M3 Lite for DS & DS Lite Reviewed!!! [Archive]

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Zeus

09-08-2006, 12:26 AM

Product: M3 Lite for DS & DS Lite
Reviewer: DeVS
Buy Special M3 Lite & Passcard 3 Bundle: <a href="http://www.divineo.cn/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=ds-m3lmsdp" target="_blank">Divineo.cn</a> / <a href="http://www.divineo.com/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=dd-ds-m3lpass" target="_blank">Divineo.com</a> /<A href="http://www.divineo.de/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=nds-m3lmsdp" target="_blank">Germany</a> / <a href="http://www.divineo.it/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=ds-m3litepc3" target="_blank">Italy</a> / <A href="http://www.divineo.es/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=nds-m3lpass" target="_blank">Spain</a> (includes everything you need)

Part 01: What Is It and What You Get

The M3 Lite is the newest incarnation of the M3 Nintendo DS slot 2 mod. This “Lite” version is built to set flush in the Nintendo DS Lite without any sticking out and uses microSD media cards for storage.

<center><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/mc_m3_small.jpg"></center></a>

Continue reading our review on the latest innovation by the M3 perfect team – we’ll be sure to let you know if they live up to their name. It comes with a built in media player that allows you to play the following types of media:

Dobly AC3 audio frequency file (*. AC3)
target's file of DVD video (*. VOB)
wave form sound file of Microsoft (*. WAV)
MPEG-1 Audio Layer-2 file (*. MP2)
MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 file (*. MP3)
Real media file (*. RA, *. RM, *. RAM, *. RMVB)
MPEG-1 media file (*. Mpeg, *. Mpg)
MPEG-2 media file (*. M2V)
Windows media file (*. AVI, *. ASF, *. WMA, *. WMV)
VCD video file (*. DAT)
QuickTime media file (*. MOV)
MPEG-4 media file (*. AVI)
DivX media file (*. AVI)

The unit also has built in emulators for the following “legacy” game systems:

Gameboy Mono
Sega Master System
Sega Game Gear
Nintendo
Turbografx16

When you order the M3 Lite you will receive the following:

1x M3 Lite
1x White glossy Lite shell
1x Blue glossy Lite shell
1x Black glossy Lite shell
1x MiniCD w/ M3 Lite software

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml01.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml01a.jpg"></center></a>

Part 02: Build Quality

The M3 team are not new to the DS scene by now and when people see there name on a product they know there getting a quality product. The M3 Lite continues this tradition as the unit is built from a nice heavy plastic. The unit slides in and out of the DS Lite with ease and there is no hanging nor does it have the feel of being “crammed” into the DS Lite.

The replacement glossy Lite shells are for people who have one of the other colored DS Lite units. The replacement shells are easy to interchange as there is simply 1 screw to take out and screw back in. I was able to replace the shell in a matter of minutes and the shells all fit perfectly.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml02.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml02a.jpg"></center></a>

Once you choose which shell is best for you, you are ready to get down to the good stuff. You will notice that the M3 Lite has the microSD slot on the side of the unit and not at the bottom like other similar products and the microSD slot is spring loaded. Some people see this as a hassle as you have to remove the M3 Lite from the DS to add or remove the microSD card while others prefer the slot to be on the side so that there is no risk of the microSD card accidentally falling out and getting lost. The M3 Lite slides in and out of the DS Lite with ease so I did not see a problem with the microSD slot being on the side.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml03.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml03a.jpg"></center></a>

The M3 Lite is the same size as the stock Nintendo DS dust cover that comes with the DS and also the same size as the G6 Lite.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml04.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml04a.jpg"></center></a>

Once inserted into the DS Lite there is no noticeable hang out. The unit sits flush with the DS Lite shell and the white shell I used was glossy like the DS Lite.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml05.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml05a.jpg"> <a href="<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml06.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml06a.jpg"></center></a>
<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml07.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml07a.jpg"></center></a>

PART 03: Software And Performance

The rom patching software for the M3 Lite is the same as previous versions. Before I started this review I made sure the rom patching software and the M3 Lite firmware were up to date. The rom patching software has options for the normal type stuff such as rom trimming, fast boot, reset, cheats,etc. REMEMBER – you may only backup rom files that you own the original cartridge of, even still you must be careful.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml08.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml08a.jpg"></center></a>

