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Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine
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.
The Nintendo DS (lite or XL) is probably the greatest portable gaming system to ever exist.
Honestly I'd say that's the New 3DS XL.
Agreed over the dsi, though I love it. The only exception is if you only play physical media, then the DS lite's ability to play the entire GBA library is pretty cool.

For me it's the fact that I can emulate basically all retro consoles on the n3ds, including imo the best existent way to play VirtualBoy games in actual stereoscopic 3d. That on top of the fact that it's the only way to play 3ds games in the native experience, with 3d, which is impossible on any emulator. Combined with the social features and build quality of the device, and it's unbeatable. Get a USB 3ds charger and it's the perfect travel console. I bring it on every trip and leave it on streetpass mode. Especially for Japan trips, I still to this day pick up new street pass pings, which is so incredibly delightful to find when I get back to the hotel room.

Though I prefer the non xl version, as it's a truly portable console rather than the XL which is huge and heavy in my bag.

I only played it briefly with a friend (street fighter) and the actual 3d seemed neat but it didn't wow me (or my eyes couldn't focus properly?).

I wanted to be wow-ed at the level of that old cowboy arcade hologram game. :)

I'm sure since it was the newest hardware it was the best.

> old cowboy arcade hologram game

Sega Time Traveler

Playe it a few times. Never made it very far. Sure was cool to look at though.

I'm not sure. At least for me, part of the charm of these older consoles (do they qualify for the "retro" term yet?) is the smaller resolution of the displays. Especially for the bottom screen on the DS line, there is something very warm, fuzzy, and cosy about clearly being able to see each individual pixel.

Perhaps it's just nostalgia. I still own my DS Lite, though.

The best music is always from ones own youth
  • cmovq
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  • 8 hours ago
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The scripting language looks like it would be more cumbersome to use than C.
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.
Which is why I love this. Extreme constraints. Takes a lot of creativity to make something interesting, without feeling overwhelmed with possibility. I'm considering making tiny arthouse game projects with this.
Don’t worry, you can’t have that many lines anyway…

> Up to 128 script lines per program

Are you kidding me? This is awesome! I imagine I can try it on my modded 2DS using the DSi emulator
  • TuxSH
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  • 8 hours ago
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> 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.

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.

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.

All 3DS/2DS models can be hacked with software only and it's very easy https://3ds.hacks.guide/

Also all Switch models can be hacked too. It's only the matter of softmodding (early V1 models) or modchip installation (later V1 models, V2, Lite, OLED)

I have both a hacked New 3DS XL and a hacked Switch OLED and both are incredibly good. But I admit I use the latter only because of piracy...

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.

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.
A Steam Deck won't fight you every step of the way.

Proprietary closed hardware is not great for home brew projects. =)

rather get a used DS for cheap than help pay for GabeN's next hyper-yacht.
A Steam Deck is also X times more powerful.

The decision-making here involved more passion than logic, clearly. And that's good. :)

I have heard emulation works well on the platform. =3
Right, because the Deck is open source hardware...
  • jerf
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  • 5 hours ago
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Nobody has to have instructions on how to "hack" the Steam Deck because it's a computer and you just run whatever you want on it.

The instructions on how to crack open the immutable OS image are readily available from Valve but you probably won't need them since it's already got a lot of power even without that.

If open _hardware_ is the requirement, rather than just a nicety, how many graphics cards can you actually support?

I mean, I know there are a bare handful that can run Quake I. But I don't think there are that many, that can do more.

SteamOS 3 is Arch Linux-based, and should allow most popular game engines to run fine. =3
I have a Steam Deck instead of a Switch for that reason. Doesn't stop me from admiring and envying the form factor, unfortunately.

I do think it would be fun to have a plugin and be able to control lights from the Steam Deck menus, too, though. Just haven't gotten around to trying.

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