Gooday Gaming Guests - Nintendo DS and 3DS Game Cartridge Boot Process

Episode Date: February 1, 2025

All 2DS games are included in the 3DS Library.

All right, so today I'm going to go on to Nintendo DS. Let's talk about the cartridges. And you know how DS is. It goes from DS to 2DS to 3DS, back to 2DS New, and then there's XLs in there. There's all kinds of stuff going on with the DSs. Oh my goodness. I don't know what the run of the DS to the last 2DS, New 2DS was. It's a long time, though. So let's start out. The DS games. Here's a breakdown. I went back to my buddy Zippy today. I still have a subscription for the end of this month.

Just going to the basics. And I'm using my new guy Seek. And I have Flash over there at Gemini. So the Nintendo DS is powered by an ARM 7 and an ARM 9

processor. The system boots ROM, runs, there's a BIOS, checks for the cartridge in slot 1, which is the DS slot. The DS firmware stored in internal memory loads to the memory. Cartridge detection and head reader.

The DS firmware checks for cartridge in slot 1. Game title ID ARM 9 and 10 binary offsets. Secure area check some game icon and banner. Secure area authenticity

encryption check. The first 2 kilobytes of the game, known as the secure area, is encrypted. The DS bootloader decrypts the security area using a key stored in the hardware.

If it fails, then it does not load the game. I have a game, at least one that supposedly is fake, but it seems to still work. The ARM and ARM7, ARM9 and ARM7 load Konig, two separate ARM binaries. ARM9 execute runs the game, logics, graphics, systems. ARM7 handles low-level functions like sound, Wi-Fi, and touch input the bootloader copies these executables into RAM from the ROM offset defined in the header so it's all about that header in the first two

kilobytes they're interesting awesome executes once the RAM card then the arm nine processes the game initializes then the second ARM 7 kicks in doing the low-level stuff, and your game starts. Game running and interaction, user inputs, graphic rendering, so it goes into the loop of the game itself. Sound processing, multiplayer, networking if available, saving, loading, EEPROM, flash or external storage. Extra notes. So there is the Game Boy 2 slot. Slot 2, which is the Game Boy Advance, actually, slot integration. Some DS access slot 2 for extra content like Pokemon transferring.

Game Boy Advance saves. DSI enhanced games. Some games contain certain data that DS firmware can recognize and unlock. Anti-privacy. Okay, so that's cool. Then we go to how many different DS consoles. There were several different DS consoles. So the original would be the DS Fat, which is 2004 to 2005. It also had Game Boy Advance backward compatibility. It was like a clamshell.

I have some of those clamshells, actually. Featured Wi-Fi multiplayer in Peak 2 chat. Launched alongside Metroid Prime Hunter's first hunt demo. So 2004. Then there was the DS Lite,

which was 2006 to 2011. Smaller, brighter, brighter screens, battery life,ved battery life. Still maintain the slot 2 for Game Boy Advance. Then there was the DSi. I forgot about the DSi.

Which is 2008 to 2014. So it's kind of overlapping. The DS Lite. So that one did not have the Game Boy Advance slot to make it thinner. Introduced two oh this is then we had a camera in the DSi. One facing the player

one outward. Added DSiWare, an online store. Upgraded the CPU from 133 MHz versus the 67 MHz in the DSs light 16 megabytes of ram compared to only four megabytes so the dsi was significantly the jump uh region lock for dsi so previous ds models

were really were regionfully region free so if it was a DSi exclusive game, it was region locked. The other ones were not. And then there was the DSi XL. Larger screen, 4.2. Better visibility. Came preloaded

with games. Still lacked Game Boy Advanced compatibility. It says the Came pre-loaded with games still lacked Gameboy Advance compatibility Says the Nintendo 3ds family successor to the 2ds although not part of a DS the 2ds was built 3ds built with DS backwards compatibility

So then you go on to 3ds 3ds XL 2ds 3ds XL and then finally the 2dx the new 2dx XL okay you do 3d glasses free nobody really liked the 3d total count of models for the DS the original, the DS Lite DSi and then the DSi XL if you don't count the models ok so what what is

so we can put all 3DS and basically one the next category we're going from the 2ds the main for DS DS light DSi and then DSi XL that's one group we just did that one so now we're gonna go on to what was game cartridge boot process on 3ds and company so pretty much all the other ones. If you understood what I mean. Alright, so the 3DS is called Family here. Nintendo 3DS cartridge boot. So this one has an ARM11, an ARM9, and an ARM7 processor.

