Homebrew [NDS] Forwarder CIAs for your HOME Menu
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NOTE: Support for the SuperCard DSTWO is currently broken.
Remember the old days of having forwarder channels 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 can make forwarder CIAs that boots NDS ROMs from an SD Card (or if you want, a DS-Mode flashcard).
Requirements
3DS:
- Decrypt9
- A CFW that patches TWL_FIRM (Luma3DS)
- A CIA installer (FBI, DevMenu, etc)
- An SD Card (or microSD card for N3DS)
- (Optional) DS-Mode flashcard (aka, Slot-1 to microSD card adapter)
The recommended flashcard is DSTT.
If you want perfect game compatibility, get the SuperCard DSTWO. The downside is that it drains your system battery faster.
If you have a flashcard that works with @Apache Thunder's NTR Launcher, fell free to request it here.
Be sure to specify which build you're using (Normal or Alt), and if RESETSLOT1 is set to 0 or 1 in "sd:/nds/ntr_launcher.ini".
Compatible:
Acekard 2(i) (DSi-Enhanced games, including newer NTR games, don't work.)
Acekard RPG
DSTT
DSTT Advance
Galaxy Eagle
M3 DS Real
M3 DS Simply (uses <2GB microSD card)
R4 DS (Original Non-SDHC version, uses <2GB microSD card)
R4 SDHC Snoopy
R4 SDHC RTS LITE (Dual-Core should work) (2015 and 2016) (www.r4isdhc.com)
R4 SDHC Upgrade (www.r4i-sdhc.com)
R4i3D (www.r4i3d.com)
R4iDSN
R4i Gold
R4i Gold RTS (www.r4ids.cn)
R4i-SDHC (www.r4i-sdhc.com) (Normal and RTS versions)
R4iTT (www.r4itt.net) (Purple card may be incompatible)
SuperCard DSONE
SuperCard DSTWO (Normal and Plus versions)
Untested:
R4i3D NEW (Use R4iDSN template and pack)
Partially compatible:
Ace 3DS+(Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing.)
Gateway Blue Card (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing.)
EX4DS (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing.)
R4iLS (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing.)
Cards with www.r4isdhc.com.cn (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing.)
Incompatible:
CycloDS (i)Evolution (Can autoboot ROMs, but it works differently than other flashcards.)
(i)Edge (Unable to autoboot a .nds ROM)
R4 Gold Pro (www.r4i-gold.com/www.r4i-gold.me) (YSMenu (not the forwarder process) bricks the card)
R4i3D (2012)
R4 Infinity Dual Core
R4 SDHC
R4 SDHC Dual-Core <2014 (www.r4isdhc.com) (YSMenu (not the forwarder process) bricks the card)
Windows/Linux/Mac:
- Latest Java version
- Linux: JavaFX
SD Card users: See what games work and what doesn't work:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M7MxYQzVhb4604esdvo57a7crSvbGzFIdotLW0bm0Co/edit#gid=0
Download a pack for your card (forwarders won't run without it):
3DS SD Card
and let's not forget:
Forwarder3-DS (Current version: v2.9.3)
also:
For hacks/translations of DSi-Enhanced games, find a fixed banner here. Also includes animated banners for DS standard games.
Source code for the templates (not needed):
https://github.com/Robz8/NTR_Forwarder/
For SD card
- Extract what's in "for SD card root" to the root of the 3DS SD card.
Extract what's in "for Slot-1 microSD" to the root of the flashcard's microSD card, and (if folder exists) "for 3DS SD card" to the root of the 3DS SD card.
What will be in each pack for loading ROMs:
Original R4/M3 Simply - WoodR4 & YSMenu
DSTT/R4i Gold/R4i-SDHC/R4 SDHC Dual-Core/R4 SDHC Upgrade/SC DSONE, Acekard 2(i)/M3DS Real/R4i-SDHC 1.4.x - YSMenu
Acekard RPG, Ace 3DS+/Gateway Blue Card/R4iLS/R4iTT, R4iDSN/R4i Gold RTS - WoodR4
Part 1: Decrypt9
- Launch Decrypt9 in HBL or as a Luma3DS payload.
