Write us something about homebrew, my overlords command me, and my heart skips a beat. You see, I have a dark secret that, until now, has remained private: you could write what I know about Nintendo DS homebrew on the back of a postage stamp. And not even one of those bigger special edition stamps they introduce at Christmas, but a regular tiny stamp.

A lot of you, I suspect, will be in the same boat as me, and this article is addressed to all of my fellow homebrew neophytes. Rather than simply pretend to know what I'm jabbering about, I thought I would be open about my newbie status, and write something about my first tentative steps into the world of homebrew.

For this exercise, I deliberately set aside three hours (spread over a few days) to learn about and download as much homebrew as possible. I had several questions I wanted to answer: Was getting into homebrew as difficult as I always imagined? What would I gain from it? How useful are current online resources to somebody who knows nothing on the subject? Is it worth the expense? Find out by heading past the break for a view of Nintendo DS homebrew through the eyes of a rookie!

Whenever the topic of internationally developed homebrew DS games comes up, as it often does among hip and attractive people, most people in "the scene" immediately think of France, whose homebrew community rivals North America's in both size and production. You'll see an occasional release from other countries, such as Spain or Korea, but you'll rarely see much activity elsewhere.

But what about Japan's scene? For a country with so many DSes and a strong independent game development community, outside of Infantile Paralysiser's MoonShell media player, we've hardly seen any DS homebrew projects cross the Pacific. Where are all the doujin developers?

At least one programmer in Japan has been working on creating games for the DS, and we're bringing him out of the shadows to highlight three of his projects, likely games that you've never even heard of, let alone seen. If you're interested in homebrew development at all, you definitely need to pay attention to MeRAMAN!

Where there's a system, there's a community of hobbyist programmers willing to tear it down, build it back up, and make it better, and they've been doing it to the DS from nearly the moment the handheld hit shelves. As the necessary hardware has grown cheaper, easier to use, and more widely available (when not sold out), the DS homebrew community in turn has grown stronger, producing some applications that are so good, they rival (or better!) similar commercial products.

But with all of the homebrew solutions available, how does someone new to the scene know where to start? A quick search for guides returns information that can seem complicated and confusing, and many DS owners are wary of spending money on hardware that may not work with their particular system or with the applications and homebrew games they're interested in trying out. The reality is that homebrew on the DS is much easier than it seems, thanks to breakthroughs in the scene, and DS Fanboy is dedicated to helping you navigate the ocean of user-generated content available. From searching out Slot-1 solutions to taking you through them, we've got all the information you need to get started, no matter how little you know about DS homebrew. If you're really lost, check out our handy homebrew glossary for help.

It's worth mentioning that we're focusing solely on the newer flash carts for DS homebrew here. With the advent of the all-in-one Slot-1 flash cart, there's little reason for anyone to go with the more complicated Slot-2 devices. While we cover some of that terminology in our glossary, we do so only to help provide a guide for those DS owners just getting started, who may encounter such terms as PassMe and wonder just what it might be.

From here, you can hit the jump to see an index of this article's contents, or simply follow the arrows if you'd like to go through step by step. Comments are open on every page, but you can always return here to the main discussion by way of a DS Lite icon on each page.

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		CycloDS Evolution

M3DS Real
Slot-1 (All-in-one)
Also needed: MicroSD card
Price: $39 - $60
Find it: Real Hot Stuff, Amazon Marketplace, DealExtreme

With the M3 Real, it's easy for even the noobiest of noobs to get a grip on DS homebrew. If you know how to a) manipulate files on a computer and b) insert a cart into your DS, then you too can master the world of DS homebrew. It really is just that easy.

So you bought the M3 Real -- what now?

Once you've got the M3, with or without accessories (other than the necessary MicroSD card), setting it up is extremely simple. Before you do anything else, you'll need to:

• format your MicroSD card (PC users, see here and here; Mac users, check here)
  
• get the latest M3 loader firmware
• copy the M3 firmware System folder to the MicroSD card
• insert the MicroSD into your M3 cart (like this, not like this)
• insert the M3 adapter cart in your DS and power it up

The first time you boot up your M3, you'll be prompted to select your language. If you happen to choose the wrong one, or decide to shift later, you can adjust this in the Setting menu from the main screen (see list of menu options to the right). After that, you're ready to go, and you've already become a part of the homebrew community. The M3 firmware comes complete with a built-in PDA app, so you've already got a program you can use. You've also got MoonShell packed in with your card, which allows you to access media files from your DS, just in case you want to, say, watch Night of the Living Dead. But in order to get that film, other media, or any other programs, you're going to have to plug that MicroSD back in to your computer and go hunting for software.