The boot ROM is stored in the 3DS firmware. It has a BIOS has a cartridge header slot one for the 3ds cartridge slot game title ROM encryption firmware requirements icon banner cartridge authentic and encryption check unlike the DS the 3DS cartridges are encrypted with a AES based security this unique encryption key for each cartridge is derived using a console specific process to prevent unauthorized copies the system verifies the cartridge signature and sure it's legit game so the arm 11 would

be different once again is verified the armor 11 that's the main processor now DS was on 9 and then light load was on 7 so I'm 11 is your kernel as you to cold actually to code the system ram arm 9 processors using handle secure operations and decryption arm 7 managed backwards compatibility if you suck a DS game in there execution and game initialization GPU on this was a PICA 200 set up for 3d rendering, system memory

allocation, network connection initialization, game runtime and interaction. The games used the EEPROM or flash memory to write save games. was multiplayer network net which really started to take off by the network Nintendo Network backwards compatibility 3d can boot via DS games into a DS mode where arm 11 is disabled so it doesn't have a better process it goes back switches back to arm 9 and arm 7 as if it was just a DS. The difference in boot processing. The early DS was basic.

Early secure area. The 3DS used AES base encryption. ARM 9, ARM 7 versus ARM 11, 9, and 7. There was no region lock. Yes, 3DS games are region locked. Saved storage, EEPROM flash.

For the 3DS, it was cartridge flash or SD card. No digital downloads. And yes, eShop, DLCs and patches. So significantly. up dl season patches so significantly how did i said how did uh nintendo make that 3d image without using glasses without i always wonder how they do that using it's really cool glasses it has to have been a process that they used let's see what it tells me going off a little off track here so let's take them with 3ds how did they make says achieved glass free 3d uh so it's called a parallel box

uh let's see cool this would be interesting i always wanted to know this so let's see what we get so they made what they call a parallel box no glasses required low power consumption if you hang on but everyone used to get really dizzy with them, though. Later improvements. There was improvements that they did to the new 3DX. So let's read about this for a few minutes here. Kind of interested.

Never quite under... So how did Nintendo 3DS create 3D images without glasses? 3DS glasses called a auto auto stereoscopic 3d using a parallax barrier. It's a thin layer placed in front of the screen that contains a series of slits. These slits directly differ images to each eye, creating a... So the left eye sees one image, the right eye sees another slightly different image. The brain combines these to perceive depth. So you're tricking the brain basically. How does this work on a 3ds? The top

screen of the 3ds is a specialized LCD panel. A parallax parallax barrier layer that blocks the image part of the image. The dual image rendering system renders two different images at slightly different angles one for each eye a 3d depth slider allows users to adjust the strength of the effect step by step game renders the GPU the pica 200 generates two slightly offset frames one for each eye the parallax Bach barrier controls the light path ensures the correct image reaches each eye brain interprets your brain merges the two images pretty neat no glasses adjustable 3d effect low power consumption limitations viewing angle reduced brightness limited to one viewer later

improvements in the 3ds alright so let's go on to says with DD DS game library all right so breakdown of the DS so it's over 3,500 breakdown of the DS. So there's over 3,500 games for the DS. Wow, I didn't realize there was that many. Oh my goodness, that's a lot. Worldwide, of course. And remember, these are not backwards compatible. 1,400 in the U.S. or North America.

Japan in 1900 and European at 1500 the exact number of varies notable Super Mario's brain teasers Pokemon obviously Zelda casual there's a Nintendo dogs Animal Crossing's notable third party Grand Theft Auto Castlevania dragons quest retro Quest, Retro Remakes, Contra 4, Digital Games DSiWare, Regional Exclusive, Dating Game Love+, some in Japan here, here later it late releases in final DS games Pokemon black 2 and white 2 last Pokemon games on DS sure those are worth a lot so it gives you a breakdown of all the horror dementia dementia the ward Let's try that one. Dementium the Ward. Dementia.

