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PassMe2 with M3 Review *UPDATED*

Well, this is the second look/use of the M3 to play homebrew .nds files using the PassMe2 (Which requires SRAM to work).

 

Ok, So I open the PassKey box first.. It's a nice little box, unlike the Super PassKey, which uses a HUGE box with a TON of wasted space.. this is a much nicer package.. Anyway, nobody really cares about that..

The PassKey is a neat looking passthrough, but I personally don't like that the DS cart is underneith the DS.. I don't know why anyone would want that configuration.. Your literally laying your DS down on the DS cart (at an angle) which I'm guessing can't be good for the pins inside the DS cart slot on the PassKey.. But, who cares, cause we are going to use the PassMe2 so the M3 will work on new DSs with new firmware..

So, I open the M3 box.. Nice looking.. Hmm. this shell looks familiar.. just like the GBA MP.. how nice.. So, I pull the Compact Flash card out of my GBA MP, insert it into the M3 and turn on my DS in GBA Mode..

Wow.. that looks familiar.. :) Only thing different from the GBA MP is the Game icon and name. Well, let's see if my GBA MP movies work.. just for fun... Nope.. video is all scrambled.. but enough about that.. let's get on with running it in NDS mode with the PassMe2.. Basically, using the same steps I listed for the Super Card.. Ohh.. and another quick note.. the M3 works with FAT32, unlike the Super Card.

- NEW METHOD

First, head over to m3adapter.com and download the latest firmware. As of this writing, it was updategc.e11. Put the file onto the root of your CF card, pop it into the M3, and boot your DS in GBA Mode. You will receive a screen that asks if you want to update. Press the START button and it will update your firmware.

Next, head over to DarkFaders Game site and download the SAV file for the game you are using, and your PassMe2 was programmed for. Copy that file onto the CF card, and rename it sram.dat.

Now, boot up the DS in GBA Mode again, and it will copy the sram.dat file into the SRAM on the M3. You only need to do this once..

With that done, pop in your PassMe2 and start your DS in NDS Mode. That's it. I have tested it with a few different homebrew games, and I never had to reprogram the SRAM.

-OLD METHOD BEGIN
First, I copy the following files onto the CF card:

passme2buttonwait.gba - To write SRAM data
Drummers.ds.gba
Drummers.nds
flashme.nds

Ok.. here we go..

First, start the DS in GBA mode and select "Game" from the main screen. Now, run the passme2buttonwait.gba file.

You should see the list of game codes to choose from. In this case, I am using the Metroid Prime Demo version of PassMe2.. So, I am going to press the D-Pad RIGHT a few times to scroll through a page at a time and select AMFE. You would pick the game code that is written on the front of your DS game cart

So, we press the A button and we receive the "SRAM Written" message.. Now, turn off the DS, insert your PassMe2 with the proper DS cart inserted, and turn your DS back on.

Bickety Bam.. it launches in NDS mode.
NOTE:Unlike the Super Card, the M3 actually SAVES the SRAM data.. (kinda) You don't need to restart the DS quickly for it to retain the SRAM data.. BUT, when you load a .nds homebrew game/app, it must erase the SRAM data, because you have to reload it to boot again. But, if you don't launch anything, it will launch (even after removing it and putting the CF in a computer, etc) in NDS mode over and over.
- OLD METHOD END

Ok.. so we are in NDS mode.. now what? Well, let's first start with flashme.nds so that we don't have to worry about the PassMe2 or SRAM data ever again! Yippee!

More info on FlashMe

Ok.. but what about the other .nds files? Let's check them out.. Here are the results of the few homebrew .nds files I tested, using the PassMe2 and SRAM data:

flashme.nds = Launches fine
drummers.nds = two black screens
drummers.ds.gba = Launches fine

So, why does the FlashMe.nds file work, but the Drummer.nds file not? Well, the current version of DevkitARM now builds the .nds file in a format that doesn't require the ndsmall.bin to be prepended. But, like a Flash Cart, you can always use the .ds.gba version and not worry about it. If it is a new .nds file, it will most likely work without having ndsmall.bin prepended to it as well.

Summery

If you don't plan on installing FlashMe, this is not really a good way to run .nds homebrew. Maybe there is a way to make the SRAM data perminent, but it's not obvious. Sure, it's better then the Super Card because you don't have to restart your DS quickly, but it still looses the SRAM data after running any NDS game/app..

Overall

M3 work with PassMe2? YES! It does work!

But.. it still sucks. And, it's not the cheapest way to run .nds homebrew on a DS with new firmware.. You can pick one of these up for around $90 + shipping.

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