{"id":279,"date":"2007-10-18T16:28:20","date_gmt":"2007-10-19T00:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/?p=279"},"modified":"2009-03-30T16:32:50","modified_gmt":"2009-03-31T00:32:50","slug":"ewin-expansion-pak-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/2007\/10\/ewin-expansion-pak-review\/","title":{"rendered":"eWin Expansion Pak Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Special
\n\t\t\t\tthanks to
\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tFor providing the sample for this review<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

– Introduction – <\/b><\/p>\n

With slot 1 carts being extremely popular
\n\t\t\t\tin this day and age, many users fill the slot 2 of their
\n\t\t\t\tNintendo DS with a dust cover.  It seems like a waste to put a
\n\t\t\t\tpiece of plastic and an empty circuit board into a slot with so
\n\t\t\t\tmuch potential.<\/p>\n

Sometime a while back, the EZ Flash team
\n\t\t\t\tadded an expansion pack to ship in a bundle with their EZ Flash
\n\t\t\t\tV flash cart.  It revolutionized the market.  With the expansion
\n\t\t\t\tpack, the EZ Flash 3 in 1, their slot 1 component was able to
\n\t\t\t\trun older Gameboy Advance games, run the Opera Web Browser, and
\n\t\t\t\tthey also included a rumble pack.  Initially this expansion pack
\n\t\t\t\tcould only be used with the EZ Flash V, but it was not long
\n\t\t\t\tbefore some homebrew projects managed to utilize the EZ Flash 3
\n\t\t\t\tin 1 with all slot 1 carts.<\/p>\n

With these programs, the EZ Flash 3 in 1
\n\t\t\t\tstarted selling quite quickly, practically everyone had one. 
\n\t\t\t\tThe EZ Flash team even started to sell it individually.  Of
\n\t\t\t\tcourse, there was no way other companies would allow the EZ
\n\t\t\t\tFlash team to monopolize these expansion packs.<\/p>\n

The eWin GBA Expansion Pak is eWin\u2019s
\n\t\t\t\taffordable solution to Gameboy Advance games on the Nintendo DS
\n\t\t\t\tLite.  As a bonus, it also includes RAM for the Nintendo DS Web
\n\t\t\t\tBrowser.  Unlike the EZ Flash 3 in 1, it supports clean roms,
\n\t\t\t\tand the homebrew program it uses to run games is created
\n\t\t\t\tofficially by the eWin team.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\teWin team is fairly well known for their professional
\n\t\t\t\tproducts.<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

– Design –<\/b><\/p>\n

The eWin GBA Expansion Pak came in a box
\n\t\t\t\textremely similar to the eWin Rumble Pak box.  There aren\u2019t many
\n\t\t\t\twords on the package, nor is there too much color.  It looks
\n\t\t\t\tvery professionally done, using simple pictures and a few words
\n\t\t\t\tto describe the contents.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tNothing fancy, just a box, a tray, and the cart.<\/i><\/p>\n

Inside the box is a clear plastic tray
\n\t\t\t\tholding the eWin GBA Expansion Pak.  When I took it out and held
\n\t\t\t\tit in my hands, it is very light, but the casing is very
\n\t\t\t\timpressive.  The two parts of the eWin GBA Expansion Pak close
\n\t\t\t\ttogether tightly, the entire expansion pack has crisp edges and
\n\t\t\t\tlooks very much like the dust cover.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tIt uses the same tray as the one shipped with the eWin Rumble
\n\t\t\t\tPak.<\/i><\/p>\n

The eWin GBA Expansion Pak has a great
\n\t\t\t\tsticker on the front of it.  It is probably one of the most
\n\t\t\t\tprofessional stickers I have ever seen, other than the similar
\n\t\t\t\tsticker found on the eWin Rumble Pak.  It could even pass as an
\n\t\t\t\tofficial Nintendo product.<\/p>\n

