Homebrew [DS(i) & 3DS] AKMenu-Next - Wood frontend for nds-bootstrap & Pico-Loader

Coderkei · Jan 18, 2025

AKMenu-Next
Frontend for nds-bootstrap & Pico-Loader based on akmenu4 (GUI from WoodRPG 1.25, commonly known as Wood R4)

Compatible with the DSi & 3DS consoles and Flashcarts, including the DSpico in DSi mode.

AKMenu-Next is a frontend and user interface for nds-bootstrap and Pico-Loader, bringing an upgraded & modernised version of the classic Wood UI (Like Wood R4) experience to nearly any Nintendo DS flashcart, as well as native support for the DSi and 3DS.

Features:

Lightweight Wood R4 Style User Interface (based on lifehackerhansol's akmenu4 port from WoodRPG 1.25).
All the features you'd expect from Wood R4 such as save slots, themes, favourites section and cheats.
Expanded theme system with game covers, background music and custom icons, and still backwards compatible with Acekard & Wood R4 themes.
Support for loading games using nds-bootstrap and Pico-Loader with cheats & configurable options.
Homebrew loading via nds-bootstrap-hb & Pico-Loader on DSi and 3DS systems.
Autoboot support for many flashcarts, with native DSi and 3DS support.
Automatic AP patching handled by the built-in patch databases of nds-bootstrap and Pico-Loader.
Slot 1 cart loading on DSi and 3DS systems.
Passme loader included for booting supported Slot 2 flashcarts in DS mode.
Supports usrcheat.dat cheat databases.
32KB DLDI support for compatibility with the N-Card and its clones.
Customisable icons.
DSiWare support via DSpico on DSi and 3DS systems.
Plugin support for launching emulators, video players, and more.

Installing:

Current Update: v3.0.0

To install or update AKMenu-Next please follow the guides below. The guides will always link to the latest release:

Extra guides:

AKMenu-Next doesn't bundle nds-bootstrap or Pico-Loader, so you can keep them updated independently.
To update either loader, check the relevant section below — and keep an eye on their release pages if you want to stay current:

To update these loaders for AKMenu-Next, refer to the "Updating" guide linked above.

Other Links:

Please note that any issues pertaining to game compatibility/performance should instead be submitted to the nds-bootstrap issue tracker or the Pico-Loader issue tracker depending on the loader being used.

Information:

Visit the thread for DeadSkullJr's Cheat Database.
Download the usrcheat.dat file from the Download link on the thread.
Put the usrcheat.dat file into the _nds/akmenunext/cheats/ folder.
Ensure the "Cheat in Game(AR)" option is enabled in the settings under the "Patches" section

Supported themes are Acekard and WoodR4 themes.
Themes can be downloaded from the GBATemp Acekard themes section or from the Flashcarts.net Theme Repository.

To install themes, download a theme and extract it so it has a folder name with the files inside. Place this folder inside the _nds/akmenunext/ui/ folder. Ensure the theme is not a folder inside a folder.
You can then change the theme in the settings.

How do I soft-reset or quit back to the menu

Use the nds-bootstrap button combination of L + Down + Select or change it in Settings -> Menu Hotkey.

More controls can be found on the nds-bootstrap controls page.

Pico-Loader currently does not support soft-reset.

What flashcarts does this work with?

This should work on any flashcart that can load homebrew, either via it's kernel, or via one of the provided autoboot files. If not autobooting, some flashcarts such as the Games N Music or some Slot 2 carts booted into NDS mode may require you to DLDI patch BOOT.NDS first.

Does this mean Wood R4 on my flashcart/DSi/3DS?

You get the authentic Wood interface and cheat engine, but game loading is handled by nds-bootstrap or Pico-Loader rather than Wood's own loader.

Can I run DSiWare on AKMenu-Next?

DSiWare is supported on the DSpico cart when running on a DSi or 3DS with the Game Loader set to Pico-Loader. You must have the required DSi files for this to run, the instructions for this are available above in the main links.

Due to the complexity of adding Twilightmenu++'s DSiWare implementation for it into the existing akmenu4 code. Please use Twilightmenu++ to run DSiWare if you are not on a DSpico.

Twilightmenu++ already has a Wood theme, whats the point of AKMenu-Next?

