Mario Kart DS - Custom Tracks Grand Prix NITRO (CTGP NITRO) v1.0.0 Release

[DailyWeather]

I know I have not been active much on these forums lately, but I have had the honor of participating in the development of something awesome with a truly awesome group of people. This what everything has been culminating to so far:



New changes:

• Alt Skins (toggle with L/R or X/Y on character select screen)
• 88 courses (56 custom tracks)
• Online multiplayer works with custom tracks now (selection time increased from 20 to 40 seconds as well)
• Saving ghosts is now possible
• PRB Indicator and speedometer on the bottom screen

CTGP Nitro can run on official hardware, MelonDS (you may need to turn off JIT), mobile emulators, and most flash carts. It can run in DeSmuME, but performance may be degraded.

Come on down to try the hack, get it at https://dswiki.garhoogin.com/ctgp-n/. Downloads are available as xdelta patches for US and EU ROMs of Mario Kart DS.

 

[GolyBidoof]

Super glad to have been the part of the CTGP Nitro project
We've got a LOT of contributions from a lot of zealous creators and this is what we've been building for for the last couple of years! It's a true honor to be involved with this release and I hope that we'll be able to see each other in game sometime in the future on the online tracks ^^

 

[CrashMidnick]

Hey ! Thank you !

 

[GolyBidoof]

With this hack being released, I finished up a writeup of my entire involvement with the Mario Kart DS hacking scene up until today.

A journey 10+ years in the making, and a story told through the eyes of four devoted individuals, that zeal and a burning spirit is way more important than skill, and that persistence always wins.

Join me, as I publicly recollect all of my life up until this point

I'm insanely grateful for every single download of every single hack that we've worked on over the years, whether it's Mario Kart DS OSE, Mario Kart Zero, Ermii Kart DS, Gamecube Grand Prix, or CTGP Nitro.
Tales of the Mario Kart DS hacking scene, from MKDSOSE to CTGP Nitro | by Bartlomiej Szymanski | Feb, 2022 | Medium

And I hope that you'll have dozens or hundreds or even thousands of hours of fun with CTGP Nitro, just as I had getting to this point in time

Thank you, GBATemp, for being a part of my journey as well!

 

[Nikokaro]

Should we consider this as the final version, or can we expect more tracks to be added in the future? I say this because I have noticed that the last slots in the last page of the track selection menu are empty and have question marks.....
However, already as It is, with all these tracks available and even the mirrored ones, you can consider it as the ultimate kart racing game for DS.
Kudos and congratulations.

 

[DailyWeather]

Should we consider this as the final version, or can we expect more tracks to be added in the future? I say this because I have noticed that the last slots in the last page of the track selection menu are empty and have question marks.....
However, already as It is, with all these tracks available and even the mirrored ones, you can consider it as the ultimate kart racing game for DS.
Kudos and congratulations.

There are future updates planned for this, I can say that much

 

[Nikokaro]

I am sorry to inform you all that this game freezes randomly in the acorn cup (one of the newer ones) in the transition between one track and the next. It happened 4 times out of 4 at different points with different drivers.*
However, the next tournament (the snowy one) I finished without any issue.

Some time ago I had already completed the previous version of this hack without any problems.
I play with the European version (M5) and I use a r4 gold pro (with YSMenu) inserted in a DS Lite.
Am I the only one who has encountered this fault?
Has this happened to anyone else here?

*Edit: On the fifth try, I managed to finish it, not proceeding immediately but letting some time pass after crossing the finish line in each track.
However, the mystery is far from being solved.

 

[KimKong]

Very cool! I'm going to check this out later this week! Hope I don't run into any bugs!

 

[Nikokaro]

This issue is even more important and serious than the previous one. During the Shine Cup and at the end of the Cascade Jungle (third track), after winning three races, the game throws me out of the tournament and into the start menu skipping the last race and the prize giving.

