Homebrew software for the Nintendo DS and DSi

Flash cards have been around for a long as the Nintendo DS. Early versions were used as development platforms for game designers. After the public realized flash card technology expanded the portable gaming experience, these devices became must have accessories. Instead of being satisfied with the limitations of a cartridge based game system, flash cards freed users from the DS software limitations plus they could store their entire game collections onto a single cartridge. Flash cards also inspired a whole new generation of programmers to write code for the DS and the results have pushed the technology considerably. The Nintendo DS is no longer merely a game console. Now it also has multimedia capabilities and ever growing library of software from the homebrew community.

Moonshell is the most famous piece of homebrew software for the DS. When you purchase a flash card, chances are it already supports and runs Moonshell. Moonshell is a multimedia program that allows users to play music, watch movies and even read text files. The latest offering, Moonshell v2, really pushes the envelope. There are a bunch of cool plugins available that allow users to do anything from watch YouTube videos on their DS to emulate old video game systems.

As if access to the entire DS game library was not enough, Moonshell plugins will allow you to play old Gameboy Advance, NES and Neo-Geo games. If you still want more, a quick search will land you any other emulator you desire. SNEmulDS is the exciting new Super Nintendo emulator everyone is talking about, jEnesisDS emulates Sega Genesis games and for all you Turbografx 16 fans, there is NitroGrafx. The game libraries from all these consoles combined is ridiculously huge and will keep gamers happy for a long, long time.

But the homebrew movement is so much more than just games. These hobby programmers have unleashed an army of useful utilities for us to enjoy. There are internet browsers, music software, eBook readers, social networking apps that allow you to Twitter or update Facebook and several instant messaging programs and chat applications as well. You can spend days in the file libraries these dedicated programmers have created. There are iPod emulators, alarm clocks that wake you up with your own MP3 music and even applications that keep you up to date on the latest weather reports. Needless to say, the wireless features on the Nintendo DS have been put to good use. In fact, there are even apps to help sniff out all the wireless networks within range of your DS.

It is a safe bet that flash cards will be around as long as Nintendo keeps releasing cartridge based technologies. The benefits, convenience and competing flash card companies keep the prices low enough for everyone to enjoy. There is a bit of a learning curve when you start playing around with homebrew applications but the community is incredibly supportive and informative. There are tons of tutorials and videos to help anyone get up and running in the exciting, thriving world of DS homebrew.

Here are a few popular homebrew games and utilities:

Games