While TwilightMenu++ includes a Wood-inspired theme, AKMenu-Next is a separate project built directly from the akmenu4 source code, which was originally used for WoodRPG and later Wood R4.

This allows AKMenu-Next to more closely recreate the behaviour, layout, and overall feel of the original Wood firmware, rather than simply mimicking its appearance through theming alone.

The project also expands upon the original Wood experience with new features, modern improvements, and enhanced compatibility to give you a modernised yet nostalgic Wood experience.

Can I use this alongside Twilightmenu++ on a DSi or 3DS?

On a 3DS or a DSi system you must take care to not overwrite the existing BOOT.NDS file required by Twilightmenu++.

If you plan to use both on a DSi, copy only the akmenu-next.dsi file fo and launch that via Unlaunch or Twilightmenu++. This is explained in the guide. On a 3DS, omit copying the BOOT.NDS file.

Likewise the same applies to a flashcart should you wish to use both, where you should rename the included BOOT.NDS to something else and launch it with the existing kernel you are using.

How can I use a nightly build of nds-bootstrap on this?

Put a copy of nds-bootstrap-nightly.nds inside the _nds folder. Then go into the settings and under the File system settings section, set nds-bootstrap version to nightly.

What games are compatible?

Typically most retail games should compatible in the latest version of nds-bootstrap and Pico-Loader

Compatibility with rom-hacks, translations and randomizers are not guaranteed.

Any issues with game compatibility should be submitted on the nds-bootstrap issue tracker or the Pico-Loader Issue Tracker rather than posted on this thread.

Homebrew is supported as well, although homebrew compatibility may be limited on DSi and 3DS systems due to some homebrew only running correctly on flashcarts, on those systems you may opt to use the "nds-bootstrap" option in the "Homebrew Loader" for any homebrew that doesn't load with the default loader.

I get a "An Error has occurred" screen when loading games

This occurs when you are loading a DSi-enhanced game but the game is missing the DSi binaries. please ensure that your ROM dump is clean and has not been improperly dumped. You can otherwise set AKMenu-Next to run in DS-Only mode (Settings -> Patches), but you will lose the DSi-enhanced features.

This can also appear if you have a corrrupted ROM.

Ensure your ROM dump is clean and has been dumped with GodMode9i.

I get a "Failed to apply patches" or "Failed to load arm9" screen when loading games on Pico-Loader

This means your ROM is corrupt or is missing the DSi binaries, which is required when running DSi-ehanced games in DSi mode. Ensure your ROM dump is clean and has been dumped with GodMode9i.

My games are running slow or are laggy or don't work properly

Ensure you are using a genuine name-brand MicroSD card that is at least Class 10 (look for a circle with a number written inside, it should have a 10 inside it).

Counterfeit or off-brand MicroSD cards often do not meet their advertised speed rating & capacities and will result in performance issues or crashes.

I get a red "Data abort" screen when playing games

This occurs when nds-bootstrap ran into an error during gameplay. This can be either due to a bad or corrupted ROM dump or a MicroSD formatting issue. For ensuring your MicroSD is correctly formatted, please follow this guide. The built in Windows Formatter along with Phones & Tablets will typically not correctly format MicroSD cards.

Also ensure you are running the latest release of nds-bootstrap.

This can also mean a compatibility issue with nds-bootstrap, and it is advised to check the nds-bootstrap issue tracker.

I get an error when running homebrew, or the homebrew can't read any files (DSi or 3DS)

Some older homebrew may not be compatible when run directly, try running the homebrew via nds-bootstrap by going to "Settings" -> "Other Settings" and changing the "Homebrew Loader" option to "nds-bootstrap".

I have a question not listed here

Feel free to ask on this thread.

lifehackerhansol - original akmenu4 port

ApacheThunder - DSi related fixes as well as N-Card support

SylverRez - Themes & Testing

Sanrasxz - Guide pages & theme repo

Edo9300 - DSi Related fixes & Pico-Loader support

Asaduji - DSi mode support for DSpico

HK$ · Jan 20, 2025

It's interesting. Nice work!

Would be better if it use the same save file path (in save folder) as Twilightmenu++, so that they can share the same game saves.