- Select "Gamecart Dumper Options".
- Select "Dump Cart" (full or trim). This will dump any cart's ROM to your 3DS' SD card, whether it's NTR (DS), TWL (DSi), or CTR (3DS).
- After dumping is finished, press B.
Part 2: Forwarder3-DS
View attachment 72425
- Select the target card you're using on the left.
- Check "Automatically set ROM path" to set the path to where your ROM is at in the SD Card or flashcard.
Warning for Linux users: The automatic path is incorrect since it includes the entire path (e.g. /media/$USER/something/).
- Click the folder on the top-right, and find the ROMs on the SD Card (or flashcard) you are using, or drag and drop them into the window.
- If you're playing a hack/translation of a DSi-Enhanced game that has it's banner/title edited, find the banner for the game below the Forwarder3-DS link, right click on the game, click "Import banner", and click on the banner to use.
- Click on a game to do some edits.
- Click the shuffle button
if the TID is red. Clicking the shuffle button will randomly change the TID to one in the whitelist. Not doing so will not give you a .NDS/.CIA.
- Be sure to make a list of TIDs you're using for your forwarders.
- If using a homebrew ROM, clear and type in the game title.
- Click the floppy drive button to generate the forwarder CIA!
- Copy the CIA to your 3DS SD Card, or put it in SocketPunch for network installation.
- Finally, install the CIA and launch it. If using EmuNAND, install it to both Sys & Emu NANDs.
You are now done!
After you extract the pack for your card, you can edit "sd:/nds/ntr_forwarder.ini" and change one of the settings. This isn't possible for Acekard RPG, R4 DS, and R4i Gold RTS.
- NTRCLOCK: If set to 0 or if A is held, the DSi boot screen will appear instead of the normal DS splash, and TWL clock speed is used, so lags begone.
- DISABLEANIMATION: If set to 1 or if B is held, the DS/DSi boot screen is skipped.
- HEALTHSAFETYMSG: If set to 1, the boot screen's H&S message will appear on the bottom screen. If set to 0, the bottom screen stays white with no H&S message.
Here's a video tutorial and a forwarder in action! (This was before we were able to run retail ROMs from SD Card.
Credits:
@Olmectron, for making Forwarder3-DS.
Me, for creating the Auto-Boot ROM Path setter for DSTT/R4i Gold/R4i-SDHC/R4 SDHC Dual-Core/R4 SDHC Upgrade/SC DSONE, Acekard 2(i)/R4iTT, and DSTWO.
@ahezard, for making the R4/M3, Acekard RPG, R4iDSN/R4i Gold RTS forwarder templates, and nds-bootstrap.
@Apache Thunder, for recreating the DS/DSi boot screen.
@MasterCheese, for helping me getting the Ace3DS Plus, Gateway Blue Card, and cards with www.r4isdhc.com.cn to work.
FAQs:
Q (Linux users): Why is Forwarder3-DS not starting?
A: Install JavaFX.
Q: I'm not getting a CIA, just a .nds file. Why?
A1: Make sure your ROM's .nds filename is short, and/or create Forwarder3-DS folder in your hard drive (or flash drive) root, and run the .jar file there.
A2 (Linux and MacOS users): Execute chmod +x make_cia in the terminal on the .jar file's directory, so that make_cia gets the needed rights to be executed.
Q: How do I update the forwarder templates?
A: The app will automatically update the templates if it's set, or you can click the button next to the Forwarder3-DS title, and click "Update templates".
Q: How do I get rid of lag on games?
A: Hold A before the DS boot screen appears, or open "sd:/nds/ntr_forwarder.ini" and set
NTRCLOCK to 0 to use TWL clock speed.