The OS software on the on the M3 Lite itself has the familiar GUI. When you boot up the M3 Lite you will be greeted with a very nice GUI that includes icons for Games, PDA, Music, Movies, Books, Pictures, Setup and Extend. The OS is fast and does not have a “bloated” feel to it. The OS is fully skin able and there are a lot of other skins on the net you can choose from.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml09.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml09a.jpg"></center></a>

The M3 Lite played the “usual suspect” roms at full speed audio and video intros (Castlevania, The Rub Rabbits, Tony Hawk American Sk8tland, Animal Crossing, and Metroid Prime Hunters). It also played the newer backed up images like Star Fox and Mario Hoops 3 vs 3. The unit did freeze up when starting the first level of Ultimate Spiderman. Other then Ultimate Spiderman the M3 Lite had the same perfect rom playback that people have come to expect from an M3 product. Needless to say that the GBA side of game playing was just as good as the DS side.

Homebrew compatibility was top notch too. The following homebrew apps were tested and worked:

DSOrganize (Green)
PicoDriveDS
BeUP
DSAim
DoomDS
MegaETK
ScummVM
A Touch Of War

I stoped after that but I suspect most of if not all homebrew will work as the M3 has become one of the standards in the mod scene.

The book viewer is a nice touch. I could not figure out how to get it to view the text on both screens as claimed. You are able to scroll through the text and even set bookmarks through out the text.

The videos and music I converted played perfectly in the media player. Playback was smooth and looked surprisingly good on the DS screens.

<CenteR><a href="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml10.jpg" target="_Blank"><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/ml10a.jpg"></center></a>

Another greatly over looked aspect of the M3 series is the built in “legacy” console emulators. The M3 Lite comes with built in emu’s for Gameboy Mono, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo (NES), and Turbografx16. The emulators I tested worked at full speed and video and the real time saves worked also. It’s just an added bonus to be able to play some old school Sonic or Mario on the DS Lite!

OVERVIEW

The M3 Lite is another top of line product from the M3 Team. It is made from top notch quality products from the glossy shells to the advanced OS and rom patching software. The fact that out of the box the M3 Lite supports not only DS and GBA playback but is also a multimedia player, picture viewer, full functioning PDA, digital book viewer, and has multiple legacy emulators built in (NES,SMS,PCE,GG,GBA) really makes the M3 Lite stand above and beyond the other mods out today. It has the highest overall compatibility for DS, GBA, and homebrew apps and games then any other DS slot 2 mod.

If you were one of those check the pictures and skip to the conclusion type, here is a bullet point summary of the M3 Lite.

+ Very high build quality
+ DS and GBA Playback at full speed
+ Excellent multimedia options
+ High homebrew compatibility
+ Slides in and out with ease

Buy Special M3 Lite & Passcard 3 Bundle: <a href="http://www.divineo.cn/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=ds-m3lmsdp" target="_blank">Divineo.cn</a> / <a href="http://www.divineo.com/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=dd-ds-m3lpass" target="_blank">Divineo.com</a> /<A href="http://www.divineo.de/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=nds-m3lmsdp" target="_blank">Germany</a> / <a href="http://www.divineo.it/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=ds-m3litepc3" target="_blank">Italy</a> / <A href="http://www.divineo.es/php/affstart.php?affcode=66623&prod=nds-m3lpass" target="_blank">Spain</a> (includes everything you need)

Kagaden

09-08-2006, 02:25 AM

Are these the same emu programs that are on the other M3 cards?

Do they update it through the firmware or is it just a built in feature? I'm wondering if the emulation is better, I don't recall my M3 having TG16 emulation and I think it was Pocketnes that it came with so you had to run emulators in low resolution GBA mode.

mkygod

09-08-2006, 02:59 AM

Could you tell us how you to got SCUMMVM to work on it? I just got mine and it wouldn't work.

I have the exact same problem as this guy that posted from the scummvm.org forum:

"I just got my M3 Lite nad Passcard 3 in the mail WOOT! So I followed the instructions, put the scummvm-a.nds file and "Sam & Max" folder on the sd card.

- Turn the Ds On
- Navigate to Games
- Start scummvm-a.nds file
- AND...

top screen shows a dos looking menu and bottom is just black. "

On the last line of the prompt it says "ZIP file check...Not in use!" and then it just hangs.

I want to be able to get the talkie versions of Sam & Max and Day of the Tentacle to work; is this possible on the M3 lite?