The Catboy · Jan 20, 2025

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED!

Coderkei · Jan 20, 2025

HK$ said:
It's interesting. Nice work!
Would be better if it use the same save file path (in save folder) as Twilightmenu++, so that they can share the same game saves.

I can look into making that a feature for the next version

The Catboy · Jan 20, 2025

Would it be possible to integrate GBARunner?

MushGuy · Jan 20, 2025

Absolutely loving this! Imagine, being able to use the akmenu interface on a DSTTi clone cartridge without having to use the very outdated WoodTT. And the support for EZFlash 3in1 is an absolute plus! Now, I know that this frontend is still new, but there are some features from TwilightMenu++ that I think would be great to have in this frontend, like the ability to change the soft reset combination, and the ability to run games with the flashcart kernel, both as a global setting and as a per-game setting.

Coderkei · Jan 20, 2025

The Catboy said:
Would it be possible to integrate GBARunner?

That would depend on argv support which I am not sure if WoodRPG 1.25 had support for yet. WoodRPG 1.25 seems to be hardcoded for GBA roms to load into an EZ Flash 3 in 1 so I'd need to take a look

Post automatically merged: Jan 20, 2025

MushGuy said:
Absolutely loving this! Imagine, being able to use the akmenu interface on a DSTTi clone cartridge without having to use the very outdated WoodTT. And the support for EZFlash 3in1 is an absolute plus! Now, I know that this frontend is still new, but there are some features from TwilightMenu++ that I think would be great to have in this frontend, like the ability to change the soft reset combination, and the ability to run games with the flashcart kernel, both as a global setting and as a per-game setting.

I wasn't aware people were still using the EZ Flash 3 in 1

, thats just a default behavior from the build of Wood this menu comes from.

Soft reset combos is handled by nds-bootstrap, so it is configurable and doable. For the loader option, do you mean getting YSMenu to load the game instead? It would result in the same situation as Twilightmenu++ where you won't get cheat support.

MushGuy · Jan 21, 2025

Kaoid said:
That would depend on argv support which I am not sure if WoodRPG 1.25 had support for yet. WoodRPG 1.25 seems to be hardcoded for GBA roms to load into an EZ Flash 3 in 1 so I'd need to take a look

Post automatically merged: Jan 20, 2025

I wasn't aware people were still using the EZ Flash 3 in 1 , thats just a default behavior from the build of Wood this menu comes from.

Soft reset combos is handled by nds-bootstrap, so it is configurable and doable. For the loader option, do you mean getting YSMenu to load the game instead? It would result in the same situation as Twilightmenu++ where you won't get cheat support.

Yes, I'm aware of that. But, as you can see, there are some games and homebrew apps that play better with the stock kernel than with NDS Bootstrap, and viceversa, such as the NDS port of Great Giana Sisters, which gives a garbled bottom screen when loaded with nds-bootstrap on a flashcart, which is why having a loader option would be nice in these cases.

RocketRobz · Jan 21, 2025

MushGuy said:
the NDS port of Great Giana Sisters, which gives a garbled bottom screen when loaded with nds-bootstrap on a flashcart

When was that tested? Because I don't recall that occurring with nds-bootstrap on DSi/3DS SD card, and with nds-bootstrap clearing the bootloader from VRAM, there should be no garbled graphics on flashcards either.

TheStonedModder · Jan 21, 2025

Kaoid said:
View attachment 481206

akmenu-next
Frontend for nds-bootstrap based on akmenu4 (GUI from WoodRPG 1.25)

akmenu-next is a frontend/GUI for nds-bootstrap that allows you to have a Wood UI experience on almost any flashcart and natively on the DSi and 3DS.

Features:

Lightweight Wood User Interface (based on lifehackerhansol's akmenu4 port from WoodRPG 1.25).

All the features you'd expect from Wood such as save slots, themes, favourites section and cheats.

Support for loading games using the nds-bootstrap loader (This is the same loader Twilightmenu++ uses)

Support for autobooting on many flashcarts as well as native support for the DSi and 3DS.

Automatic AP patching thanks to patches now being included within nds-bootstrap.

Passme loader is included for booting supported Slot 2 Flashcarts in DS mode.

Compatible with Acekard/Wood R4 themes.

