nds-bootstrap loader: Run commercial NDS backups from an SD Card

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

:arrow: 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


Also, a video thanks to Robz8:


And another thanks to Alerdy:
 
Last edited by shutterbug2000,

The Catboy

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that screen seems to be L+R+select. you are talking about a supercard dstwo?
I am referring to this menu
1655912847246.jpeg

Pressing L+R+Start+Select does nothing on any of my systems, it doesn't even soft-reset on my 3DS
 

The Catboy

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I think that's L+down+select. I have no issues getting it to work on my 3ds, but I'm using bootstrap, not the dstwo.
The menu works for me but it shuts down the system when I quit a game. I just learned about the proper soft reset, L+R+Select+Start, which does nothing for me on my 3DS nor on my DSTWO or R4i Gold RTS (r4ids.cn/official WoodR4 cart)
 

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The menu works for me but it shuts down the system when I quit a game. I just learned about the proper soft reset, L+R+Select+Start, which does nothing for me on my 3DS nor on my DSTWO or R4i Gold RTS (r4ids.cn/official WoodR4 cart)
Quitting the game still shuts down the console. Only regular soft-resetting is fixed.
Also, the L+R+Start+Select combo doesn't work in some games.
 

The Catboy

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Quitting the game still shuts down the console. Only regular soft-resetting is fixed.
Also, the L+R+Start+Select combo doesn't work in some games.
Ah, once I get home I am shall test a few other games
 

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But twilight menu does not run the game
This statement is more correct than I believe you set it out to be. Twilightmenu++ does indeed not run the game, nds-bootstrap does.

Not trying to be annoying, just found this amusing. Also I took the opportunity to address this very common misconception.
 
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v0.59.1 (hotfix)
Included in TWiLight Menu++ v24.10.1

What's new?​

  • Moonshell v2.10 (child Zwai, Direct Boot) no longer shows the ARM9/7 memory error.

Bug fixes​

  • Fixed Kirby: Canvas Curse not booting by fixing the branches to the save data functions.
    • This should also fix other games which started to not boot in v0.59.0, if they've been affected by this bug.
  • SWI functions are now patched for homebrew running in DSi mode, regardless if using a RAM disk or not.

Known bug​

  • Moonshell v2.10 is stuck on initing the DLDI driver, due to the SD driver not running.
 
Last edited by RocketRobz,

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Good evening everyone, and thank you so much @RocketRobz for all your hard work!

If I may introduce myself very briefly, I am the creator of the Earth Seeker translation patch for the Wii that was released in 2020.

As some of you may know, the game was published alongside a Japanese exclusive for the Dsi called "Odekake Earth Seeker", which was sort of a mini-game that could interact with the main game, making the player able to transfer materials between the two consoles.

Having hacked my 3ds a few months ago, I looked for the game and tried to see if I could "complete" my job by translating the Dsi app.

Things started very well, as I was able to make a connection with my Wii, and see the few sentences I had translated that I couldn't check before.

I went into the Dsi game, and could find the dialogs and menu pretty easily. But then I hit a wall, as it turned out the game wouldn't boot if I changed even a single byte.

I am to understand this is apparently due to some RSA signature checking the console is performing, and couldn't find any solution so far.

I'll admit I'd really like to "finalize" the Earth Seeker games, so I'm taking the liberty to ask if there is any solution, or if anything is planned in the future, that would make the use of custom / modified Dsi game possible?

I'm sorry if I come out as a total noob, I'm much less familiar with the 3ds homebrew scene than I am with the Wii, and anyway, thanks again for that great job! My 3ds has become a killer portable console, just as my Wii is my 8-16 bits home console station!

Yours truly.
 

Pk11

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Good evening everyone, and thank you so much @RocketRobz for all your hard work!

If I may introduce myself very briefly, I am the creator of the Earth Seeker translation patch for the Wii that was released in 2020.

As some of you may know, the game was published alongside a Japanese exclusive for the Dsi called "Odekake Earth Seeker", which was sort of a mini-game that could interact with the main game, making the player able to transfer materials between the two consoles.

Having hacked my 3ds a few months ago, I looked for the game and tried to see if I could "complete" my job by translating the Dsi app.

Things started very well, as I was able to make a connection with my Wii, and see the few sentences I had translated that I couldn't check before.

I went into the Dsi game, and could find the dialogs and menu pretty easily. But then I hit a wall, as it turned out the game wouldn't boot if I changed even a single byte.

I am to understand this is apparently due to some RSA signature checking the console is performing, and couldn't find any solution so far.

I'll admit I'd really like to "finalize" the Earth Seeker games, so I'm taking the liberty to ask if there is any solution, or if anything is planned in the future, that would make the use of custom / modified Dsi game possible?

I'm sorry if I come out as a total noob, I'm much less familiar with the 3ds homebrew scene than I am with the Wii, and anyway, thanks again for that great job! My 3ds has become a killer portable console, just as my Wii is my 8-16 bits home console station!

Yours truly.
Have you tried using TinkeDSi? I'm afraid I don't know all too much about ROM hacking, but I believe that's the only tool currently able to correctly deal with TWL (DSi) games without breaking the DSi mode features, or for DSi Exclusives/DSiWare breaking them entirely.
 

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Have you tried using TinkeDSi? I'm afraid I don't know all too much about ROM hacking, but I believe that's the only tool currently able to correctly deal with TWL (DSi) games without breaking the DSi mode features, or for DSi Exclusives/DSiWare breaking them entirely.
Thanks, that worth a try! I had used Tinke, and wasn't aware of that version!

I'll let you know!

Good night!
 

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Good evening everyone,

As promised, please find below a link to my first attempts of "Odekake" translation : looks promising so far, although the size of the text is very limiting.

I don't know if I'll finish Chibi-Robo first or just give this project some time, but I wanted to thank everybody (and especially @Pk11 ) again for helping me!

Good night!

https://gbatemp.net/threads/riivolu...english-translation-for-wii-100.555772/page-9
 

RocketRobz

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v0.60.0: TWL Summer Release #3
Included in TWiLight Menu++ v24.11.0

What's new?​

  • 7MB SDK5 ROMs are now pre-loaded into RAM on DSi consoles.
  • DSi mode heap size is now shrunk further for Power Pro Kun Pocket 12 & 13 AP-fixes to work on DSi consoles.

Improvements​

  • Overlays are now only loaded into RAM if AP-fix .ips file contains overlay patching.
    • This avoids having to shrink the DSi mode heap size further than needed, if no patches are to be applied to the overlays.
  • Improved MPU patching code to be slightly faster, along with adding a new patch method for SDK5 titles.

Bug fixes​

  • DSi mode heap size is now only shrunk by 256KB on 3DS consoles.
    • This fixes Hidden Photo (EUR) crashing during loading after selecting a photo.
  • Fixed Power Pro Kun Pocket 12 not booting in DSi mode.
  • Fixed Rabbids Go Home not booting in DSi mode on 3DS consoles.
  • SDK5.4 & 5.5 games now properly soft-reset without rebooting the console.
    • As a result, SD Gundam Sangoku Den - Brave Battle Warriors - Shin Militia Taisen now boots!
  • Fixed card read DMA auto-disable not working in SDK1-4 games when using wireless features.
 
Last edited by RocketRobz,

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