NDS Glossary

A

Acekard

A flashcart for the Nintendo DS. See Category:Acekard for more info.

AK

Acronym of "Acekard"

AKAIO

Acronym of "Acekard all-in-one". An unofficial firmware for the Acekard. Based on the open sourced Acekard R.P.G firmware.

Adaptor/Adapter

A piece of hardware that allows another piece of hardware to be used in a device that did not originally support it and/or its interface. Popular examples are the M3 Adapter or the Supercard - adapters that allow the GBA or NDS to access external memory cards.

Alpha

A term given to software very early in development, before it becomes a beta form (See Beta).

B

Backup

A loose term used to describe a ROM that has been extracted from the original cartridge into a single data file on a personal computer for personal use or archival, or the method for doing so. This can be done using various methods depending on what system the cartridge/disc is for. Also known as "dumping".

Beta

A software that is incomplete, in development or not in its final form. Beta software may contain many known bugs (See Bug).

Bug

An accidental mistake made in the programming of a piece of software (i.e. a video game), that may cause undesired operation or produce errors or worse. A bug can often be fixed or resolved by applying a patch (see Patch).

Bad ROM/dump

A ROM (See ROM) that has been dumped (See Dump) incorrectly, which may cause it to produce errors during execution or may stop it from working as it should. 'Bad Dumps' almost always require the original cartridge to be dumped again properly to produce a good ROM (See Good ROM).

C

Clean Dump

A ROM dump (commonly referring to NDS ROMs), that has not been modified from its original form on the cartridge.

Crash

A unexpected fault (bug (See Bug)) in a software that will cause it to halt immediately. A crashed piece of software can not be recovered and must be re-started.

Cartridge

A plastic casing containing variable content, for example, a PCB containing a game held on ROM including a backup EEPROM/battery to hold the game save. Here, this term is commonly used to describe a GBA game pak, an NDS game card or any other device used to slot into the expansion slots of a handheld, even flash kit adapters.

Crack

An unofficial patch (See Patch) released by an individual or group which is meant to be applied to a piece of software to remove certain restrictions, features or anti-piracy (See 'Piracy') techniques, for example, a time restriction on an official demo piece of software.

CycloDS evolution

A flashcart for the nintendo DS. See CycloDS Evolution.

D

Demo

A trial version of a software or game usually released by the developers of the software for promotional purposes. Demo software almost always has restrictions such as a time limit, lack of features or the inability to perform certain functions.

DeSmuME

A Nintendo DS Emulator.

Download Play

Allows two DS users to play multiplayer together. Some games require only one game between the two (hence Download Play), or it may require both players to have the game.

DS

See 'Nintendo DS.

DS Lite

See Nintendo DS Lite.

DSi

See Nintendo DSi.

DSi LL/DSI XL

See Nintendo DSi XL.

Dualis

A Nintendo DS Emulator

Dump

Synonym of ROM (See ROM). The term "dumping" is a method of backing up an original cartridge to a PC. (See Backup).

E

Ensata

The official DS emulator for PC made by Intelligent Systems for Nintendo. Unlicensed copies of this emulator are illegal. The 1.4d version of this emulator was leaked on the internet, it ran some DS roms however not at any playable speed.

Emulator

A program for the computer that allows ROMs to be played on the computer. It "emulates" a system.

EZF

See EZ-Flash.

EZ-Flash

The team behind the EZF kits created some of the very first commercial GBA flash kits. Their good quality and excellent support coming from Borden and his team, gave the company a great reputation. Their EZF-Advance (aka. EZFA) GBA kit, was perhaps the most popular GBA flash kit.

F

Firmware

The code that a device runs from. A device which allows for firmware upgrades means that a new version of the device doesn't need to be bought to get new features.

Flash Memory

Storage space that is stored on a chip instead of a disk that must be read like a harddrive. Contains no moving parts. Can be used either as internal memory like the DS, or can be used as a portable storage device like thumb drives or SD cards.

FlashMe

Flashme is a hacked firmware replacement for both the DS and DS Lite. It looks and acts exactly the same as the original DS firmware except for the fact you will not need a Passme or Passcard (see PassMe'/'PassCard) to boot DS ROMs anymore. The standard version of Flashme removes the DS intro screen (including the Warning screen) when booting up. If you wish to keep this boot up screen please use Flashme_Stealth, which leaves it intact.

G

G6

A GBA Flashcart that uses internal memory. The G6-Flash is made by the same company as the M3 Adapter (GBAlpha), the G6 website can be found here. The G6 was redesigned as the new G6 Lite, which boasts many improvements.

Good ROM/dump

This term was originally used for ROMs that were validated by the GoodTools. But we sometimes also use this term for ROMs that are in the scene release lists if their CRC match.

GoodTools

Cowering's GoodTools are a set of command-line applications that will let you validate and rename your rom collections. They cover nearly every console and system, and list not only commercial roms but also homebrew games and applications.