Support for usrcheat.dat cheat databases.

32KB DLDI support so you can run it on the N-Card and it's clones.

Installing:

Current Update: v1.2

Please choose the system you want to install akmenu-next on and follow the installation steps. The guide will always link to the latest release:

Flashcart

DSi

3DS

Other Links:

Source Code

Latest Release Notes

Issue Tracker

Themes

Please note that any issues pertaining to game compatibility/performance should instead be submitted to the nds-bootstrap issue tracker.

Information:

Visit the download page for DeadSkullJr's Cheat Database

Download the usrcheat.7z file

Extract it to get usrcheat.dat

Put the usrcheat.dat file into the _nds/cheats folder.

Ensure the "Cheat in Game(AR)" option is enabled in the settings under the "Patches" section

Supported themes are Acekard and WoodR4 themes.
Themes can be downloaded from the GBATemp Acekard themes section or from the Sanrax kernel themes repository

To install themes, download a theme and extract it so it has a folder name with the files inside. Place this folder inside the _nds/ui folder. Ensure the theme is not a folder inside a folder.
You can then change the theme in the settings.

How do I soft-reset or quit back to the menu

Use the nds-bootstrap button combination of L + Down + Select.
More controls can be found on the nds-bootstrap controls page.

What flashcarts does this work with?

This should work on any flashcart that can load homebrew, either via it's kernel, or via one of the provided autoboot files. If not autobooting, some flashcarts such as the Games N Music may require you to DLDI patch BOOT.NDS first.

Does this mean Wood R4 on my flashcart/DSi/3DS?

Technically Yes & No. You will get the proper Wood interface & cheat engine, however game loading will still be performed with nds-bootstrap like with Twilightmenu++.

Can I run DSiWare on akmenu-next?

This is not yet a supported feature, even on DSi and 3DS systems, however this is a feature planned for the future.

Twilightmenu++ already has a Wood theme, whats the point of akmenu-next?

Indeed it does, however this is a seperate project based on the source code of akmenu4, which is the user interface used by WoodRPG, and subsequently Wood R4. So this project is a way to have many of the features that Wood R4 has, paired with the highly compatible nds-bootstrap loader for closer to true Wood experience on your flashcart, DSi or 3DS.

Can I use this alongside Twilightmenu++ on a DSi or 3DS?

On a 3DS, akmenu-next can be used alongside Twilightmenu++ as while the _nds folders are shared, there are no conflicts.

On a DSi system however you must take care to not overwrite the existing BOOT.NDS file required by Twilightmenu++, so if you plan to use both, copy only the akmenu-next.dsi file and launch that via Unlaunch or Twilightmenu++. This is explained in the guide.

Likewise the same applies to a flashcart should you wish to use both, where you should rename the included BOOT.NDS to something else and launch it with the existing kernel you are using.

How can I use a nightly build of nds-bootstrap on this?

Put a copy of nds-bootstrap-nightly.nds inside the _nds folder. Then create a blank file called nightly.txt in that same folder. All games will then be run with the nightly loader.

What games are compatible?

Typically all retail games should compatible in the latest version of nds-bootstrap.

Compatibility with rom-hacks, translations and randomizers are not guaranteed.

Any issues with game compatibility should be submitted on the nds-bootstrap issue tracker rather than posted on this thread.

Homebrew is supported as well, although homebrew compatibility may be limited on DSi and 3DS systems due to some homebrew only running correctly on flashcarts.

I get a "An Error has occurred" screen when loading games

This occurs when you are either loading DSiWare (currently unsupported by akmenu-next) or if you are loading a DSi-enhanced game but the game is missing the DSi binaries. If the latter, please ensure that your ROM dump is clean and has not been improperly dumped.

I get a red "Data abort" screen when playing games

This occurs when nds-bootstrap ran into an error during gameplay. This can be either due to a bad or corrupted ROM dump or a MicroSD formatting issue. For ensuring your MicroSD is correctly formatted, please follow this guide. The built in Windows Formatter along with Phones & Tablets will typically not correctly format MicroSD cards.

Also ensure you are running the latest release of nds-bootstrap.

