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:

 

[umbjolt]

What'd happen if I use a trimmed ROM?

 

[bakawun]

What'd happen if I use a trimmed ROM?

try it and tell us

 

[umbjolt]

try it and tell us

I asked because I don't know if bootstrap's patching method would work differently in a trimmed rom

 

[xJoelituh]

Tested so far with the last official release:

- Megaman Battle Network 5 (E): The intro is still slow, loading times are a bit longer than they should, cinematics are quite slow too and when you move from chip to chip it lags a bit. Using some chips(I'm using basics ones so I'm really afraid of Mega and GigaChips) lag a bit. Lagging on explosions and a bit while regular shooting. It isn't something annoying but I think for now, the game is pretty playable, at least is easier to counter attack . Ah yea, and saves work.

- Pokemon Diamond (U): Obviously, It still doesn't work. White screen.

- Mario Kart DS (E): It works and it saves fine, lags a bit while selecting character and on some loading times besides that, playable.

- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team (S): White Screen.

- The World Ends With You (E): White Screen.

- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Darkness (S): It loads. It was quite laggy on the quiz, and sometimes on the intro and cinematics, some sounds are weird(probably because of the lag). The main problem comes in dungeons. It lags on every step and when opening menus. It is actually quite hilarious. (Fun fact: By spamming A I got Meowth and I got Mudkip.) It CAN'T save (Probably needs MCM).

- Castelvania: Order of Ecclesia(U): White screen.

- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky(E): Intro slower sometimes, Quiz as laggy or more laggy than EoD(I got Pikachu here), the intro is quite long and it seems that is the same behaviour as EoD.. So I'm guessing lag on dungeons too. It needs MCM in order to save.

- Pokémon Ranger Guardian Signs(E): Just confirming that has white screen.

- Final Fantasy III (E): "Can't access the DS' Memory Backup" error, I don't know if MCM would fix that.

- Final Fantasy IV (E): White screen.

- Jump Ultimate Stars (J, English Patch): White screen too.

 

[adrifcastr]

holy shit @ahezard and the other devs like pumped it up tottally. MKDS had like 7 1/2 mins loading time between the screens and now its like 10 secs. hly sht

 

[TheArcadeStriker]

holy shit @ahezard and the other devs like pumped it up tottally. MKDS had like 7 1/2 mins loading time between the screens and now its like 10 secs. hly sht

There could be some reason for that the loading times for me are like 3 minutes or something like that? I tried and it wasn't as long as before, but wasn't THAT quick.

 

[adrifcastr]

There could be some reason for that the loading times for me are like 3 minutes or something like that? I tried and it wasn't as long as before, but wasn't THAT quick.

use the latest release. its like 10 secs between every screen

 

[TheArcadeStriker]

use the latest release. its like 10 secs between every screen

Well, THAT is what I mean, I tried the latest official release and those were the loading times (I downloaded the 0.3.0beta1 release from GitHub)

 

[Deleted User]

use the latest release. its like 10 secs between every screen

What is your SD Card cluster size? (or whatever it's called)

 

[adrifcastr]

Well, THAT is what I mean, I tried the latest official release and those were the loading times (I downloaded the 0.3.0beta1 release from GitHub)

use the eu rom then. eu ones seems to run better with bootstrap, since I´m german I just use eu ones so yeah.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

What is your SD Card cluster size? (or whatever it's called)

fat32 i think

 

[TheArcadeStriker]

What is your SD Card cluster size? (or whatever it's called)

I have no idea how to check the cluster size. How do you check it?
EDIT: If it's the fat/fat32 thing, it's FAT32.

 

[Mike Abastante]

I've tried Captain Tsubasa: Kick Off and it just gives me a black screen after the health and Safety thing.

 

[adrifcastr]

Well, THAT is what I mean, I tried the latest official release and those were the loading times (I downloaded the 0.3.0beta1 release from GitHub)

Important : Lock ARM9 SCFG_EXT option have to be disabled.

Guess thats your issue.

 

[TheArcadeStriker]

Guess thats your issue.

uhh, I had that disabled. In fact, I had it enabled before and it didn't work, so I disabled it and started working, but the loading times were as I described when I tried Mario Kart DS.

 

[adrifcastr]

uhh, I had that disabled. In fact, I had it enabled before and it didn't work, so I disabled it and started working, but the loading times were as I described when I tried Mario Kart DS.

try the eu rom then.

 

[kane159]

a small report here
three games is very playable
1.Touch Detective(J)
a little bit slowdown and with MCM the save function works
2.WarioWare Touch(CN)
a lil bit slow down when playing the animation, but mini games work full speed and save function works in default
3.Jigoku Shoujo - Akekazura(J)
a little bit slowdown and with MCM the save function works
===============================================
and a little report, don't know why when i try some game witch lag like crazy my fat32 partition on sdcard will corrupt

 

[SCN0]

Well, THAT is what I mean, I tried the latest official release and those were the loading times (I downloaded the 0.3.0beta1 release from GitHub)

Might have to do with your sd card's reading speeds.

 

[dubbz82]

What'd happen if I use a trimmed ROM?

I asked about this some pages back. Should work just fine.

 

[vander263]

Yoshi Island DS is working wonderfully

 

[adrifcastr]

Yoshi Island DS is working wonderfully

worked wonderfully since the first card release