What kind of homebrew programs do you want to get? Frankly, that's up to you, and we'll provide some resources later that should help you choose. For now, however, we're just going to tell you how to work with your new homebrew cart.

How do I manage files so that my homebrew software will run correctly?

You'll need to place all of the loader files (.nds files) in the root directory (unless directed otherwise in the instructions for various programs) on the MicroSD card. This allows for automatic DLDI patching, which some applications require in order to run correctly. If your files are not in the right place, your programs may not work. If you're having any trouble, make sure the files are in the right place!

Your media files, however, can be organized as you see fit. Only .nds loader files for your homebrew programs need to be in the root directory. MoonShell has its own file browser, and supports several audio formats, including MP3, most basic image formats, and DPG video files.

As an aside, we recommend fiddling with your new M3's menus. You can't really mess anything up, after all, and you'll learn more about it. The firmware comes with several skins already installed (accessible through the 'Setting' menu), and you can cycle through those and familiarize yourself with the menus before digging too deeply into various programs.

To the right, you can see the basic menu options. You'll spend most of your time in "My Card," which is a file browser that lists all your homebrew programs. Open My Card, and from there, you can select the executable files.
For example, on the above screenshot, lj.nds is selected, which loads LOCKJAW, an excellent Tetris clone. Chat Noir is also shown. To get here, select My Card from the main menu, and scroll down to the files you want. Tap the desired file once with your stylus (or alternate pointing device), and again to load it. Or, if you prefer to use the buttons, A selects, and B will move back to previous menus.

Sound simple? It is. The interface is easily navigable, and the beauty of the all-in-one Slot-1 carts is that running homebrew apps is nearly as easy as booting a commercial cartridge. So many steps that were necessary with earlier Slot-2 homebrew solutions are automated here. Now anyone can get in on the homebrew experience.

Where can I go to for more in-depth information on the M3 Real?

Check out the official M3 Team site or the M3 wiki, as well as great community sites like GBATemp.net.

Features: Built-in media player and PDA functionality, HDSC compatible, skinnable interface, automatic DLDI patching, supports Slot-2 expansions
Possible problems: Official site difficult to navigate if you're looking for firmware updates; some people don't like the necessity of keeping things in the root directory
Accessories: GBA expansion, rumble pak
Language support: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Korean, Thai

Jargon flying right over your head? Check out our homebrew glossary for more information!

CycloDS Evolution	Back	Revolution for DS

CycloDS Evolution
Slot-1 (All-in-one)
Also needed: MicroSD card
Price: $53
Find it: Real Hot Stuff

Though it's well regarded by many for its high compatibility with commercial ROMs, the CycloDS Evolution is also gaining popularity for the ease with which one can install and load homebrew games and applications using the slot-1 cart. Its capabilities and dead-simple features come at a premium, and you will need to buy a microSD memory card to use with the cart (we suggest 1GB+), but you'll find very few people who're unhappy with the Team Cyclops product.

So you bought the CycloDS Evolution -- what now?

As with the R4, the CycloDS Evolution kit includes a USB microSD card reader/writer which you can plug into your computer. Both the slot-1 cart and the card reader/writer lack spring mechanisms for popping out the microSD cards, so you'll need to pull them out with a fingernail. This isn't as awkward as it sounds!

The first two things you'll want to do is make sure you have the latest firmware and the MoonShell media player. The official CycloDS Support and Downloads page has links to the latest versions for you to download. Unpackage the files and drag everything into the root of your microSD card (do not rename the "moonshl" folder).

The next time you run the CycloDS cart on your DS, you'll receive a prompt asking if you'd like to update the firmware. Make sure your battery light is green -- you might even want to hook the system up to its charger -- and press A to start the process. It's imperative that you do not turn off your system during the update. After the firmware update is complete, you'll need to restart your DS. The firmware upgrade file will be automatically deleted.

That's easy enough, but how do I set it up for homebrew?

