[Guyfawkes]

M3 Simply Product Review
By Smiths

Review Take 2 Disclaimer said:

Review Take 2 is Emuholic’s way of making sure our product reviews are up-to-date, so as to make sure your purchasing decisions are based on the most current status of the product you’re reading about. Our original review remains intact, but it is now followed by a summary of the product’s most recent developments. This includes a new score, entitled Score Take 2, which is what we feel the product now deserves in the current market.

Review Take 2 can be found at end of review here.

The M3 DS Simply features:
* Same size as an original DS cart
* Built-in PassMe (NO need for any boot cart/passcard etc.)
* Uses Micro SD cards (Trans Flash) for storage, cheap and multiple uses for cards.
* Boot clean dump images
* Very simple to use: drag and drop files to the micro SD card
* No drivers required
* Standard FAT system support
* Supports different speeds of micro SD.
* Runs games without any lag or slow down
* Upgradeable Firmware (OS/Bios/Kernel)
* Touch screen control and robust skinning support
* No battery needed, back up the save file directly into the micro SD card: Never lose your saved games
* Auto detect the save type and automatically generate save file
* Homebrew support
* Watch movies directly, listen to MP3's and read TXT on the DS via the use of Moonshell
* Supports WiFi, DS rumble pack, and DS browser .

A Little Review Disclaimer

It's nice when a company provides you with a sample directly for testing and review; you feel more "exclusive" and perhaps have an earlier "first-post" style of evaluating you can accomplish. However, let's face it: you ? the readers ? are all consumers, who don't purchase from a company directly. So shouldn't a reviewer follow the same criteria? Don't you deserve to get a fair review of a product plus an idea of where you should spend your money on said product?

For that reason, Emuholic has requested our M3 Simply for this review from Kick Trading (www.kicktrading.ca), as part of a bilateral approach to reviewing. The place and the product shall both be covered.

The Place

I had heard a lot about Kick Trading while I was working in Japan for the past several years, but was never really able to take advantage of their service because of several Chinese importers simply being closer. However, now back stateside, I was eager to contact Kick Trading to arrange this product reviewing. Bottom Line: When you request a product on a Friday afternoon (typically the worst time to order anything) and it arrives 6 days later at your door in tip-top shape, you know you've got a reliable seller.

So, with the M3 Simply at my stoop, I attempted to rip the envelope open right then and there. Unfortunately, Kick Trading's people had enforced it with a bubble envelope plus some great packing tape wrapping, so I ended up with the following package before grabbing my trusty Swiss Army Knife.

(What does Kick Trading think they're doing, packing this so well? Click for larger image)

In the Box

But once that was taken care of, I was greeted with my M3 Simply's packaging. Older revisions apparently featured a plastic design, but this cartridge was in a simple, cardboard box.

(Entei approves of simple packing. Click for larger image) (The back of the box states all features. Click for larger image)

Inside the box is a M3 Documentation/System Software Mini CD-ROM, and a nice plastic tray containing a MicroSD/Transflash USB card reader, a blue plastic DS cartridge casing (containing the M3 Simply), and a strap for the casing to make it a fashionable accessory. The card reader is a really nice touch by the M3 team; it shows an extra commitment to making it easy to get your media prepared in order to use your new purchase.

(CD and accessories. Click for larger image)

The Card

Yes, I like my strap. And although I did enjoy twirling it around for 10 minutes and pretending I was a jungle explorer and it was the vine I was swinging from through the forest of my house, I figured Emuholic's readers were more interested in the M3 Simply. Therefore, I forced myself to put the strap away and get the blue case housing the card open in order to test the product out.

The size of the M3 Simply is advertised as being exactly that of a standard Nintendo DS cartridge, and it 100% is just that.

(One can argue a DS cartridge doesn't have both corners rounded, but that's just picky. Click for larger image)

The M3 Simply fits easily and gracefully into the Nintendo DS. There is no friction or minor tightness; this is a Nintendo DS cartridge's size. It also does not stick out of the system any more than a standard cartridge.

(I can't even argue the "1mm protruding" excuse; it's perfect. Click for larger image.)

The MicroSD slot feels sturdy and is spring-loaded, so removing your flash memory is painless. For the process of this review, I removed and inserted my MicroSD card well over 50 times without ever feeling I had to "tug" the card out. The only problem is with both the MicroSD slot and the DS cartridge slot itself being spring-loaded, you'll find yourself ejecting the M3 Simply instead of your MicroSD card sometimes if you're trying the "take out the SD card while my M3 is still in the DS" method.

