Nintendo 3DS: Revisiting the Retro Dimension

by cmack · Published April 14, 2024 · Updated April 26, 2024

The Intro

There’s no denying that the Nintendo Gameboy Advance was a true game-changer (HA!) for the masses, drastically expanding on the graphical capabilities of the OG GameBoy Color to bring an exciting and addictive console gaming experience right to the palms of our hands. There was even a way to play those GBC and GBA games on your home GameCube console too (the Game Boy Player, shown left)!

Then, Nintendo did it again. Better resolution, more powerful processor, TWO SCREENS with one of them even including TOUCH RECOGNITION. Holy crap, WIFI CONNECTIVITY and even SD card storage capability!

The Nintendo DS made the scene, initially creating some confusion over the radical departure in design, but the catalog of titles grew quickly and garnered plenty of interest in this funky little device.

However, that initial consumer confusion seemed to motivate Nintendo to go looking for a variation in the design that clicked better with the fans. Thus, came the DSi and DS Lite, followed by the 3DS, introducing a gimmicky 3D effect that added a unique aspect to games that were designed to take best advantage of it.

Personally, I feel like they finally tackled the biggest issue with the console: the small screen sizes. The DSi and 3DS were released in new XL sizes, featuring larger screens that made the gaming more fun while keeping that pocket-friendly form factor that seemed to be one of the focus points of the design throughout the Game Boy line.

The Lineup

Nintendo DS (2004-2009)
Nintendo DS Lite (2006-2014)
- Slimmer, brighter, and more attractive
Nintendo DSi (2008-2014)
- A major upgrade, implemented a camera, MP3 player, voice recording, and a dedicated shopping application
Nintendo DSi XL (2009-2014)
- Bigger screens!
Nintendo 3DS (2011-2021)
Nintendo 3DS XL (2012–2021)
- Bigger screens, more powerful
Nintendo 2DS (2013-2021)
- Cost-cut 3DS, without the 3D feature, and the case did not fold.
New Nintendo 3DS (2014-2021)

So here we are today, and the online store that backed the DS has been sadly shut down, leaving the devices essentially orphaned from a big part of what made them special (at the time, at least). Of course the cartridge games still work fine, but it’s now impossible to buy new additional content, backup your Pokemon, or restore old saves from the cloud.

Welp, guess they’re done taking money for these things; time to break one out of its shell (figuratively speaking, this time), and put an end to the reliance on piles of physical cartridges! Collectors love putting together all of the physical components that serve to honor the original experience, but my focus is on the games, man. The GAMES. The ones I didn’t get to play when they were still being actively created and sold new.

Yep, we’re gonna mod the best of the bunch: the 3DS XL, or at least, the Japanese version of it, known as the 3DS LL.

Wait, why the Japanese version? Simple: Nintendo is first and foremost a Japanese company (Nintendo of America is primarily a marketing division) and the DS –especially the Japanese models- are still trading like freaking hotcakes. There are piles of the damn things on eBay, and if you keep an eye out, you can get one pretty cheap. There are plenty of US devices trading too, but by now, let’s just say that anybody selling one of those feels like “they know what they got”, and are asking a premium for their unit, which they’re mostly selling because they don’t even want it anymore, but looking to make a profit anyway. There are lots of pre-modded devices too, but you’ll pay a premium to shortcut a just little bit of reading and fiddly effort. The LL version has the initial language barrier issue, but because the differences are all in the firmware -which we’ll be replacing- we’ll be able to switch regions and convert it to an XL model.

THE LEGALITY OF IT ALL

Right, so let’s get something out of the way: this process runs afoul of copyright laws. How finding a way to keep hardware and games you paid good money for instead of just throwing it out and buying it all over again could come to be considered illegal is as tragic as it is beside the point. I’m going to be modding this 3DS to allow it to play cartridge games without the cartridge, commonly known as ROMs. The thing is, the console’s firmware handles the DRM, and the cartridge is effectively the license for the game itself. So, when all is idone, the firmware will no longer perform those region and DRM checks, and, well, the cartridges are going bye-bye. Yes this opens the door to just grabbing publically-and broadly-available games for free, but the goal is to keep legitimately-purchased gear running despite the manufacturer repeatedly using its resources to kill it and force you to buy more new stuff.

