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Homebrew .pdf reader???

[WIP/Release] ds_mangaman - Turning the Nintendo DS into the Ultimate Vertical Book-Style Manga Reader!

Hwongfish · 2026-06-09T00:33:11+00:00

Hi everyone! I’ve always felt that the Nintendo DS is criminally underrated when it comes to being a dedicated manga-reader. Think about it: it has two screens built right into the form factor, one of them has a precise (not quite most of the time though) touchscreen, and when you rotate the console 90 degrees counter-clockwise, it perfectly mimics the ergonomics of holding a real physical tankobon (manga volume). When held vertically, the D-pad sits perfectly on the bottom, and the shoulder keys (L/R) are in the ideal position for switching chapters. Plus, the touchscreen can be used to magnify for reading the text or inspecting details. Such interactions are the ultimate form factors that modern smartphones just can't match. To prove this, I built ds_mangaman — an open-source, highly optimized homebrew manga viewer for the NDS/NDSL. Download and learn how to build in Github release: :teach::teach::teach: GitHub Repository: https://github.com/hwfish-error408/ds-mangaman :grog::grog::grog: Looking for Contributors! The compiler engine and core state machine are now fully functional and running smoothly on real hardware and emulators (like melonDS). However, I want to take this project further and could really use the community's help! I’m looking for developers, testers, and retro-enthusiasts to help with: A, Implementing a cleaner UI/Main Menu. B, Adding Bookmark support (saving states to SRAM/FAT .sav). C, Further optimizing the DMA memory copy speeds during page and chapter transitions. Feel free to download the source, check out the build pipeline, test it on your flashcarts, and open Issues or Pull Requests on the GitHub repo! Let's make the NDS the ultimate retro manga machine.

Thread starter Shinigami357
Start date Oct 16, 2010
Views 1,482
Replies 7

Shinigami357

Current "give a fuck" level: Honey Badger

Member

Level 3

Oct 16, 2010

I'm just curious, if there is a book reader app/homebrew for DS? I prefer to stick to the .pdf format, but it isn't a necessity. Also, I only have an acekard 2i (running akaio 1.8.0) so it should also work on that. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Dionysus

Well-Known Member

Member

Level 1

Oct 16, 2010

Your still alive?

Shinigami357

Current "give a fuck" level: Honey Badger

Member

Level 3

Oct 16, 2010

blazergamer93 said:
Your still alive?

A shinigami can die???

Dionysus

Well-Known Member

Member

Level 1

Oct 16, 2010

If He/She falls in love/has emotional feelings with the Deathnote holder than yes they can die.

Shinigami357

Current "give a fuck" level: Honey Badger

Member

Level 3

Oct 16, 2010

Well, I don't recall doing something like that, lolz

Dionysus

Well-Known Member

Member

Level 1

Oct 16, 2010

Don't think I didn't see you with that guy outside the cinema kissing, because i did

Shinigami357

Current "give a fuck" level: Honey Badger

Member

Level 3

Oct 16, 2010

Right... Anyway, not to get sidetracked... Anyone please help me???

Shinigami357 said:
I'm just curious, if there is a book reader app/homebrew for DS? I prefer to stick to the .pdf format, but it isn't a necessity. Also, I only have an acekard 2i (running akaio 1.8.0) so it should also work on that. Thanks in advance for all your help.