Nds-bootstrap

nds-bootstrap
General
Author	DS-Homebrew
Type	Title Launchers
Version	0.55.4
License	GPL-3.0
Last Updated	2022/03/30
Links
Download
Website
Source

nds-bootstrap is an open-source application that allows Nintendo DS/DSi ROMs and homebrew to be natively utilised rather than using an emulator. nds-bootstrap works on Nintendo DSi/3DS SD cards through CFW and on Nintendo DS through flashcarts.

Note from developers:

A frontend isn't required to be used as nds-bootstrap uses an ini file to load its parameters. However, it is very much recommended. TWiLight Menu++ is a frontend for nds-bootstrap, developed by RocketRobz & co. It has 7 customizable launchers to choose from with the ability to launch emulators and other homebrew. It also includes a number of Anti-Piracy patches for the games and will automatically configure nds-bootstrap for you, with customizable per game settings.

Installation

To install nds-bootstrap, download the .7z file.

Extract the nds-bootstrap .nds files, to root:/_nds/.

For TWLMenu++ users, extract the .ver file to root:/_nds/TWiLightMenu/ (only when you are updating nds-bootstrap, as it comes bundled in TWiLight Menu++).

User guide

ROM Compatibility

nds-bootstrap supports most DS ROMs, with a few exceptions (see compatibility list).

• You can enhance your gaming experience with cheats and faster load times than general cartridges (for games that support those features).
• Game saving is supported too and will be saved in the .sav extention, and .pub or .prv for DSiWare.
• Anti-Piracy patches can be loaded via IPS files, but they are not included inside the software itself.
• nds-bootstrap also supports many homebrew applications, including games like DSCraft (please check the compatibility list above).

B4DS mode (a result of running nds-bootstrap on DS-mode flashcards with locked SCFG or DS Phat/lite):

• Supports some DS ROMs, you can increase compatibility by inserting a DS Memory Expansion Pak.
• Since v0.50.2 it is also possible to boot Nintendo DSi+Internet, see list of supported DSiWare titles.

Screenshots

To take screenshots directly from the hardware:

• Open the in-game menu, select Screenshots...
• Select the VRAM bank, in case if the screenshot looks incorrect (this feature cannot be used in B4DS mode).
• You can now step 1 frame, while in the in-game menu (by pressing R).
• Screenshots will be saved to screenshots.tar in sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/.
  • Due to hardware limitations, only screenshots of the main-set screen will be taken.
  • Limit is 50 screenshots. After reaching the limit, you cannot take any more, until you delete screenshots.tar in sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/, where it'll be re-created on next boot.

FAQ

Please see the [1] page.

Controls

These do not apply to DSiWare.

L+R+Up+X (for 1 second) - Swap the screens

L+R+Down+A (for 2 seconds) - Dump RAM to sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap, as ramDump.bin

L+R+Down+B (for 2 seconds) - Return to loader (may not work on some O3DS models, and does not work in B4DS mode)

L+Down+Select - Open the in-game menu (can be changed in the TWiLight Menu++ settings)

Screenshot (in-game menu):

R - Advance by one frame

Up/Down/Left/Right - Change VRAM bank

A - Save screenshot

B - Return to in-game menu

RAM Viewer (in-game menu):

Up/Down - Scroll

Left/Right - Fast scroll

R+Down/Up - Faster scroll

R+Left/Right - Fastest scroll

A - Enter RAM Editor

B - Return to in-game menu

Y - Specify an address to jump to

Up/Down - Increase/Decrease selected value

Left/Right - Select a value

A/B - Return to RAM Viewer/Editor at specified address

RAM Editor (in-game menu):

Up/Down/Left/Right - Select a value

A - Modify selected value

Up/Down - Increase/Decrease value by 1h

Left/Right - Increase/Decrease value by 10h

A/B - Finish modifying value

B - Return to RAM Viewer

Y - Specify an address to jump to

Up/Down - Increase/Decrease selected value

Left/Right - Select a value

A/B - Return to RAM Viewer/Editor at specified address

Media

3DS Play NDS ROM's Off Your SD Card! (TWiLightMenu) (Tech James)

Known issues

Please refer to https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap/issues.

Changelog

v0.55.3

What's new?

• The .ver file is now moved outside of the TWiLightMenu folder. TWiLight Menu++ will need to be updated to v24.3.1 or * later for the .ver file to be read.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed SDK5 games crashing when reading or writing save data in DS mode in DSiWarehax (e.g. Memory Pit, Flipnote Lenny, etc.).
• Asphalt: Urban GT now boots again!
• Other very minor fixes.

v0.55.2

What's new?

• The cursor in the in-game menu is now wrapped.

Bug fixes:

• SD users: Card data of around the exact length is no longer loaded all at once, fixing weird crashes in some games.
• Fixed some areas of RAM not being dumped in certain games.
• B4DS: Fixed Frogger Returns not showing publisher & developer logos on boot.