Unfortunately, while Nintendo might not be making, selling or supporting the DS and 3DS any longer, their End User License Agreements don’t expire just because the device is no longer supported (though honestly I feel like they should), they will most certainly hold anybody violating the device’s EULA accountable if they think you’re a big enough threat and there’s enough money to squeeze out of you. So don’t do anything to attract the attention of the Eye of Sauron on this. You know, like write a publicly-accessible blog post about it.

That said, if you continue, you’re going to do some hacker things to a 3DS that makes it capable of launching and running games in their ripped format, as well as run perfect emulation of NES/SNES and even Sega Genesis games. If you follow this, your 3DS will still run your existing games just fine; but the console will also have other capabilities that used to cost extra, if it was ever allowed at all.

We clear? We cool? Okay good, that’s the score, you’ve been duly advised. So let’s gather up what we’ll need, starting with-

Gearing Up

Hardware

The console (I mean, not to be rude but, duh..)

Nintendo 3DS LL (yeah yeah I know that’s an image of the XL, same diff)

Now you’ll need a SD card, or micro SD card with adapter. If you have one available, use a big one, around 64GB and up, i if you’re looking to build a large library. The card will be used for the hack files (some of which will stay onboard afterward), and the remaining space will be storage for the game dumps.

Note that 64GB is a good middle ground between space and performance. 32GB will allow the device to boot faster, but if you’re willing to forgive a few extra seconds of black screen, you can use 128GB without concern.

HELP! I can’t read this **** thing!

Language barrier during initial setup

The 3DS LL is, as mentioned already, a Japanese model. It does not support other languages on its own, and it only recognizes Japanese locales. If you do not understand the language, this may be a minor challenge that needs to be overcome, because you have to get into the bugger to retrieve the installed firmware version. To start, assuming you have a factory-reset system, you’ll need to go through that setup, so if you’re not familiar with the process, follow this graphic. Don’t worry about the language on the screen, as long as the layout you see on the screen seems to match up, you’re doing okay.

Also -and this is freaking cool- if you have an Android phone, get the Google Lens app. It can do realtime translation of whatever the camera sees. This is a really handy way to navigate a foreign language situation!

HELP! I don’t know which version firmware I have!

What version do I have?

The walkthrough process will need to know the device family you have, and the firmware version you already have installed. Follow these images to get the deets:

Did it work?

Different firmware versions require different hacks to break the firmware stability and wedge open the door to make it possible to drop in other stuff that effectively throws the door wide open and then takes it off the hinges.

You may find your first attempt at triggering the hack doesn’t yield the expected result; in fact it’s very likely not to work right away. These are hacks; they sometimes their effectiveness is just down to simple timing or luck. Follow the guide and repeat as it advises until you get the expected message or behavior.

Getting the Hack On

Now pop a new tab here: https://3ds.hacks.guide/
The site is a very clear step-by-step guide on how to perform the hack itself, depending on which model and firmware version you have in your hands.

Read the thing through, will ya? You need to understand what’s being done, how, and why. If you don’t know these things, you can get lost quickly.

The first actionable branch in this high tech Choose Your Own Adventure journey is to select your device and firmware version

Hack file download "gotcha"

Some components will have variants for each firmware revision series and/or region. In my device’s instance, I was directed to use the Sound/Hax method (the hack is in the form of an intentionally malformed media file that causes the glitch needed to get past the firmware restrictions). If you have a Japanese console and have multiple region options to choose from when downloading any files relating to this process, download the version offered for Japan region. Your device’s locked-in region will not be different until you perform the region swap, and that comes after this firmware chicanery is finished.

From here, you can follow the guide faithfully, like a bloodhound on the trail. Keep your nose to it and follow everything carefully. It’s not hard, just a bit fiddly with many steps involved. The guide is very well assembled and addresses a lot of common pitfalls as well.

When you’re done, CONGRATS! Now let’s go swap out the region so it’s a little easier for English-speaking folks to use, huh? You don’t have to do this, because the system will play all games from all regions now, but you will need to perform these last few steps if you expect the console UI to be in your language, too.

Go here: https://3ds.hacks.guide/region-changing

Just a little more file downloading, transferring, clicking and launching, and you’ll be all set to start dropping ROMS on the system!

All done? AWESOME! You are now fully hacked, patched and ready to rap! Now for the good part.

