threw at it.

Homebrew Compatibility
DLDI. It works.

Upgradable

This is the main selling point of the M3i Zero. The team boasted and boasted how they would promptly be able to defeat any Nintendo Protection. The M3i Zero is 100% “Future Proof”, according to their site.

People on forums talked up this feature, saying it would be their main reason for purchasing the card. As of its release, Nintendo had yet to perform any DSi Updates that could verify M3’s claims. However, less than a month after the M3i Zero’s release, Nintendo released Firmware 1.4 for the DSi. This was M3’s time to shine (and the main reason for the delay of this review). How would they act? What would their solution be? Would it be prompt?

The answers to the previous questions were resounding turd plops. The AceKard team, who never even remotely advertised their AK2i’s ability to be flash upgraded, released a fix on forums. While you needed a non-1.4 DSi or another DS to run the update, it still was prompt. EZ released an update as well. And M3i Zero owners waited. In fact, the M3 team posted to a user via e-mail that they were “working on it obtaining a DSi so they could address the issue.”

That was about when I was done with this card. But it got better…

The M3 team eventually released their 1.4-compatible firmware, which was nothing more than the AceKard solution (stealing the Danny Phantom DS Header and flashing it to the card, this making the DSi see an ‘official’ Danny Phantom cartridge and load it. Highly illegal, I might add). So the solution of the M3 team for their upgrade-proof card was to just take another team’s work, but allow you to flash it without using a compatible DSi or second DS unit.

And it took them an extra two weeks. If that doesn’t bode well for your confidence, I don’t know what will.

Conclusion

This is nothing more than a repackaged M3/G6 Real cartridge that works with the DSi. Its upgradability is its only selling point, but even then it was not what they toted it would be. Hack cards should change the game header and icon to Danny Phantom. You’d think the M3 team would have had more abilities with their firmware flashing cables and future-proof claims to figure out their own solution.

Game compatibility is high and it has RTS/Cheats/Slow-mo. However, the GUI is still sluggish, and there are just far better cards out there with more features and companies that seem to be focusing on putting “new” things into their products. Re branding it with a new name and packaging does not change the fact the M3 team is duping people into just buying the M3 Real(i).

Even the Sakura logo on the box doesn’t alter the fact that there is no documentation on what Sakura is available from the M3 team, and you have to go through GBATemp forum threads to even figure out how you get it working.

Installation Guide Step By Step

STEP1: Preparing your PC

Install winrar. WinRar is a FREE tool that allows you to extract ZIP and RAR files.

NOTE: You only need to download and install WinRAR once for your PC, so only complete this step if you have never done this for the PC you are working on!

1) Click on this link to go to the WinRAR site
2) Choose to download either the 32bit or the 64bit version shown in the image below. The version you choose should match that of your operating system. So if you have installed a 32bit version of windows then you will need the 32bit version of winrar. If you have no idea what version of windows you have then read this to find out: How do I find out what version of windows I have?

3) Once the download is finished go to your desktop where you saved it. Double click the file to start installing WinRar.

That's it WinRAR is now installed. You do not need to learn how to use it. Basically the program is now built into windows and new options will be available to extract RAR and ZIP files when you press the right mouse button on them. You will see this later when you have downloaded your DS card software and need to extract it.

STEP2: Formatting your Micro SD

It is quite important that your micro sd card that you intend to use in your DS card is formatted properly. If you are using a brand new card then you can skip this step but if you have had problems with the card then just to rule out formatting issues follow these steps.
This is also a useful step if you have a working DS card but the files take ages to load.

Before copying the driver/kernel to the microSD Memory Card, please format your microSD on your PC. This is to remove all the data on the memory card.
    a)  After inserting the microSD into the card reader, go to My Computer.
    b)  Right click the driver representing the microSD memory card.
    c)  Choose Format

    d)  Click Start to format the memory card

Using Panasonic Memory Card Format Software

Note:
If your memory cards have capacity bigger than 32GB, please download the SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards Format Software.
If your memory cards have capacity equal or smaller than 32GB, please download the SD/SDHC Memory Cards Format Software.

Detailed guide is available from the SD Association here. [http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/formatter/]

1. Insert SD/SDHC Memory Card into reader/writer.
2. Click on [Start], point to [All Programs] -> [Panasonic] -> [SD Formatter VX.X], and click on [SD Formatter VX.X].
   “X.X” means the version number of SD Memory Card Formatting Software.
   If “User Account Control” window is displayed on the screen, please click on [Arrow].
3. The main window is displayed on the screen.
4. Select the target drive by drive list and check SD/SDHC Memory Card size.
5. Click on [Format].
6. After clicking on it, confirmation window is displayed on the screen. Here, if [OK] is clicked, this software executes the format operation. On the contrary, if [Cancel] is clicked, this software cancels the format operation and returns to the main window.
7. The following status window is displayed on the screen during the format operation.
   Note: [Cancel] on this window is available only if either “FULL (Erase ON)” or “FULL (Erase OFF)” is selected as format type option. If “QUICK” is selected as format type option, this button is not available.
8. After the format operation completion, click [OK] and remove the Memory Card from your PC.
9. Reinsert the memory card to the PC to start using the memory card.

Using Mac Memory Card Format Tool

1. Plug your memory card reader into a USB port on your Mac. Insert the microSD / microSDHC card into the memory card reader's microSD / microSDHC slot, and the microSD / microSDHC card will mount on your Mac desktop.
2. In an open Finder window, single-click "Applications" in the Side-Bar and scroll down to find the Utilities folder. Find Disk Utility in the Utilities folder and double-click the "Disk Utility" application to launch it.
3. In the opened Disk Utility application, single-click to select the microSD / microSDHC card in the left-hand Drives column. Then, single-click to select the "Erase" button in the top row of radio buttons. Select the format MS-DOS (FAT) to format the microSD / microSDHC card on the "Volume Format" pop-up button.  When you have finished selecting the formatting options, click "Erase."
4. A new dialogue box will pop up in "Disk Utility," asking if you are sure you wish to erase the microSD / microSDHC card. Caution: Erasing the microSD / microSDHC card will permanently erase any files. Make sure you have backed up any file you wish to keep. To continue with the formatting process, click "Erase."
5. Once the microSD / microSDHC card has been erased, it will mount on your Mac desktop just as any other removable drive.

 STEP3: Downloading the RIGHT Software

Its is crucial to use the CORRECT software for your DS card. There are so many clones and variations of the same cards out there and its very easy to fall into the trap and end up downloading software for a similar card as yours.
1) Go and get your DS card and look at the sticker on the front.

2) Try to find a URL (Internet address) See the images above for example URLS for some of the cards available at time of writing. Make sure you copy the URL EXACTLY as it appears, check and double check this

3) Type the URL into anew browser tab or window.

4) Once that has loaded find the downloads or software section and download the english kernel to your desktop.

5) If you can not find a URL on your DS card please read this to try to find out what software you need.

6) You should now have the latest and correct software kernel for your particular card saved onto your desktop. This will either be a ZIP file or a RAR file.

STEP4: Installing the kernel software to your Micro SD card

 1.  Select and copy all the unzipped files.

2. Copy the unzipped files to the microSD memory card

3. Copy your own files, including music, movies, pictures and homebrew games to the microSD memory card

4. Plug in the microSD to the flashcart. When inserting or changing carts on slot-1, switch off the DS, insert in the cart and then start the DS. 

NOTE :

The Detailed R4i Card Installation Guide Step By Step Click Here.

DSi and DSi XL Flashcarts Comparison Click Here.

HOW TO SPOT FAKE R4 CARD Click Here.