Running homebrew off this cart couldn't be any easier. With the CycloDS' automatic DLDI-patching, you should be able to run most games and applications without having to patch the software. Just drag and drop the NDS files you've downloaded, and you're good to go. It's suggested that you organize your files into folders if you plan to keep a lot on your cart, as the cart's file browser will only list 128 ROMs in a single directory. As the folder named "/CycloDS" is a system folder, make sure not to drag any homebrew files that you plan to play into there.


Once you've started up your Nintendo DS, tapped past the Health and Safety screen, and selected "CycloDS Evolution" from the initial menu screen, you'll be greeted with the simple user interface pictured above. In case it's not obvious, the DS icon will bring you to a file browser that will load the software you've copied onto the microSD card. The headphones icon will open the Moonshell media player for any compatible photos/music/text/video files you have. The third icon, a briefcase, will let you configure different settings, including your DS's current LCD brightness.

How do I customize the CycloDS's main menu?

Ever wanted to see your true love, Sasuke, as soon as you turned on your DS? Or maybe you'd just like a sleek menu screen to match your iPhone? Here's your chance to make your system's graphical user interface really feel like yours!

1. Find and download a skin you like -- try NDS Themes or the skins section of the Team Cyclops' forum
2. Unzip the skin folder from the file you've downloaded (e.g. LePetitPrince.zip -> "/LePetitPrince")
3. Open the "/CycloDS" directory in your microSD card
4. Create a "/Skins" folder in "/CycloDS"
5. Drag the skin folder you downloaded into the "/Skins" folder (e.g. "/CycloDS/Skins/LePetitPrince")
6. Slap the microSD card and CycloDS cart into your DS
7. Load the CycloDS Evolution cart from the DS's initial menu screen
8. Head into "Settings/Misc" from the CycloDS menu
9. Select the "Skin" line and hit the A button or use the directional pad to pick your skin
10. Voila! You've added and enabled a new CycloDS skin!
    

What about this "Enhanced Mode" I've been hearing about?

The CycloDS has a unique "Enhanced Mode" menu which users can access at any time, even while playing a game, by hitting A + B + X + Y + L + R buttons simultaneously. The menu offers some really slick options, some of which we'd love to see implemented by Nintendo for future versions of the DS -- LCD brightness adjustments, an in-game reset for returning to the CycloDS main menu without restarting the DS, real-time saving for saving/restoring game states at any time, cheat code toggling, variable slow motion, and a display for the current time.

Unfortunately, at the time of this guide's posting, this Enhanced Mode is only available for commercial games and not for homebrew software. If you're the type to crank up Aerosmith and live on the edge, Team Cyclops currently has a public beta for its new firmware (v1.4 Beta 2) adding an in-game reset for homebrew games and applications, allowing you to return to the CycloDS main menu without restarting the DS. It's not as impressive as the full Enhanced Mode, but the soft reset is still very useful!

Why are some people choosing the CycloDS Evolution over the cheaper R4?

While it's onboard firmware, microSDHC support, and Enhanced Mode offerings are all significant advantages for the CycloDS Evolution, the biggest reason why many are happy to pay $10-20 extra for this cart is its excellent, English-speaking (this is a huge deal!) support staff. In addition to providing great technical support and firmware upgrades with new fixes/features, Team Cyclops keeps an active presence in its own forums. You would expect these points to be standard with most flashcart teams, but it's rare to see a group support its cart this well.

Where can I go to for more in-depth information on the CycloDS Evolution?

Try Team Cyclops' CycloDS Evolution Reference Manual or The CycloDS Wiki!

Features: Automatic DLDI-patching with excellent homebrew compatability, media player (Moonshell), user-friendly and skinnable interface, OS built into onboard flash memory, Enhanced Mode, auto-boot and auto-execute options, and microSDHC support
Accessories: EZ-V 3-in-1 Expansion Pack
Language support: English, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Latin American Spanish,
Korean, Dutch, Greek, Indonesian, Malaysian, Russian, and Tagalog


Jargon flying right over your head? Check out our homebrew glossary for more information!

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plctext	Back	M3 Real

R4DS
Slot-1 (All-in-one)
Also needed: MicroSD card
Price: $35-$50
Find it: Gameryeeeah, Real Hot Stuff, Modchip Store

Probably the most popular storage device cart (or at least the most well-known), the R4 is a safe choice for people new to the homebrew community. It's essentially the same as the M3, and just as easy to set up. Also, it's unlikely that you'll ever have to deal with DLDI patching with an R4.