Details about content

> FILE_FORMAT:
You can find the ROMs as either .cia or .3ds format. .cia can be installed directly, .3ds works direct only with the Citra emulator or a 3rd party flashcart, neither of which you are working with, if you’re here. Just go get the .cia versions, or you can even download directly! (read on for that part)

> FILE_MOVING:
There are a few different ways to move files onto the SD card. One is via FTPD, another app that was installed during the hack process. This is a basic FTP server that you can connect to from another computer, and transfer the files. This method is sloooow. It’s a cute little gimmick, but highly impractical in my experience. Just take the SD card out of the 3DS, slap it into your PC, and copy the game files to the /cia folder on the card. (Make sure you extract them first, some downloads come with the files inside of a zip or other archive format).

>INSTALLING:
If you’re working with .cia files as recommended, then once you have the SD card back in the 3DS, launch the FBI app (wow, the ironic naming is getting a little crazy over here, huh?). D-pad moves the highlight, A selects, B goes back (read the bottom bar on the lower screen for reminders).

3DS bandwidth limitations

You could also download direct from HShop via its own app, or FBI using QR codes, too! Unfortunately, just as with FTPD, while the idea is really cool in theory, in practice it’s pretty slow, so you’ll spend less time installing if you just download a bunch, transfer to SD card from the PC, then install via FBI as described above. The original 3DS max network speed is about 600KB/s, new 3DS is capped at 1.2MB/s.
There’s nothing that can be done about these limitations; they stem from Nintendo using cheaper (but also less power-hungry) components. Even if a hardware hack were feasible, it would represent a lot of work, just to avoid moving the SD card between systems. Just move the card, it’s faster. 🙂

Now go check out that Universal Updater application that was installed alongside the other goodies. You can get a lots of emulators from there!

If you have a bunch of DS games you’d like to have more easily accessible, use the Universal Updater app, search for “NDS”, and install the DS Forwarded (has a narwhal for its icon). Run that app, and point it to the folder where you’re keeping your DS games. When you choose one or more games to “install”, what gets installed is a shortcut on the 3DS desktop that launches that game in the DS emulator. I started using folder organization pretty darn quick. 🙂

Specific Mods: DS Widescreen

The original DS had smaller, more squared aspect ratio screens, whereas the 3DS XL/LL of course have bigger, wider screens. Happily, there is a little mod we can apply to get some DS games running in wide format (not all of them support it) , without looking stretched or otherwise screwed up.

