[HN Gopher] Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine
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Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine
Author : Antibabelic
Score : 53 points
Date : 2026-01-31 18:27 UTC (4 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (crl.io)
(TXT) w3m dump (crl.io)
| scoops_ wrote:
| Are you kidding me? This is awesome! I imagine I can try it on my
| modded 2DS using the DSi emulator
| TuxSH wrote:
| > modded 2DS using the DSi emulator
|
| The DSi and GBA modes on 3DS aren't emulation, there's an
| actual Arm7 and GBA/NDS IP blocks in the 3DS. For the parts
| that do require software intervention (DSi RTC, input
| remapping, etc.) it's more-or-less hardware virtualization.
|
| Anyway, good job OP.
| cmovq wrote:
| The scripting language looks like it would be more cumbersome to
| use than C.
| RodgerTheGreat wrote:
| I did a double-take at > Executes one line of
| script per frame (~60 lines/sec).
|
| Makes the "runs at 60FPS" aspect of the engine feel a lot less
| relevant. At this speed, anything more complex than Pong would
| be a struggle. Even a CHIP-8 interpreter is usually expected
| handle a dozen or so comparably expressive instructions per
| frame.
| nxobject wrote:
| Don't worry, you can't have that many lines anyway...
|
| > Up to 128 script lines per program
| plagiarist wrote:
| Are {,3}DSs easily hackable? Is it just running software from
| disk or is the whole firmware replaceable? I love the form
| factor, would be fun to have one as a home automation remote.
|
| I love the form factor of the Switch also. I wish Nintendo
| hardware was more hackable.
| striking wrote:
| A DS set to Auto mode will boot to the cartridge (and you can
| reflash the firmware to skip the health and safety screen).
| From there the OS is replaced with whatever is on the cart. A
| flashcart with the right shell will boot right into whatever
| app you want (and you can soft reset the console with a key
| combination to switch apps).
|
| 3DSes require a little more work and have a longer boot chain,
| but it's been thoroughly broken all the way to the
| bootstrapping process so you can use whichever firmware version
| and whatever patches you like with enough effort.
| functionmouse wrote:
| Once a DS has been flashed (skips the health and safety
| screen) it also disables signature verification for DS
| download play, so you can beam homebrews directly to your DS'
| home screen with a wifi card. But this is an awkward process
| that most people don't actually do with their original DSes,
| as it requires putting tinfoil over a toothpick and jamming
| it into a hole next to the battery to close the flash write
| jumper. I think DS' crypto has also been defeated but I can't
| find any documentation of arbitrary download play on
| unflashed DSes. Also seems no .nds signing keys in the leaks
| from what I can tell.
| Joel_Mckay wrote:
| A Steam Deck won't fight you every step of the way.
|
| Proprietary closed hardware is not great for home brew
| projects. =)
| manytimesaway wrote:
| Right, because the Deck is open source hardware...
| Joel_Mckay wrote:
| SteamOS 3 is Arch Linux-based, and should allow most
| popular game engines to run fine. =3
| skylyrac wrote:
| For a regular DS all you need to do is buy a simple flashcart,
| copy applications to a microSD card, and you're done, you don't
| need to replace the firmware. There's even a FOSS flashcart:
| https://www.lnh-team.org/
|
| On DSi you can replace the firmware and load your applications
| from the SD slot of the DSi, no flashcart needed.
|
| Also, there are a few C/C++ toolchains for the DS (BlocksDS,
| devkitARM) and different libraries depending on how low level
| you want to go with your code. It's very easy to get started.
|
| The 3DS is also pretty easy to hack, and then all you have to
| do is to copy your applications to the SD card of the console.
| liveoneggs wrote:
| The Nintendo DS (lite or XL) is probably the greatest portable
| gaming system to ever exist.
| functionmouse wrote:
| Yesssss this is right up my alley with my current projects. I'm
| working through K&R 2nd Ed and making little demo apps with
| libnds using framebuffer manipulation for graphics along the way.
| My goal is to eventually end up with a useful 15bit sprite-ing
| application, and an endless scrolling handwriting journal thingy
| with bookmarks. Thank You for posting this! I'm loading this onto
| my DSi XL right now.
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(page generated 2026-01-31 23:00 UTC)