M3 Simply Usage

Aesthetics aside, let's go into how the card actually functions, from box to boot. For this review, I used a 512MB Sandisk MicroSD card (FAT32 formatted, FAT16 supported as well). Nothing fancy there; it's a standard card you pick up at any standard electronics store (StaplesR, in this case). The Installation CD contains v1.01 of the M3 software, but since v1.02 is already out I headed to www.m3adapter.com to download that.

Once downloaded, there are a few files you have to transfer to your MicroSD (the bios/kernel/MoonShell), and that's it. (Software upgrades only require you to replace these files; no "flashing" ever happens)

(2 files and a folder for transfer)

Take the MicroSD card, put it in the M3 Simply, and put the M3 Simply in your Nintendo DS. You'll be greeted in under 5 seconds with the M3 Simply home screen. The bottom screen can be navigated with either the pen or the directional pad, and features 3 buttons: "Game", "Multimedia", and "Boot Slot-2". The first option takes you to a file browser, and displays any .NDS files on your card (in the root directory or any amount of subdirectories). The M3 Simply supports "clean ROMs", which means no front-end software is required. You simply drag-and-drop NDS files to your MicroSD and begin to play. An optional Windows-Only "ROM trimming" program is on the Software CD, in case you want to save some space.

(The home screen and the game browser menu)

With the release of the latest M3 Simply software (1.02 final), some great options were added to the Game browser. Tapping the sunlight icon in the upper-left (or using the L-Trigger) will toggle a DS Lite's 4 brightness settings. Your setting is remembered upon the next boot, too. On a normal "original" model of the Nintendo DS, this icon is grayed out and cannot be used. In the upper-right corner of the bottom screen is an "R" icon, which can be toggled with the pen or the R-Trigger. This toggles the "Soft-Reset" function of the M3 Simply. If it's green, you can exit any game you're playing (not homebrew) by using the A+B+X+Y+L+R key combination. Being a SuperCard Mini user, I grew dependant on Soft-Reset, and am very happy to see it featured in this product. Also in this menu, hitting "Select" will toggle through various file listing modes. The "Start" button returns you to the main menu.

The middle icon, "Multimedia", is simple a loader for MoonShell. I'm not going to go into depth on MoonShell, suffice to say it's an all-in-one audio/video application for the DS. However, I will mention this icon can be remapped to any application or game you desire; all it does is launch "_DS_MSHL.NDS" in the root. So, you can take whatever .NDS file you want it to load and rename it to "_DS_MSHL.NDS", and it will be launched by selecting this middle icon. My M3 Simply currently loads DSOrganize through this shortcut.

The final icon, "Boot Slot-2" does exactly that: it loads whatever is in your second slot, making the M3 Simply act as a PassMe device. I used the function to boot my SuperCard Mini in an unflashed DS, and it worked perfectly.

Skinning Note

While the product features state "robust skinning support", I must find flaw with the M3 user manual. Yes, you are able to skin the shell via 4 standard bitmap files. However, the files must be put in a directory that is not created by default, and the user manual states incorrectly as "the directory "system/_system"". I created a directory named "system", a directory named "_system", put the "_system" in the "system", added some lemon juice and tequila, and still ended up without a skinned shell. Through forum searching, I found out it's simply a subdirectory entitled "_system_" in your root that should contain the 4 bitmaps. Once I created that folder and put my files there, the M3 Simply detected them and used them instead of the hard-coded ones at startup. I'm upset that the only real negative so far for the M3 Simply has to do with poor directions in the manual, as it really has nothing to do with the card itself. But, all facets must be held accountable, and the skinning aspect took a good chunk of time when I was role-playing as a "simple end-user with a manual".

So how does it play?

I tried Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin first, and am pleased to report that so far (1 portrait in and 2 save points) I have yet to experience any locking up. Am I just lucky? I don't know. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam unfortunately does have slowdown, which seems to be pretty standard with that title. I don't really mind, but this does go against the M3 Team's advertised "runs games without any lag or slow down" specification. Club House Games worked perfectly, as did everything else I threw on the MicroSD card. My Sandisk did not slowdown in both Castlevania's introductions, something my MiniSD does on my SuperCard Mini. I didn't do any huge "all my collection" compatibility testing, but there seems to be a community doing so at http://wiki.scorpei....M3_DS_Si...list.

