Tutorial  Updated

How to make and play region-free DSiWare

UPDATE: Please note all of this is quite useless now, as LUMA/AuReiNand has built-in region free.
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With patched TWL_FIRM release it's now possible to play out-of-region DSiWare using CFWs without built-in region free, such as ReiNand. It's pretty simple, but there isn't a guide on GBATemp yet so here we are.

What you need:
- A .nds rom of your DSiWare. If you want to dump it yourself, you can read this useful post by @MRJPGames. This doesn't work with a .cia file, you need a .nds rom.
- The patched TWL_FIRM installed. See this guide by @EpicLPer.
- An hex editor. You can use an online one if you want.
- make_cia (download the attached file).

Step-by-step guide:
- Put your .nds file(/s) in the same folder of make_cia. Use a simple name, like rom1.nds, mario.nds, game.nds...

- Open the .nds rom in your hex editor and go to offset 1B0. This is where the region flag is encoded. Change the first 4 bytes to "FF" to make the rom region free. Save and exit.
s12t0l.jpg

- Open cmd and write
Code:
make_cia --srl=YourGame.nds
then press start.
For example, if your rom is named "mario"
Code:
make_cia --srl=mario.nds
If it doesn't work: open cmd, drag and drop make_cia into it, then write " --srl=" (with space, without "), then drag and drop your rom and press start.

- In the same folder of make_cia you'll find the .cia of your game. Install it both on SysNAND and EmuNAND using FBI. Remember to press L to install it into NAND, FBI will give you an error if you try to install it into SD card!

Thanks to everybody who made the patched TWL_FIRM possible and @Apache Thunder for helping me patching my games!
 

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•Citrus•

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For shits and giggles I ran the tool and made a .cia out of Pokemon White 2 successfully.

Too bad it doesn't install (as expected).
 

CeeDee

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For shits and giggles I ran the tool and made a .cia out of Pokemon White 2 successfully.

Too bad it doesn't install (as expected).
White 2 is way too big. If any games were to work, they'd be less than 64 MB and DSi enhanced. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini Land Mayhem! is a good example if I recall correctly, that is
 

CeeDee

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Man I can't believe there is no way to play standard nds games without a flashcart in this day and age on a 3DS.
I've got a bit of a conspiracy theory as to why.

Everyone with the coding skills is being paid by the flashcart makers to not reveal the secrets of DS mode hax to the public. Simple! That's why no one has done it!

Really though, most are either anti-piracy or too lazy to put the effort into doing it.
 
D

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Because sudomemo, plus I have flipnotes from my old DSi that's broken that I want to import. And Flipnote Studio 3D CIA for US wont work on my EUR 3DS, and I have to wait until March for Flipnote Studio 3D.
 

ubergeek77

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I've got a bit of a conspiracy theory as to why.

Everyone with the coding skills is being paid by the flashcart makers to not reveal the secrets of DS mode hax to the public. Simple! That's why no one has done it!

Really though, most are either anti-piracy or too lazy to put the effort into doing it.

10/10 would conspire again

But seriously, someone already mentioned in this thread that there seems to be a bit of a size limit, and a lot of DSi-enhanced games tend to go above that limit (case in point, Gen 5 Pokemon games).

To make this practical, we'd have to either patch out the size limit, figure out how to allow non-DS games to work with this method, or both.

But anyway, I think you're right. These no-good devs must be really lazy. Hey, I know! You seem like a go getter! Why don't you go and figure this all out for us. We'll wait. Don't give up on us now!;)
 
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Well it made the file correctly with a decrypted app file from NUS, let's see if it works.
 

CeeDee

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But seriously, someone already mentioned in this thread that there seems to be a bit of a size limit, and a lot of DSi-enhanced games tend to go above that limit (case in point, Gen 5 Pokemon games).
White 2 is way too big. If any games were to work, they'd be less than 64 MB and DSi enhanced. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini Land Mayhem! is a good example if I recall correctly, that is
IT WAS MEEEEEEEEEE

But anyway, I think you're right. These no-good devs must be really lazy. Hey, I know! You seem like a go getter! Why don't you go and figure this all out for us. We'll wait. Don't give up on us now!;)

The only people that want DS ROMs without flashcarts wouldn't know how to code if their life depended on it. Including me.
 
D

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Yeah, I tried Flipnote Studio on emuNAND with rxTools nightly 13-02-16, no luck.
 

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