Compatible titles

007 – Blood Stone (USA/Canada/Europe/France/Germany)
101 Dolphin Pets (USA)
101 Shark Pets (USA)
101 Shark Pets (Europe)
AiRace (USA)
AiRace (Europe/Australia)
AiRace – Tunnel (USA)
AiRace – Tunnel (Europe/Australia)
American Dragon – Jake Long – Attack of the Dark Dragon (USA)
American Dragon – Jake Long (Europe)
ARC Style – Soccer! (Korea)
Asphalt – Urban GT (USA)
Asphalt – Urban GT (Europe)
Asphalt – Urban GT (Japan)
Asphalt – Urban GT 2 (USA/Europe)
Assassin’s Creed – Altair’s Chronicles (USA/Europe)
Assassin’s Creed II – Discovery (USA)
Assassin’s Creed II – Discovery (Europe)
ATV Wild Ride (USA)
Avalon Code (USA)
Avalon Code (Europe)
Avalon Code (Japan)
B-17 – Fortress in the Sky (USA)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers (USA)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers (Toys’R’Us Edition!) (USA)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers (Europe)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers (Toys’R’Us Edition!) (Europe)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers – Battle Trainer (USA)
Bakugan – Battle Brawlers – Battle Trainer (Europe)
Bakugan – Defenders of the Core (USA)
Bakugan – Defenders of the Core (Europe)
Bakugan Battle Brawlers DS – Defenders of the Core (Japan)
Battle of Giants – Dinosaurs (USA)
beebzDS
Combat of Giants – Dinosaurs (Europe)
Battle of Giants – Dinosaurs – Fight For Survival (USA)
Combat of Giants – Dinosaurs – Fight For Survival (Europe, Australia)
Ben 10 – Ultimate Alien – Cosmic Destruction (USA)
Ben 10 – Ultimate Alien – Cosmic Destruction (Europe)
Big Bass Arcade (USA)
Box Pusher (Europe)
Bratz Fashion Boutique (USA)
Brothers in Arms DS (USA)
Brothers in Arms DS (Europe)
C.O.P. – The Recruit (USA/Europe)
Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare (USA/Europe/France/Germany/Italy/Spain)
Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare (Japan)
Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare (Korea)
Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare (Chinese translation)
Call of Duty – World at War (USA/Europe/Korea/Chinese translation)
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare – Mobilized (USA/Europe/France/Germany/Italy/Spain)
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare – Mobilized (Chinese translation)
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare – Mobilized (Chinese translation)(Big Font)
Call of Duty – Black Ops (USA/France/Germany)
Call of Duty – Black Ops (Canada)
Call of Duty – Black Ops (Europe)
Call of Duty – Black Ops (Europe {Es,It})
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance (USA/Europe)
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance (France/Germany)
Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance (Europe {Es,It})
Cars 2 (USA)
Cartoon Network Racing DS (USA)
Cartoon Network Racing DS (Europe)
Chibi-Robo – Park Patrol (USA)
Sakasete! Chibi-Robo! (Japan)
Chicken Little – Ace in Action (USA/Europe)
Chicken Little – Uchuu Saikyou no Team (Japan)
Clash of Elementalists (USA/Europe)
Cookie & Cream (USA)
Cookie & Cream (Europe)
Kurikuri DS – Otasuke Island (Japan)
Crash of the Titans (USA)
Crash of the Titans (Europe)
Curling Super Championship (Europe)
Custom Robo Arena (USA)
Custom Robo Arena (Europe)
Gekitou! Custom Robo! (Japan)
Daniel X – The Ultimate Power (USA)
de Blob 2 (USA)
de Blob 2 (Europe)
Dementium – The Ward (USA)
Dementium – The Ward (Europe)
Dementium – The Ward (Russian translation)
Heisa Byoutou – Dementium (Japan)
Dementium II (USA/Europe)
Dementium II (Chinese translation)
Dementium II (Russian translation)
Tozasareta Byoutou – Dementium II (Japan)
Disgaea DS (USA)
Disgaea DS (Europe)
Makai Senki Disgaea – Makai no Ouji to Akai Tsuki (Japan)
Dirt 2 (USA)/Colin McRae – Dirt 2 (Europe)
Dragon Ball Kai – Ultimate Butou Den (Japan)
Dragon Ball Kai – Ultimate Butou Den (Traditional Chinese translation)
Dragon Ball Kai – Ultimate Butou Den (Simplified Chinese translation)
Dragon Quest IV – Chapters of the Chosen (USA)/Dragon Quest – The Chapters of the Chosen (Europe)
Dragon Quest IV – Chapters of the Chosen (Russian translation)
Dragon Quest IV – Michibikareshi Mono-tachi (Japan)
Dragon Quest V – Hand of the Heavenly Bride (USA)/Dragon Quest – The Hand of the Heavenly Bride (Europe)
Dragon Quest V – Hand of the Heavenly Bride (Russian translation)
Dragon Quest V – Tenkuu no Hanayome (Japan)
Dragon Quest VI – Realms of Revelation (USA)/Realms of Reverie (Europe)
Dragon Quest VI – Maboroshi no Daichi (Japan)
Dragon Quest IX – Sentinels of the Starry Skies (Europe)