The case of the eWin GBA Expansion Pak fits
\n\t\t\t\tinto the DS Lite very smoothly.  It is definitely smoother than
\n\t\t\t\tmost Lite sized products, but still far from attaining the
\n\t\t\t\tproperties of the official Dust Cover.  Either way, it fits
\n\t\t\t\tperfectly flush inside the DS Lite, however, it does not have a
\n\t\t\t\tglossy layer at the top.  It doesn\u2019t matter because even though
\n\t\t\t\tI have a Navy Blue eWin GBA Expansion Pak, it still looks
\n\t\t\t\tperfect inside my Onyx Black DS Lite.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tIt slides in and out of the DS Lite very smoothly.<\/i><\/p>\n

– Software –<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the critical advantages the eWin GBA
\n\t\t\t\tExpansion Pak has over the EZ Flash 3 in 1 is that it supports
\n\t\t\t\tclean GBA roms.  There is no longer the need to patch the file
\n\t\t\t\tbeforehand on the computer because the homebrew software bundled
\n\t\t\t\twith the eWin GBA Expansion Pak patches the games automatically.<\/p>\n

The homebrew software used to input GBA
\n\t\t\t\troms into the eWin GBA Expansion Pak is designed by the eWin
\n\t\t\t\tteam themselves, and it works flawlessly together with the eWin
\n\t\t\t\tGBA Expansion Pak.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t
\n \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tThe loader is simplistic, but it is easy to use.<\/i><\/p>\n

– Use –<\/b><\/p>\n

There are two different parts to the eWin
\n\t\t\t\tGBA Expansion Pak.  The first part is the extra RAM used for the
\n\t\t\t\tOpera Web Browser.  The problem with the RAM is that the pack
\n\t\t\t\thas to be completely clean of GBA roms and properly formatted
\n\t\t\t\tinto the RAM mode for a clean Opera Web Browser to work.  This
\n\t\t\t\ttakes about four or five seconds to do, but you do need to boot
\n\t\t\t\tyour slot 1 cart, run the eWin GBALDR file and click L+R.  Other
\n\t\t\t\tthan the R4, you have to reset back to the menu with a hard
\n\t\t\t\treset, actually physically turning the system on then off before
\n\t\t\t\tyou can use the Opera Web Browser.  Thankfully, if you don\u2019t
\n\t\t\t\ttouch the expansion pack, you can continue to use the Opera Web
\n\t\t\t\tBrowser without the need to format later on.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tThis is probably all you need to know about the homebrew
\n\t\t\t\tprogram.<\/i><\/p>\n

The second part of the eWin GBA Expansion
\n\t\t\t\tPak is the GBA section.  Basically eWin team has designed a
\n\t\t\t\tpiece of homebrew software that allows you to patch GBA roms and
\n\t\t\t\trun it directly from your slot 1 cart.  It uses DLDI, therefore,
\n\t\t\t\ttheoretically, all DLDI-capable slot 1 carts are able to use the
\n\t\t\t\thomebrew software.  Upon running the software, you will notice
\n\t\t\t\tthat it is extremely simplistic, you simply direct yourself to
\n\t\t\t\tthe rom and click A to run.  If you want to use NDS-GBA Linkage
\n\t\t\t\tyou click Y to soft-reset after running the game, or even do a
\n\t\t\t\tquick hard-reset to get this function.<\/p>\n

– Functionality –<\/b><\/p>\n

The eWin GBA Expansion Pak does not
\n\t\t\t\tdisappoint.  Every GBA game I threw in there worked and saved,
\n\t\t\t\thowever, there are reports of a few games with save issues.  I
\n\t\t\t\twas unable to locate these games, however I was able to find the
\n\t\t\t\teWin official forum<\/a>, which has addressed a few of these games,
\n\t\t\t\tand even had updates to the loader.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a><\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tI can finally play some of my favorite GBA games again.<\/i><\/p>\n

Running GBA games from slot 1 requires
\n\t\t\t\tpatching and burning.  Generally a 128Mbit rom takes 15 second
\n\t\t\t\tto patch, and about 7 seconds to write onto the cart.  All other
\n\t\t\t\tsizes are factors and multiples of this time.  Keep in mind that
\n\t\t\t\tthe eWin GBA Expansion Pak only needs to patch a rom once. 
\n\t\t\t\tHowever, their memory is volatile, unlike the EZ Flash 3 in 1,
\n\t\t\t\tmeaning that you must write the rom onto the cart upon every use
\n\t\t\t\tbecause it will erase after you power off.  Thankfully your save
\n\t\t\t\tfiles are kept separately.<\/p>\n

