Homebrew [DS(i)/3DS] TWiLight Menu++ - GUI for DS(i) games, and DS(i) Menu replacement
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I got ZXDS (a homebrew Nintendo DS ZX Spectrum emulator) to work using TwilightMenu++ on a New 2DS XL with Luma CFW and I decided I'd share how I accomplished it, plus how I made a working disk image on Linux without resorting to RAMDisk recommended on the first page (which doesn't work on a Linux system). Since it works on a New 2DS XL, hopefully it'll also work on other console models, such as New 3DS XL and 2DS/3DS (though I have no way of testing it personally). Maybe this'll be useful to someone.
So, when you attempt to just start ZXDS using TwilightMenu++, you normally get a black screen saying "ZXDS is loading", and that's it, it hangs. The reason it hangs is because it expects certain files to be present on the root of a flash card (as in a "cartridge slot card", not microSD). Thankfully, TwilightMenu++ offers functionality that allows this kind of homebrew to run using an image file which represents the contents of the said flash card. Thus, the first thing we need to do is make an image file which ZXDS will work with.
If you're on Windows, you can follow the instructions in the first post of this thread under "Create a RAM Disk". Name the RAM disk ZXDS.img. Be sure to copy some tapes and/or snapshots to work with inside the image file as well (you can make a "tapes" folder inside for this purpose, for example).
If you're on Linux (or maybe Mac, or some form of BSD - hopefully there are similar tools), you can use the standard *nix tools to make the image. Use the following terminal commands to make the image on Linux and work with it:
1. The first command will make a 28MB empty image file (not sure why 28MB, but the first post recommends this size for 3DS, so I decided to stick with it, I didn't experiment with any other values):
dd if=/dev/zero of=ZXDS.img bs=1M count=28
2. The second command will format the image file to use a FAT file system as needed:
mkfs.msdos ZXDS.img
3. The third command can be used to mount the image file (in this case, we're mounting under /mnt, but you can specify any mount location). Note that this command requires superuser privileges, so you may need to prefix it with sudo or use su or some other form of superuser privilege granting tools available to you:
mount -o loop ZXDS.img /mnt
(this kind of mount will require superuser privileges to copy files to the image; if you want to be able to use your ordinary user to do that, you may need to add the uid/gid options - check the man page for mount for details)
Now, once you mounted the image, copy the contents of the ZXDS folder in the ZXDS archive (*not* the folder itself, but the contents) to the root of the image file. So, you should have "cache", "data", "save", etc. in the root of your image.
At this point, feel free to also copy some ZX Spectrum tapes, snapshots, etc. (e.g. .tap, .tzx, .z80, etc.) into the image file as well (you can make a separate folder, e.g. "tapes", for this purpose).
You can now unmount the image file, e.g.: umount /mnt (with superuser privileges).
Now that your image file is ready, it's time to put everything in place. Put the .nds file (ZXDS.nds) in the usual location where you place your Nintendo DS ROMs on the microSD card (personally I'm using the /ROMs/NDS folder, but this location may vary). Now, in that NDS ROM folder, create another folder (unless it's already there) called "ramdisks" and put the image file, ZXDS.img, inside. So, your folder structure should be something like this:
<nds_rom_location>/ZXDS.nds
<nds_rom_location>/ramdisks/ZXDS.img
Now we need to configure the ROM options in TwilightMenu++ to correctly work with our setup. Insert your microSD card into your 3DS/2DS/etc. and boot the device up. Start TwilightMenu++ and find ZXDS in the list of ROMs (but don't start it yet!). Instead of starting it, press Y to access the options for the ROM. Make sure you set the following:
Do NOT enable Direct Boot (turn it off if it's enabled for some reason).
Set RAM Disk to 0.
Set the "Run in" option to "DS Mode" (as in "Run in DS Mode")
Now, close the options (with the B key) and start ZXDS (with the A key).
If everything was set up and done correctly, you should see a white screen for a few seconds, followed by a quick "ZXDS is loading" screen, and then ZXDS should fire up.
At this point, ZXDS should be fully operational and you should be able to access all the files inside the image file, including all the tapes and snapshots you put there. If you see the No DLDI Device Found error when trying to load a tape or a snapshot, make sure that Direct Boot is disabled in the ROM options.
UPDATE: You might run into an issue when you try to load a tape or a snapshot and it randomly either works or hangs the emulator, forcing you to shut down and restart TwilightMenu. It looks like this is caused by the length of the file names used on the image - it's best to use short 8.3 names for the tapes/snapshots under the old DOS FAT16 convention, so far I don't have a single lockup if all the file names are concise and are within the 8.3 limits (e.g. DANDARE.TZX instead of Dan Dare Released By Whatever Company [perfect tape].tzx). I'll keep you posted if I figure out some more information about this. I tried formatting the image as FAT32 but it told me that there are not enough clusters for it, and the image ended up being unusable (nothing ever loaded from it).
