nds-bootstrap:

Thanks to the work of ahezard, Gericom, Apache, Robz8, _catcatcat, and shutterbug2000 and other contributors, we can now load NDS games from the SD card, without any flashcard/SLOT-1 card.

Don't expect high compatibility, but do expect many, many updates.

Compatibility listing:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LRTkXOUXraTMjg1eedz_f7b5jiuyMv2x6e_jY_nyHSc/edit#gid=0

The official Discord server for nds-bootstrap:
https://discordapp.com/invite/7bxTQfZ

The thread for the recommended loader (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/twloader-ctr-mode-nds-app.448375/

SRLoader for softmodded DSis (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/srloader-nds-app-for-dsi.472200/

If you're more of a forwarder person:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-forwarder-cias-for-your-home-menu.426174/

Link to the releases page:
https://github.com/ahezard/nds-bootstrap/releases

Anti-Piracy patch list by Robz8
https://gbatemp.net/threads/ap-patch-preservation.477536/

Also, thank you to our testers:
Historian
JoshuaDoes
thejsa
Alerdy
PokeAcer

Spoiler: Videos

Also, a video thanks to Robz8:


And another thanks to Alerdy:

 

[FateForWindows]

damn, this is some good progress. I just want to know if this is going down the "DIOS MIOS" road of the "nintendont" road.

Seems to be going down the nintendont road with cheats and such being added.

 

[TimX24968B]

Seems to be going down the nintendont road with cheats and such being added.

I was mentioning more in terms of compatibility, where DIOS MIOS got much more mixed compatibility, where nintendont was practically fully compatible.

 

[mike a]

just curios how well this works?? I mean yes I have a flashcart, but it is one of the time bombed ones where my 3ds has to say it's 2016 whenever I want to use it

 

[RocketRobz]

just curios how well this works?? I mean yes I have a flashcart, but it is one of the time bombed ones where my 3ds has to say it's 2016 whenever I want to use it

Most games released 2004-2008 will work, but most games released 2009- will not work.
Games <28MB will load at cart speeds or slightly faster, but games above that size will use caching.

 

[tivu100]

I have been away for quite a while. Great to hear such progress being made.

Anyone can point me to install the latest nds bootstrap loader? OP is confusing now I just come back to it.

 

[RocketRobz]

I have been away for quite a while. Great to hear such progress being made.

Anyone can point me to install the latest nds bootstrap loader?

For 3DS/2DS users, it's TWLoader.
For DSi users, it's SRLoader.

You can update nds-bootstrap in TWLoader.

 

[tivu100]

For 3DS/2DS users, it's TWLoader.
For DSi users, it's SRLoader.

You can update nds-bootstrap in TWLoader.

I can delete the "TWLoadder" and "TWLoader Demo" folder in the "3DS" folder (on SD card root) right?

 

[RocketRobz]

I can delete the "TWLoadder" and "TWLoader Demo" folder in the "3DS" folder (on SD card root) right?

If you're using TWLoader as CIA, then yes.

 

[Fatalanus]

So you already know that some games wont work at all with your nds-bootstrap. Sad, but at least you tell us.
Good luck with the project!

 

[RocketRobz]

I got good news to report!
@shutterbug2000 has gotten Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story working!
A future bootstrap commit will have support for it.

EDIT: It is still not committed, but for now it only works on NO$GBA.

 

[EPgrouch]

I got good news to report!
@shutterbug2000 has gotten Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story working!
A future bootstrap commit will have support for it.

nice I've been wanting to try that game.

 

[Garblant]

I got good news to report!
@shutterbug2000 has gotten Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story working!
A future bootstrap commit will have support for it.

I could finally revisit my complete save file of it!

 

[kinder_bueno]

Most games released 2004-2008 will work, but most games released 2009- will not work.
Games <28MB will load at cart speeds or slightly faster, but games above that size will use caching.

You are 100% sure that games released in 2009 and later won't work? Why is that?

 

[RocketRobz]

You are 100% sure that games released in 2009 and later won't work? Why is that?

Well, I said most of them, so some like MegaMan Zero Collection, and later, Bowser's Inside Story, will work.
Most won't work, because some patches are missing.

 

[kinder_bueno]

Well, I said most of them, so some like MegaMan Zero Collection, and later, Bowser's Inside Story, will work.
Most won't work, because some patches are missing.

I'm sure that you have already investigated that, but why we can't pull out corresponding patches from emulators like desmume?

 

[RocketRobz]

I'm sure that you have already investigated that, but why we can't pull out corresponding patches from emulators like desmume?

Because for emulators, the card read SDK functions aren't patched in the ROMs.

 

[kinder_bueno]

Because for emulators, the card read SDK functions aren't patched in the ROMs.

And it is impossible for one to recreate the patch based on some kind of "reverse engineering" based on how those patches work? Or it is just too much of tedious task?

 

[RocketRobz]

And it is impossible for one to recreate the patch based on some kind of "reverse engineering" based on how those patches work? Or it is just too much of tedious task?

I don't get what you mean.

For one to patch an SDK function, the SDK function signature for it is needed, and it varies between SDK versions. I have no idea how to get an SDK signature for a function.

 

[kinder_bueno]

I thought that the results

I don't get what you mean.

For one to patch an SDK function, the SDK function signature for it is needed, and it varies between SDK versions, I have no idea how to get an SDK signature for a function.

I thought that the result of emulator's patching is the same, but from you answer I assume it is not. So the last hope is the Internet itself, that we will find patches somewhere?

 

[nitrozz]

I got good news to report!
@shutterbug2000 has gotten Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story working!
A future bootstrap commit will have support for it.

How!? I have us version and dont work