Homebrew [NDS] Forwarder CIAs for your HOME Menu

[Burnout600]

I've got the RTS version

(this one)

and while it will run YSMenu, it won't boot directly into YSMenu. You have to boot into the RTS own software, then boot YSMenu like you're starting a rom in order to use it. Don't know if that means it won't work with this method or not, I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Deleted_389188]

i guess there's no hope of having this work with an acekard 2i, right? i need to buy a new flashcard anyway

 

[MsMidnight]

>mfw thought a flashcart wasnt needed but then saw the ds mode flashcart part

 

[Favna]

Well I'm afraid that R4i-SDHC RTS 3DS is indeed not compatible with TTMenu :\ It just white screens when booting the cia. Very odd I must admit since like I said when running YSMenu.nds it opens perfectly fine.



(Ignore music - Had to use YT audio swap since I accidentally had school stuff playing in the background)

 

[DocKlokMan]

Well I'm afraid that R4i-SDHC RTS 3DS is indeed not compatible with TTMenu :\ It just white screens when booting the cia. Very odd I must admit since like I said when running YSMenu.nds it opens perfectly fine.

Ah, that's a shame to hear. I made a forwarder and then accidentally launched it (with nothing in the Cartridge Slot) and it also booted to just white screens.

 

[NekoMichi]

Tested with both Mario Kart DS and Pocket Monsters Black 2, Mario Kart worked perfectly but the Pocket Monsters forwarder will always show a "an error has occurred" screen. Will keep testing more games and report back.

 

[RocketRobz]

Tested with both Mario Kart DS and Pocket Monsters Black 2, Mario Kart worked perfectly but the Pocket Monsters forwarder will always show a "an error has occurred" screen. Will keep testing more games and report back.

Because the HOME Menu doesn't like the TID your forwarder has. Use AREJ/JERA instead.

 

[DocKlokMan]

Tested with both Mario Kart DS and Pocket Monsters Black 2, Mario Kart worked perfectly but the Pocket Monsters forwarder will always show a "an error has occurred" screen. Will keep testing more games and report back.

Did you use the TWL Template for Pokemon Black 2 since it's a DSi enhanced game? Also, what card are you using out of curiosity?

 

[RocketRobz]

Did you use the TWL Template for Pokemon Black 2 since it's a DSi enhanced game? Also, what card are you using out of curiosity?

The icon would have nothing if it wasn't TWL, so yes.

 

[DocKlokMan]

The icon would have nothing if it wasn't TWL, so yes.

Ah, thank you. So, a question for something I don't understand. If the the TID comes from the NDS rom itself, why would it not be on the whitelist and need another TID? For the alternates you're suggesting, is it just one off the list at random or is there a way to choose a replacement TID?

 

[nemserg]

I can use legit poke transporter & pokemon gen5 rom on r4 card with this?

 

[RocketRobz]

Ah, thank you. So, a question for something I don't understand. If the the TID comes from the NDS rom itself, why would it not be on the whitelist and need another TID? For the alternates you're suggesting, is it just one off the list at random or is there a way to choose a replacement TID?

It's one off the list at random.

 

[smileyhead]

Remember the old days of having forwarders on your Wii that boots games from your USB drive or SD Card?
Ever wanted a way of launching full DS games like digital titles in your 3DS HOME Menu? Well now you can!
In this turorial, you will make forwarder CIAs that boots NDS ROMs from a flashcard via YSMenu.

Requirements

3DS:
SysNAND firmware 9.2
A CIA installer (FBI, DevMenu, etc)
A DS-Mode flashcard, of course (DSTT, Non-RTS R4i-SDHC (www.r4i-sdhc.com), any other DSTT clone card).

PC:
HxD (recommended hex-editor)
Latest version of Nintendo DS Card Whitelist (optional)


Download this pack.

