[REVIEW] AceKard R.P.G. - 8G PRO Opzioni

[Evrain]

AceKard R.P.G. - 8G PRO
[ English Version | Versione Italiana ]

Quick Links
Homepage: www.acekard.com
System Updates: GbaRL.it Download Archive

Our thanks to Acekard Team and their outlet BambooGaming.com for the sample provided.

A long time has passed since the first Slot-1 design was unveiled to scene sites: after the first, awkward attempts, every major manufacturer has opted for this format, releasing more and more perfect units, free of problems and pre-processing steps. Obviously, we've now come to the point where adding new features is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Many of you are already aware of Team Acekard, whose curtain call was a Slot-1 solution, called AceKard+, although its popularity wasn't too high. Now, after 10 months worth of development, they're back, taking the scene by storm with an atypical flashcard: the AceKard R.P.G.

Introduction & Features

The acronym in the name stands for Real Play Gear, meaning that this product, in the manufacturer's intentions, is aimed towards maximum simplicity for unexperienced users, as well as full flexibility for hackers and more expert developers, with solid support to both games and homebrew code.

At the time of this review, the flashcard is not yet available for purchase: the sample we've been given by the AK Team, even though fully completed and stable on the hardware side, is having its packaging still being defined. Those aspects will be further developed through our review.

For now, let's take a look at the declared features for this card:

• Dual Memory System: an internal high-speed NAND memory chip with a capacity of 8 Gbit (1 Gbyte) and a dedicated slot for external microSD/TF memory card
• SDHC Support: the latest evolution of the Secure Digital standard allows for storage medias up to 8 Gbytes to be used with the R.P.G., leading to massive amounts of space
• Full Compatibility: 100% support for Clean Dump, no need for external patchers
• DLDI Autopatching: homebrew code will be automatically patched with the relevant DLDI driver, making its use immediate and hassle-free
• PassCard: the card doubles as a third generation PassCard device, useful for booting Slot-2 flash cartridges
• “Quick Exchange” Technology: games, programs and saves can be swapper between NAND and microSD card without resorting to a PC
• Auto Save Type Detection: the game/homebrew's save type is automatically determined, although the user can set a different size if he so wishes
• U-Disk: the NAND chip can be used as a flash drive, using the on-board mini USB connector (USB 2.0)
• Auto Trimming: games are freed of redundant data when copied to and from the NAND flash
• Open Source OS: the system software, easily skinnable and with full touchscreen controls, can be freely modified via the publicly released source code (a copy of which is hosted in our own File Archive)
• "Write Balance" Technology: the NAND memory life is extended via a smart management of read/write operations
• Direct savegames backup: instead of relying on battery-backed RAM, savegames are stored in the internal EEPROM, then written to media as the console is switched back on

That's not the end of it: the above list, which applies to retail units, is expanded with upcoming features, such as multiple saver files and Action Replay cheating support. Indeed, the card's features have impressed us, due to being the first adding peculiar characteristics to the one now common to flash kits: we're talking, for example, of its dual memory system and full OS-based file management, along with the open sourcecode.

Update - 24/02/2008: we can confirm how those promises have been kept in full. The open-source philosophy, along with the manufacturer's dedication, noticeably lengthened this list. Now AR cheats are fully supported, along with user-created shortcuts, DS-Linux can now take advantage of both data storages and, particularly impressive, the EZ V 3-in-1 is supported straight out of the box, even automatically patching most GBA games. Something we weren't expecting, we have to admit: it's the first time we witness such a powerful system software.

On paper, this is a high-end dev kit, easy to use and with special features geared towards hackers and programmers alike. Is that the truth? We'll soon find out.

[Evrain]

Inside the Box

As usual, the sample reached us carefully wrapped in DHL envelopes: as a sidenote, after more than twenty reviews, this express courier looks like the favorite, for flashcard manufacturers. Anyway, after a few well-placed cuts, the AceKard R.P.G. slips out and lands on our table, the same you can see in the screenshots below.

A fixed element of flashcards is their packaging, almost always belonging to one of two extremes: either too colorful and crammed with pictures, icons and such, or sober and essential, to the point of leaving the user uninformed of the kit's full potential. This product stands in the middle, with a clean and simple design, withtout leaving anything out of the feature list printed on it.
The outer shell is a simple cardboard wrap, with open sides to let the inner casing, which we'll soon examine, slip out. The front obviously shows the card's name and its size and a strip of colored icons summarizing the main features; immediately below, the R.P.G. acronym is explained, along with a standard slogan: the bottom part shows, as it's now becoming common, the microSD, microSD HC and WiFi compatibility logos (keep in mind that "WiFi" refers to the DS' multiplayer capabilities, not to the R.P.G. itself!), along with the usual "for NDS-NDS Lite" formula.