Q: Why aren't some of my forwarders appearing?
A: You went over the 40 DSiWare game limit. Copy any DSiWare/forwarder you don't use, to your SD Card, and delete it from System Memory.
Q: Will the game I'm playing show up in Activity Log?
A: Yes it will!
Q: What games are DSi Enhanced (have animated banners)?
A: Look here.
Q: Why am I taken to a ROM selection menu?
A: Make "Games are on SD card" was checked, and you dragged and dropped the ROMs from the flashcard's microSD, to Forwarder3-DS' window.
Q: Will this load DSi enhanced games in DSi mode, including DSi exclusive games?
A: Nope, but maybe in the future, since we can run commercial/retail ROMs from the 3DS SD Card.
Q: Why is the banner/title blank?
A: Follow step 5 of the Forwarder3-DS section.
Q: How do I use cheat codes?
A: Use this program.
R4 DS/M3 DS Simply, R4iDSN/Acekard RPG/R4i Gold RTS:
Q: Why are some of my games getting white screens?
A: The forwarders are based on an outdated version of Wood, which had it's source code found. The version used has bad compatibility with some games. Open _wfwd/wfwd.ini, and set useLatestWood to 1.
DSTT/R4i Gold/R4i-SDHC/R4 SDHC Dual-Core/R4 SDHC Upgrade/SC DSONE, M3DS Real:
Q: Why does my game freeze sometimes?
A: The game has Anti-Piracy checks. YSMenu is supposed to fix that, but won't for some reason.
Q: Launching the CIA just takes me to the ROM selection menu. How do I fix that?
A: Delete or rename any existing YSMenu.ini file in the YSMenu and root folders/directories.
Q: How do I skip to the ROM selection menu?
A: When booting YSMenu, hold B to go to the ROM selection menu.
Q: Why am I getting:
[Rom Loading failed]
load rom errcode=-
Please reset system.
A: Look at the YSMenu error code guide.
it wont work, all games like Super Mario 64 DS, I run the app and stuck on white screen
Could you possibly provide me the files I would need to put on my R4's mSD card to get it to autoboot a ROM? I've been looking a ton of threads about YSMenu, but it's all very confusing. Thank you for your help.
Here are the files I have from DS Game Forwarder pack (DSTT, R4i Gold, R4i-SDHC, SC DSONE).7z:
Here is the cart I have:
I'm not sure which one to use, as this cart is and R4 SDHC, rather than an R4i SDHC.
Try R4i-SDHC RTS.Here are the files I have from DS Game Forwarder pack (DSTT, R4i Gold, R4i-SDHC, SC DSONE).7z:
Here is the cart I have:
I'm not sure which one to use, as this cart is and R4 SDHC, rather than an R4i SDHC.
I put both the firmware files for the cart and the files from the R4i SDHC RTS folder on the microSD card but the card won't autoboot into YSMenu, and trying to launch an NDS file in YSMenu shows UNKNOWN_DLDI_TYPE.
Alright, will do. Should I rename any files on the card or anything, or should it boot straight to YSMenu.nds?
If you're trying to run from SD card, the SD forwarder templates are outdated.
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@
Jayro:
Eventhough the New 3DS XL is more powerful, I still feel like the DS Lite was a more polished system. It's a real shame that it never got an XL variant keeping the GBA slot. You'd have to go on AliExpress and buy an ML shell to give a DS phat the unofficial "DS Lite" treatment, and that's the best we'll ever get I'm afraid.+1 -
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@
SylverReZ:
@Jayro, I don't see whats so special about the DS ML, its just a DS lite in a phat shell. At least the phat model had louder speakers, whereas the lite has a much better screen. -
@
SylverReZ:
They probably said "Hey, why not we combine the two together and make a 'new' DS to sell".
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@
Veho:
Nothing special about it other than it's more comfortable than the Lite
for people with beefy hands.
