Table of Contents
Flash Cartridge Mig-Flash v.2 (Mig-Switch v.2)
Friends, AliExpress now has:
Cool metal labels for Game Boy Advance consoles.
Cool eXtremeRate cases for GBA SP.
Friends, help me buy (if you have) various old stuff: Help me buy.
Flash cartridge Mig-Flash v.2 (Mig-Switch v.2)
When the Mig-Switch flash cartridge was released, it turned out to have one huge problem. To switch to the next game, you had to remove the cartridge and insert it back in. What if you have ten games? What if fifty?
Switching games became a kind of madness. And it was completely unclear how the console would react to this. Obviously, the Nintendo Switch connector wasn't designed for such frequent "replugging," and this could potentially lead to damage.
But the funniest thing is that adding a button (for switching games) to the flash cartridge was so simple that it could literally be done on your knees.
Therefore, on May 25, 2024, the developers of Mig-Switch announced the release of the second version of this flash cartridge. And, as you might have guessed, it now had that very button, but made in factory conditions.
But before we move on to Mig-Switch itself, let's talk about the name change of this flash cartridge.
Name
On June 1, 2024, the main website of the Mig-Switch developers - migswitch.com - stopped working.
It turned out that the registrar transferred ownership of the domain name to another party. It's not hard to guess to whom.
Here's what the Mig-Switch developers themselves wrote about this:
"First, we were not warned or had a chance to answer and defend our products or at least the simple fact that whatever the complaint is, it applies only to a few countries and in no way allows to take down a domain for all users in the world. Can Afghanistan request to take down a .com website that goes again its interests? We don't think so. But more than that, this is a .com domain, meaning a universal domain applying to many countries."
"".com" domains sell products like drug/medications which are only legal in certain countries, or gambling. US sites selling or promoting weapons which are illegal in just about every country on the planet are registered in .com. We never heard any of them being seized as they are operating legally in their markets."
The question remains - why was this done? The answer most likely lies in the following actions of the Mig-Switch developers.
On July 15, 2024, they changed the name of the flash cartridge from Mig-Switch to Mig-Flash. Most likely because the name Mig-Switch violates Nintendo's exclusive rights to the trademark.
Here's what the Mig-Flash developers wrote:
"We became Mig Flash. The reason is again the powerful lobbying (corruption in most cases) between large companies and lawmakers in certain powerful countries (we won't give any name, everyone knows :).."
"For some reason, the word 'Switch' now can't be used without the consent from the company Nintendo©. Even if it is just to explain a product is made for (or compatible with) a device made by another company."
"To us, it is scandalous. But that is the way it is, and although we are not located in the USA, since they seem to control ICANN and a few other institutions we need to operate with, we decided to change our name to Mig Flash."
"Please note there is no other change besides this cosmetic one. The product is the same and works the same, new or old."
These were the twists and turns of 2024. Nintendo tried to slightly suffocate the creators of Mig-Switch, but overall the situation hasn't changed. The developers simply registered a new website - migflash.org, and sales didn't stop at all.
Package Contents
Mig-Flash v.2, like Mig-Switch, comes in a beautiful but very small and strange box.
Nothing else is included.
Where to Buy?
You can buy Mig-Flash for Nintendo Switch on AliExpress.
As with the first version of the flash cartridge, you need to purchase additional items for the cartridge to work:
1. Memory card (according to the developers, cards up to 1.5TB are supported, but I don't recommend getting more than 64-128GB);
2. Memory card reader.
Usage
Essentially, the only difference between Mig-Switch v.1 and Mig-Flash v.2 is the presence of a button that allows you to switch games.
And what's really cool is that you don't even need to open the cartridge slot cover. It's soft, and you can switch games right through it.
A short press switches to the next game. A long press switches to the previous game.
The game memory system has become more logical. In Mig-Switch 1, it was quite strange. When you launched a specific game, it became "locked." If you removed and reinserted the cartridge, it wouldn't switch to the next game. It always showed that "locked" game. To unlock the ability to switch games, you had to remove the cartridge and insert it again. When the green LED lit up, you had to remove the cartridge once more and then insert it again. Only at that moment would game switching be unlocked.
In Mig-Flash v.2, everything is extremely simple and logical. The game you selected is always remembered. For example, you have five games on your memory card. You scrolled to the third game. After removing the cartridge and reinserting it, the third game in the list is activated. There's no locking; you can always use the button to switch to the next (or previous) game.
Epilogue
The decision to add a button to the Mig-Flash flash cartridge was excellent.
Moreover, this solution is so simple that vague suspicions arise - was this done on purpose? First, sell a bad version, and then make everyone buy the improved version.
But no matter how you look at it, the presence of a button on the flash cartridge has turned Mig-Flash into a full-fledged device that's convenient to use.
