Homebrew [Discontinued] TWLoader - CTR-mode NDS app

[bakawun]

You're already still using stock TWL_FIRM, 'cause if you aren't, Luma will shut down your 3DS.
As answered in the FAQs, the TWLNAND side is just a hidden DSiWare app only launched by the GUI.

I see, so the double white screen has to do with the kernel on the card then. good to know

 

[RocketRobz]

More from the FAQs:

The TWLNAND side has the boot screen, and starts bootstrap for running the ROMs, and it's own NTR_Launcher for running Slot-1 games/flashcards.

 

[internetakias]

Tried to launch TWLoader on my mostly untouched N3DS to add some games from my flashcard but it crashed because there were no games on the N3DS SD. Could you fix this?

 

[bakawun]

@Robz8 i used FBI to uninstall ntrlauncher and twloader, restored my flash card to its original firmware.

Still double white screens on the home menu.

Then i followed the https://3ds.guide/troubleshooting for fixing broken DS fuctionality and i still get a double white screen.

It's so strange because everything worked normally before i added twloader to try and use 133mhz and vram boost mode...

 

[royyy4]

@Robz8 Is micro machines V4 possible with this? couldn't find it in the file list

 

[FrostyDialga]

Mario kart ds just needs its load times sped up and it will be more playable also wireless communications needs to be fixed. I tried download play with bomber man it downloads to other ds but then communication error.

 

[Risingdawn]

@Robz8 i used FBI to uninstall ntrlauncher and twloader, restored my flash card to its original firmware.

Still double white screens on the home menu.

Then i followed the https://3ds.guide/troubleshooting for fixing broken DS fuctionality and i still get a double white screen.

It's so strange because everything worked normally before i added twloader to try and use 133mhz and vram boost mode...

I had double white screens to begin with, turns out it was because I used a 4gb SD card, using a 2gb SD card fixed my issue. Probably unrelated tho.
Does ntr-launcher run ur flash.
Have you tried the latest firm for your card.
Have you tried uninstalling all ntr/both twloader.cia with fbi, deleting all twloader files on sd, formatting flash sd card then putting everything back on from scratch following the guides exactly.
Sorry if you have but sometimes it's best to just go back to 100% scratch and then start again, human error, files in a folder that should be root etc.
Hope you get it all sorted.

 

[OverZeeR]

Guys i followed all the instruction and still getting a black screen on any .nds game launch, have been trying since and early development of this app and still i can't get it to run anything any suggestion / help ?
-installed TWLoader - Side on EMUnand , SYnSnand (arm9)
-Installed TWLoader (ofc)
-bootstrap on both _nds and rom/nds folder
-GateWay Emunand (arm9)

 

[bakawun]

alright i completed my testing.

nothing on the 3ds is causing the issue with my flashcard.
i dusted off my dsi and it doesn't work on it either anymore.

My conclusion is that the card was bricked by the retrogamefan or twloader flash card side files.
I guesstimate it may be fixable by re-updating the internal firmware, which i don't have

note that the card still works if booted thourgh ntr launcher or twloader.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

@Robz8 could you please make a flashcard side pack that boots directly to an updated ysmenu and forgoes my original kernel entirely? (the games i wish to play are not compatible with my stock kernel, and my version lags behind the last release by almost 2 years)

Ofcourse this on top of the functionality required for twloader

thanks

 

[Deleted User]

just as a heads up, if you play mario 64 with this, make sure to have NTR clock speed on or else closing the system will result in the screens staying black, game still plays tho (home menu works too)

 

[RocketRobz]

Tried to launch TWLoader on my mostly untouched N3DS to add some games from my flashcard but it crashed because there were no games on the N3DS SD. Could you fix this?

It will fixed in the next version.

@Robz8 could you please make a flashcard side pack that boots directly to an updated ysmenu and forgoes my original kernel entirely? (the games i wish to play are not compatible with my stock kernel, and my version lags behind the last release by almost 2 years)

Ofcourse this on top of the functionality required for twloader

thanks

Sure!

just as a heads up, if you play mario 64 with this, make sure to have NTR clock speed on or else closing the system will result in the screens staying black, game still plays tho (home menu works too)

When using TWL clock speed, if the screens are black, you can un-black them by going into options and turning backlight off and on.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Guys i followed all the instruction and still getting a black screen on any .nds game launch, have been trying since and early development of this app and still i can't get it to run anything any suggestion / help ?
-installed TWLoader - Side on EMUnand , SYnSnand (arm9)
-Installed TWLoader (ofc)
-bootstrap on both _nds and rom/nds folder
-GateWay Emunand (arm9)

If you're using Luma, check the FAQs.