 

[DailyWeather]

I am sorry to inform you all that this game freezes randomly in the acorn cup (one of the newer ones) in the transition between one track and the next. It happened 4 times out of 4 at different points with different drivers.*
However, the next tournament (the snowy one) I finished without any issue.

Some time ago I had already completed the previous version of this hack without any problems.
I play with the European version (M5) and I use a r4 gold pro (with YSMenu) inserted in a DS Lite.
Am I the only one who has encountered this fault?
Has this happened to anyone else here?

*Edit: On the fifth try, I managed to finish it, not proceeding immediately but letting some time pass after crossing the finish line in each track.
However, the mystery is far from being solved.

there have been some reports of crashing in some occasions, we're thinking it's related to memory use and custom code cutting into that space. If you can, could you share the red screen you got when this happened?

This issue is even more important and serious than the previous one. During the Shine Cup and at the end of the Cascade Jungle (third track), after winning three races, the game throws me out of the tournament and into the start menu skipping the last race and the prize giving.

that one does sound odd, I'll see if I can reproduce this. And in case you felt you were missing prizes, there's no prizes to be won, since everything is supposed to be unlocked from the get-go

thank you for your patience though, we'll soon be trying to prepare 1.0.1 to fix the crashing issues that went overlooked during testing.

 

[Nikokaro]

there have been some reports of crashing in some occasions, we're thinking it's related to memory use and custom code cutting into that space. If you can, could you share the red screen you got when this happened?

No red screen. This is not the infamous and feared "guru meditation error."
I repeat that I am using a DS Lite with an r4GoldPro.
Just the usual 2 black screens between tracks, only in this case they remain fixed. A photo of these two I suppose is futile, or am I wrong?

Anyway I'm going to test the game thoroughly, and I'll do it very gladly: it's really wonderful and addictive, and has restored vitality and vigor to my dear, old DS Lite. I recommend it to everyone and I suggest you to play directly the 150cc category if you want a real challenge, compelling and demanding: the other two are too ridiculously simple (after falling off the track 1 or 2 times you still manage to win, which is ridiculous) and can satisfy only kindergarten children.

P.S. Too bad Bell Cup and Marble Cup aren't finished, but if the names are there I guess the respective tracks are in the works. I imagine they will be the finishing touches to a true masterpiece.

Update: I replayed the Shine Cup this time finishing it with no problems. So far no more freezing on black screens. The only thing I've done is copy again the rom from PC to microSD, and change the sound from surround to stereo. Maybe both have nothing to do with it. It may have something to do with my shoddy r4 or microSD (Sandisk 8gb) instead. Who knows. I'll keep you guys updated.

2nd update: After finishing 30+ tracks only three more times the game froze after crossing the finish line and after the partial ranking, having immediately pressed the A button instead of letting the demo run for a while as usual. I'm waiting for others to report their experience in this regard.

Last update and final thought: After testing it extensively I confirm that it crashes rarely (less than 5%), only before loading the next track, and during transitional black screens.
I note with much regret and disappointment that no one has confirmed or refuted what I wrote based on their experience. As if it costs effort to write a few words of feedback! As always, many rush to grab, but no one steps up to give.

 

[raxadian]

Downloading now.

 

[MushGuy]

Avast won't let me go to the site for some reason.

Edit: Fortunately I was able to get it from GameBanana.

 

[AmandaRose]

9 times out of 10 when I go to Records then Time Trials I immediately get a red screen of doom and a high pitched sound outta the speaker lol. I'm using a euro rom and the euro patch if that helps.

 

[RocketRobz]

9 times out of 10 when I go to Records then Time Trials I immediately get a red screen of doom and a high pitched sound outta the speaker lol. I'm using a euro rom and the euro patch if that hps.
View attachment 297362View attachment 297363

Is this running from a flashcard, or the console's SD card?

 

[AmandaRose]

Is this running from a flashcard, or the console's SD card?

SD card using Twighlightmenu.