Psusion

09-08-2006, 03:11 AM

The card does not slide in or out with ease. A little force is still required to insert and remove it.

DeVS

09-08-2006, 03:22 AM

Ya I edited the review at other places (can't edit it here since im not the one who posted the orginal post). I just started ScummVM to see if it would boot and it did, but later it was brought to my attention about the zip error. Again I took it off the list but can't edit it here. Some people were also confused as it seems I wasn't clear enough (even though I stated it,lol) that you must convert audio and video media to .dpg before playing it on the M3.

Bongloads

09-08-2006, 03:58 AM

The card does not slide in or out with ease. A little force is still required to insert and remove it.

I found this to be the case on my m3lite as well. To remedy the situation (not really a "situation", as it fit fine, just a tad tight), I analyzed the case construction and determined which inner wall would benefit from some *VERY* light sanding (sand too much and it won't hold the pcb tightly enough). After 2 minutes with some fine grit sandpaper, and a few test fits, it now fits exactly as well as my g6lite :)

I'd also like to point out that in the review it is noted that the white m3lite case is "glossy" like the dslite's finish - this IS true, however, owners of white lite's know that there is actually another layer of clear plastic OVER the white plastic that makes up the unit, NOT a clearcoat but a completely seperate layer of clear plastic (which dust can collect in between the 2 layers) - the m3lite, while it does have a glossy finish, lacks the extra layer of clear plastic that would make it a *PERFECT* match for your white lite. Hardly noticeable (unless you're as anal as me :cool: ), but you CAN tell the difference externally between a m3lite and the stock dust cover - another half-cent worth of clear plastic and the m3lite team would have an identical match.

Regardless, it is simply the best flashcart I own - hands down. (I own a g6lite, m3lite, and a m3minisd). Now if only they would work the g6 GUI into the m3 line - then I would be happy as a lark :D

CarmineMac

09-08-2006, 04:09 AM

vanThijs

09-08-2006, 04:12 AM

How about the DSOrganise compatibility? The main programmer of DSOrganise claimed he wouldn't support M3 anymore becouse of the bad FAT drivers the M3 team sends out to the homebrew programmers.

Did you try to download homebrew programs, using DSOrganise? Did they run properly? :confused:

def

09-08-2006, 04:50 AM

I found this to be the case on my m3lite as well. To remedy the situation (not really a "situation", as it fit fine, just a tad tight), I analyzed the case construction and determined which inner wall would benefit from some *VERY* light sanding (sand too much and it won't hold the pcb tightly enough). After 2 minutes with some fine grit sandpaper, and a few test fits, it now fits exactly as well as my g6lite :)

Would you care to disasemble your M3 Lite and take pictures of exactly where you sanded it down (maybe edit in a circle to show where you sanded)? I too have the "problem". If you cant take pictures, i'd love it if you could explain as good as you can on where you sanded it down (what fine grit did you use?).

Thanks in advance

Tyrian³

09-08-2006, 05:21 AM

Are the media capabilities due to the internal monnshell?
Because if it is the case, you should specify that to read those media (avi, mpg, wmv...) you have to convert them. If not, someone'gonna think they can just put a divx on the m3 and whatch it on the DS, which is not true (and this is the whole point in using dpg format ;) )
About the emulators, were they the same old versions of pocketnes etc or they were updated (and ds-optimized)?
anyway great review, it was a good read. thanks:D

galaxykidgamma

09-08-2006, 07:47 AM

Buy Special M3 Lite & Passcard 3 Bundle: Divineo.cn / Divineo.com /Germany / Italy / Spain (includes everything you need)

don't forget a micro SD:D

GingerMohawk

09-08-2006, 08:24 AM

Ordered mine from modchip store uk, should get it sometime next week can't wait.

Shame about ScummDS but i'm sure that can be worked around.

Good review btw :D

Ted Zeppelin

09-08-2006, 09:26 AM

Are the media capabilities due to the internal moonshell?
Because if it is the case, you should specify that to read those media (avi, mpg, wmv...) you have to convert them. If not, someone'gonna think they can just put a divx on the m3 and watch it on the DS, which is not true
I very much hope you're right. When I read that it supports Windows Media and DivX, I suddenly felt like I'd cheated myself by getting a Supercard Lite.

lenselijer

09-08-2006, 09:32 AM

Product: M3 Lite for DS & DS Lite

It would be a real good job if you could fit this in a normal ds.
this product is only for the ds lite!

