R4 - expanding your options

Fishing is never a sure thing. No matter how good your bait is, refined your techniques are, or perfect the conditions are, sometimes you just strike out. Even when all of the preparations are perfect and the signs point to success, you can never really predict your success at landing the big one. But when you’re cold, wet, and tired from a day on the water, you know you can always kick back and better your chances with your Nintendo DS and the latest version of Super Black Bass Fishing or Professional Fisherman’s Tour: Northern Hemisphere. But to really get the most out of your DS you should consider opening up its hidden capabilities by utilizing an R4 cartridge that allows you to not only play games on your Nintendo DS, but load it up with music, movies, Homebrew applications, and more. Your Nintendo DS is designed to work with proprietary cartridges that contain the information for the games you buy and play on your system. These cartridges fit into the SLOT-1 of your Nintendo DS system and they only hold data for the games loaded in it.

The R4 adaptor fits into this SLOT-1 and allows you to use Micro SD cards, which you can store information on and edit and thus use with your Nintendo DS. And thankfully, the process is pretty straightforward and poses little risk of damage to your system. The adaptor itself fits perfectly into your SLOT-1 and does not compromise compatibility with your DS rumble and memory paks. There are detailed instructions that lead you through the relatively simple installation process. Basically, you use the included card reader to connect the Micro SD card to your computer, and then you can choose your firmware version and skins and data with drag and drop to the SD card. Once you’ve copied the data on to the Micro SD, you insert it into the R4 adaptor, then into your Nintendo DS, and turn it on. The adaptor’s GUI automatically loads up when you start your DS and you’re all set to explore all of the new functionality of your DS.

A good place to start is with some of the Homebrew applications available for download. You can now use your DS to watch movies while on the plane or listen to your MP3s without investing in or carrying around an iPod. Or you can use your DS as an ebook reader or personal organizer. With the R4 cartridge you can even take advantage of the Nintendo DS Wifi capability and chat or get your email or browse the web from your handheld game system. All of these amazing new tasks are possible due to the hard work of programming enthusiasts and of course, your new R4 adaptor cartridge. Aside from all of these new Homebrew utilities for your game system, the world of Homebrew games is now available to you. You can try out games that have not been released for Nintendo DS or even emulate classics with vintage ROMS.