Hacking Where to start?

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
Sorry, I just need a little guidance to get started. I don’t expect to be hand fed on everything. I’ve read a few threads and I’m scared I’m gonna mess something up because some of it might be outdated. It’s also pretty confusing so far. I’m sure that will get better.

Here’s what I’m trying to do, if someone can point me to the best info. I have a “New” New 3DS XL (also a 2DS XL). I would like to rip games (3DS) to ROMs (I guess) and play them. I would also like to be able to download other games and play them. Do I need to modify my firmware AND have a RS card??

Any good videos? I’m 47. I’m fairly computer literate but this is all new for me.

Do I risk “ruining” my systems by doing any of this?

Thanks in advance!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ANGEL_IS_DEADLY

zoogie

playing around in the end of life
Developer
Joined
Nov 30, 2014
Messages
8,560
Trophies
2
XP
14,998
Country
Micronesia, Federated States of
Sorry, I just need a little guidance to get started. I don’t expect to be hand fed on everything. I’ve read a few threads and I’m scared I’m gonna mess something up because some of it might be outdated. It’s also pretty confusing so far. I’m sure that will get better.

Here’s what I’m trying to do, if someone can point me to the best info. I have a “New” New 3DS XL (also a 2DS XL). I would like to rip games (3DS) to ROMs (I guess) and play them. I would also like to be able to download other games and play them. Do I need to modify my firmware AND have a RS card??

Any good videos? I’m 47. I’m fairly computer literate but this is all new for me.

Do I risk “ruining” my systems by doing any of this?

Thanks in advance!
https://3ds.hacks.guide
(if you're over firmware 11.3.0.X, then update to 11.9.0 (latest firm) do frogminer)
Additionally, video guides exist, but they're looked down upon as the info becomes outdated quickly and the uploader doesn't bother to make a new vid for small, but important, changes

There's some risk after you hack the system, but only if you do risky stuff with the system. For what you want to do, there should be no risk. Just make a nand backup as soon as you can.
 
Last edited by zoogie,

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
Thank you. I’ve started reading. Looks like both of my units are on 11.9.0-42U.

Will the guide discuss backing up and playing games I already have?
 

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,185
Country
United States
Will the guide discuss backing up and playing games I already have?
not exactly the info is in the guide but not found in the main cfw installing sections . . . dumping games a function of godmode9 GodMode9 Usage - 3DS Hacks Guide (godmode9 is installed as part of the overall cfw package)

and to install cia files you use fbi (a cia file a citra install-able app... citra is the development codename for the 3ds . . . as well as the output format used by godmode9 for 3ds game dumps)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TurdPooCharger

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
Am I going to need an SD card or one of those R4 card things? It looks like I’m able to connect over WiFi. If so, any recommendations? Size/brand/where to buy? I didn’t see any R4 cards on Amazon.
 

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,185
Country
United States
Am I going to need an SD card or one of those R4 card things?
an sd card . . . as big as you want most games are between 1/2 a gig and 2 gigs although games like pokemon can be around 2 to 3 1/2 gigs . . . i have a 128 personally and it feels like the correct size

as far as r4 cards if you want to play .nds roms on your 3ds its the best way to do so
I didn’t see any R4 cards on Amazon.
because they violate amazons polices ... although some people would argue with this, still they are not exactly legal (being a device for the sole purpose of violating copyrights)
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigTex-Dallas

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
I had ordered a “New” New Nintendo 3DS XL (Black) from Walmart Online. It came today. I opened it and you could tell it was used. Had user data and already setup. I called them. Their price online went from $175 to $230 for the same unit. They offered me an additional 15% off. I was going to be fine with that but now after using it, it has locked up and isn’t turning on. Probably the reason the first person returned it.

Any suggestions? Game Stop? Target? Warranty or no?

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

They said the price went up because “they” don’t have it yet in stock and the new $230 price is because it’s coming from an outside vendor. Ugh... Trust me, I gave them an ear full!
 

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
define "using it" like during cfw setup or normal use
Haha. Good clarification. Normal use. I was actually just going into settings and it locked up. Now it won’t turn on. Screen is black and the blue light is “on”.