What will be in the pack:
For 3DS:
Forwarder templates with animated and non-animated banner icons, including some examples
make_cia
ndstool

For flashcard:
YSMenu
abpathsetter.nds - YSMenu Auto-Boot ROM Path setter (created by me)


For 3DS:
Make a copy of either template, depending on if the game is NTR (like SM64DS) or TWL/DSi-Enhanced (like PKMNBl&Wh2).
Open your ROM on the flashcard, and the template with a hex-editor. Make sure it's set to Overwrite instead of Insert.

In the ROM, select 0x0 to 0x11, copy it, and paste write it to 0x0 in the template.
If the TID at 0xC is not listed in the DS Card Whitelist (always in the middle), find one in there, and use that.
Not doing so will throw you an error screen instantly, when launching the CIA.

Still in the template, put in the TID at 0xC in reverse, at 0x230.
View attachment 48817

Using Super Mario 64 DS for example, still in the template, at 0xD1A0, overwrite DSGAME.DAT with SM64DS.DAT (maximum of 6 characters, plus .DAT).
View attachment 48818

In the ROM that goes in your flashcard, go to the banner icon location at 0x68, type it in reverse.
MegaMan Zero Collection for example: The banner icon location at 0x68 is 005E3400. In reverse, it's 00345E00. The banner icon is at 0x345E00, NOT 0x68.
View attachment 48824

The length of the banner icon should be either 0x840 (NTR) or 0x23C0 (TWL). Look at the bottom where it says "Length:" to be sure. Copy the highlighted banner icon.
Back in the template, goto 0x11000, and paste write the copied banner icon in.

After all the changes are done, drag and drop your forwarder .nds file to "Make Forwarder CIA.bat"

You now made a forwarder CIA! Copy it to your 3DS SD Card for later installation.


For flashcard:
Extract what's in "for flashcard microSD" to the root of the flashcard microSD card.
Again, using Super Mario 64 DS for example, rename abpathsetter.nds to SM64DS.DAT (maximum of 6 characters, plus .DAT).
The homebrew (already DLDI patched for the flashcard) will set the autoboot rom path in YSMenu.ini on the microSD root, and boot YSMenu.nds also on the root, so rename/backup any existing YSMenu.ini file that's anywhere on the card.

Open the renamed .nds to .dat file with a hex-editor.
Fill 0x22DE7 to 0x22EE8 with 00s, and set the full ROM path at 0x22DE7 (like "Games/SM64DS.nds", for example.), use "Paste write" if path is copied. The path can have spaces.


For 3DS:
Finally, install the CIA and launch it.


You are now done! Repeat above for each game.

View attachment 48781

Video (credit to @Favna):

For a minute I was hyped as fuck. Then I realized it boots stuff from a Flashcart and not the SD. Fuck.

 

[DocKlokMan]

It's one off the list at random.

Alright. One last question, any way to make a modification to load the DAT files from a sub-folder? With a lot of games it clutters the root of the SD card up.

 

[RocketRobz]

Alright. One last question, any way to make a modification to load the DAT files from a sub-folder? With a lot of games it clutters the root of the SD card up.

Sure! It can be "g/GAME.DAT"

 

[DocKlokMan]

Sure! It can be "g/GAME.DAT"

LOL, I'll keep that in mind, thank you!

 

[NekoMichi]

What card are you using out of curiosity?

My card and its packaging is identical to the one in this picture:

(I can't show you an actual photo of my card because I've removed the original label and replaced it with a custom-made one)

@Bobesh8: Instead of looking at 0x230 for the TID, I just copied the 4-letter string from 0C to 0F (text after the game's name but before the "01"). It seems to work without the need for reversing the character order. Also, thanks for the tutorial, it makes booting DS games much more convenient now.

 

[redzero36]

How do I know if my DS flash cart is compatible. Its a Ace3ds plus. Also I have updated sysnand 11. Is there anyway around that or would i have to use 9.2 firmware?

 

[nemserg]

I can use legit poke transporter & pokemon gen5 rom on r4 card with this?

no one try?

 

[RocketRobz]

no one try?

What R4 card is it?