Today, I'll give you my opinion on the Acekard 2i, a popular linker for Nintendo DS games. The goal isn't to do a full review, but to give a simple and purely objective opinion on the product. I also won't detail how to set up the product, that's up to you to look up. However you'll find at the end some links related to the content of the review.
Note: I'm testing here the latest revision of the card (HWID 81). The HWID 44 revision is no longer compatible with the latest DSi and 3DS system menu versions, and was different in terms of manufacturing; a component that stuck out, plastic teeth separating the contacts...
First look
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The Acekard 2i comes in a small cardboard box. Unlike some linkers presented in plastic, this packaging gives a good impression. The design is understated, fairly classy: it's not the rainbow of some low-end linkers, despite an english level on the packaging that isn't perfect
In the box, you obviously find the Acekard 2i (thankfully :p) and a MicroSD reader, which is pretty standard for a linker. No extras then, but you have what you need and that's enough.
The MicroSD reader works well, I use it fairly often and I haven't encountered any data corruption, contact, or overheating issues...
The product
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So now we get to the Acekard 2i itself! From the front the linker looks correct. You don't feel any components sticking out that could get in the way in the slots, the sticker is well glued on... However, this one is glossy, which may not be to everyone's liking, even though personally I don't care
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But when you turn the linker over, you realize it isn't very well made... You'll notice the absence of plastic "teeth" between the slot 1 contacts, which serve to guide and protect these contacts. Also, the MicroSD slot is spring-loaded, but this can get damaged and then the microSD won't stay in place anymore. Personally, I prefer without.
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You notice, compared to an official card (well here it's a 3DS card but that's all I had :p), the differences. Also, the Acekard2i's contacts are often poorly positioned: the circuit board is sometimes too high in the cartridge or too glued to the plastic. This means the contacts are further away from the slot compared to an official card. In short, manufacturing doesn't seem to be the Acekard team's strong point, and this causes issues in use: freezes during games if the card is no longer in contact, having to reinsert the microSD several times before it's detected... On my copy, I had to put paper between the plastic and the circuit board and tape on my microSD (to increase its thickness) in order to solve these recurring contact issues on the linker.
Use
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This linker uses AKAIO as its menu which you can find here: https://www.akaio.net (you can also report bugs, make suggestions directly on the AKAIO forum, community-wise often absent with the competition...). Note that AKAIO isn't software from the Acekard team but is made by outside coders (Normatt, Smiths...), who based it on the available code from an old menu from a team linker, the Acekard RPG. So the Acekard team doesn't really make the menu for its product, even though it collaborates closely with the AKAIO developers (linker operation, anti-piracy bypass code...). So you can wonder what would happen if AKAIO ceased to exist, and the Acekard team found itself alone developing the software side of its product...
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AKAIO is an intuitive, sober and pleasant menu to use. Of course it can load commercial games and homebrews, but it also includes other handy options: file management (copy, paste), built-in EZ 3in1 management, theme support...
Also note that with AKAIO, the loader (the part that loads games and is responsible for compatibility) is separate (it's a file in the AKAIO folder). AKAIO developers can therefore address game compatibility issues without updating all of AKAIO. Also, you can directly update the loader from the linker, thanks to a built-in Wi-Fi update option or download it on https://www.akaio.net/loaders. This turns out to be handy in use, and allows you to quickly play the latest released games.
Conclusion
So we're dealing with an acceptable product, but one that unfortunately has very average build quality. This flaw is made up for by a very good quality software side.
Pros:
+ A very good menu, AKAIO
+ Fast AKAIO updates
+ Very good compatibility with commercial games and homebrews
Cons:
- Average build quality
- Contact issues (slot 1 and microSD)
Useful links
Official site of the Acekard team: https://www.acekard.com
The AKAIO site: https://www.akaio.net
Fixing contact issues: https://gbatemp.net/topic/231412-solvin ... ct-issues/
Do not copy this review without my authorization, put a link to this topic. The packaging image comes from the official Acekard site, the others are mine.
(the updates to get around anti-linker protections come out but with too big a delay). I tell myself that if the 3DS linkers ever come out one day I won't be able to trust this team anymore. 
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