Dementium. The Ward. Now I'm going to cross reference. Dementium. The Ward. $60. Manual. $45.

It's for DS. Oh, I'll kind of cool Dementia the ward I can't play a little handheld That's that one. So let's just go why we're they let's ask for rare DS games It's usually where I finish up on each thing I'm doing with games Poop slinger is still my favorite one. $10,000 on PS4. Only 84 copies made. So I just type in Poopslinger. P-O-O-P, Slinger. PS4 Poopslinger. And you'll see it's worth 10 grand. I have no idea why they only made 84 copies is so weird so there's a quick rundown of some of the

Big numbers the rare ones Pokemon conquest Shepherds crossing to metal max to nostalgia dragon quest Realms of Revelation That sounds like fun And they want to quest the word question is always usually fun right I think so let's see 120 bucks $99 so these are not we're gonna hit one's gonna be working one dragon spire dark

so let's go on to the 3ds game library nothing really we know pokemons always worth stuff so I didn't really heart gold is probably I have a heart gold I think but it's not real one of them is not real oh so another hard to find games the interspace radiant lunar dragon song front horror is dementia the war this dementia too so there's a dementia too as well I didn't even know if there's any horror games on DS Dementia 2 Dementia 2 94 bucks

let me get 1 and 2 for a deal 120 pretty cool $168 $290 going significantly up creepy game no game creepy horror only rpg that cursed game theme it's nastasha no game let's see what that one is anything that's horror survival horror is always fun uh that's cold nice Natasha no game ds $39 oh it's not bad region free these are region free remember ds is region free 3ds we now we've realized it's not 3d region free so it's not too bad.

Okay. So fighting games, we don't care about those. Uncommon licensed game. Ninja Turtles. Rare and expensive Pokemon game. Just about every one. Exclusive. Japan. Seven Dragon.

Why? So it's conclusion. It was Pokemon, RPG, or horror it was worth money more money pretty much so now we're going to the 3ds official license officially is 1300 uh 450 in america north america uh jvn 900 european had 500 roughly more Mario, more Pokemon lots of Pokemon those were all worth lots of money Zelda, Fire Emblem Xeno

Chronicles, Casual Animal Crossing, New Leaf notable third parties, Monster Hunters a lot of strategy more Dragon's Quest, not Dragon's Quest, rather. Metroid, Samson's Return, remake of

Metroid 2. Digital games only. Steam World Dig. The eShop for the 3D eShop shut down in March 27, 2023, making these digital games hard to access.

So there's like four different ones that you could get then. Rare and expensive games. Fire Emblem. Let's try this one. Metroid Sumps and Returns. Let's see what that one is. I like to pick one game to put as my image I'll use this one Metroid

$18 $400 $300 DS $50 $250 That's a PAL version box only so that one would be pretty expensive

Metroid backwards compatibility 3d a full pack compatible with DS games late release in final 3ds games persona the new cinema labyrinth last major physical oh let's try that one persona 2 in 2019 oh it's pretty late in that run huh wow oops 399 dollars for if you get the steelbook version of the Metroid. Let's see what this one is. Persona Q2. $56.

I think it's on auction, though. $90. So, around $90. No, this one is $175, and then there's one for $75. So somewhere around there. Monster Hunter 3D homebrew and hacks. 3DS homebrew screen is seen as huge with custom app emulator, mod for games, region unlocking, DS and Game Boy game injection. The Luma 3DS custom firmware made it easier to play homebrew and backups.

I've never tried to do any. I will, will though eventually. Are the 2DS games included in this list above? I'm trying to see if he did just 3DS games or if he did 2DS games as well yes, the 2DS games are not separate from the 3DS library that's what I thought everything is considered the same 2DS can play all 3DS games but without 3D effects

this is what I thought 3DS exclusive games like Xeo Chronicles 3D only work on new 3DS and 2DS models, not on the original. 2DS is fully backward compatible for Nintendo DS. No separate 2DS game library. It shares the entire 3DS.

Cool. So I think at that note, we'll leave it at that. That's what i thought so you have your ds as one one element and then you go to 2ds i mean 3ds a family which includes the 2ds all right so that's some fun stuff there uh yeah all right cool all right so you guys have a good afternoon and we'll see you in the morning all right bye