Regression:

• Dragon Quest V now loops back to the company logos before playing the opening music.
• TWL clock speed may fix the issue.

v0.55.1 2022/03/11

Bug fix:

• Fixed in-game menu not exiting properly sometimes.

v0.55.0 2022/03/11

Improvements:

• Card data of around the exact length is now loaded at once, whenever possible.
• FAT code has been optimized further.
• FAT table cache is no longer saved to a file.
• Other minor improvements.

Bug fixes:

• B4DS mode: Fixed THUMB games not booting (ex. SEGA Superstars Tennis, GTA: Chinatown Wars (MEP required), Domo games, etc.).
• Fixed DSi mode not working on flashcards (with either unlocked SCFG or if TWLMenu++ runs in DSi mode).
• Nintendo DS Browser no longer crashes on DSi consoles!
• Fixed Dragon Quest V going back to the company logo screens before the opening music first plays.
• If it still occurs, make sure the ROM read LEDs are turned off, or it may be caused by SD speed.
• Master brightness is now cleared when an exception error occurs.
• Fixed DSi mode heap shrink on DSi consoles to avoid overwriting the AP-patched overlays.
• B4DS mode: Fixed file writes not working correctly.

v0.54.2 2022/03/01

Bug fixes:

• Fixed Rabbids Go Home not booting in DSi mode.
• Fixed saving not working in Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals.
• Pre-loaded ROM hacks containing data beyond the ROM size in the header, now has the data loaded.
• It is recommended to manually fix the ROM size in the header, to avoid further issues.
• Fixed Mario's Holiday versions before Rev 11 not booting on 3DS.
• Fixed exception screen not shown in CTGP Nitro.
• Other minor fixes.

v0.54.1 2022/02/22

What's new?

• Added support for two DS games.
• Pokémon Dash.
• Tropix! Your Island Getaway.

Improvement:

• The card read DMA implementation has been improved further, using code implemented by original developer @ahezard, and should fix sound issues and be less prone to crashes!

Bug fix:

• Nintendo DS Browser no longer shows the Memory Expansion Pak message. (Does not apply to B4DS mode.)

Known bugs:

• Tropix! Your Island Getaway will tend to crash with card read DMA turned on. (TWLMenu++ will blacklist the game from using it.)
• Tropix! Your Island Getaway does not seem to boot in B4DS mode.
• Nintendo DS Browser crashes after the logos on DSi consoles.

FAQ:

• Q: What about Golden Sun: Dark Dawn? Does that work now too?
  • A: Nope. We still don't know how to fix it. What's currently known, is that the crash occurs in one of the ROM's overlays.
  • As always, you can (1.) play the demo version of the game, (2.) play from a flashcard, or (3.) play on the original cartridge.

v0.54.0 2022/02/15

What's new?

• B4DS mode: Here's a heart-shaped box <3 full of added support for more DSiWare titles on DS/DS lite consoles (for a complete list of supported titles, see this list).
  • 1950s Lawn Mower Kids.
  • Bomberman Blitz.
  • Castle Conqueror: Heroes.
  • Cave Story.
  • Chuck E. Cheese's Alien Defense Force.
  • Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room.
  • Color Commando.
  • Crash-Course Domo.
  • DotMan.
  • Frogger Returns.
  • Hard-Hat Domo.
  • JellyCar 2.
  • Lola's Alphabet Train.
  • Magentic Joe.
  • Monster Buster Club.
  • Number Battle (USA version only).
  • GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars.
  • Pro-Putt Domo.
  • Rock-n-Roll Domo.
  • Shantae: Risky's Revenge.
  • EA's Sudoku.
  • Sudoku 4Pockets.
  • Wakugumi: Monochrome Puzzle.
  • White-Water Domo.
• B4DS mode: RAM dumping has been added to the in-game menu.
• SWI Halt Hook has been removed, due to issues with slowdown.
• The in-game menu is now accessible in DSiWare titles.
  • In addition, the title can be exited back into TWLMenu++ without rebooting the console.
• Version number is now printed in the debug screen (if enabled).

Improvements:

• Improvements to the SD and card read DMA code have been made in order to (somewhat/maybe) slightly improve speed, as well as fixing (some?) wireless communication errors.

Bug fixes:

• Nintendo DSi Camera & Nintendo DSi Sound now boot again.
• Fixed soft-reset not working in supported DSiWare titles.
• Certain DSiWare titles should now access the SD card again, instead of giving an error or whatever the title does.
• Fixed AP-patching not working properly for ROMs loaded into RAM in DS mode.
• Screen-swapping now works properly again.

Known bug:

• In Shantae: Risky's Revenge, only the first fight is playable. The game cannot go further than that, and music is disabled, both due to memory limitations.

v0.53.2 2022/01/02

What's new?