Just follow our directions below or check out our step-by-step picture guide, and you'll be experiencing homebrew in no time.

So you bought the R4DS -- what now?

The R4DS storage device comes with a USB MicroSD card reader/writer and a protective case to hold your cart. As stated above, though, you'll need a MicroSD card. (Note: The R4 is only compatible with MicroSD cards that are 2GB or less.)

Once you have your card, insert it into the USB MicroSD card reader (be careful!). Then, pop the USB reader into your computer's USB port. When prompted by "AutoPlay," click on "Open folder to view files." (Note: If you're not prompted, make sure that your computer is reading your USB drive properly. If it is, just open the drive manually through your "My Computer" folder. If not, there may be a problem with your USB drive or MicroSD card.)

That's easy enough, but how do I set it up for homebrew?
Just go here to download the most recent kernel and the extract the files onto your computer. In the "English" folder there will be four files to copy/paste onto your MicroSD card:

• _system_ folder
• moonshl folder
• _DS_MENU.DAT
• _DS_MSHL.NDS

So now that your homebrew is set up, how do you actually do stuff?

Congratulations! You've set up your R4, complete with MoonShell. The rest of what you do simply depends on your own needs and wants. If you want homebrew games, make a "Games" folder and put it in the root directory. If you want music, make a "Music" folder; if you want applications (like iPod DS or PictoDrive), make an "Applications" folder, and so on.

Now, get to the downloading

It's nice that you have all these nifty folders, but it's no fun if they're empty -- so go on and add some programs and multimedia! If you have no idea where to start, check out some of our past recommendations by scanning through our homebrew category.

Be careful to check if what you're downloading has special instructions. Some programs (like DSOrganize, for example) might need to be installed into the root directory. Otherwise, just put your homebrew games into your "Games" folder, music files into your "Music" folder, etc.

So you have the programs you want -- now what?

Remove your USB reader from your computer, take out the MicroSD card carefully, put the MicroSD card into the R4 storage cart, and put the R4 storage cart into your DS. Then, turn on your DS. Once it loads, you'll notice a menu that's split into three different sections: Game, Multimedia, and Boot Slot-2.


"Game" (left icon) is where you go to open all .nds files, such as DSOrganize, iPod DS, emulators, and any homebrew games that you've downloaded. Only folders and .nds files will show up here, so don't worry if everything else appears to be missing. "Multimedia" (middle icon) takes you to MoonShell, where you open multimedia files. "Boot Slot-2" (right icon) is what you'd use if you had a GBA expansion pack or other slot-2 device inserted into your DS.

Where can I go to for more in-depth information on the R4DS?

Still confused? Use our step-by-step picture walkthrough to make setting up your R4DS even easier. If you have other questions, though, your best bet would be to visit community sites like GBATemp.net or the (unofficial) R4DS Support Forums.

Features: Built-in media player (MoonShell), skinnable interface, automatic DLDI patching, Slot-2 expansion support, Wi-Fi compatibility, operable with both the touchscreen and buttons/d-pad, constantly updated firmware (available on the R4DS website)
Possible problems: Not as power efficient as a normal DS cart, some programs must go in the root directory, not compatible with MicroSD cards over 2GB (MicroSDHC cards)
Accessories: USB MicroSD card reader/writer, protective case to store the R4 cart
Language support: English, French, and Korean

Jargon flying right over your head? Check out our homebrew glossary for more information!

M3	Back	Other

In terms of DS-extending software, DSOrganize stands alone in its class. It plays music, it runs files, it (of course) functions as an organizer. It has a web browser and can download demos. It even has a voice recorder. But it's not the whole world of applications designed to make your DS do amazing things.

We've rounded up some apps that make your DS into more than a DS. Ever wanted to use your DS to find networks? Or to play PC games? Read on and find out how you can do those things, and more! Well, we'll just tell you right now how to do it, in general: by downloading stuff and running it on your DS. But read on for specifics.