I have a question not listed here

Feel free to ask on this thread.

lifehackerhansol - original akmenu4 port
ApacheThunder - Various DSi related fixes as well as N-Card support
SylverRez - Themes & Testing
Sanrasxz - Guide pages & theme repo

would you mind sharing a bit more about what this adds to nds boot strap? You mention that it is missing some wood features

But as someone who didn’t use wood much I’m not really sure what those would be

The Catboy · Jan 21, 2025

Kaoid said:
Twilightmenu++ already has a Wood theme, whats the point of akmenu-next?

My issue with the ak implication in Twilight, is that it's not quite identical to the proper AK menu, like lacking a proper menu. So it wasn't a full replacement for something like WoodR4/akAIO.
This actually is the closest to having a full AK function on every cart, just replacing the ROM launcher. This pleases me, as lover of both AKmenu and nds-bootloader, I see this as a true win

Also, gba games can at least run through gbarunner3 through the launcher
https://gbatemp.net/threads/gbarunner3.651088/post-10561415

MushGuy · Jan 21, 2025

RocketRobz said:
When was that tested? Because I don't recall that occurring with nds-bootstrap on DSi/3DS SD card, and with nds-bootstrap clearing the bootloader from VRAM, there should be no garbled graphics on flashcards either.

I tested it a few days ago. It plays fine when using nds-bootstrap on DSi and 3DS. It only happens when playing it on a flashcart (tested on DSTTi devices; YSMenu plays it fine).

Coderkei · Jan 21, 2025

TheStonedModder said:
would you mind sharing a bit more about what this adds to nds boot strap? You mention that it is missing some wood features

But as someone who didn’t use wood much I’m not really sure what those would be

Its more of an alternative to Twilightmenu++ for people who want a Wood R4 or AKAIO interface as some people have always preffered that GUI, it doesn't add any features to nds-bootstrap but is rather a wrapper for it. It does lack some Wood features but those are mainly features relating to newer versions of Wood that run as a native kernel on flashcarts like the Original R4 or r4ids.cn carts. Wood was only open source up to v1.25.

Post automatically merged: Jan 21, 2025

MushGuy said:
I tested it a few days ago. It plays fine when using nds-bootstrap on DSi and 3DS. It only happens when playing it on a flashcart (tested on DSTTi devices; YSMenu plays it fine).

Homebrew doesn't get loaded via nds-bootstrap when running akmenu-next on flashcarts. Can you tell me what homebrew is giving issues and if the same issue occurs with YSMenu?

I will take a look at Giana Sisters later today and see if I can reproduce the issue.

Deleted member 117573 · Jan 21, 2025

TWiLight Menu is an exceptional front end for nds-bootstrap with its DSiWare support. The main appeal for me is the responsiveness of the UI. Being the official UI of Wood Kernel this front end already is an excellent alternative to Wood UI of TWiLIght Menu. Should DSiWare support be added to this, it will add even more appeal to those who prefer the traditional Wood UI. Excellent work on this project, it is much appreciated.

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 · Jan 21, 2025

following the guide on sanrax for flash cart i got a white screen on my DS fat upon autobooting

Jayro · Jan 21, 2025

I've made a Pokemon theme for the Acekard/WoodRPG/WOODR4, so feel free to check it out.

https://gbatemp.net/download/pokemon-theme-for-r4-cards-acekard-woodr4-compatible.37389/

Coderkei · Jan 21, 2025

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 said:
following the guide on sanrax for flash cart i got a white screen on my DS fat upon autobooting

Which Flashcart do you have? You might need a different autoboot file.

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 · Jan 21, 2025

Kaoid said:
Which Flashcart do you have? You might need a different autoboot file.

Acekard 2i

Coderkei · Jan 21, 2025

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 said:
Acekard 2i

I think you're better off running AKAIO on that flashcart, its a lot better: https://sanrax.github.io/flashcart-guides/cart-guides/acekard/

If you're still wanting to use this, did you copy over akmenu4.nds from the Acekard 2i autoboot folder?

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 · Jan 21, 2025

Kaoid said:
If you're still wanting to use this, did you copy over akmenu4.nds from the Acekard 2i autoboot folder?

yes i kinda thought that was the whole point

Homebrew [DS(i) & 3DS] AKMenu-Next - Wood frontend for nds-bootstrap & Pico-Loader

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