The Opera Web Browser works fine with a
\n\t\t\t\tclean rom if you use the eWin GBALDR file by click L+R.  But
\n\t\t\t\tanother solution to ensure that it works at all times is simply
\n\t\t\t\tto use the Supercard Opera Web Browser patch.  Once you have
\n\t\t\t\tpatched the Opera Web Browser, you will no longer need to have a
\n\t\t\t\tcompletely clean and formatted eWin GBA Expansion Pak to run it.<\/p>\n

On a side note, while I was testing this
\n\t\t\t\tcart, I had it mixed up with my M3DS Real GBA Expansion Pack,
\n\t\t\t\tand it seems that the M3DS Real and the G6DS Real will recognize
\n\t\t\t\tthe eWin GBA Expansion Pak as their own expansion pack, but the
\n\t\t\t\tM3DS Real GBA Expansion Pack does not work with the eWin GBALDR
\n\t\t\t\tsoftware.  Perhaps G6DS Real users need not wait for the M3 Team
\n\t\t\t\tto release their expansion pack in a standalone packaging as
\n\t\t\t\tthey can simply purchase the eWin GBA Expansion Pak.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tWhy does it work with the M3DS Real?<\/i><\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tThey even have similar names!<\/i><\/p>\n

– Conclusion –<\/b><\/p>\n

The eWin GBA Expansion Pak has proven
\n\t\t\t\titself to be a cheap and effective alternative to the EZ Flash 3
\n\t\t\t\tin 1.  It can run GBA games perfectly, and run the Opera Web
\n\t\t\t\tBrowser perfectly.  It should work on most slot 1 carts, and the
\n\t\t\t\thomebrew software is officially supported by the eWin team.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tEven a navy blue eWin GBA Expansion Pak inside an Onyx Black
\n\t\t\t\tDS Lite looks nice.<\/i><\/p>\n

However, the eWin GBA Expansion Pak has
\n\t\t\t\tsome clear negatives, it is missing an RTC, which should not be
\n\t\t\t\ta major problem as you can patch over that, it does not rumble
\n\t\t\t\tlike the EZ Flash 3 in 1, its memory is volatile, and overall,
\n\t\t\t\tthe homebrew software is not as robust as the EZ Flash 3 in 1.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tAt least it’s built solidly.<\/i><\/p>\n

I really like the design of the eWin GBA
\n\t\t\t\tExpansion Pak.  It fits nicely into my DS Lite, and it supports
\n\t\t\t\tclean roms.  But all in all, I would not say it is better or
\n\t\t\t\tworse than the EZ Flash 3 in 1.  They both have their
\n\t\t\t\tadvantages.  The eWin GBA Expansion Pak is by far easier to use,
\n\t\t\t\tbut it lacks support and many features from the EZ Flash 3 in
\n\t\t\t\t1.  Perhaps its compatibility with the M3DS Real, or its $12
\n\t\t\t\tprice tag will more than make up for its faults.<\/p>\n

 \"Photo<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tSaving $10 over the EZ Flash 3 in 1 more than makes up for
\n\t\t\t\tits faults.<\/i><\/p>\n

– Score –<\/b><\/p>\n

Design<\/b> \u2013 5\/5
\n\t\t\t\tSoftware<\/b> \u2013 4\/5
\n\t\t\t\tUse<\/b> \u2013 4\/5
\n\t\t\t\tFunctionality<\/b> \u2013 18\/20
\n\t\t\t\tTilt <\/b>\u2013 4.5\/5<\/p>\n

Overall \u2013
\n\t\t\t\t35.5\/40<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Get your own eWin GBA Expansion Pak here:
\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Special thanks to For providing the sample for this review   – Introduction – With slot 1 carts being extremely popular in this day and age, many users fill the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":285,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions\/285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}