How to Play Old-School Games Using NDS ROMs and Emulators
Back in 2004, Nintendo released its famous DS handheld console (DDS), which was introduced to the rest of the world a year later. Spiteful critics were convinced that the development of the NDS was Nintendo’s desperate attempt to make up for their GameCube, commonly considered a failure, while Nintendo fans were quite optimistic and looked forward to the announcement of the new handheld. In the first decade of the 21st century, millions of gamers were willing to go to great lengths to put their hands on the device that would allow them to play games on the go. And the Nintendo DS was exactly what they were looking for.
We’re not 20 years into the 21st century and have access to cutting edge games with jaw-dropping graphics and captivating stories. Still, the NDS fans are still looking for DS ROMs to play via emulators. How come that the games created many years ago still remain devastatingly popular with so many people? We’ll try to answer this question in today’s article. We’ll also talk about the tools that are a prerequisite for playing classic NDS titles on modern devices. So, let’s jump right into it!
Nintendo DS Emulators
If you’re into retrogaming, chances are you’re already familiar with such things as emulators, special programs that allow playing classic titles on third-party operating systems, and emulator games, also known as ROMs, which represent the images of original Nintendo DS titles. Currently, the emulation market is teeming with solutions that can quickly turn your PC or smartphone into the Nintendo DS console.
First off, let’s take a look at DS emulators you can use to play favorite classics on a preferred platform.
Windows
Though smartphone gaming is currently on the roll, there are many people who prefer playing video games exactly on their PCs. And Windows computers seem to be the best platform to install a DS emulator and play NDS titles.
There is a wide selection of emulators for Windows. But there are a few tools that stand out of the crowd. If you’re new to emulation and need a stable emulator that can run many popular NDS games without stuttering, lagging, or freezing at the most inopportune moment, set your sights on DeSmuMe. This emulator is the ideal fit for your Windows machine. It’s powerful, well-optimized, and capable of emulating many commercial games. The same goes for No$GBA. No$GBA is a reputable, time-tested emulator that was originally conceived as the Game Boy Advance emulator, but it is now perfectly suitable for running NDS titles.
If you're in search of lightweight NDS emulators, try out DSemu, Dualis, IDeaS, or NeonDS. Though they don’t have as many features as No$GBA and DeSmuMe, they are worth giving a shot.
Linux
Linux is another popular OS the modern devices run. When it comes to emulation, more often than not, the emulation software compatible with Windows can also be successfully used on Linux. So, Linux users can also avail themselves of No$GBA, NeonDS, IdeaS, and DeSmuMe. But you should note that IdeaS and NeonDS are still under development, which means that you may experience occasional glitches and lags when playing some DS ROMs.
Mac OS
Our top pick for running Nintendo DS games on Mac OS and Mac OS X is DeSmuMe, the emulator you’re already familiar with. DeSmuMe can help you achieve the best emulation quality on whatever Mac device you’re using and take advantage of a variety of advanced features it’s famed for. The most noteworthy are TAS compatibility, ability to customize the button layout, and improved debuggers.
Apart from DeSmuMe, which can rightly be considered a universal option, there are other emulators worth your attention. Among the newer alternatives we should mention GBE and NooDS. These emulators can run a handful of DS ROMs on Mac platforms at a decent speed. Nevertheless, they are poorly maintained and therefore less accurate, stable, and reliable that their time-tested counterparts.
Android
Looking to play favorite NDS classics on the Android smartphone tablet? Grab the Drastic DS emulator. This powerful tool enables you to play the majority of commercial titles in high quality. Another solution for Android is EmuBox. This emulator boasts multiple features, has nice graphics, and allows remapping controls to your liking.
Places to Look for the Best NDS ROMs
The emulator alone won’t let you embark on the trip down memory lane. Go visit Roms-download.com, a popular retrogaming website that has a big collection of classic games for any emulator, to download some nice DS ROMs. We cannot think of a single best DS ROM that will surely satisfy any NDS fan. All the games released on the NDS handheld were amazing and deserve the tribute classic gamers pay them nowadays. But there are game ROMs you just have no right to disregard. New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, Pokémon Black and White, Sonic Rush, Tetris DS, and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow… You’re just one download away from playing these fascinating titles.
The Nintendo DS is not just a regular handheld called to entertain people. It’s an important landmark in the history of the video game industry. So, make your own contribution to preserving the valuable retrogaming legacy right now!