We sit around on our butts and enjoy the fruits of homebrew laborers every day, but we don't often think about the awesome individuals responsible for the free games and programs we're loading up. What drives someone to create a game for which they won't be paid? Love of games and love of the DS, in the case of MrTyzik, who is working on the homebrewed Laser Hockey. We recently sat down with the programmer (and DS Fanboy reader!) to discuss both the DS homebrew scene and his work in progress.

The DS has a thriving homebrew community, packed with fantastic (and free!) games and apps, and all this week, we're going to dedicate extra coverage to the scene. Whether you're a clueless beginner or an old pro who just wants to kick back and discuss the benefits of various programs, we'll have something for you this week. Watch this link for more!

We thought that creating a Neo Geo emulator on the DS was a pretty noteworthy achievement. GameSetWatch contributor Alistair Wallis agreed, and he sought out the developer of NeoDS, Ben Ingram, for an interview.

Ingram goes into enough detail about the development of a homebrew emulation program, and assigning functions of the Neo Geo's processors to the DS's, that, well, we pretty much lost him right away. But if you do know anything at all about computing, this is really interesting. It's really interesting anyway, just to see what kind of stuff a homebrew developer has to think about when creating a new DS application.

Okay, so this isn't a video so much as it is a series of still pictures. But we like to showcase visually interesting work in our Friday Video feature, and Jason Dunn's Rembrandt studies, "painted" in Colors! certainly qualify. We think that posting them in our normal video feature emphasizes how amazing they are to look at. It turns out that the DS screen is, apparently, quite well-suited to Impressionist-style brush work.

So, uh, if you're into painting in that style, and you don't mind doing so on a 3.5-inch surface, the DS might be a good investment! It also plays games and stuff. Check out another brilliant work after the break, and if you're really upset about it not being in motion, just move your head around as you look at it.

If you're into the homebrew scene and you're not playing Pocket Physics, you should be. Not only is the game (or non-game, depending on how you view it) incredibly charming, but it also has a lot of great features. Take, for example, the ability to save your creations.

As you may or may not know, we're big fans of user-created content, so we're always curious about what kinds of levels other people are making. Now, though, we don't have to just settle for curiosity. Thanks to return1's Pocket Physics dump, players of the homebrew can both upload their creations and download other users' content conveniently.

There are already seventy-five files available at the site, so you'll definitely be able to feed any physics-engine addictions that you may be suffering from.

[Via NDS Homebrew]

Praised by almost everyone who's played the freeware PC title, Cave Story is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the "Metroidvania" genre, a polished action platformer embellished with endearing characters and a catchy soundtrack. No matter how many times we're reminded of the fact, it always astounds us that the game was designed and developed by a single programmer, Daisuke Amaya, or Pixel, as he's more commonly known.

As you might should know, homebrew developer Ravenworks has been working on a DS port for Cave Story. As it turns out, however, Pixel doesn't own a Nintendo DS, so it would be unlikely that he'd be able to play the port once it's completed. In fact, he hasn't owned a handheld or home console since the Nintendo 64! Isn't it a crime nowadays for gamers in Japan to not own a Nintendo DS?

To keep Pixel out of jail, Ravenworks and the rest of the "All Things Studio Pixel (ATSP)" LiveJournal community raised $410 and put together a care package of handheld treats as a "thank you" for the DS-less developer's work. Here's everything the group purchased and sent:

• Onyx Nintendo DS Lite system (laser engraved with Cave Story characters and a message that reads, "Thank you")
• R4 cart with 2 GB microSD (for playing Cave Story DS! and perhaps DS development one day?)
• DS carrying case
• Mother 3
• Game Center CX

So, how did Pixel take to the package? You can read his reaction, as well as the community's reasons for picking those two particular games for their offering, past the post break! We also used this effort as an excuse to catch up with Ravenworks on Cave Story DS's progress.

Homebrew comic book readers have been available for over a year now, but Multiple: Option's latest release, A Question of Promise: Digital Comic, brings several innovations and welcome additions to the "reading comic books on a handheld" experience:

• A single ROM that doesn't require any conversion and should have minimal DLDI-patching issues
• Sound effects and music for specific panels/sections
• An option to save the page you're on by simply hitting the Start button

The comic, a digital adaptation of Thuyen Nguyen's A Question of Promise, originally released in 2002, is a pleasant read, too, so long as you're not expecting any superheroes in tights. It's a "light-hearted story of a guy, a girl, and a sentient pool-of-water."

[Via GBAtemp]