DoeDill

09-08-2006, 10:21 AM

to read ebooks on both screen, you have to do it in extend (moonshell) with the v27a firmware.

xShrimp

09-08-2006, 06:34 PM

i see that moonshell isn't on the tested list, can someone confirm that ms works on m3 lite. thanks

fantasymick

09-08-2006, 09:35 PM

mkygod

09-08-2006, 09:45 PM

I got my M3 Lite yesterday, here is my very short take on it:

M3 Lite - ScummVM = Sadness :(

xShrimp

09-08-2006, 11:27 PM

Moonshell does work on m3 lite.

I wasn't able to boot DSorganize directly from the M3 menu. But I could boot it through moonshell.

About the microsd card, the trick is to format it in FAT16 with cluster size of 64KB. (Someone in another thread mentioned this) Then the castlevania movie will play smooth. So you don't need to buy a high speed card.

What's that about the emulators that are built-in? I don't see them...
I read about it too, but what is the different between FAT16 and FAT32

mkygod

09-09-2006, 12:15 AM

Moonshell does work on m3 lite.

I wasn't able to boot DSorganize directly from the M3 menu. But I could boot it through moonshell.

About the microsd card, the trick is to format it in FAT16 with cluster size of 64KB. (Someone in another thread mentioned this) Then the castlevania movie will play smooth. So you don't need to buy a high speed card.

What's that about the emulators that are built-in? I don't see them...

BTW, for people that need it theres a 1gb sandisk ultra for $40 bux after $10 rebate, free shipping @ outpost.com . I bought mine from there, runs Castlevania like butta right out of the box.

dongle

09-09-2006, 01:57 AM

BTW, for people that need it theres a 1gb sandisk ultra for $40 bux after $10 rebate, free shipping @ outpost.com . I bought mine from there, runs Castlevania like butta right out of the box.

nope, that expired on the 5th :/ on the plus side, it led me to discover the kingmax which, although more expensive, allegedly offers smoother performance on the more intensive titles.

vEGA-rJ

09-09-2006, 07:28 AM

Will my normal sandisk 1gb play the castlevania video flawlessly?
Or it's better the cheaper kingston microsd? Thanx :)

EDIT:

I find the answer: no.

DoeDill

09-09-2006, 03:25 PM

Moonshell does work on m3 lite.

I wasn't able to boot DSorganize directly from the M3 menu. But I could boot it through moonshell.

About the microsd card, the trick is to format it in FAT16 with cluster size of 64KB. (Someone in another thread mentioned this) Then the castlevania movie will play smooth. So you don't need to buy a high speed card.

What's that about the emulators that are built-in? I don't see them...

have you tried using the .ds.gba version instead of the .nds version of DSOrganize?

fantasymick

09-09-2006, 07:16 PM

I didn't even bother to try the gba version. It works now, thanks.

Also, with FAT16, 64kb cluster, fast load with GBA rom doesn't work. You have to load it using the START button.

aliquis

09-10-2006, 01:01 AM

"It comes with a built in media player that allows you to play the following types of media:", no, it will play videos converted from those formats.

"The videos and music I converted played perfectly in the media player. Playback was smooth and looked surprisingly good on the DS screens.", did you used the bundled converted? I need to try it.

"The emulators I tested worked at full speed and video and the real time saves worked also.", but they don't support many roms, do they?

Also do you need to convert music or not?

"full functioning PDA", in chinese, also how do you install it and what of the files do you run?

Anyway I like mine aswell ;)

aliquis

09-10-2006, 01:19 AM

What brand MicroSD card did the reviewer use? Any M3 Lite owners have slowdown on the Castlevania test? I read a review elsewhere in which the reviewer did have slowdown, and he claimed it was because he was not using a Kingmax card. Is that really the only brand without slowdown? I find that hard to believe. My M3 Lite is in the mail, and I need to pick up a card in the meantime. Please help.I don't think anyone have slowdowns with E27a and FAT16 64k clusters, I think E27 firmware raised the high DMA speed from 4x to 8x.
He probably had the slowdown because he used FAT32, I do get it with FAT32 aswell. I'm using a Transcend card btw, faster than normal Sandisk but slower than Ultra II. Cheaper than both here thought.
How about the DSOrganise compatibility? The main programmer of DSOrganise claimed he wouldn't support M3 anymore becouse of the bad FAT drivers the M3 team sends out to the homebrew programmers.