Dragon Quest IX – Sentinels of the Starry Skies (USA)
Dragon Quest IX – Hoshizora no Mamoribito (Japan)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker (USA)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker (Europe)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker (Japan)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker (Chinese translation)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker 2 (USA/Europe)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker 2 (Japan)
Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker 2 – Professional (Japan)
Drone Tactics (USA)
Ducati Moto (USA/Europe)
Konchuu Wars (Japan)
Eragon (USA)
Eragon (Europe)
FabStyle (Japan)
Ferrari Challenge – Trofeo Pirelli (USA)
Ferrari Challenge – Trofeo Pirelli – European Series (Europe)
Ferrari GT – Evolution (USA)
Ferrari GT – Evolution (Europe, Australia)
FIFA Soccer 06 (USA)
FIFA 06 (Europe)
FIFA Soccer 08 (USA)/FIFA 08 (Europe)
FIFA 08 (Europe) (Rev 1)
FIFA 08 (Korea)
FIFA Soccer 11 (USA)
FIFA 11 (Europe)
FIFA Street 2 (USA/Europe)
Final Fantasy – The 4 Heroes of Light (USA)
Final Fantasy – The 4 Heroes of Light (Europe)
Hikari no 4 Senshi – Final Fantasy Gaiden (Japan)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Ring of Fates (USA/Europe)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Ring of Fates (Japan)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles – Echoes of Time (USA/Europe/Japan)
Final Fantasy III (USA)
Final Fantasy III (Europe)
Final Fantasy III (Japan)
Final Fantasy III (Russian translation)
Final Fantasy IV (USA)
Final Fantasy IV (Europe)
Final Fantasy IV (Japan)
Final Fantasy IV (Russian translation)
Fossil Fighters (USA)
Bokura wa Kaseki Horider (Japan)
Fossil Fighters Champions (USA)
Super Kaseki Horider (Japan) (/Rev 1)
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – Chaos Theory (Europe)
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – Chaos Theory (USA)
Frogger Returns (USA)
G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra (USA/Europe)
Gauntlet (USA/Europe)
Glory Days – Tactical Defense (USA/Europe)
GO Series – Undead Storm (USA/Europe)
Zomgeri Panic (Japan)
Golden Sun – Dark Dawn (USA)
Golden Sun – Dark Dawn (Europe)
Ougon no Taiyou – Shikkoku Naru Yoake (Japan)
Ougon no Taiyou – Shikkoku Naru Yoake (Chinese translation)
GoldenEye – 007 (USA/Canada/Europe/France/Germany/Italy/Spain)
Grand Theft Auto – Chinatown Wars (USA/Europe)
Grand Theft Auto – Chinatown Wars (Russian translation)
Grand Theft Auto – Chinatown Wars (Chinese translation)
Grand Theft Auto – Chinatown Wars (Japan)
Grid (USA)/Race Driver – Grid (Europe)
Herbie – Rescue Rally (USA/Europe)
Hero of Sparta (USA)
Hero of Sparta (Europe)
High School Musical – Makin’ the Cut! (USA)
High School Musical – Makin’ the Cut! (Europe)
High School Musical 3 – Senior Year (USA)
High School Musical 3 – Senior Year (Europe)
How to Train Your Dragon (USA/Europe {En,Fr}/Europe {Es,It})
Drachenzaehmen Leicht Gemacht (Germany)
The Idolm@ster – Dearly Stars (Japan)
Iron Man 2 (USA)
Iron Man 2 – The Video Game (Europe)
Jeopardy! (USA)
Jet Impulse (Japan/Chinese translation)
Johnny Test (USA)
Juiced 2 – Hot Import Nights (USA/Europe)
Kim Possible – Global Gemini (USA)
Kim Possible – Global Gemini (Europe)
Kingdom Hearts – 358-2 Days (USA/Japan)
Kingdom Hearts – 358-2 Days (Europe)
Kingdom Hearts – Re-coded (USA)
Kingdom Hearts – Re-coded (Europe)
Kingdom Hearts – Re-coded (Japan)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider – Legend (USA/Europe)
Legacy of Ys – Books I & II (USA)
Ys DS (Japan)
Ys II DS (Japan)
LEGO Rock Band (USA)
LEGO Rock Band (Europe)
Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa (USA)/Madagascar 2 (Canada/France/Germany/Italy/Netherlands/Spain/Sweden)
Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa (Europe)
Madden NFL 2005 (USA)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (USA/Europe)
Mario & Sonic at Beijing Olympic (Japan)
Mariowa Sonic – Beijing Olympic (Korea)
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (USA)
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (Chinese translation)
Mario Slam Basketball (Europe)
Mario Basketball 3 on 3 (Japan)
Mario Kart DS (USA/Europe/CTGP Nitro 0.0.1 – 1.1.0/Ermii Kart DS Legacy Edition) (Optional xdelta patch (USA and English only): https://www.dropbox.com/s/5111awpf08vtoag/mkdswide.xdelta3?dl=1)
Mario Kart DS (Japan)
Mario Kart DS (Simplified Chinese translation)
Mario Kart DS (Traditional Chinese translation)
Mario Kart DS (Korea)
Mario Kart DS (Kiosk Demo) (USA)
Marvel – Ultimate Alliance 2 (USA)
Marvel Super Hero Squad (USA/Europe {En,Fr,De,Nl})
