Action Replay Max Score: 84% Developer: Datel Device Type: Accessory

Function: The Action Replay Max is a curious device and atypical as far as most gaming hardware devices are concerned. The AR Max is two different devices in one depending on what system (or more accurately, what type of cartridge) you put in it. If you use a Game Boy Advance cartridge (whether the AR is in a GBA or a DS), the function of the Max is a code-breaking utility that allows you to ?cheat? at your favorite games. With a DS game, you can export your saves and load them onto your computer for safe keeping, then later reload the same games. An interesting consequence of this is the ability to import other people?s saved games. Through the provided PC software, you can access Datel?s network of saved games and codes, download them to your computer, and then transfer them to the Max. The AR Max has two slots, one designed for the GBA cartridge and one for the DS. You plug the hardware device into the GBA slot on the DS, and when you start up your handheld, select the GBA game. Once you?ve entered the Max?s menu, you select either Action Replay or Max Drive DS. If you select the Action Replay mode, you will be able to apply a wealth of codes to pretty much any GBA game out there. If the Max Drive is chosen, you can cart saved games from your DS cartridge onto the Action Replay Max and then via the PC software onto your computer. If you want, you can also upload your saved games to let other people download and enjoy your progress.

Performance: The Action Replay Max stood up to the test. Codes that I applied to a game did what they claimed they would do, while the saved games I downloaded or backed up proved complete, uncorrupted, and easy to push onto the game. The PC program?s easy-to-use interface makes it a cinch to download new codes or saved games from the internet and store them on your computer. Then, provided the AR Max is plugged into your PC via the included USB cable, it is just a few more clicks to transfer the newly downloaded content onto the Max. When trying to apply the codes or restore the saved games, the Max?s internal UI is just as easy to navigate. Once the AR Max?s program is loaded onto the DS, you choose Action Replay or Max Drive DS. After choosing the Action Replay mode, you choose which codes you wish to apply to that game. If you wish to use these codes right away, then leave the Max?s power switch on; if not, then toggle the switch and turn it on when you want to use the cheats. This is handy for certain codes that can only be applied after a particular event in the game. If you chose the Max Drive DS mode, then you can back up individual saved games from the cartridge or restore games loaded onto the Max. No matter which option you choose, the system is easy to use and very intuitive.

Features: Preloaded with loads of cheats for the latest and greatest games New cheats can be easily added and saved Colorful hi-resolution graphics Compatible with Game Boy Advance/SP and Nintendo DS Connect to your PC with included USB cable Export/Import saved games (DS only)

Drawbacks & Problems:: The Action Replay Max does a lot of things very well. It makes it easy to apply a wide variety of codes to pretty much any GBA game as well as letting you export, import, and backup your DS saved games. Though what I can?t figure out is why it has to be two different pieces of hardware in one. Why can?t the GBA portion of the AR Max let you back up and restore saved games (it would be nice to do that with GBA games like Pok?mon where you can only have one game at a time)? For that matter, why can?t the Max be used as a code-breaker for the DS? I understand that the technology behind the two cartridges and their games are different, but I find it difficult to think that they are so different that the primary features of this device can?t be applied across the board. For those of you who are reading this article and only have a GBA and don?t plan on getting a DS, you might want to look at the GBA-only version of this product. Granted the software isn?t quite as easy to use, but the added money of getting the AR Max isn?t necessarily the best case. For more information on the GBA-specific Action Replay, click here.

-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer