EZ-Flash Air Review: Features, Limitations, and Comparison with Other Models

Package Contents

The cartridge comes in a sleek blue box.

Interestingly, the packaging here is non-standard — smaller and noticeably different from the usual boxes used for other EZ-Flash models.

The package includes only the cartridge itself, although it can be purchased with an additional set of three interchangeable shells in different colors.

Where to Buy?

EZ-Flash Air can be purchased on AliExpress.

NOR vs PSRAM

Before we dive in, take a look at the article "Comparison of EZ-Flash Cartridges", which features a table listing the specifications of all current models.

After a week of using the EZ-Flash Air, I came to the conclusion that it makes the most sense to compare it directly with the EZ-Flash Omega. The EZ-Flash Definitive Edition is essentially a hybrid of the Air and the Omega: it combines all their features while adding unique enhancements not found in previous cartridges.

In the article "History of EZ-Flash Flashcarts. Part 1 — from EZ-Flash 1 to EZ-Flash 3", I explained how the EZ-Flash 3 marked the second major milestone in flashcart evolution. It introduced a new standard by using three types of memory simultaneously: RAM, NOR, and NAND. Later, NAND was replaced with memory cards, starting with the EZ-Flash 4.

RAM was designed for quick game loading but had notable drawbacks: it was relatively slow, expensive, and — most importantly — its contents were erased once the power was turned off. Users had two options: reload the game each time, which took 30–60 seconds, or spend around three minutes writing it to NOR memory for instant launch.

As technology advanced, RAM became fast enough that writing to NOR lost its advantage — games could now launch just as quickly without the extra write time.

However, NOR memory had a strict capacity limit due to its fixed-size chip on the board (for example, 64 MB in the EZ-Flash Omega), which isn’t even enough to store two 32 MB games.

In practice, NOR memory in the EZ-Flash Omega had already become redundant. That said, in the EZ-Flash Definitive Edition, NOR remains essential for operating in “B” mode.

EZ-Flash Air: A Step Back?

Enter the EZ-Flash Air — a cartridge that entirely lacks RAM. Its operation relies solely on NOR memory, along with all the inherent drawbacks:

1. Limited Memory Capacity (120 MB)

This is a significant issue, especially when combined with the third drawback. While most Game Boy Advance games range from 8–16 MB, some are larger at 32 MB, and animated titles can reach up to 64 MB.

Even assuming an average size of 16 MB, you can only store about seven games at once. This is a severe limitation compared to the EZ-Flash Omega, where games run directly from the memory card, and the only limit is the card’s capacity.

2. Slow Game Writing

I tested the write speed on the EZ-Flash Air, and here are the results:

The Sims 2 (32 MB) — 2 min 05 sec

Mother 3 (32 MB) — 2 min 11 sec

Pokémon FireRed (16 MB) — 1 min 07 sec

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (8 MB) — 33 sec

The Lost Vikings (4 MB) — 17 sec

As you can see, these results aren’t particularly impressive. While they are noticeably faster than older NOR-based cartridges, they still fall short of being convenient.

3. Inconvenient Game Deletion

NOR memory has its quirks — it works in “layers,” much like a stacked cocktail: you can’t access the lower layers without clearing the ones above.

For example, if you first wrote a 32 MB game and then added five 16 MB games, deleting that initial game would require removing all subsequent games first. This makes the process cumbersome and limits flexibility.

Other Pros and Cons

But the story doesn’t end with NOR memory. Perhaps the most significant drawback of the EZ-Flash Air is its use of an SRAM chip. While this design choice made sense in the EZ-Flash Omega, here it raises some concerns.

So what’s the problem if both the Omega and the Air have an SRAM chip?

In the EZ-Flash Omega, SRAM served solely as a temporary buffer for save data. For example, when you finished a level and saved your progress, the data would be written to SRAM and then immediately transferred to the memory card. That’s why you had to wait briefly before turning off the console — to ensure the transfer was complete.

In the EZ-Flash Air, the process works differently. After saving, the game writes data to SRAM but doesn’t transfer it to the memory card until the next time the console is powered on. Since SRAM is volatile, it requires constant power, meaning the Air’s battery is used not only for the real-time clock (as in the Omega) but also for retaining save data. This puts a heavier load on the battery.