Marvel Super Hero Squad (Europe {Es,It})
Marvel Super Hero Squad (Korea)
MechAssault – Phantom War (USA)
MechAssault – Phantom War (Europe)
Mega Man Star Force – Dragon/Leo/Pegasus (USA)
Mega Man Star Force – Dragon/Leo/Pegasus (Europe)
Ryuusei no Rockman – Green Dragon/Fire Leo/Ice Pegasus (Japan)
Mega Man Star Force 2 – Zerker x Ninja/Saurian (USA)
Mega Man Star Force 2 – Zerker x Ninja/Saurian (Europe)
Ryuusei no Rockman 2 – Berserk x Dinosaur/Shinobi (Japan)
Metroid Prime – Hunters – First Hunt (USA)
Metroid Prime – Hunters – First Hunt (Europe)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (USA)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (USA) (Rev 1)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (Europe)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (Europe) (Rev 1)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (Japan)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (Korea)
Metroid Prime – Hunters (Russian translation)
Mini Ninjas (USA)
Mini Ninjas (Europe)
Moon (USA)
Moon (Europe)
Moon (Chinese translation)
Moon (Russian translation)
moonshineDS
Moto Racing DS (USA)
Moto Racing DS (Europe)
MySims – Racing (USA)
MySims – Racing (Europe)
N+ (USA)
Naruto – Ninja Destiny (USA)
Naruto – Ninja Destiny – European Version (Europe)
Naruto – Shinobi Retsuden (Japan)
Need for Speed – Underground 2 (USA)
Need for Speed – Underground 2 (Europe)
Need for Speed Carbon – Own the City (USA/Europe)
Need for Speed – ProStreet (USA)/(USA) (Rev 1)/(Europe) (Rev 1)
Need for Speed – ProStreet (Europe)
Need for Speed – ProStreet (Korea)
Need for Speed – Nitro (USA/Europe)
Need for Speed – Nitro (Japan)
Need for Speed – Nitro-X (USA/Europe, Australia)
New International Track & Field (USA/Europe)
New International Hyper Sports (Japan)
New International Track & Field (Korea)
New Super Mario Bros. (USA/Chinese translation) (Requires xdelta patch here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5mrrwp92i7qq38f/nsmbws.xdelta?dl=0)
Nicktoons Unite! (USA)
SpongeBob SquarePants and Friends Unite! (Europe)
Nostalgia (USA)
Nostalgeo no Kaze (Japan)
Okamiden (USA/Europe)
Ookami Den – Chiisaki Taiyou (Japan)
Open Season (USA/Europe {En,Es,It,Nl}/Europe {En,Fr,De,Es,It,Sv,No,Da,Fi})
Orcs & Elves (USA/Europe)
Over the Hedge (USA)
Over the Hedge (Europe)/Vecinos Invasores (Spain)
Nos Voisins, les Hommes (France)/Ab durch die Hecke (Germany)
La Gang del Bosco (Italy)/Over the Hedge – Beesten bij de Buren (Netherlands)
Pac’n Roll (USA/Europe)
Pac’n Roll (Japan)
Pac’n Ball (Korea)
Pac-Man World 3 (USA)
Pac-Man World 3 (Europe)
The Penguins of Madagascar (USA)
The Penguins of Madagascar (Europe {En,Fr}/Europe {Es,It})
The Penguins of Madagascar (Europe {De,Nl})
The Penguins of Madagascar – Dr. Blowhole Returns Again! (USA/Europe {En,Fr}/Europe {Es,It})
The Penguins of Madagascar – Dr. Blowhole Returns Again! (Europe {De,Nl})
Phantasy Star 0 (USA/Europe)
Phantasy Star 0 (Japan)
Phantasy Star 0 Mini (Japan)
Pokémon – Diamond/Pearl Version (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – Version Diamant/Perle (France)/Diamant/Perl-Edition (Germany)/Versione Diamante/Perla (Italy)/Edicion Diamante/Perla (Spain)
Pocket Monsters – Diamond/Pearl (Japan)/(Japan) (Rev 5)
Pocket Monsters – Diamond/Pearl (Japan) (Rev 6)
Pocket Monsters DP – Dialga/Palkia (Korea)
Pokémon – Platinum Version (USA/USA Rev 1/Europe)
Pokémon – Version Platine (France)/Platin-Edition (Germany)/Versione Platino (Italy)/Edicion Platino (Spain)
Pocket Monsters – Platinum (Japan)
Pocket Monsters Pt – Giratina (Korea)
Pokémon – HeartGold/SoulSilver Version (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – Version Or HeartGold/Argent SoulSilver (France)/Edicion Oro HeartGold/Plata SoulSilver (Spain)
Pokémon – Goldene Edition HeartGold/Silberne Edition SoulSilver (Germany)
Pokémon – Versione Oro HeartGold/Argento SoulSilver (Italy)
Pocket Monsters – HeartGold/SoulSilver (Japan)
Pocket Monsters – HeartGold/SoulSilver (Korea)
Pokémon – Black Version (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – White Version (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – Version Noire (France)
Pokémon – Version Blanche (France)
Pokémon – Schwarze Edition (Germany)
Pokémon – Weisse Edition (Germany)
Pokémon – Versione Nera (Italy)
Pokémon – Versione Bianca (Italy)
Pokémon – Edicion Negra/Blanca (Spain)
Pocket Monsters – Black (Japan)
Pocket Monsters – White (Japan)
Pocket Monsters – Black/White (Korea)
Pokémon – Black Version 2 (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – White Version 2 (USA/Europe)
Pokémon – Version Noire 2 (France)
