Today's review will be a little different than the others. Instead of review one product solely, we will compare this flashcard to one that is ways similar. This review is of a slot-1 card that combines ease of use with functionality; however, I'm sure you've heard of this already somewhere else. So without further ado, I present to you...

Kudos to Kickgaming for supplying the review sample. If you don't know what the M3 Simply is, check the previous review for it...

Now, first things first, let's compare the packaging for both of these flashcards. The R4 comes with:

• R4 Simply DS card
• TF/Micro SD card reader
• Game case (holds 2 DS game cards)
• Game case strap
• R4 MiniCD

Does this sound familiar at all? That's because it is the exact same contents as the M3 Simply. The case and strap are carbon copies of each other; however, the Micro SD card reader is different. It is black with a metal casing around it. Also, the mini CD obviously has the R4 logo and such on it. One thing to note though is the packaging. While the M3S came in a standard box with a plastic inside, the R4 comes in a sturdy box that's inside a card like sleeve. It really seems more stylish and sturdy and I much prefer the box that the R4 comes in.

Now, build wise, the R4 and the M3S share more comparisons with each other. These cards are virtually the exact same as each other, save for different logos on the cards. However, this is a good thing since that means that they are the exact same size as a regular DS card with no chips sticking out of the label. This also means that they sit flush in the DS's 1st slot without any resistance.

The GUI and features are also similar between the two cards. With the R4, you get the same options as the M3S. We won't go into detail about these options as they are already in the M3S review. You are once again presented with three options; Game, Multimedia, and Boot Slot-2. Game gives you a list of roms, Multimedia boots up Moonshell and Boot Slot-2 is self explanatory. However, now that the R4 and M3S have been out for awhile, firmware updates have added new features like soft reset for clean roms and auto DLDI patching (so any DLDI homebrew will work). Download play for some roms did not work, a la M3S, and, just like the M3S, rom compatability is perfect with every rom tested so we wont go into detail about that. One thing to note is that firmware updates come out first for the R4 and then come out for the M3S later so that's one advantage that the R4 has.

In conclusion, the R4 and M3S are basically the same thing. They both offer the same, drag and drop functionality and both come with the same freebies. However, the R4 has the slight advantage here as firmware updates come faster and it's a little bit cheaper. I would recommend the R4 over the M3 Simply but only by a hair of a margin.

• Build: 5.0 - Very strong; just like the official DS cards.
• Ease of use: 5.0 - As simple as dragging and dropping your roms.
• Value: 5.0 - At $45, practically anyone can buy it.
• Compatibility: 4.0 - GBA roms not supported. All DS roms worked perfectly.
• Final Score: 4.5

If you want to buy an R4 DS just click here!

If you have any questions or want to comment about the review, then e-mail me at maximumhashi [at] hotmail [dot ] com.