 

[Naendow]

Freaking hell, I didn't knew the project until it was on the frontpage. The trailer makes me really hyped!
Time to dump my MKDS and get this mod.

 

[TeenTin]

First of all, I must emphasize that this hack is TRULY AMAZING ! The hack has done almost EVERYTHING RIGHT ! I love it to death !!!

A little pity is that the Shy Guy does not work right in Local Multiplayer. I know that holding SELECT in the roster can bring the Shy Guy, and the Shy Guy works well in Single Player GP. However, this Shy Guy does not work well in Local Multiplayer. Other players cannot see it, and there is a sync problem too.

I found that the following AR code (US version) can also put Shy Guy in the roster.
023D99DC 00000003
221532A4 00000018
021535C4 0000000C
023C8A30 68796568
223C8A34 0000006F
123C8B66 00004848
023C8B72 2E48485F
123C8B7C 00004848
The code is working in CTGP Nitro. In this way, the Shy Guy works well in ALL situations (including the Local Multiplayer).

Is it possible to, kind of, inject this code to CTGP Nitro ?

Thank you very much indeed !

 

[Citizen_404]

I am sorry to inform you all that this game freezes randomly in the acorn cup (one of the newer ones) in the transition between one track and the next. It happened 4 times out of 4 at different points with different drivers.*
However, the next tournament (the snowy one) I finished without any issue.

Some time ago I had already completed the previous version of this hack without any problems.
I play with the European version (M5) and I use a r4 gold pro (with YSMenu) inserted in a DS Lite.
Am I the only one who has encountered this fault?
Has this happened to anyone else here?

*Edit: On the fifth try, I managed to finish it, not proceeding immediately but letting some time pass after crossing the finish line in each track.
However, the mystery is far from being solved.

FWIW, I haven't had any trouble with freezes at any point in the game. I've played through about 75% of the tracks, and after I saw your post here, I played through the Acorn cup about 4 times.

No red screen. This is not the infamous and feared "guru meditation error."
I repeat that I am using a DS Lite with an r4GoldPro.
Just the usual 2 black screens between tracks, only in this case they remain fixed. A photo of these two I suppose is futile, or am I wrong?

Anyway I'm going to test the game thoroughly, and I'll do it very gladly: it's really wonderful and addictive, and has restored vitality and vigor to my dear, old DS Lite. I recommend it to everyone and I suggest you to play directly the 150cc category if you want a real challenge, compelling and demanding: the other two are too ridiculously simple (after falling off the track 1 or 2 times you still manage to win, which is ridiculous) and can satisfy only kindergarten children.

P.S. Too bad Bell Cup and Marble Cup aren't finished, but if the names are there I guess the respective tracks are in the works. I imagine they will be the finishing touches to a true masterpiece.

Update: I replayed the Shine Cup this time finishing it with no problems. So far no more freezing on black screens. The only thing I've done is copy again the rom from PC to microSD, and change the sound from surround to stereo. Maybe both have nothing to do with it. It may have something to do with my shoddy r4 or microSD (Sandisk 8gb) instead. Who knows. I'll keep you guys updated.

2nd update: After finishing 30+ tracks only three more times the game froze after crossing the finish line and after the partial ranking, having immediately pressed the A button instead of letting the demo run for a while as usual. I'm waiting for others to report their experience in this regard.

Last update and final thought: After testing it extensively I confirm that it crashes rarely (less than 5%), only before loading the next track, and during transitional black screens.
I note with much regret and disappointment that no one has confirmed or refuted what I wrote based on their experience. As if it costs effort to write a few words of feedback! As always, many rush to grab, but no one steps up to give.

I'll keep "testing" ... lol, the game is so much fun, it is a joy to play. But again, so far, I don't have any of the issues you have had. I'm using a DSi XL with a SuperCard Two, if that makes any difference.

 

[Walwii]

Hello. I'm trying without success to make a wup installer of CTGP NITRO. Did anyone get it? The best result I had was to load the game to the menu and black screen when clicking on single player...