This is the first save-backup device that is directly compatible with Nintendo 3DS games. Yes, you read that right- Nintendo 3DS games. It isn’t just a save backup device that can ‘run with the 3DS’, but in fact, it can actually backup saves of games such as “Mario Kart 7” and “Super Mario 3D Land” and restore them too, as well as download new save-games from the R4i  SaveDongle save-game archives. There’s so much to do, and for less than £10 on some websites, this little dongle is surely worth the cash. Or is it? 
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The Product

The R4i SaveDongle device which we procured from the R4i-SDHC Team came in a small, no-frills red box. Inside was a flimsy plastic tray with a light fabric effect which housed the very cheap and plasticky R4i Save Dongle device. The box did not contain anything apart from the tray and a rather light, cheap dongle. Hmm.

First Impressions: 6/10 
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The SaveDongle is secure when attached to a PC
The SaveDongle

The actual product is rather large in comparison to a (3)DS card and is somewhat elliptical in shape. The product feels very cheap and plasticky, and is also very light. There is a small “Upgrade” button on the side of the unit, presumably to upgrade its firmware if Nintendo release a firmware upgrade to block the dongle, which I thought was a nice touch.

  The dimensions of the product are horrendous, but all is forgiven once the dongle is plugged into the computer. The dongle clicks into the USB port securely and easily, with very little wobble, as is the card slot where you must insert your DS or 3DS card to back up or restore the game save from it. Again, the card fits in snugly and provides a secure fit.

So far, you shouldn’t really buy it for the looks, but then, why would you? It’s only got one purpose, and that’s to save games.

First Impressions: 6.5/10 
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The Client Software

The software which is used to transfer and receive 3DS/DS game saves from the card that is plugged into the SaveDongle slot (when connected to the computer) is very lightweight and easy to use. After a quick installation, the software presents you with two buttons (PC to Card and Card to PC) which are self-explanatory- the former transfers a save-game from your PC to the corresponding card, and the latter does the opposite and uploads the save-game to your computer, where it can easily be uploaded to the archives (see paragraph 1).

According to certain sources on the internet, the program is prone to crashing and becoming non-respondent frequently. My test copy of the software did not crash at all or become non-respondent, which was strange… but then again, I’m glad it didn’t! The software is newbie-friendly, easy to use and simple to install, with only a few compatibility niggles. So, on the whole, that’s awesome!

First Impressions: 9/10 
Compatibility:

PASS (Copy TO PC):

  1. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
  2. Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold
  3. Pokemon Black/White
  4. Yoshi’s Island DS
  5. Super Mario 64 DS
  6. Mario Kart DS
  7. Super Mario Land 3DS
  8. Mario Kart 7 3DS
  9. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 3DS
  10. Pilotwings 3D 3DS

FAIL (Copy to PC):

  1. Warioware D.I.Y (Software does not complete the transfer)

PASS (Copy to Card):

  1. Pokemon Black/White
  2. Yoshi’s Island DS
  3. Super Mario 64 DS
  4. Mario Kart DS


FAIL (Copy to Card and Read):

  1. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (Corrupted Save)
  2. Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold (Corrupted Save)
  3. Warioware D.I.Y (Unable to test as software did not transfer from the card to the PC)
  4. Super Mario Land 3DS (3DS Game Encryption Failure, Corrupted File)
    Mario Kart 7 3DS  (3DS Game Encryption Failure, Corrupted File) 
    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 3DS  (3DS Game Encryption Failure, Corrupted File) 
    Pilotwings 3D 3DS   (3DS Game Encryption Failure, Corrupted File) 

There are some obvious flaws in the hardware and software, with several high-profile games not transferring to and from the card successfully, which will need to be addressed. For instance, with the latest firmware upgrade for the SaveDongle, the Pokemon games (D/P+ SS/HG) are still not being transferred properly. The dongle did not transfer the 3DS saves properly, and this resulted in several unrecoverable corruptions in the save file. The team, however, did not make clear AT ALL that 3DS saves do not load into the cartridge. Hmm. Every game took >5 minutes to back up a save, or >5 minutes to restore, which was painfully long, considering a save is around 128KB apiece. However, the SaveDongle has a huge list of working backed-up and restored saves, and the online archives make restoring saves easy. But for compatibility, it’s going to be a 6.

First Impressions: 6/10

All In All

  • The Product 6/10
  • The SaveDongle 6.5/10
  • The Client Software 9/10
  • Compatibility: 6/10

The R4i SaveDongle from the R4i SDHC Team is a budget device that can back-up most DS game saves and 3DS saves and restore them. With save-game technology having evolved from the days of the early DS, it’s very strange how the SaveDongle cannot restore Pokemon save-games or even first-party Nintendo titles like Warioware D.I.Y. The nice little thing with the dongle that sets it apart from its competitors is its 3DS compatibility, which seems to be flawless as far as we’re concerned.

So in conclusion, you get what you pay for. For under a tenner, you get a dongle that can save and backup the majority of games and can be upgraded should Nintendo try to disable it. You get access to an online save-game archive file host too. Nothing more, nothing less. The dongle does the job, just like the other devices the R4i-SDHC Team manufacture for the general public- budget products at a budget price that do a helluva lot for your cash!

All in all, the R4i SaveDongle receives a:

6/10

~Chris
 


Comments

Chris
14/01/2012 10:04

James,

Thank you for your valued opinion, but indeed we obtained this product directly from the manufacturer, who have no affiliation with the official R4 team, who have been defunct for several years now.

The reason why I criticized the product sip for its 3DS compatibility was because the new product's packaging misleads the user into thinking that the 3DS games can be backed up and restored onto a computer and the 3DS game card itself, which was not the case as 3DS save file encryption had more been cracked yet,so backed up 3DS game saves are just garbled text files and when restored to another 3DS device, appear corrupted, which is prettybad for their USP. If the dongle cannot manage 100% DS compatibility like R4 wood firmware for instance, then it is not going to be flawless.

The games chosen were tested because they are popular, and so would help any 'newbies' on their purchase.

If you have any further concise feedback points to make, please user the feedback tab

Yours,
Chris

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