GUI

Acronym for "Graphical User Interface". Basically means there is more than text on the screen.

H

Hack

modification of a file or a system. For example, a 'ROM hack' means a 'modified ROM'.

Homebrew

a homebrew game is a game developped by hobby programmers. Read more.

I

iQue

Nintendo's attempt to stop piracy in China. The iQue is just a controller that plugs directly into a television. Games can be downloaded to the 64 megabyte chip inside. The iQue name also applies to other consoles that Nintendo has launched in China, including the GBA and the iQue DS.

iDeaS

A Nintendo DS Emulator

Iris

See Ensata.

L

LAN

Acronym for "Local Area Network". Connects a small, local areas together.

LCD

Acronym for "Liquid Crystal Display". Uses a smaller amount of power making it suitable for battery powered devices.

Lite

short for "Light". The DS Lite, for example, is a lighter version of the DS.

Li-On

See Lithium-Ion.

Lithium-Ion

A commonly used battery for electronics. It usually comes as a flat rectangle. It does not suffer from the memory effect.

Loadme

A program released by the release group known as WRG. Loadme patches a DS Rom to work on any generic GBA flashcart. It is not needed on DS specific carts like M3/G6/EZ-Flash/Supercard as they have their own patching methods.

M

M3 (M3 Adapter)

Technically, the 3rd version of the GBA Movie Player, first cart to use removable media. The M3 is an adapter (exists in various versions - CF, SD, MiniSD...). It is now known for its excellent compatibility with NDS and GBA ROMs, and for its multimedia features. Official site.

M3 Kaura

The newest "Firmware" for the M3 adapter. It is not an actual firmware, but rather a boot menu to launch M3 Sakura or M3 Touchpod.

M3 Sakura

One of the Loaders for the M3 adapter. Originally created by Moonlight (the creator of Moonshell) for the M3 team. This is the loader of choice for many M3 users.

M3 TouchPod

The original M3 loader. Nowdays only used in combination with Sakura, since it has better compatibility with Homebrew but is incredibly slow for other things.

Max Media Launcher

another type of Passcard, manufactured by Datel.

Micro SD

An even smaller version of the SD card. About half the size of a mini SD and about a quarter of the size of a normal SD card. Can hold just as much data as a normal SD card.

Mini SD

A smaller version of the SD card. About half the size of a normal SD card. Can hold just as much data as a normal SD card.

MML

See Max Media Launcher.

Moonshell

A DS Homebrew application that allows a Flashcart to play MP3's and some video files.

N

NeoFlash

The NeoFlash was the first commercial flash kit solution on the market for the Nintendo DS. They used a method that had already been created by the homebrew scene and mass produced it. The team behind the original NeoFlash continue to work on new projects for the NDS.

NFO

NFO, an abbreviation of "info". "NFO" files are ASCII (See ASCII) text files with the filename extension ".nfo". These are commonly found alongside pirate (See Piracy) software releases by individuals or groups. They contain information about the release and other useful and useless information.

Nintendo DS

A popular handheld from Nintendo. The "DS" stands for either "dual screens" or "developers system". The unit launched in the USA on November 11th 2004, Japan on December 2nd 2004, Australia on February 24th 2005, Europe on March 11th 2005, and China (as the iQue DS (See iQue) on July 23rd.

Nintendo DS Lite

An updated rendition of the Nintendo DS. Main features include a much sleeker, smaller shape and design; much improved LCD (See LCD) screens; a larger stylus; and an improved battery life and controls. The Nintendo DS Lite launched in Japan on March 2nd 2006, Australia on June 1st 2006, the USA on June 11th 2006, and in Europe on June 23rd 2006.

Nintendo DSi

A second improvement of the Nintendo DS. It is even sleeker and lighter than the Nintendo DS Lite. To accomplish this, the GBA slot (slot-2) was removed from the system, thus making it impossible to play games that need a slot-2 expansion. The main external improvements of the DSi are the addition of two cameras (one inside, one outside) and the bigger screens (1/4th of an inch). The system now has a new DSi Menu, which imitates the wii menu with its channels. The firmware is now update able, so it could block out flashcarts in the future (Old flashcarts are already blocked, you need a DSi compatible cart)

Nintendo DSi XL (Nintendo DSi LL)

Updated version of the DSi, with bigger screens and a bigger stylus.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

The Nintendo Wii and DS use Nintendo Wifi connection to connect to the internet. It is mainly used for online multiplayer and web browsing.

Nitro

"Nitro" was the codename for the Nintendo DS. It later became publicly known as the "Nintendo DS" but Nintendo said they would again change the name before it hit retail. But they didn't, and they decided to stick with the name "Nintendo DS". (See Nintendo DS.)

NoPass

See Passcard

No$GBA

A popular GBA and NDS emulator. Has some unique functions like the ability to emulate the same game multiple times (for multiplayer) and build-in light sensor (for the Boktai games).