Pokémon – Version Blanche 2 (France)
Pokémon – Schwarze Edition 2 (Germany)
Pokémon – Weisse Edition 2 (Germany)
Pokémon – Versione Nera 2 (Italy)
Pokémon – Versione Bianca 2 (Italy)
Pokémon – Edicion Negra 2 (Spain)
Pokémon – Edicion Negra 2 (Spain) (Randomized)
Pokémon – Edicion Blanca 2 (Spain)
Pocket Monsters – Black 2 (Japan)
Pocket Monsters – White 2 (Japan)
Pocket Monsters – Black 2 (Korea)
Pocket Monsters – White 2 (Korea)
Pocket Monsters – Black 2 (Chinese translation)
Pocket Monsters – White 2 (Chinese translation)
Pop Island (USA)
Pop Island (Europe)
Pop Island – Paperfield (USA)
Pop Island – Paperfield (Europe)
Prey the Stars (USA)
Prey the Stars – Gabu Gabu Planet (Europe)
Gabu Gabu Planet (Japan)
Race Driver – Create & Race (USA/Europe)/V8 Supercars Australia 3 – Create & Race (Australia)/DTM Race Driver 3 – Create & Race (Germany)
Rafa Nadal Tennis (USA)
Rafa Nadal Tennis (Europe)
Rayman DS (USA)
Rayman DS (Europe)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (USA)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (Europe)
Real Soccer 2009 (USA)
Remote Racers (USA/Europe, Australia)
Ridge Racer DS (USA/Europe/Chinese translation)
Rock Band 3 (USA/Europe)
SBK – Snowboard Kids (USA)
SBK – Snowboard Kids (Europe)
Snowboard Kids Party (Japan)
Sega Superstars Tennis (USA)
Sega Superstars Tennis (Europe)
Sideswiped (USA)
Clash King V201 (Japan)
The Sims 2 (USA)
The Sims 2 (Europe)
The Sims 2 – Hachamecha Hotel Life (Japan)
Thorium Wars (USA)
Thorium Wars (Europe)
Skate It! (USA/Europe)
Sokoban DS (Europe)
Solatorobo – Red the Hunter (USA)
Solatorobo – Red the Hunter (Europe)
Solatorobo – Sorekara Coda e (Japan)
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (USA/Europe)
Spectrobes – Beyond the Portals (USA)
Spectrobes – Beyond the Portals (Europe)
Chou Kaseki Monster Battle – Gekitotsu Galaxy (Japan)
Speed Racer – The Videogame (USA)
Speed Racer – The Videogame (Europe)
Speed Racer (Japan)
Spider-Man – Web of Shadows (USA/Europe {En,Fr,De}/Europe {Es,It})
Spider-Man – Web of Shadows (Russian translation)
Spider-Man – Shattered Dimensions (USA/Europe)
Spider-Man – Shattered Dimensions (Russian translation)
SpongeBob’s Boating Bash (USA)
SpongeBob’s Boating Bash (Europe {En,De}/Europe {En,Es})
Star Fox Command (USA)
Star Fox Command (Europe)
Star Fox Command (Japan)
Star Trek – Tactical Assault (USA)
Star Trek – Tactical Assault (Europe)
Star Wars – Battlefront – Elite Squadron (USA)
Star Wars – Battlefront – Elite Squadron (Europe {En,Fr}/Europe {Es,It})
Star Wars – Battlefront – Elite Squadron (Germany)
Star Wars – The Force Unleashed (USA/Europe)
Star Wars – The Force Unleashed (Japan)
Star Wars – The Force Unleashed (Korea)
Steal Princess (USA)
Steal Princess – Touzoku Koujo (Japan)
Submarine – Tech Demo
Super Mario 64 DS (USA) (Rev 0)
Super Mario 64 DS (USA) (Rev 1) (Optional xdelta patch: https://www.dropbox.com/s/viu9iintn9ozirt/sm64ws.xdelta?dl=1)
Super Mario 64 DS (Europe)
Super Mario 64 DS (Japan) (Rev 0)
Super Mario 64 DS (Japan) (Rev 1)
Super Mario 64 DS (Korea)
Super Mario Galaxy DS (2017)
Super Mario Gakaxy DS (2017)(BigModel)
Shenyou Maliou DS (China)
Shenyou Maliou DS (China)(Hacked for remove iQue Only)
Super Monkey Ball – Touch and Roll (USA)
Super Monkey Ball – Touch and Roll (Europe)
Super Monkey Ball DS (Japan)
Tales of Hearts – Anime/CG Movie Edition (Japan)
Tales of Innocence (Japan)
Tales of Innocence (Chinese translation)
Tenchu – Dark Secret (USA)
Tenchu – Dark Secret (Europe {En,Es,It}/Europe {En,Fr,De})
Tenchu – Dark Shadow (Japan)
Tomb Raider – Underworld (USA)
Tomb Raider – Underworld (Europe {En,Es,It})
Tomb Raider – Underworld (Europe {En,Fr,De,Nl})
Tomb Raider – Underworld (Russian translation)
Top Spin 3 (USA)
Top Spin 3 (Europe)
Top Spin 3 (Japan)
TrackMania Turbo (USA)
TrackMania Turbo (Europe)
TRON – Evolution (USA)
TRON – Evolution (Europe {En,Fr,De,Es,It,Nl})
TRON – Evolution (Europe {En,Sv,No,Da})
True Swing Golf (USA)
Nintendo Touch Golf – Birdie Challenge (Europe)
Otona no DS Golf (Japan)
A Little Bit of… Nintendo Touch Golf (Europe, Australia)
Unknown Soldier – Mokuba no Houkou (Japan/Traditional Chinese translation)
Unknown Soldier – Mokuba no Houkou (Simplified Chinese translation)
Wheel of Fortune (USA)
The Wizard of Oz – Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (USA)
Riz-Zoawd (Japan)
WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2010 featuring ECW (USA/Europe)
X-Men Origins – Wolverine (USA)
X-Men Origins – Wolverine (Europe)
X-Scape (USA)/3D Space Tank (Europe, Australia)/X-Returns (Japan)
Zombie Shiki – Eigo Ryoku Sosei Jutsu – English of the Dead (Japan)