Saves

Upon first loading a title, the M3 software checks if a .SAV file with the same names exists. If it doesn't, you are prompted to create one. All save types are automatically detected, and exist as 512KB files on your MicroSD card. If you are like me and have other cards you use, you'll want to keep your existing saves. For this purpose, there is a Windows-Only program included on the Software CD that converts saves from a slew of other cards' formats to the M3 Simply format. Despite the card not being system-dependant (since it requires only a USB card reader), this utility only comes for Windows. But it does work great, as I didn't lose any of my Picross data I built up on my SuperCard by transferring the converted .SAV file to my M3 Simply's MicroSD.

(Conversion from many formats, but only for Windows)

Download Play

It's not advertised on the box, and for good reason I believe. I tried to use the "Download Play" feature from several games using a combination of a flashed DS Lite (FDSL) and an unflashed DS "original" (UDSO) model. Out of 5 games tested (Mario Kart, New Super Mario Brothers, Picross DS, Club House Games, and Bomberman), only Bomberman was successful in establishing a Download Play session. The others resulted in a white screen, no matter which system was sending or receiving. So, I'm not going to say 100% definitively "Download Play never works on the M3 Simply", but I would not advise someone looking for this feature to opt for this hardware over one that's proven to work successfully.

(Download Play in Picross DS from UDSO to FDSL, lost connection on UDSO and white screens on FDSL)

Homebrew

DLDI. That's all you need to know about homebrew. If the application supports DLDI, it will work perfectly on your M3 Simply. Just download the "R4(DS) - Revolution for DS M3 Simply compatible" DLDI file from http://chishm.drunkencoders.com/DLDI/ and use it whatever patching program you choose on your homebrew. ScummVM worked perfectly, DSOrganize worked perfectly, and SNEmulDS loaded just fine once patched with the DLDI file. Again, there's more of a listing at http://wiki.scorpei....patibility_list, but the bottom line is: DLDI = works.

Final Thoughts

It feels good to be back in a reviewer's seat, I must admit. Despite the length of this review, my aim was to make it as much of a "I want to buy a card and use it to play my games" audience-targeted article. So let's wrap-up with the gist of the M3 Simply.

The M3 Team picked the right name for this product. The M3 Simply simply is that: simple. You take it out, put the system files and games on a card, and play them on your Nintendo DS. There's no overabundance of features and menu options; you just choose and run. I feel really sorry I chose this item as my first product for reviewing at Emuholic; everything after the simplicity of this hardware will seem cumbersome in comparison. The only gripes I have are the unfortunately mistyped skinning instructions and the Windows-Only software for save conversion and ROM trimming. However, those are two complaints that have nothing at all to do with the hardware itself! The M3 Simply is the perfect card for those of you who just want to play your games and use your applications without worrying about checkboxes and card settings.

I know Download Play should be a strike against this card, and will be for some of you. However, I only ever play games on the Nintendo Wifi Connect, and that's working flawlessly on the M3 Simply.

Score

Pros:
+ Beyond Easy to use
+ High Compatibility
+ Great design to the millimeter
Cons:
- Poor documentation, especially on skinning
- Windows-Only software for saves and trimming
- Download Play mostly a no-go

Final Score: 9.6, really!
Many thanks to Kick Trading (www.kicktrading.ca) for their prompt and perfect replying and supplying of the hardware. I am pleased to endorse them fully for purchase of this and other items you desire.

Homepage: http://www.m3adapter.com/

References Used:
DLDI Homepage - http://chishm.drunke...DLDI/index.html
M3 Simply Compatibility List - http://wiki.scorpei....patibility_list

Review Take 2 said:

M3 Simply Review Take 2
Based on developments up to and including February 12th 2008

In the initial review, the M3 Simply’s latest system software was version 1.02. Now, the latest download is version 1.11. These revisions have made the M3 Simply an even more amazing and downright perfect Slot-1 Adapter.

First off, Download Play has been perfected as of version 1.07. Version 1.05 enhanced the cheat support by making it now use both the included database plus a “usrcheat.dat” created through a Windows program. If cheats exist for a title in both the included and created files, you have the option of using either database for cheating. Selected codes can be toggled in-game with L+R+START+UP (enable) and L+R+START+DOWN (disable).

Also, another update was made in the realm of homebrew. The M3 Simply, like other current products, implemented Auto-DLDI patching upon a program’s launching in version 1.06. Compatibility is perfect for DLDI homebrew with this drag, drop, and launch capability.

Improvements to the interface have been a part of the software updates. Files and saves can be deleted, and saves can be backed up and restored all from within the M3 Simply’s GUI.

The M3 Simply also now includes detection of a cartridge in Slot-2, and altering the boot method dependant on whether it’s a GBA cartridge or a Slot-2 Nintendo DS Adapter.