@bakawun Here's the updated pack!

 

[bakawun]

@Robz8 thanks for the new pack.

booting from home menu remains broken.

booting the card through ntrlauncher or twloader works.

adding games through twloader works, and it no longer crashes the system, instead allowing me to add more than 1 game at a time. i still have to exit with the home button but i guess thats normal.

starting games from twloader works (but it does look a bit strange to have so many loading screens and white screen flashes)

things that are not working correctly:

ysmenu is still showing me the button code instead of the button text, eg OK_BTN instead of just ok.

puyo puyo 15th anniversary still gives a dual black screen when saving, eventhough it is supposed to be working.

box art is not being downloaded for new games i added.

 

[RocketRobz]

@Robz8 thanks for the new pack.

booting from home menu remains broken.

booting the card through ntrlauncher or twloader works.

adding games through twloader works, and it no longer crashes the system, instead allowing me to add more than 1 game at a time. i still have to exit with the home button but i guess thats normal.

starting games from twloader works (but it does look a bit strange to have so many loading screens and white screen flashes)

things that are not working correctly:

ysmenu is still showing me the button code instead of the button text, eg OK_BTN instead of just ok.

puyo puyo 15th anniversary still gives a dual black screen when saving, eventhough it is supposed to be working.

box art is not being downloaded for new games i added.

For the boxart not downloading, assuming they aren't US, they're not uploaded yet.

 

[sion_zaphod]

@Robz8 would it be possible to include the ability to launch Gameboy and Gameboy Color roms from the GUI? Maybe by using an emulator like gameyob (the NDS version not 3DS (the NDS version works from TWLoader and runs roms off the 3ds SD card)) with command line params if not by using an ini file to autoboot a rom based on the selected game in the GUI. If so this could adapted to include other emulators. A rom select for GBA would be a huge advantage too as it would allow easier and faster testing of roms on GBArunner2.


Thanks for your hard work

Edit: Just checked the source for gameyob and its already setup to autoboot a rom from command line :-

if (argc >= 2) {
char* filename = argv[1];
mgr_loadRom(filename);
updateScreens();

Shouldn't be too hard to adapt that to the GUI?

 

[bakawun]

For the boxart not downloading, assuming they aren't US, they're not uploaded yet.

i went to confirm what region they where and it downloaded all the missing boxart...

 

[Shinygati]

i went to confirm what region they where and it downloaded all the missing boxart...

Funny mine actually downloads every single time i launch twloader but i'm guessing their missing because nothing shows up.

 

[GerbilSoft]

Funny mine actually downloads every single time i launch twloader but i'm guessing their missing because nothing shows up.

If the boxart doesn't exist on GameTDB, then it won't be downloaded, and it'll keep trying every time. I'll look into adding some sort of "last download attempt was [timestamp]" feature so it won't try redownloading boxart for a week/month/some other time period.

EDIT: Unrelated: I'm going to try adding 3DS Slot-1 cartridge support tonight. Obviously there won't be any benefit of using TWLoader to start a 3DS cartridge compared to the HOME Menu, but it'll be better than seeing "No Cartridge".

 

[nastys]

EDIT: Unrelated: I'm going to try adding 3DS Slot-1 cartridge support tonight. Obviously there won't be any benefit of using TWLoader to start a 3DS cartridge compared to the HOME Menu, but it'll be better than seeing "No Cartridge".

TWL Slot-1 Launcher does that and it can also launch any flash cartridge, even on New 3DS, which is quite useful. You could try adding something like that

 

[RocketRobz]

TWL Slot-1 Launcher does that and it can also launch any flash cartridge, even on New 3DS, which is quite useful. You could try adding something like that

I was actually thinking about that.

 

[GerbilSoft]

TWL Slot-1 Launcher does that and it can also launch any flash cartridge, even on New 3DS, which is quite useful. You could try adding something like that

That's a possibility for launching DSi-enhanced cartridges, though it'd need a third CIA installed.

For 3DS games, APT_PrepareToDoApplicationJump(0, 0, MEDIATYPE_GAME_CARD) should work without issues. The "hard" part is reading the banner, and it's not really hard per se; it's just time consuming.