DS Homebrew Review: the EZ-V 3-in-1 pack

Welcome back! Another month, another Homebrew Review, and first up this month we've got an update on a few items we've covered previously.

EZ-V 3-in-1 Expansion Pack

We already told you about this wonder-cart in last month's DS Homebrew Review. Well, this month we've managed to get our hands on one.

The first thing we noticed upon opening the package was the colour. Okay, so we knew that it was black before we bought it, but it suddenly struck us when we slotted it in that it didn't quite match with our lovely white DS Lite.

Still, we soon got over our fashion gripes when we tried out the cart's rumble and memory expansion features, both of which passed our tests with flying colours.

They both work exactly like the official cartridges, but with the benefit of being in one device. You've even got the option of three rumble strengths, so if the slightly annoying sound it makes on the default setting starts to grate, you can turn it down a notch.

As for the GBA homebrew format compatibility, this worked reasonably well, though we had a few issues with saving which we're told will be ironed out with future firmware updates.

All in all, we're happy with the cartridge, and hopeful it's something that the DS homebrew community will embrace. We're especially interested in seeing what the memory expansion could be used for in future.

You can buy the cart on its own or with an EZV (currently the only slot-1 solution it's compatible with) from TotalGBA.

TetattDS (Tetris Attack DS) 2.0

We covered TetattDS in our first homebrew review, and to this day it still remains our favourite homebrew game. It's now been updated to version 2.0, with improved graphics, sound and save features. No drastic changes then, but it's a further refinement to one of the finest homebrew games, one which nobody can afford to miss!

You can download TetattDS 2.0 here.

We've been too obsessed with TetattDS 2.0 to even consider playing another game, but whilst our gaming needs have been fulfilled, we've still been fiddling with some interesting developments from the homebrew scene.

Here's what else has caught our eye this month.

Comic Book DS

Although games will always be our first love at Pocket Gamer, we're also partial to reading comics on our tedious daily commute. It's not quite as practical as just whipping out our DS Lite though, so we were particularly interested in Comic Book DS, an application which enables you to view comics on the DS.

The software reads its own 'CBDS' files, which you can either make yourself using the included PC application or obtain by downloading them readymade.

Initially we were sceptical as to how comfortable reading a comic would be on the DS's relatively small screens, but the variety of viewing options offered by Comic Book DS means that it's easy to find one you're happy with. Fans of hit US TV show Heroes will be particularly interested in downloading the specially formatted versions of the online exclusive mini-comics based on the series.

Interested? Find out more about Comic Book DS.

DSMIDIWIFI

One of the first games we fell in love with on the DS was a Japanese import rhythm action game called Daigassou! Band Brothers. We became hopelessly addicted to it, but the language barrier meant we never really got to grips with the built-in song editor.

Unfortunately, Daigassou! wasn't released in English, but there are several homebrew apps that have since satisfied our musical needs.

DSMIDIWIFI is one such application, which enables your DS to be used as a wireless MIDI controller for all MIDI sequencers.

Available for PC, Mac and Linux, it's extremely simple to set up, and once it's up-and-running you have a choice of several homebrew DS applications that enable you to use the touch screen as a virtual instrument for your favourite MIDI sequencing software.

It's unlikely that you'll be seeing our efforts anywhere near the top of the charts, but we're sure that in the right hands this could be a useful tool. You can download it from the DSMIDIWIFI website.

Moonshell

While the miniaturisation of portable electronics has meant that fitting a phone, an MP3 player and a DS into our pockets is possible, it certainly isn't comfortable or practical. While we wait for the iPhone to solve our ultimate convergence needs, Moonshell enables us to at least combine two of those devices for the time being.

If you own the EZV you'll already be familiar with Moonshell, since the device's front-end is based on it. But you may not know about its media playing capabilities.

Moonshell is compatible with a variety of audio, image and even video formats. Any movies you wish to view must first be converted to DPG format; the tools for doing this are free and simple to use, and the end result is pretty good when viewed on the DS.

Moonshell's own interface is easy to use, employing the touchscreen for playback controls and file selection, and there are a number of skins available, such as the Vista themed skin we've shown here.

You can download the latest version of Moonshell here. Information about skinning and converting media can be found over at the official English Moonshell forum.

Well, that's it for another month. We hope you enjoyed this look at some of the more interesting non-game homebrew applications out there, and we'll see you again next month when hopefully we'll have shaken our TetattDS addiction to try out some other homebrew entertainment. Click 'Track It!' to get an email reminder. Until then, happy homebrewing!

Catch up with our previous DS Homebrew Reviews on our DS Homebrew page.