NOTES:

If some regions are combined in one line, that means the ROMs use the same cheat as one region.
Only clean unhacked ROMs work with widescreen, unless a patch has been created for that hacked ROM.

You need to make sure you have the following set up first:

* Modded 3DS XL/LL (again… duh.)
* Universal Updater

Open Universal Updater from your HOME Menu
Install the TWPatch package
- If your console is unable to access the Internet, you can download TWPatch.cia directly, then install it with FBI
Return to the HOME menu and launch TWPatch
- If you get a message which says Can't open /luma/exeTWL.bin, then use TWLFix-CFW to fix broken TWL mode
Hold Y + B to open the patch menu and enable Widescreen patch (384x240 16:10)
(Optional!) For a less pixelated widescreen, also enable GPU scaling (blurry, no filters)
Press B to exit the patch menu
Press START to generate a TwlBg.cxi file with widescreen
- If the top screen doesn’t indicate that wide patch is enabled, start from step 3 again
Move TwlBg.cxi from sd:/luma/sysmodules/ to sd:/_nds/TWiLightMenu/TwlBg/ (create TwlBg folder, if it doesn’t exist), and rename the file to Widescreen.cxi
Restart your 3DS while holding SELECT to open Luma3DS’s configuration
Enable external FIRMs and modules, then press START to save and quit
Open TWiLight Menu++, press Y on your desired game to bring up the per-game settings, and set Screen Aspect Ratio to 16:10

You’re all done! Enjoy your DS games in widescreen!

NOTES:

Do not hold START or SELECT when launching TWLMenu++, if you don’t want widescreen to look glitched
Not every game is widescreen compatible. Here is a list of games with widescreen support
If you’re stuck in widescreen mode in all of TWL_FIRM (including the TWLMenu++ GUI) after following this guide and launching a widescreen-compatible game, delete TwlBg.cxi at sd:/luma/sysmodules/.
- If the problem persists, uninstall and re-install TWiLight Menu++, and re-follow the above guide, as well as using the original build of Luma
Most widescreen patches will only adjust 3D elements for widescreen, 2D elements (such as menus) will only be stretched
Luma3DS must be loaded from the SD card, if widescreen isn’t working ensure that you have boot.firm in the root of your SD