Nintendo’s top-selling DS handheld was plagued with piracy thanks to a bunch of flash carts, like the infamous R4 and its myriad clones. They made it ridiculously easy for people to download DS games and run them on their consoles without any hardware modification. It’s not quite that simple with the 3DS, though there is a flashcart that enables piracy. And some users are finding the thing to be bricking their consoles.
It all comes about because the Gateway Flashcart, which enables users to play pirated 3DS roms, was recently updated to ironically combat piracy of the Gateway cart itself in the way of copycat devices, built using its code.
Users of GBATemp found a way to bypass the 3DS much maligned region locking using the Gateway cart, which required modifying a file in the Gateway’s launcher. Only the gateway included a kill-switch, which bricked the 3DS handheld it was running on. Brilliant.
"We are investigating the issue about the recent blue screen bootrom error some users have reported, and we have discovered this is caused by memory corruption due to flawed copying or modifications of our official launcher firmware," Gateway wrote on its official site. (via Eurogamer)
"We specifically warn users to avoid clone launcher firmware [companies which sell modified, older versions of Gateway’s code] and avoid the region-free patches made by Normmatt [the GBATemp user behind the region-free hack]."
"We can reassure our users that our official (unmodified) launcher firmware is free from such memory corruption and is 100 per cent safe to use."
Those who’ve been affected by the kill switch now need to send their 3DS units back to Nintendo for repair, and those users feel Gateway’s apology does not suffice.
"Bricking a 3DS console is going too far," moaned one affected user. "Nintendo has never intentionally bricked a console for having a modified firmware or flash cart, so customers should not have to expect that from Gateway. Plus, Gateway never directly notified customers that they coded this in to happen."
Piracy sucks, and if you were using the Gateway to play pirated 3DS games I have a tough time feeling sorry for you. If you really, really just used it to bypass that blasted, and completely stupid region locking…well, tough break.
It still irks me that people are selling 3DS and DS flashcarts pretty openly at places like Bid or Buy without the slightest consequence or repercussion. Yes, games are expensive, but that’s really not a good excuse to steal them.
Last Updated: January 21, 2014
Umar Break Dancing Cyborg
January 21, 2014 at 08:35
There was a shop nearby that sells them for like R200 loaded with games….But in all honesty I’m really tempted to hack my 3DS to get rid of this EFFING region-lock, sick of it now. It’s the dumbest kak ever…Sorry for my rage rant but dammit Nintendo……Why region-lock..Now with Rune Factory 4 EU cancelled, how exactly am I going to play this…don’t wana sound like a brat but damn this was a dumb ass move by Nintendo
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 08:38
R200 for fake 3ds? or for the flash cart?
Umar Break Dancing Cyborg
January 21, 2014 at 08:41
Flash Cart
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 08:43
How much space do these flashcarts have to be loaded with games….
iPrimal
January 21, 2014 at 19:43
Last I heard, Gateway only allowed 1 rom at a time to be loaded. The “DS” carts, however, can load as many as your heart desires. Provided you buy a big enough memory card.
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 08:46
Think he might be referring to the flash cart… flash cart…. Am I the only one picturing flash pushing a shopping cart? O_o
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 08:47
Indeed, at least you didn’t have dreams of never ending capra demons last night!
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:11
I hate that thing with the fire of a thousand burning suns
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 09:14
It was actually easy! I mean after screwing up with blacksmith last night, and restarting with warrior I am flying through guys. Yes my level isn’t that good but pyromancer felt so weak compared to the trusty warrior!
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:20
If you manage to get past him and reach the stairs without getting trapped by the hounds, then the rest of the battle is easy. My thief has a low physical defense which meant he killed me in one hit
Brian Murphy
January 21, 2014 at 08:50
I was thinking it’s a shopping cart that a friend pushes, while you wear a loose trenchcoat with nothing underneath, giving all the ladies an eyefull at random intervals…then again, maybe I put too much thought into it.
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 08:57
How about Flash pushing a cart with your friend in it Flashing people?
Brian Murphy
January 21, 2014 at 08:59
Or maybe, it’s just a highly promiscuous/exhibitionist shopping cart, and flashing cart is a derogatory name for a slut shopping cart?
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:06
Wouldn’t that make all the shopping carts you pay to use a slut shopping cart?
Brian Murphy
January 21, 2014 at 09:06
No no no no, a slut does it for free. You pay whores. lol.
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:10
That is true, my apologies for the confusion. *ads shopping cart handles to list of irrational phobias*
Brian Murphy
January 21, 2014 at 09:11
Hahaha 🙂
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:14
Puts a whole new meaning to the term “No glove, no love” 😛
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 09:02
and they say I am off my pills….
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
January 21, 2014 at 08:43
made the mistake of getting a 2DS in Seattle in October.. now i am a bit stuck with games, E-bay FTW…. but seriously, would love to get rid of the Region locking, so that i can properly buy the games i want, where i want…
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 08:44
surely must be a safe way to remove it..
TiMsTeR1033
January 21, 2014 at 08:36
Well look how easy the Wii was to hack! softmod usb and boom people were buying and playing pirated games… I buy all my games the legal way, I just prefer things to be as they were intended to be… If one can’t afford the latest game.. Then wait till you can when its cheaper, or buy another older game to pass the time, or simply save up.
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 21, 2014 at 08:37
Damn those filthy PC pirates! Wait, what? O_O
Hammersteyn
January 21, 2014 at 09:06
Reporting on PC piracy is like reporting on every child birth
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 21, 2014 at 09:45
lol
Hammersteyn
January 21, 2014 at 10:07
Guess who’s back, back again
Troll is back, tell a friend
Guess who’s back,
guess who’s back,
guess who’s back,
guess who’s back
guess who’s back
Guess who’s back…
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 21, 2014 at 10:16
I take the downvoting to mean it approves of piracy, dislikes children & hates laughter. Maybe it just needs a hug & some understanding?
Hammersteyn
January 21, 2014 at 10:25
Or maybe he bricked his DS and now his parents won’t buy him another one. No more Pokemon :'(
Hammersteyn
January 21, 2014 at 09:06
Good! Brick them all.
Unavengedavo
January 21, 2014 at 09:08
Hehe…
Hammersteyn
January 21, 2014 at 10:08
Hahaha
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
January 21, 2014 at 09:43
Yeah, I can understand wanting to bypass the region locking. But if you use firmware that wasn’t meant for the device and it breaks the device you can’t really be upset with someone else. You did it yourself. You took the risk. No one held a gun against your head.
That being said, I still don’t understand region locking. Don’t know why they bother
Wyzak
January 21, 2014 at 13:49
Yeah I despise artificial barriers to trade.
Shade
January 21, 2014 at 10:12
if a person really tries hard and use their brains they might find that certain shops often end up not selling some types of games and then puts them in the bargain bin for less than you would usually pay they are not pirated games they are still original games they are older than the newest games but if you really think about it, buying these bargain games is 1. supporting the shop and 2. not gonna get bricked!
Craig "Crios" Boonzaier
January 21, 2014 at 11:22
If you’re having handheld problems.
I feel bad for you son.
I got 99 problems,
but a bricked consoles ain’t one.
Wyzak
January 21, 2014 at 13:47
Last sentence. Pirate them, not steal them.