![\"IMG_0606\"](\"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/IMG_0606.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLimitations Hardware<\/strong> Both cartridges are shaped like the recent R4i carts with notches on either side. \u00a0They have both opted to use non-spring loaded MicroSD slots that are not too tight. \u00a0Neither of them have chips sticking out and are completely flush. \u00a0They slip in and out without a problem and are well built. \u00a0The Starter Card is colored grey like the retail 3DS games, though it doesn’t have the notch on the cartridge.<\/p>\n Blue Card Why is the Blue Card bundled? \u00a0For one, it is now a complete package. \u00a0The R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe will run DS games as well. \u00a0But the real reason why the bundle is necessary is to inject the hack. \u00a0The Starter Card is not recognized until you use the Blue Card to run the exploit. \u00a0What’s nice about the Blue Card is that the installation file is not a separate .nds file, it is built straight into the menu so that you can run “3DS Setup” after you click start.<\/p>\n Setup From there, we begin the launcher setup. \u00a0When you download the firmware for the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe from the R4ids.cn website (please note the exact name of the model, they have a lot of products with similar names), you will get a zip file with “launcher.dat” inside. \u00a0Extract launcher.dat into the root of the SD card for your Nintendo 3DS.<\/p>\n Future updates to the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe should be changes to this launcher.dat file. \u00a0Once that is complete, you put the SD card back into the Nintendo 3DS, and go to the device settings. \u00a0Then click Other Settings, Profile and Nintendo DS Profile. \u00a0It will take about 5 seconds before you are returned to the Nintendo 3DS main menu. \u00a0The launcher file is unique for the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe. \u00a0That is to say the imager and even the exploit can be run with the Gateway 3DS packages, but the launcher is set up so that it will only recognize the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe and not the Gateway 3DS.<\/p>\n Finally, we get to setup the Starter Card. \u00a0Your MicroSD (could be a new one or could be the same one used with the Blue Card) will be completely wiped. \u00a0Download and extract Win32DiskImager from the R4ids.cn website. \u00a0When you open it, you can select the drive that your MicroSD card is in and an image file (which will be your backup with extension .3DS). \u00a0When you are browsing for the file, you may need to change the “Files of Type” selection to All Files if you do not see your games.<\/p>\n Once you’ve selected the correct drive and file, click write and you are done. \u00a0Insert the MicroSD into your Starter Card then insert the card into your 3DS and you are all set to play. \u00a0It will look identical to a retail cartridge.<\/p>\n The minor quirk for the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe (and the Gateway 3DS as well) is when the exploit is erased. \u00a0If your Nintendo 3DS runs out of batteries or if you decide to turn the system off, you will have to go back to the settings and enable the Nintendo DS Profile again. \u00a0This also happens for a few settings changes. \u00a0If I set new Parental Controls, I have to restart the exploit as well. \u00a0It’s not too bad since you can do this on the go with what you already have (no need for a computer or the Blue Card), but it is annoying.<\/p>\n The other issue here is if you own retail cartridges. \u00a0Once the exploit is enabled, the 3DS console will not recognize retail 3DS games. \u00a0It will read the Blue Card and the Starter Card as well as any Nintendo DS games. \u00a0However, it will not recognize genuine 3DS cartridges. \u00a0For that, you will have to power off you 3DS.<\/p>\n Compatibility<\/strong> Multiplayer is really the only problematic issue. \u00a0Online does not work, you are simply given an error screen any time you try. \u00a0The good news is that local multiplayer works fine. \u00a0Both regular local multiplayer and download play works, so for Mario Tennis Open, you can be the sole owner of the game or connect to other people with the game (whether it is another backup or a retail cartridge).<\/p>\n What does get in the way however is the fact that you are not running the latest Nintendo 3DS update. \u00a0This is not an issue in terms of multiplayer.<\/p>\n One of the major features of the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe is the ability to run games region free. \u00a0The Nintendo 3DS is a region locked console, so you can only run retail games within your own region. \u00a0I’m from Canada, so Japanese or European games would not normally work on my console. \u00a0However, the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe will let you run the latest Japanese releases on your console. \u00a0Compatibility has been no different regardless of the region of the source file.<\/p>\n If you are someone who likes to backup your saves as well, you are in luck. \u00a0Because of how the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe works, save files are not stored directly on the MicroSD card, instead it is loaded into the SD card in your Nintendo 3DS console. \u00a0You can pull the files off the SD card, store them, start over, etc. \u00a0It might be interesting to note that the save files produced by the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe are completely interchangeable with those from the Gateway 3DS. \u00a0You can create a save on the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe and exchange it with a friend running the Gateway 3DS or vice versa. \u00a0This will definitely be helpful in the future when these solutions become a little more popular.