The only negative to come the M3 Simply’s way through the test of time was the spring-loaded MicroSD slot has been found to be prone to getting stuck. This happened on my unit last month and required me to open my M3 Simply and fix the spring, as per a guide found on YouTube. Since then it’s been smooth sailing. The R4 team has changed shells of their product to remove the spring-loading mechanism, but it does not seem the M3 team followed in their footsteps.

With all the changes the M3 team has implemented (or should that be the R4 team?), the M3 Simply is now an even more perfect, low-priced, feature-packed adapter in the current Slot-1 market. If you want to easily play your games, and have tons of other features to boot, there’s no reason for you not to purchase an M3 Simply.

Score Take 2: 9.9 – One of the best cards on the market.

This review may not be copied and pasted elsewhere without prior permission, please link to this review instead.

[John Doe]

Oh mine,

I haven't gotten a card for my ds lite yet, and I was really aiming to get the ninja ds micro. Which one is now the better one. What is the play and go function? Is it the online function? So that means to play your games online?

Please all you people here on the board which one is the better card now?

ICUthen

[John Doe]

In the Simply M3 bundle are there two cards, one white and a blackcard, that means you get 2 m3s that is crazy.

ICUthen

[Smiths]

I only received a gray M3 Simply in my case. Presuming this is exactly what is shipped to anyone who orders from Kicktrading, you're only getting one. Oh well

Still, all I could think during reviewing and testing was how "simple" the "Simply" was.
Not a ton of features, but works for what it does remarkably well.

[John Doe]

Does the Micro NinjaDs have more features than the M3 Simply? Guyfawkes told me that R4 and M3 are almost identical, so that means that NinjaDs is a little bit different?

ICUthen

[Guyfawkes]

The r4, m3 simply and ninjads do mostly the same, play commercial and homebrew ROMs. They both do it well, so there's not much difference there. The ninjads does have a built in media player but its not as good as Moonshell which all three can use. Firmware updates seem to be a bit better for the M3/R4, so support may be a little better there especially in the long term as the M3 company is well established now.

I will have the MK-5 Giga review online shortly, you may want to check that out when its online as its a quite good card. Should be online in a day or two.

[John Doe]

Thanks Guyfawkes for the info, oh mine it seems to be that cards for the ds are spreading like mushrooms. First I am gonna wait for mk5 than and later I am gonna make my decision based on that. M3 is my favorite so far but I think its like sold out at most stores.
ICUthen

[John Doe]

I read that the M3 cannot play GBA games, how come?

[granola]

Slot-2 M3 Perfect products can play GBA files fine. Slot-2 M3 Pro products can only run GBA binaries up to 4 MB in size. The M3 Simply cannot run GBA binaries at all, because GBA stuff cannot be run from slot-1. It has been speculated that in the future slot-1 M3 and Supercard products will include a slot-2 RAM pack which will allow GBA playback, but for now, if you want GBA compatibility at all, you must go with a slot-2 product.

[John Doe]

Hi I still haven't gotten my card yet, because I am trying to get the M3 Simply in white which is unfortunately not produced anymore. Here is my question, I read that the R4 can be run as a M3 by flashing it with the M3 Simply firmware. Is that true. If that is the case is the R4 a fully M3 Simply then? So whenever there is a new firmware out there for the M3 Simply I can flash the R4 with the M3 Simply firmware?

ICUthen

[granola]

The R4 and M3 Simply are nearly the same thing, yes. However, to switch between the two, you had to solder two contacts together, and it wasn't as simple as a firmware update. In addition, newer batches do not contain the pads that made conversion so easy. It's theoretically still possible, but incredibly difficult and not recommended.

[John Doe]

@granola,

So the the mod was a hardware mod not a software one? In you opinion which one will have a brighter future, the m3 or r4? Why do some people say that technichally the r4 is better and why is it cheaper?

ICUthen

What card are you using? This goes to all members of the forum I would like to know your configuration.

[granola]

Yes, it was a hardware mod. There were three pads that needed to either be bridged or desoldered to switch between R4 mode and M3 Simply mode. A fourth pad allowed for language swapping between Chinese and English. I don't have either of the products myself however, so I can't really make a recommendation.

[Shane]

I just wanted to ask how is the download play on Normal (unflashed) DS units? I currently have the M3 simply but I'm waiting for my flash card.

[John Doe]

I finally got my M3 simply card and I wanted to know how run scumm on it. And also do you guys have any recommendations on ds games that every DS owner has to have. What are in your opinions the best snes and nes emulators for the M3 simply. This cars rulz!
ICUthen