I haven’t attempted doing any CFW updates. I’m too anal (wanting to do it perfectly) and don’t know enough to attempt that yet. I’m getting there though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wormdood

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,185
Country
United States
Haha. Good clarification. Normal use. I was actually just going into settings and it locked up. Now it won’t turn on. Screen is black and the blue light is “on”.

I haven’t attempted doing any CFW updates. I’m too anal (wanting to do it perfectly) and don’t know enough to attempt that yet. I’m getting there though.
i was just asking because there is a step in the guide that will leave your 3ds unable to boot until you do the next step . . . people often confuse it with a brick during cfw installs . . . i just wanted to make sure that did not apply here
 

The Real Jdbye

*is birb*
Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
23,182
Trophies
4
Location
Space
XP
13,693
Country
Norway
an sd card . . . as big as you want most games are between 1/2 a gig and 2 gigs although games like pokemon can be around 2 to 3 1/2 gigs . . . i have a 128 personally and it feels like the correct size

as far as r4 cards if you want to play .nds roms on your 3ds its the best way to do so
because they violate amazons polices ... although some people would argue with this, still they are not exactly legal (being a device for the sole purpose of violating copyrights)
Monster Hunter games are also pretty big. But in my case the games average out to about 1GB each, and 64GB is enough to fit all the games I personally like with room left over, some people might like other games I don't like as much and would need a bigger card to fit them all. But 128GB definitely should be more than enough for just about anyone.
 

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,185
Country
United States
Monster Hunter games are also pretty big. But in my case the games average out to about 1GB each, and 64GB is enough to fit all the games I personally like with room left over, some people might like other games I don't like as much and would need a bigger card to fit them all. But 128GB definitely should be more than enough for just about anyone.
honestly i know i may seem a little obsessive but i like my official pokemon and romhacks equally and for some reason feel the need to catch them all . . . well install them all

also no one i know has a 3d tv so if i want to watch 3d movies i do it on my n3dsxl, lame i know but its my only option as far as 3d viewing

but your right you can fit a good amount of the more popular games on a 64gb but with my pokemon weakness a 64gig begins to feel tight fast ("its super effective")
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigTex-Dallas

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
Monster Hunter games are also pretty big. But in my case the games average out to about 1GB each, and 64GB is enough to fit all the games I personally like with room left over, some people might like other games I don't like as much and would need a bigger card to fit them all. But 128GB definitely should be more than enough for just about anyone.
I’m not a huge gamer. I’m thinking if it can accommodate 20 games, I should be good. If I’m successful with this I’m going to do the same with my kids units (Mine + 3 additional) (2 - 2DSXL, 1 - N3DS). I may end up getting 3 64GB cards and 1 128GB depending on price differences.

Now that I’ve had this problem with the New DS I just received I’m wondering if I should just go with the 2DSXL. Honestly, I like the quality of these but they sure are heavy in comparison. And they are hard to find in the store. What do you guys think? Have you used the New 2DSXL?

Also, if I use a R4 card for .nds roms does that require yet ANOTHER micro SD card?

One more: If I’m using the new SD card for the CFW does using the “original” SD card restore the DS back to factory? If not, is it hard to revert back?

Thanks so much folks!!

Side note: One of the 2DSXL that we purchased for Christmas already got broken. Top screen. Kid misuse. Shipped to Nintendo today for repair. In my opinion, the incident that caused it to break would not have broken a 3DSXL. A serious consideration when deciding between the two now.
 
Last edited by BigTex-Dallas,

zoogie

playing around in the end of life
Developer
Joined
Nov 30, 2014
Messages
8,560
Trophies
2
XP
14,998
Country
Micronesia, Federated States of
I had ordered a “New” New Nintendo 3DS XL (Black) from Walmart Online. It came today. I opened it and you could tell it was used. Had user data and already setup. I called them. Their price online went from $175 to $230 for the same unit. They offered me an additional 15% off. I was going to be fine with that but now after using it, it has locked up and isn’t turning on. Probably the reason the first person returned it.

