Another day, another sad GBA gadget. A couple of months ago we told you about a new invention called the Super Memory Stick, but back then we never got around to reviewing it. Now the stick is back, this time in a 8M version, compared to the old 4M version, that's mbits people and not mbytes.
Thanks to Success Company we got our hands one and took it for a test spin, if you can call it that. The SMS pretty much works like USB keys you can buy for your PC, it's about the same size and plugs into the extension port of your GBA or GBASP. A cartridge, containing the save you want to backup, has to be inserted in the cartridge slot of the GBA. When powering up the GBA, hold down START and SELECT at the same time to enter the SMS' menu. As mentioned earlier, the SMS comes in 2 sizes, memory wise, 4Mbit (1899 save blocks) and 8M (3798 save blocks). It all depends on the type of save used by the game, being 4/4kb eeprom - 256kb sram - 512/1mbit flash, how many blocks the save will use in the SMS. I've tried serveral games with the SMS and it autodetects, you have to choose an option in the menu to detect the cartridge inserted. then all and finds what type of save they're using. 
If a cartridge with no type of save option is inserted a hilarious message is presented to you, trying to explain that the cartridge contains no type of save, but mostly sounds like no cartridge is inserted to me eventhough it refuses to boot if no cart is present, oh well... 
But if your cart does contain a save, enter the SMS File Manager menu, which is used to copy saves to the SMS, or from the SMS to a cartridge. Everything you need to know is explained on the screen, such as press START to add a save, A to load a save to a cartridge and so forth. Please note that the SMS does not work with flash cartridge containing multiple games as it autodetects the game loader menu instead of the game. 
Another nice feature is the option of copying saves between SMS units, by using the menu option "SMS-SMS copy", one save at the time, can be copied by hot-swapping the SMS units, meaning that the GBA should not be switched off when chaning the SMS, a message will appear on the screen when it's save to change to the new SMS unit. If you're affraid of loosing your save games, the SMS is a great option for you and the more space available the better. It's said that the software in the SMS is upgradable, if Nintendo should find some new way of saving games, but it's unknown how the unit is upgradedable as it can't be connected to anything but the GBA. To sum things up, I was quite skeptical towards the Super Memory Stick and thought of it as yet another useless piece of c..p, but when I got to see how it works (that it actually works) it seems like a great idea to store saves, though it would've been great to be able to connect it to a PC to store more saves or exchange saves over the internet, or how about a feature which would allow you to save in any game, those without a save option, that probbly would be possible?... somehow, it's been done before atleast. Oh and if you don't play games that much, get a SMS anyway just to see the hilarious english used, or atleast to get the incredible carry strap included! :-) 
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