# DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap

Boot an nds file

Repository: https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nds-bootstrap
Homepage: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/nds-bootstrap/
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: nintendo-3ds, nintendo-ds, nintendo-dsi, nintendo-ds-homebrew
Last push: 2026-08-26T09:18:55+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 94/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 85, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3643, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 102, "gap_med": 9.0, "n_releases_24m": 41}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1388, forks 87 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:35.368650+00:00)

## What it is
nds-bootstrap is an open-source homebrew application that loads Nintendo DS/DSi ROMs and homebrew natively from an SD card on DSi/3DS consoles (via CFW) or DS flashcards, by patching Slot-1 read/writes instead of emulating. It supports cheats, game saving, anti-piracy patches via IPS files, and a B4DS mode for DS Phat/Lite and locked flashcards.

## Use cases
- run Nintendo DS ROM backups from an SD card
- play DS games on a Nintendo 3DS without a flashcart
- load DS homebrew like DScraft on DSi or 3DS
- apply cheats and faster load times to DS games
- run DSiWare titles from SD card
- boot .nds files on a DS flashcard

## When to choose
- you want to play DS/DSi ROMs natively on DSi, 3DS, or a flashcard rather than via an emulator
- you use TWiLight Menu++ or another DS homebrew frontend and need a ROM loader backend
- you want cheats, save support, and per-game settings for DS ROMs

## When to avoid
- you need to emulate DS games on a PC or phone rather than on real hardware
- your game is on the incompatibility list or requires exact Slot-1 timing nds-bootstrap cannot yet provide
- you are not comfortable installing custom firmware or homebrew on your console

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: game, interpreter, embedded
- domain: gaming-tools, embedded-systems, hardware
- platform: embedded, iot
- tags: nintendo-ds, nintendo-3ds, homebrew, rom-loader, flashcard, game-console, cfw

## Member repositories
- DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap (main) score 94

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.368650+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:39:44.992713+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.368650+00:00, sha ffecbbbf62b1)
  - homepage: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/nds-bootstrap/ (fetched 2026-08-29T11:54:57.715252+00:00, sha d822d8fccce1)
  - site_page: https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/nds-bootstrap/faq (fetched 2026-08-29T11:54:57.717976+00:00, sha 5371e59599f7)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.