DS Game Forwarders


Forwarders are shortcuts for games that you can install to your HOME menu, hiyaCFW menu, or flashcard menu. You can load DS(i) games from the SD card (using nds-bootstrap) or from a compatible flashcard (via its respective kernel) using forwarders installed to your menu of choice.

DS games need to be dumped to a digital .nds format. You can dump your DS cartridges using GodMode9 on 3DS, or GodMode9i on DSi.

If you have any issues, check the FAQs on the GBAtemp thread.

Choose one of the following to add to the HOME menu:

This page assumes you are running a modern CFW environment from 3ds.hacks.guide.

Part 1: Getting the required files #

If you already have Universal Updater installed on your console, you can skip to step 3.

  1. 启动 FBI 并选择 Remote Install(远程安装),再选择 Scan QR Code(扫描二维码)
  2. 扫描这个二维码来安装最新版本的 Universal-Updater
    Universal-Updater 二维码
  3. Open Universal Updater from your HOME Menu
  4. Install the NDSForwarder package
  5. NDSForwarder and its required files are now set up in its respective locations

Part 2: NDSForwarder #

  1. Open the Homebrew Launcher
  2. In the Homebrew Launcher, open NDS Forwarder Generator
  3. Navigate to your game’s location and press A
  4. Confirm you wish to install by selecting Yes
  5. After it is installed, your game will now appear as a title on your HOME menu
    • If launching the title brings up an error message saying /_nds/ntr-forwarder/sdcard.nds not found, follow steps 2-3 in Part 1 of the DSi SD card tab

Requirements #

Part 1: Getting started #

  1. Copy NDSForwarder.dsi to your SD card root
    • This can optionally be installed to hiyaCFW directly using NTM
  2. Download the Forwarder pack
  3. Extract the contents of the for SD Card root folder to the root of your DSi’s SD card

Part 2: NDSForwarder-DSi #

  1. Reinsert your SD card into your device
  2. Hold A + B, then power on your device to boot to Unlaunch
  3. Launch NDSForwarder.dsi
    • If you get a nitroFSInit() fail message, try using TWiLight Menu++ to launch, or place NDSForwarder.dsi on the root of your SD card
  4. Press A on Install
  5. Navigate to your game’s location and press A
  6. After it is installed, your game will now appear as a title on your hiyaCFW DSi Menu

Requirements #

  • A Nintendo DS, DS Lite, DSi or 3DS with a flashcard
  • The latest release of NDSForwarder-DSi

Part 1: Getting started #

  1. Copy NDSForwarder.nds to your flashcard’s SD card root
  2. Download the Forwarder pack
  3. Extract the contents of the for SD Card root folder to the root of your flashcard’s SD card

Part 2: NDSForwarder-DSi #

  1. Reinsert your SD card into your flashcard, and the flashcard into your device
  2. Power on your device and launch your flashcard
  3. Launch NDSForwarder.nds
    • If you get a nitroFSInit() fail message, try using TWiLight Menu++ to launch, or place NDSForwarder.nds on the root of your SD card
  4. Press A on Install
  5. Navigate to your game’s location and press A
  6. After it is installed, your game will now appear in a folder called forwarders on the flashcard’s SD card root

Requirements #

A supported flashcard from this list

The recommended flashcards are the DSTT and Acekard 2i. If you want perfect game compatibility, get the SuperCard DSTWO/DSTWO PLUS. The only downside is that it drains your system battery faster.

If you have a flashcard that works with Apache Thunder’s NTR Launcher, you can request it on the GBAtemp thread. Be sure to specify which build you’re using (Normal or Alt), and if RESETSLOT1 is set to 0 or 1 in sd:/nds/ntr_launcher.ini.