O

Opera

A brand of Web Browser. The DS and Wii Web Browsers are powered by Opera.

P

Parallel (parallel port, LPT)

a type of interface to connect a peripheral to a PC. Old linkers are connected to computers via the parallel port. Read more & view pictures.

Patch

When a large program is released that has a bug, a patch is usually released instead of having the user download the whole program again. The patch is then applied to the existing data and fixes the bug.

PassCard

A Passcard does what a Passme does (allow DS code and roms to boot from the GBA slot) except that it does not require an original DS game inserted. The best feature of a Passcard is that it is exactly the same size as an original DS game. They were created after the Passme2 as the DS’s encryption was successfully broken. Just pop it in and in combination with any flashcart you can run DS roms. The passcard is often known as a Passme 3. Some popular passcard devices include: Passcard3, Datel Media Launcher, Superkey and EZpass3.

PassKey

a type of passme (see below) manufactured by the same company as the G6 and M3

PassMe

A Passme device allows DS code and roms to be booted from the GBA slot of the DS. In other words with a Passme inserted you can boot up DS roms that you store on a GBA flashcart.

PassMe 2

a new generation of passme devices that support new versions of the Nintendo DS (Nintendo DS lite, Nintendo DS with new firmwares) as these new versions were protected against "passme v1" devices.

Piracy

The act of illegally acquiring copyrighted materials, by downloading it from the internet without permission of the author.

Pirate

One who engages in piracy.

R

Rein

A homebrew application that allows you to backup and write saves to an original DS card.

Release Group

A group that releases ROMs on the internet. A group is given credit to a ROM when they release it.

ROM

Acronym of "Read-only memory". A ROM is a piece of flash memory that contains permanently stored data that cannot be added to, modified or removed. The term ROM is also used to describe a ROM from, for example a game cartridge that has been extracted and backed up to a single file on a PC. This method of extraction can also be referred to as "dumping" and the end file is commonly called a "dump".

RTC

Acronym of "real time clock". A problem that plagued early GBA flash kits that didn't include an RTC, which created problems when games that used an in-game clock were released. Popular RTC-enabled games such as the Pokémon series made this a bigger problem than it should have been. Most GBA flash kits now include an RTC.

RTS

Acronym of "real time save". Flashcarts/emulators with this function allow you to save and load a game at any time.

Acronym of "real time strategy". A genre for games.

Rumble Pak

The original Rumble Pak was released for the Nintendo 64 as an attachment that could be plugged into the controller that would vibrate in unison with events happening in the game. Since then, rumble is now a built in standard in controllers. Rumble Paks can also be bought for the Nintendo DS.

S

Save Type

GBA and NDS cartridges can use different types of chips to store data (game saves). There are 3 types of memory chips used: SRAM, EEPROM, and Flash. Also, some games have no save chip, because they don't need to store data.

SD Card

Acronym for Secure Digital cards. It is a flash memory card format used in portable devices, including digital cameras and handheld computers.

Slot-1

A flashcart that is inserted in the DS cart slot.

Slot-2

A flashcart that is inserted in the GBA cart slot of the DS.

SRAM

Acronym for "Static random access memory". A common type of memory used in GBA game paks and flash kits to store save game data.

Supercard

Probably the most famous adapter. Exists in various versions (CF, SD, MiniSD...). NDS compatibility is nearly perfect while GBA compatibility isn't, due to the low-quality memory chip used for loading GBA ROMs.

Superkey

A passcard manufactured by the Supercard team.

T

TC

Acronym for "Team cyclops". The creators of the CycloDS.

Trim

"Trimming" means to remove "dummy data" from a ROM file in order to decrease the file size. Contrary to how the majority of people think it works. It simply does not compress the ROM in any way. It's just a method of removing dummy (garbage/filler) data from the file which can be anything from a few KB to a few MB.

U

USB

Acronym for "Universal Serial Bus". A connection interface that is now the most common used amongst external computer peripherals, including MP3 players, external hard drives, keyboards and mice. USB is widely used because of its simple connection, easy to use socket, its data transfer speeds and its "plug 'n' play" reliability. Many GBA&DS flash kits use USB.

W

Wi-Fi

Short for "Wireless fidelity". Wi-Fi is a type of wireless LAN (see LAN). This makes it possible for a Wi-Fi enabled device, such as the Nintendo DS, to access an internet connection shared via a wireless LAN without any additional wires or connections. See also: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

WiFiMe

a PC application that will act as a Nintendo DS and will transfer a little bit of code to your DS. This code will for example allow you to run DS games from your GBA cartridge. Will only work on a certain type of WiFi cards (cards based on the RT2500 chipset) and on the first version of the normal DS.

WFC

See Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Y

YSmenu

Alternative firmware for the TTDS (TopToy DS)