Homebrew DS, without the BS

  

Whether you’re new to Nintendo DS, or have been playing one since it first came out in 2004, you may think you’ve seen it all. The Nintendo DS is the fastest-selling handheld game console of all time, with 20 million units sold in the United States by 2008. Sure, NDS games are fun, but you just can’t help but feel like you’re missing out on something. If your current games and applications just don’t seem to be cutting it, it’s time you turned to the homebrew community.
Homebrewing isn’t a new concept; it’s been going on since the age of Atari. Basically, un-licensed games made by amateur programmers are written onto third-party cartridges. Homebrewing is the hidden link between playing the same recycled, commercial material, and owning something unique and personalized. Homebrew applications range from PDA Organizers to advanced web browsers or movie players.
There are two devices that are first needed before you can run any homebrew applications. The first is a Flash cart. Flash carts are adaptors that plug into the GBA slot, and allow you to use media from a flashrom or insertable flashmemory. There are two kinds of flash carts. A Slot-1 cart plugs in where the DS game normally would, and acts as an all-in-one device, eliminating the need for a booting tool. Slot-2 carts are the older, more supported storage carts. They plug into the GBA slot and have either built-in flash memory or a memory card slot.
The next thing you need to set-up a homebrew system is a booting tool. Every time something is programmed and manufactured by Nintendo, it is “authenticated.” When you try to play something made by a third-party programmer, authentication is required. A booting tool is a device containing a code that will allow you to authenticate NDS homebrew applications. Booting tools are inserted into the NDS slot, and don’t contain any media. If you are using a slot-1 flash cart, the cart acts as its own booting tool.
So now that you’re wired for homebrewing, where do get the games? A majority of homebrew games are downloaded from the internet for free, or if you’re experienced with the DS you could program your own. Using DS homebrew has raised some questions on ethics and legality. Is it legal to program your own games for the Nintendo DS? It’s a grey area. Modifying the actual hardware is illegal, but homebrew doesn’t technically modify the DS console, you’re only bypassing the software. Most homebrew applications are free, so all you’re doing is sharing programs-no business attached. Downloading a cracked version an official Nintendo game for free, though? That’s illegal.
Homebrew is an excellent opportunity to experience what is out there, beyond the clutches of corporate marketing. And since homebrew doesn’t have to be just games, you can download a whole host of interesting applications, from instant messengers to e-books, thus expanding the usefulness of your handheld gaming device. As Nintendo said, “Touching is good”, but re-touching is even better.

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