Compatible:

Untested:

  • R4i3D NEW (Use R4iDSN template and pack)

Partially compatible:

  • Ace 3DS+ (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing)
  • Gateway Blue Card (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing)
  • EX4DS (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing)
  • R4iLS (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing)
  • Cards with www.r4isdhc.com.cn (Game compatibility is bad, so saving/loading save file results in crashing)

Incompatible:

  • CycloDS (i)Evolution (Can autoboot ROMs, but it works differently than other flashcards)
  • (i)Edge (Unable to autoboot a .nds ROM)
  • R4 Gold Pro (www.r4i-gold.com / www.r4i-gold.me) (YSMenu (not the forwarder process) bricks the card)
  • R4i3D (2012)
  • R4 Infinity Dual Core
  • R4 SDHC
  • R4 SDHC Dual-Core (www.r4isdhc.com) (YSMenu (not the forwarder process) bricks the card)
  • A 64 bit OS
  • Forwarder3-DS
  • Java 8
  • Linux users: JavaFX
    • Debian-based: Run this script
    • Arch: sudo pacman -S java8-openjfx && sudo archlinux-java set java-8-openjdk/jre

Part 1: Getting started #

  1. Download one of these packs:
  2. Extract the contents of the for Slot-1 microSD folder to the root of your flashcard’s microSD card, and (if the folder exists) the contents of the for 3DS SD card folder to the root of your 3DS’s SD card
    • What will be in each pack for loading ROMs:
      • Original R4/M3 Simply - WoodR4 & YSMenu
      • DSTT/R4i Gold/R4i-SDHC/R4 SDHC Dual-Core/R4 SDHC Upgrade/SC DSONE, Acekard 2(i)/M3DS Real/R4i-SDHC 1.4.x - YSMenu
      • Acekard RPG, Ace 3DS+/Gateway Blue Card/R4iLS/R4iTT, R4iDSN/R4i Gold RTS - WoodR4

After you extract the pack for your card, you can edit sd:/_nds/ntr_forwarder.ini to change the following settings. This isn’t possible for Acekard RPG, R4 DS, and R4i Gold RTS. - NTRCLOCK: If set to 0 or A is held, the DSi boot screen will appear instead of the normal DS splash, and TWL clock speed is used, so lags begone - DISABLEANIMATION: If set to 1 or B is held, the DS/DSi boot screen is skipped - HEALTHSAFETYMSG: If set to 1, the boot screen’s health and safety message will appear on the bottom screen, otherwise the bottom screen stays white with no health and safety message

Part 2: Forwarder3-DS #

  1. Open Forwarder3DS.jar
    • Windows users: If it doesn’t open, download this Forwarder3DS.bat, place it in the same folder as Forwarder3DS.jar, and run it
  2. Set your card as the Target on the left
    • NOTE: If you don’t see a list of cards, download this zip, and put the forwarders folder in the same folder as Forwarder3DS.jar, then rename it to .forwarders
  3. Enable Automatically set ROM path
    • Linux users: The automatic path is incorrect since it includes the entire path (e.g. /media/$USER/something/), please remove that part
    • MacOS users: The automatic path is incorrect since it includes /Volumes/(cardname)/ at the start, please remove that part
  4. Click the folder in the top right and select the ROMs you want to make forwarders for or drag and drop them onto the window
    • NOTE: The ROMs must already be on your SD card when selecting them, and can’t be moved without recreating the forwarders
  5. If you’re playing a hack/translation of a DSi-Enhanced game that has it’s banner/title edited, find the banner for the game from here, right click on the game in Forwarder3-DS, click Import banner, and click on the banner to use
  6. If using a homebrew ROM, click on it, then clear the Game title and type the game’s title
  7. Click the floppy disk button to generate the forwarders

Part 3: Installing the forwarder #

  • If using a 3DS family console:
    1. Copy the CIA(s) to your 3DS’s SD card, then install them using FBI
      • If using EmuNAND, install to both SysNAND and EmuNAND
  • If using a DSi:
    1. Copy tmfh.nds from the TMFH .zip file to the root of your SD card
    2. Reinsert your SD card into your DSi
    3. Launch tmfh.nds from Unlaunch or TWiLight Menu++
    4. Install the forwarder NDS file using TMFH