nds-bootstrap:

Thanks to the work of ahezard, Gericom, Apache, Robz8, _catcatcat, and shutterbug2000 and other contributors, we can now load NDS games from the SD card, without any flashcard/SLOT-1 card.

Don't expect high compatibility, but do expect many, many updates.

Compatibility listing:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LRTkXOUXraTMjg1eedz_f7b5jiuyMv2x6e_jY_nyHSc/edit#gid=0

The official Discord server for nds-bootstrap:
https://discordapp.com/invite/7bxTQfZ

The thread for the recommended loader (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/twloader-ctr-mode-nds-app.448375/

SRLoader for softmodded DSis (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/srloader-nds-app-for-dsi.472200/

If you're more of a forwarder person:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-forwarder-cias-for-your-home-menu.426174/

Link to the releases page:
https://github.com/ahezard/nds-bootstrap/releases

Anti-Piracy patch list by Robz8
https://gbatemp.net/threads/ap-patch-preservation.477536/

Also, thank you to our testers:
Historian
JoshuaDoes
thejsa
Alerdy
PokeAcer

Spoiler: Videos

Also, a video thanks to Robz8:


And another thanks to Alerdy:

 

[lemmings123]

Revert back to the latest nds-bootstrap version, and disable heap shrink in the per-game settings.

Only setting i didnt try! Thankyou for the quick response. Works perfectly now. Also thanks for the brilliant app! much appreciated

 

[Zense]

I noticed that Bomberman 2 PAL has audio crackling when loading anything. It happens mostly whenever something new loads. Like when going from start menu to mission game menu. I saw other games have a similar issue posted on github so I figured I wouldn't post a new one just for this. I haven't been able to remove it with any of the options.

Edit: I'm on latest stable release.

 

[RocketRobz]

I noticed that Bomberman 2 PAL has audio crackling when loading anything. It happens even after the first publishers and you get to the start menu. I saw other games have this issue posted on github so I figured I wouldn't post an issue about it. I haven't been able to remove it with any of the options.

Can you try with latest nightly?

 

[Zense]

Can you try with latest nightly?

... And the crackling is gone! Thanks!

Latest nightly is this version, right? a33e2d8c.

Downloaded it with twlupdater that I just redownloaded and installed, but it has been acting a bit weird lately (like showing me I can update everything even though I'm the latest on all of them etc.)

 

[RocketRobz]

... And the crackling is gone! Thanks!

Latest nightly is this version, right? a33e2d8c.

Downloaded it with twlupdater that I just redownloaded and installed, but it has been acting a bit weird lately (like showing me I can update everything even though I'm the latest on all of them etc.)

Yes, that's the right version.

 

[Captain Library]

ROMs are automatically AP-patched.
If there's still freezes, then it's an nds-bootstrap issue.
Try updating to latest nightly, and see if it's fixed there.

Cheers, stable release works just fine on New 2DS XL - no crashes to date - but both stable and nightly give me crashes on DSi XL. Frequent crashes in HGSS. Extremely frequent in the Underground in Diamond, and infrequent elsewhere.

 

[Friessss]

I accidentally started Twilight Menu when I was choosing a rom to start. Now everytime I try to start Twilight Menu, it just shows a seemingly infinite white screen. What do I do?

 

[lone_wolf323]

I accidentally started Twilight Menu when I was choosing a rom to start. Now everytime I try to start Twilight Menu, it just shows a seemingly infinite white screen. What do I do?

how long exactly do you let it stay on that white screen?

 

[RocketRobz]

I accidentally started Twilight Menu when I was choosing a rom to start. Now everytime I try to start Twilight Menu, it just shows a seemingly infinite white screen. What do I do?

Try deleting "settings.ini" at "sd:/_nds/TWiLightMenu/".

 

[Friessss]

how long exactly do you let it stay on that white screen?

15+ Minutes

Try deleting "settings.ini" at "sd:/_nds/TWiLightMenu/".

This seemed to have worked. Thanks for responding so quickly!

 

[RocketRobz]

v0.29.0: Valentine's Day release

What's new?

• B4DS: Increase game compatibility by using the DS Memory Expansion Pak!
  This makes some games such as FabStyle, Pokemon B/W 1&2, Pokemon Conquest, Professor Layton 3 and 4, and Transformers Prime, work in B4DS, as well as applying AP fixes to overlay areas.
• DSi: The DMA ROM read LED can now be changed separate from the regular ROM read LED.
• hb: Added RAM disk templates for SMS and GG ROMs.

Improvements

• Loading speeds have once again been improved.
  In some instances, it's faster than regular cart speeds!
• More DMA card read improvements!
  cardSetDma is now patched, instead of cardReadDma.

Bug fixes

• Wario: Master of Disguise now boots!
• Tony Hawk's American Sk8land no longer crashes randomly.
• Fixed compatibility for Tetris DS (Korea).
• Fixed top screen going black for non `.nds` files.
• B4DS: The log file is now made, when logging is enabled.

 

[FR0ZN]

Awesome updates !
Is it known which games are left that don't work ?

 

[RocketRobz]

Awesome updates !
Is it known which games are left that don't work ?

What I can think of

• Pokemon Dash
• Tropix
• Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
• Japanese version of Professor Layton 4
• Anpanman to Touch de Wakuwaku Training

 

[FR0ZN]

What I can think of

• Pokemon Dash
• Tropix
• Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
• Japanese version of Professor Layton 4
• Anpanman to Touch de Wakuwaku Training

Oh wow !
Every other game works 100% ?

 

[RocketRobz]

Oh wow !
Every other game works 100% ?

Yes.

 

[Rya687]

Yes.

That's a rather misleading statement. To my understanding, those are simply the only games that are known to currently be completely nonfunctional.

The vast majority of games do load, but they may still run into bugs later on. They range from barely noticeable quirks all the way to progress-blocking crashes.

This is still an impressive piece of software, but it's by no means a flawless alternative to physical cartridges. If you want to play a game with it, I'd recommend checking https://github.com/ahezard/nds-bootstrap/issues first. I wouldn't put too much faith in the compatibility list. It's not always reliable.

 

[Hammyface]

v0.29.0: Valentine's Day release

Thank you so much for this. Does it support DSiWare now? I didn't see it mentioned.

 

[RocketRobz]

Thank you so much for this. Does it support DSiWare now? I didn't see it mentioned.

Nope, still not supported.

 

[RocketRobz]

v0.29.1

Extra Instruction

• Please delete fatTable folder in sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/.

What's new?

• Add option to read/write FAT table cache.
  Setting: CACHE_FAT_TABLE, default: 0 (Off)

Bug fixes

• Added support for a bit more DSi-Enhanced games, such as Daniel X: The UItimate Power! (Untested)
• Reverted FAT table cache size to 512KB. This should fix issues with some files in the ROM not being read.

 

[Alexander1970]

v0.29.1

Extra Instruction

• Please delete fatTable folder in sd:/_nds/nds-bootstrap/.

What's new?

• Add option to read/write FAT table cache.
  Setting: CACHE_FAT_TABLE, default: 0 (Off)

Bug fixes

• Added support for a bit more DSi-Enhanced games, such as Daniel X: The UItimate Power! (Untested)
• Reverted FAT table cache size to 512KB. This should fix issues with some files in the ROM not being read.

Thank you for the Update.