• B4DS mode: Support for more DSiWare titles have been added, making them playable on DS/DS lite consoles (For a complete list of supported titles, see this list here).
  • Art Style: precipice.
  • Art Style: ZENGAGE.

Bug fixes:

• B4DS mode: Art Style: AQUIA and PiCTOBiTS will no longer show error messages.
• Big Mutha Truckers now boots again.

v0.53.1 2021/12/28

Improvements:

• Retail DSi consoles now load the complete AP-fix .ips file while in DSi mode.
• DSi mode heap has shrunken further to make room for AP-patched overlays.
• (@Epicpkmn11 and various) Updated translations.

Bug fix:

• Part of RAM is now restored after taking screenshots while in DSi mode.

Bug fix/Regression:

• SDK5.4 & 5.5 games have reverted to the slow soft-reset method (due to crashing, apparently from timing issues), but can be worked around by enabling either TWL clock speed or DSi mode.

v0.53.0 2021/12/26

What's new?

• B4DS mode: Support for more titles have been added, making them playable on DS/DS lite consoles (For a complete list of supported titles, see this list here).
  • Flipper (music disabled).
  • Art Style: PiCTOBiTS.
  • (For Debug DS consoles:)
    • Cake Ninja.
    • Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish.
    • Shantae: Risky's Revenge (music disabled)
• In-game menu: The Reset Game option no longer reboots the console.
• An ESRB rating screen will now be shown, if esrb.bin is found in sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/.
• B4DS mode can now be enabled on flashcards with unlocked SCFG! Only use this for testing purposes (.ini setting: B4DS_MODE).
  • Setting to 1 will set the RAM to 4MB.
  • Setting to 2 will set the RAM to the console's maximum amount. Some game will not work with this setting.

v0.52.0 (hotfix) 2021/12/10

What's new?

• B4DS mode: Support for more titles have been added, making them playable on DS/DS lite consoles.
• (For a complete list of supported titles, see this list here.)
  • 99Bullets.
  • 99Moves.
  • ARC Style: Soccer (Korea).
  • Kung Fu Dragon.
  • Mr. Brain (Japan).
  • Rabi Laby.
  • Rabi Laby 2.
  • (For Debug DS consoles:)
    • 99Seconds.
    • Mixed Messages.
    • Phantasy Star 0 Mini.
    • Space Invaders Extreme Z.

Bug fixes:

• The applied AP-fix will now persist when soft-resetting.
  • Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions will now use the fast soft-reset method again.
• Fixed sound in Rainbow Islands Revolution when using DSiWarehax or DSi mode.
• B4DS mode: Cloneboot now works in Art Style: BASE 10.

Known bug:

• Sleep mode will not work in the 99Trilogy, due to their code (possibly) taking place in the overlays.

v0.51.1 (hotfix) 2021/11/27

Bug fixes:

• Fixed SDK2.0 games (such as Super Mario 64 DS) not booting.
• Fixed soft-reset not working in certain areas of some games.
• Reverted to slow soft-reset method for Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions to work around the black screen crash.
• Fixed a regression where the in-game menu would not be positioned correctly.

Release notes.

Credits

Developers:

• Rocket Robz: Lead developer, DSi mode and DSiWare support, B4DS mode, general maintenance and updates.
• shutterbug2000: SDK5 support, help with DSi mode support, and some other implemented stuff.
• ahezard: Starting the project, former lead developer.
• Pk11: In-game menu, screenshot taking, and translation management.

Other:

• devkitPro: devkitARM and libnds.

Translators:

• Chinese Simplified: James-Makoto, R-YaTian.
• Chinese Traditional: James-Makoto, R-YaTian.
• Danish: Nadia Pedersen.
• Dutch: guusbuk, TM-47.
• French: Benjamin, Dhalian, Fleefie~, LinuxCat, TM-47.
• German: TheDude, TM-47.
• Greek: TM-47.
• Hebrew: Barawer, Yaniv Levin.
• Hungarian: TM-47.
• Indonesian: heydootdoot, ZianoGG.
• Italian: TM-47.
• Japanese: Pk11.
• Korean: I'm Not Cry, Myebyeol_NOTE.
• Norwegian: Nullified Block, TM-47.
• Polish: gierkowiec tv, TM-47.
• Portuguese (Portugal): Tavisc0.
• Portuguese (Brazil): Tavisc0, TM-47.
• Romanian: Tescu.
• Russian: Ckau.
• Spanish: Nintendo R, nuxa17, Radriant, SofyUchiha, TM-47.
• Swedish: TM-47.
• Turkish: Egehan.TWL, rewold20, TM-47.
• Ukrainian: MichaelBest01, TM-47.

External links

• Official website - https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/nds-bootstrap
• GitHub (nds-bootstrap) - https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap
• GitHub (TWLBot) - https://github.com/TWLBot/Builds
• GBAtemp - https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-bootstrap-loader-run-commercial-nds-backups-from-an-sd-card.454323