Enjoy!Hope this will be useful for someone.
So i copy the folders Custom,docs,roms,samples,skins then with in the ZXDS folder the cache, data, saves, screens, stats folders and servers.cfg file plus games into the image, BUT not the ZXDS.nds file (which goes in the DS Roms folders of the sd card where i launch my ds games in twilight menu.
like this for the image:-
custom
docs
roms
samples
skins
cache
data
saves
screens
stats
servers.cfg
TAPES
hope this makes sense cheers
I have just tested those and I get no AP message with 9.2.0 (I assume you're using the spanish versions of heargold/soulsilver/black 2/white 2). Are you sure you have the .ips patches for the games in sdcard:\_nds\Twilightmenu\apfix ? Those .ips patches only work for clean dumps/roms, so if you're using an AP patched or mod/hack, then that's why you're getting the AP message.
@Robz8 @Everyone
Here is the final set of patches :
Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon - Majo to Shoujo to 5-nin no Yuusha (Japan) (C5YJ)
Mario & Luigi - Bowser's Inside Story (USA) (CLJE)
Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!! (Japan) (CLJJ)
Mario & Luigi RPG 3 - Kupa Momsok Daemoheom (Korea) (CLJK)
Mario & Luigi - Bowser's Inside Story (Europe) (CLJP)
TRON - Evolution (USA) (En,Fr,Es) (VTEE)
TRON - Evolution (Europe) (VTEV)
Phineas and Ferb - 2 Disney Games (Europe) (VTPV)
Blue Dragon - Awakened Shadow (Germany) (YBUD)
Blue Dragon - Awakened Shadow (France) (YBUF)
Blue Dragon - Awakened Shadow (Italy) (YBUI)
Blue Dragon - Awakened Shadow (Europe) (YBUP)
Blue Dragon - Awakened Shadow (Spain) (YBUS)
Dragon Quest IX - Sentinels of the Starry Skies (Europe) (YDQP)
Inazuma Eleven (Germany) (YEED)
Inazuma Eleven (France) (YEEF)
Inazuma Eleven (Italy) (YEEI)
Inazuma Eleven (Spain) (YEES)
Hwansangsuhojeon - Tierkreis (Korea) (YG4K)
Last Window - The Secret of Cape West (Europe) (YLUP)
MapleStory DS (Japan) (YMPJ)
Isanghan Naraui Princess (Korea) (YROK)
Spectral Force - Genesis (Korea) (YW4K)
Unpack and copy the .ips files to sd:\_nds\TWiLightMenu\apfix
Enjoy!!!
P.S. Hopefully I haven't missed any games
Last edited by retrogamefan,
That is only possible when the console is in 3DS mode, when you load TM++ or any NDS/i software, the console switches to NDS/i mode, which doesn't have any access to any 3DS feature, the only thing present is that nag that asks if you want to exit from the game.
I don't know to what extent that tiny bit of execution can be hacked/exploited to tweak in some kind of feature. I remember that long ago someone proposed that it would be possible to add a sort of cheat/plugin system to the TWL_FIRM home screen prompt, but I don't know what happened after, maybe it is out of scope.
Last edited by DSoryu,
Ahh that explains a lot. I assumed TM++ loaded in 3DS mode on the 3DS consoles so the thinking that it may have been possible.
Sorry i don’t know what TWL_FIRM is but that’s nice to know that someone proposed it.
Is it the first boot? for some reason (this happened to me sometimes) it whitescreens on first boot, but in the following boots evrything should be normal.
What is your console model? And what is the region and language of the rom? Is it clean or is a sort of romhack/tweaked rom?
Same as before. No AP message and loads fine. Mind you, I only use scene releases.
What are the CRC32's for each game please?
No. The game doesn't have AP
Go into the twilight settings and make sure you're not running in dsi mode. Pokemon black is a dsi enhanced game and won't run in dsi mode. Change it to DS mode and try again.
sorry i meant mw3
--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------
ty it works (also my pokemon can level up now nice)
Call of Duty Black Ops is the only Call of Duty DS game that contains AP
@Robz8
Here is a game I forgot about :
Call of Duty - Black Ops (Canada) (BDYX)
well when i try running mw3 it says this game might not run if it is not ap patched and it freezes in the middle of the intro cutscene
Yes.that is right.
And honestly I'm afraid so it will unfortunately remain.....
You can use a Flashcard or you can still buy it.
Last edited by Alexander1970,
There are some games that are currently mislabeled in Twilight Menu as having AP but actually don't. This is 1 example of such a game.
Just because a game doesn't work correctly in Twilight Menu, that doesn't mean that the cause is AP.
Last edited by retrogamefan,
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