On the Omega, a dead battery only meant the clock would reset. On the Air, a dead battery means you can’t save your progress normally. The only workaround is to exit to the menu and wait for the save to be written (and only in “Addon” mode). Otherwise, you risk losing your progress entirely.

Other drawbacks:

No sleep mode or instant save function — both essential for some users.

Full-size PCB, which will always stick out of an NDS Lite.

The power consumption of the EZ-Flash Air deserves special attention.

Makho measured the power consumption of the EZ-Flash Air and compared it with other flash cartridges for the Game Boy Advance.

Here are the results:

At a voltage of 3.7 V, the original Pokémon Emerald cartridge consumes about 154 mA (≈0.57 W). For comparison, the EverDrive GBA Mini X5 consumes 176 mA (≈0.66 W), while the EZ-Flash Omega Definitive Edition draws between 186 and 209 mA (≈0.69–0.77 W) depending on the operating mode.

The EZ-Flash Air shows the worst result: 247 mA (≈0.91 W) in both Mode A (NOR Flash) and Mode B. This is roughly 60% more than the original cartridge and noticeably higher than all other tested flash cartridges.

In practice, this means the console will run for significantly less time on battery power, especially on modified GBA and GBA SP systems with IPS screens, where the difference is most noticeable.

Pros:

Built-in vibration feature.

Inherits some EZ-Flash DE features, such as browser extension support and Link mode.

The most interesting part, however, is how Link mode works in the EZ-Flash Air.

In the EZ-Flash DE, it was straightforward: PSRAM was used for all games, while NOR was reserved exclusively for Link mode and a specific game. If you got tired of that game, you could simply erase it and write a different one.

In the EZ-Flash Air, all games are written to NOR memory — but only the first one can be launched in Link mode. This means that replacing it requires erasing all NOR content, which greatly reduces convenience.

Ultimately, whether these new features justify the loss of certain core functions is for you to decide.

EZ-Flash Air Menu

When you power on the console, you’re greeted by the NOR tab of the main menu. For comparison, in the Omega and Definitive Edition models, the first screen displays the contents of the memory card.

This is the tab from which you’ll actually launch games.

Second tab — the memory card contents. From here, you transfer games to NOR memory. I agree with the developers’ logic: having the NOR tab appear first makes sense, as that’s where games are launched.

In previous models, you could simply write a game to the memory card and launch it directly. With the Air, the workflow has changed: first, write the game to the memory card, then navigate to the second menu tab to transfer it to NOR memory (first tab). After that, switch back to the NOR tab and launch the game from there.

You’ll also need to choose a writing mode: Write to NOR clean — launches without addons, or Write to NOR addon — launches with additional features such as returning to the menu and using cheats.

Third tab — settings. Here it’s immediately clear that the Air offers fewer options. On the EZ-Flash DE, settings took up two full pages — one for Mode A and one for Mode B. In the Air, everything is condensed into a single page due to the reduced feature set.

The settings include:

• time configuration;
• addon loading options (only exit to menu and cheats);
• language selection;
• auto-save (saves the game without confirmation when the console is powered on);
• Mode B (choose between vibration for NDS games or Link mode).

Fourth tab — standard help and information.

Epilogue

In the end, the EZ-Flash Air turns out to be a rather contradictory product. On one hand, it relies on the old, time-tested NOR memory solution — reliable, but far from the most convenient by modern standards.

On the other hand, this is primarily a Game Boy Advance cartridge, yet it sacrifices instant saves, sleep mode, and other familiar features. In exchange, you get vibration support and some NDS-oriented functions that many users may never use.

For a long time, I couldn’t figure out who this cartridge was actually aimed at. The answer became clear once I looked at the prices. On AliExpress, the EZ-Flash Air costs around 3,800 rubles (including shipping). I paid 4,300 rubles but received three additional shells as part of the package. For roughly the same 3,800 rubles, you could instead buy an EZ-Flash Omega, which is objectively more convenient for GBA games.

However, the picture changes when you look at prices in China. There, the EZ-Flash Air sells for about 170 yuan (~2,000 rubles), while the EZ-Flash Omega costs 300 yuan (~3,300 rubles). In that context, its main competitor isn’t the Omega, but the SuperCard.

And here the strategy becomes clear: the EZ-Flash Air isn’t designed to compete with flagship models. Instead, it’s positioned as an affordable, dependable “workhorse” for those unwilling to pay extra, but still looking for a solid and capable cartridge.