<\/p>\n I do have to point out that the save system isn’t perfect. \u00a0For one, they are stored with a string of 16 numbers or letters as a name. \u00a0If you play multiple games and swap your R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe often, then it becomes difficult to figure out which save corresponds to which game. \u00a0The string is actually the titleid of the 3DS game, so if you are at a complete loss, it is a unique identifier, just one that looks like a mess. \u00a0The other thing to note is that there is no method to backup save files from a retail cartridge and run them on your R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe (or restore them). \u00a0Not a single save dumped by an NDS Adaptor Plus worked (and from what I understand the R4i Save Dongle does not work either). \u00a0As such, there is no way to exchange a save file between a retail cartridge and the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe.<\/p>\n Updates However, it is an inescapable fact that the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe is hugely derivative of the work done by the Gateway team. \u00a0The cartridge and software are nearly identical to their innovative competitor. \u00a0It is here where I have to bring up the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe’s greatest potential weakness; the updates. \u00a0I say potential because neither carts have been out long enough to produce any real track record yet. \u00a0The R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe, since release, has been running Gateway’s 1.2 update. \u00a0Until Gateway’s 2.0 update is released or the R4i Gold team introduces their own update, it is hard to say whether the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe will get timely updates.<\/p>\n The R4i Gold team has stated that all future updates will come directly from them and not from Gateway’s work. \u00a0Multi-rom support should be coming in the next release soon, and subsequent updates will include emuNAND, a NAND dumper and more. \u00a0I will be updating this section as more information becomes available.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Before I even begin the review, it’s noteworthy to mention that though the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe bears the R4i Gold name, there are still significant limitations to the cart. \u00a0I mention it first to set some realistic expectations for the rest of the review. \u00a0This is among the first generation of 3DS flash carts and they are using an exploit that can only be used by consoles that are on firmware 4.1.X to firmware 4.5.X (note that the minor updates within the 4.1 branch are all acceptable). \u00a0If you are running on a firmware below 4.1.X, your only option is to use an update embedded in a retail cartridge. \u00a0This means that you will need to purchase a retail game on this list<\/a> and run the update on the game cartridge itself. \u00a0An online update will bring you to firmware 6.X.X, and once you are past 4.5.X there is no way to downgrade.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nIncluded in the package are two separate cartridges. \u00a0The documentation on the R4i website refers to the blue card as “the Blue Card” and the gold card as “the Starter Card”. \u00a0Also bundled is a MicroSD card reader which was tossed in the envelope rather than bundled into the packaging. \u00a0The reader is nothing special and will get you running just fine.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Of the two cartridges, the Blue Card is the less interesting one. \u00a0It is a standard Nintendo DS flash cart. \u00a0More specifically it is the R4i Gold manufactured by the same team. \u00a0The cart will run the official Wood R4 releases and also supports all 3DS consoles including the latest 6.3.X firmware. \u00a0This is different from the Gateway 3DS which includes a cart that supports up to 6.1.X only. \u00a0I won’t go into much further detail, but if you are inclined to, this is a fully functional DS flash cart that will let you run DS backups on pretty much any DS or 3DS device out so far. \u00a0The capability to run official Wood R4 releases means that it is getting updated regularly to increase support.
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\n<\/strong>The setup process for the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe involves setting up the Blue Card, then the 3DS, then the Starter Card. \u00a0Setting up the Blue Card is a drag and drop procedure. \u00a0Head over to R4ids.cn and download the latest version of Wood R4. \u00a0Strangely, it is not listed under the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe section, but it is impossible to miss. \u00a0Extract the folder and the file into the root of an empty MicroSD card. \u00a0Once that is ready, place the MicroSD card into the Blue Card then into the 3DS console. \u00a0Run the game now in the 3DS menu and once it has finished loading you will be looking at the Wood R4 menu. \u00a0There is a minor change though, if you click the start button, you will see a new option, which is 3DS Setup. \u00a0Enter the 3DS Setup menu and follow the instructions.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe has worked extremely well. \u00a0With the exception of a few of the very latest releases, every game has worked without a hitch. \u00a0I’ve tested 40 games (with 15 from different regions) and six games have failed. \u00a0These games are: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (E), Monster Hunter 4 (J), Pokemon X (E), Pokemon Y (E), Hometown Story (U) and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (E). \u00a0As you can tell the only games that have not worked are the recent releases. \u00a0My hope is that these will be taken care of in the next update. \u00a0I will be sure to update this section of the review when this situation changes.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe isn’t able to separate itself from the Gateway 3DS easily. \u00a0At the moment, performance is identical though the R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe does have a few things going for them. \u00a0For one, it is slightly cheaper to purchase and also provides a second cartridge which is superior to the one bundled with the Gateway 3DS. \u00a0I’ve also found that the R4i team has an obvious advantage in distribution channels, stock is more readily available and can be better found in a wide variety of online retailers.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n