On the back, free space has been highly optimized, showing a well-arranged feature list, ranging from tech data to end-user ones, such as game compatibility, audio and movie playback, support for picture viewing and text reading. To be honest, these features were not immediately available on our unit, as will become clear during the unit's field test.

Once you're done with the outer layer, you'll be holding a white plastic casing housing the flashcard: its 3.5 x 2.9 inches make it vaguely resemble older Sega Megadrive/Genesis game cartridges, to tell the truth. It might not be as sturdy as those metal boxes some manufacturers have opted for, neverthless you can take the R.P.G. with you without having to keep it inserted into your DS. Also, there's enough space to fit a few additional game cartridges.
Once opened, we got our first negative impression regarding this AceKard R.P.G.: the contents are severely lacking. One one hand, we weren't expecting useless software discs, on the other hand though we expected to find at least the required accessories: inside, a bubble wrap protects the flashcard itself, whereas on the side we found an additional sticker and a strip of paper with "BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU DISASSEMBLE THE SHELL. CONTACT US FOR MENU SOFTWARE" written on it.

And nothing more. That's all, folks.

Granted, we immediately informed the manufacturer of our surprise, quickly receiving an answer: this particular package is expressely geared towards reviewing, which explains the warning concering disassembling the shell (this is an operation we don't normally carry out, since an average user hardly cares about inner circuits - and it's never a good practice messing with these devices' circuit board) and the need to obtain system software from the team. We've been assured that the final release will include a mini USB cable, mandatory for PC-to-card data trasfers, but neither a software CD nor differently colored shells will be available. Luckily, black is always aesthetically pleasant, whereas a data cable is a much more pressing need. In the end, we don't consider our evaluation of the packaging to be conclusive, as of now.
An interesting thing we've noticed is how the various pieces are arranged inside the casing: the R.P.G. is housed in the top left corner, whereas a second outline, obviously GBA cart sized, makes up the whole right side; as this PRO edition is the first in the R.P.G. series, we're sure an Expansion Pack is not a remote possibility, even though the overall size matches the DS Lite Slot 2 (we tried with a F-Zero cart and it didn't fit). Time will tell!

Now, the flashcard itself: (almost) identical to a standard issue Nintendo cartridge, with the sticker curiously applied to the inner face instead of the larger outer side. And, believe me, you'll curse that sticker often, beginning with the fact that it adds one millimeter too much to the overall thickness, making insertion and extraction troublesome on first attempts.
The shell is made out of see-through black plastic: it feels sturdy and without creakings whatsoever, resisting scratches and other common accidents, though the four clips holding the two halves in place are a bit too tiny; were you tempted to open up the unit, we recommend extreme caution, as there are no replacements. The mini-B connector and microSD slot are on each side of the top face, excellent choice if you consider, for example, a DS-X, where the slim borders of the data port, located right in the middle, are prone to cutting through your skin when applying pressure. And now, the reason why that sticker is such a nuisance: it partially covers them. True, this isn't much of an issue for the USB cable, but the memory slot is a whole different matter: it's spring-loaded, but locking the microSD in place requires pushing it even past the upper face of the card, and its slightly larger dimensions require some caution not to force it in diagonally. That doesn't pose a problem if you use your fingernails and pay attention to what you're doing, though; point is, the sticker loosely adheres to the memory card's surface, so for the first 2-3 days the spring won't be able to fully eject the microSD. It's no big deal, if you resist the urge to just rip it out of its slot, and will eventually disappear with time.

This R.P.G. is a dual memory flashcard, taking advantage of the newest integrated flash storage media: the NAND memory chip. Without delving deeper into technical details, know that this chip offers better performance when compared to older EEPROM and NorFlash, with more storage space and faster read/write times; in addition, it is much less prone to performance decreases and general failures, made even more unlikely by the team's Write Balance Technology.
Be advised, though: the mini USB connector is wired to the NAND chip only: you won't be able to use it to access the microSD; this basically means you'll need an external card reader, which you can pick up online for as little as 1$. We would've been delighted to find one shipeed with the unit, but we can hardly imagine how they could squeeze it into its small package.

In the end, the appearance of the product is well-though of, although we hope the meager content will be upgraded to include at least the data cable. A whole different situation when picking up the flashcard, well built and capable of sustaining hits and scratches (of course, don't push it to the limit! It came out of a 5ft fall unscathed, that much we can say), although there are some complaints regarding the microSD slot.