Any suggestions? Game Stop? Target? Warranty or no?

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

They said the price went up because “they” don’t have it yet in stock and the new $230 price is because it’s coming from an outside vendor. Ugh... Trust me, I gave them an ear full!
Probably too late for you but the Nintendo Store refurbs are fantastic quality and brand new like condition and the price can't be beat. Strongly recommended.
https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/subcategory.jsp?categoryId=cat750772
 

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
  • Like
Reactions: zoogie

wormdood

pirate booty inspector
Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
5,256
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
behind a parental advisory sticker
XP
4,185
Country
United States
I’m thinking if it can accommodate 20 games,
64 will be more than enough . . . may even feel like too much space
What do you guys think? Have you used the New 2DSXL?
i have and in my opinion it feels frail in comparison to a n3dsxl wait . . . you said it better than i could
Side note: One of the 2DSXL that we purchased for Christmas already got broken. Too screen. Kid misuse. Shipped to Nintendo today for repair. In my opinion, the incident that caused it to break would not have broken a 3DSXL. A serious consideration when deciding between the two now.
see


Also, if I use a R4 card for .nds roms does that require yet ANOTHER micro SD card?
yes the r4 has its own sd slot . . . an r4 may not be needed its just the best way to play .nds roms there are also homebrew solutions but they have limited rom compatibility
One more: If I’m using the new SD card for the CFW does using the “original” SD card restore the DS back to factory? If not, is it hard to revert back?
no sir it does not . . . and there is a section in the guide for uninstalling cfw as well Uninstall CFW - 3DS Hacks Guide
 
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Messages
7,292
Trophies
2
XP
5,939
Country
United States
Now that I’ve had this problem with the New DS I just received I’m wondering if I should just go with the 2DSXL. Honestly, I like the quality of these but they sure are heavy in comparison. And they are hard to find in the store. What do you guys think? Have you used the New 2DSXL?
The advantages of the n2DSXL are lower entry price, lightweight and better center of gravity for less hand & wrist strain, and full suite of all the 3DS games + homebrew.
For information about this model's drawbacks, you may request and learn about this by private message if you'd like.

Also, if I use a R4 card for .nds roms does that require yet ANOTHER micro SD card?
Yes, a separate micro SD card is required to house the *.nds roms to be used on a DS flashcart. Certain models are limited to SDHC (secure digital high capacity) specifics of 32 GB max limit; a bigger card will not work. FAT32 + 32 KB cluster size formatting is required.

One more: If I’m using the new SD card for the CFW does using the “original” SD card restore the DS back to factory? If not, is it hard to revert back?
The 3ds.hacks.guide talks about which flashcarts are compatible with NTRboot. Most of them require reflashing between NTRboot and its original DS firmware.
However, you can skip that reflashing mess with the R4i Gold 3DS Plus. Other than being basically the best DS flashcart there is, that one has a internal slider switch to change between the two modes.

Side note: One of the 2DSXL that we purchased for Christmas already got broken. Too screen. Kid misuse. Shipped to Nintendo today for repair. In my opinion, the incident that caused it to break would not have broken a 3DSXL. A serious consideration when deciding between the two now.
Get the kid(s) the old 2DS models. Those are stupid durable and very comfortable to hold. Don't let the low price fool you. If not for the new 3DS exclusive games and perhaps larger screen, my bias opinion is that the o2DS stomps on the n2DSXL in the other aspects.
 

BigTex-Dallas

Well-Known Member
OP
Newcomer
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
72
Trophies
0
Age
52
XP
149
Country
United States
In regards to which DS for the kids...that ship has sailed. The Grandparents bought two 2DSXL’s. My daughter bought a new 3DS white Mario edition.

I think I’m going to stick with my original decision to buy the n3DSXL. Do you guys suggest buying a warranty?

I’m still not sure what NTRboot is but I’m sure I’ll become more familiar as I study more. If not, these are expensive devices to ONLY play Mario Kart 7. Hehe

Thanks to you guys!!
 
Last edited by BigTex-Dallas,
  • Like
Reactions: TurdPooCharger

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: Sorry for accidentally bending over