Did you try to download homebrew programs, using DSOrganise? Did they run properly? :confused:DSOrganize started fine here, but when I went into day view and added something for 14.00 and out and back in again I got random data at 23.30 instead. When I edited for the whole day I got some HTML code. When I painted something and saved it it couldn't be found afterward. So the filesystem drivers seems quite corrupt/wrong.
I got another version from the #dsorganize IRC channel from a guy who had got it directly from dragonminded. Everything except creating a new file in the browser are said to work on that one, but another guy said he couldn't use the IRC client with it. I have no wlan so I haven't tested the download function.
to read ebooks on both screen, you have to do it in extend (moonshell) with the v27a firmware.What does that mean? What are extended? Just a dir where you should put your own homebrew?
i see that moonshell isn't on the tested list, can someone confirm that ms works on m3 lite. thanksYes, it works, I've run 1.4 but 1.4.1 is the version which is said to have support for it. I never noticed anything wrong with 1.4 but maybe there is something.
I read about it too, but what is the different between FAT16 and FAT32How large partitions you can have and maybe filenames and in this case the most important thing is that you can have larger cluster sizes in FAT16 for some reason.
Will my normal sandisk 1gb play the castlevania video flawlessly?
Or it's better the cheaper kingston microsd? Thanx :)

EDIT:

I find the answer: no.Yes it will if formatted FAT16 with 64k cluster size. And the other card was kingmax.

The answer is yes, not no! :D

aliquis

09-10-2006, 01:20 AM

have you tried using the .ds.gba version instead of the .nds version of DSOrganize?I used .ds.gba renamed to .nds, worked. But I have to start all my homebrew with A and not start.

DoeDill

09-10-2006, 02:18 AM

What does that mean? What are extended? Just a dir where you should put your own homebrew?

no, the built-in moonshell. Extend is what the button is in M3.

DoeDill

09-10-2006, 02:19 AM

I used .ds.gba renamed to .nds, worked. But I have to start all my homebrew with A and not start.

you don't really have to rename it, it'll still run. Aren't you suppose to start homebrew with A? Start is for GBA games.

vanThijs

09-10-2006, 05:37 AM

you don't really have to rename it, it'll still run. Aren't you suppose to start homebrew with A? Start is for GBA games.

When you press "Start", the M3 will load a bootloader, for homebrew/demo's, so they will run.
Otherwise you have to patch the files with a bootloader.

aliquis, thank you for answering my question!

DoeDill

09-10-2006, 01:42 PM

When you press "Start", the M3 will load a bootloader, for homebrew/demo's, so they will run.
Otherwise you have to patch the files with a bootloader.

aliquis, thank you for answering my question!

well that's weird since I start all my homebrew with the A button.

fantasymick

09-10-2006, 05:29 PM

I found out about the emulators, just patch the roms using "write gba" in the game manager and start it as GBA.

What's that about the emulators that are built-in? I don't see them...

aliquis

09-10-2006, 11:29 PM

When you press "Start", the M3 will load a bootloader, for homebrew/demo's, so they will run.
Otherwise you have to patch the files with a bootloader.

aliquis, thank you for answering my question!I only use A and it works, start doesn't. And I just copy the files over.

amphoterous

01-05-2007, 12:08 AM

aliquis

01-05-2007, 07:20 PM

I've tried just about everything and can't seem to get DSOrganize working (INCLUDING SAVES!). Would someone be kind enough to post their step by step instructions on how to do this?

I already have my M3 Lite + 1 GB FAT16 MicroSD card ready to go with the updated V31 M3.The thing is support had always been bad and it has been my understanding that dsorganize could corrupt the data on the card. When I tried a version (the one before the last one I think) saving didn't worked and I just got scrambled entrys in the calendar and so on. I suppose this is one of the reasons the developer stoped developing it alltogether. I used a "special version" someone had got from the developer which was probably more of a beta/version which happened to work, saving works good here but I think creating new files didn't worked, copy an old one and use that one was supposed to work I belive.

I don't know if it's ok for the developer that I spread it, so maybe you should ask him first =P, I have some dsorganize files on my HDD to, I don't know if it's that version or not but if not I guess I can just copy it of my microSD.

amphoterous

01-06-2007, 07:02 PM

I don't know if it's ok for the developer that I spread it, so maybe you should ask him first =P, I have some dsorganize files on my HDD to, I don't know if it's that version or not but if not I guess I can just copy it of my microSD.

Thanks for the tip Aliquis. I'll email him and see what I can find out.