Nintendo DSi Homebrew... Yes, It Is Possible!

When I first heard about Nintendo's new DSi handheld, I was overjoyed. I've been a long time Nintendo DS fan. Especially when it came to being able to use the R4 DS to download and play thousands of free Nintendo DS Homebrew Roms and applications. As soon as it hit the Japanese Market, I rushed to order one online and waited eagerly for it to arrive. I was ready to start using the built in Camera, and of course, to try all of my homebrew games and applications on the slightly bigger screen.

Nintendo DS Homebrew Roms and applications are created by programmers, released for free, and there are literally thousands of games, many of commercial quality - that can be downloaded absolutely free. All you need is a flash card like the R4 DS or TTDS and a microSD Card. Why would people make and give away games for free? I suppose the same reason that

Ubuntu linux is released for free, for everyone to use. They like making software, and like putting it out there for everyone to see and enjoy.

With my R4 DS in hand, and thousands of games and applicatons to try, I couldn't wait to get the DSi into my hands.

To my complete dissapontent, neither the R4 DS or the TTDS would work with my new Nintendo DSi console. No matter which Nintendo DS Homebrew Roms or applications I put on the card, it simply was not recognized. So I did what any self respecting internet user would do and I fired up Google to find out just what could be going on.

With the release of the new Nintendo DSi console, many homebrew developers were concerned and wondered whether Nintendo's newest handheld would be able to run the thousands of free homebrew games and applications that have been developed for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite. They worked hard on their homebrew applications and were concerned that the next generation of Nintendo DS owners wouldn't be able to enjoy them. Their concerns were well founded - at least for a little while.

As it turned out, the Nintendo DSi was slightly different and Nintendo DS in that it somehow, whether intentionally or not, made the R4 DS unusable, or rather, not recognized. It's not that the Nintendo DSi couldn't play the homebrew games or load homebrew applications, it was just the the R4 DS card was not recognized as a Nintendo DS Cartridge, the same way it was when you put it into the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite.

There have been some huge advances however. If you're one of the lucky people that got their hands on a Nintendo DSi, fret not, or should I say fret no longer? While homebrew on the Nintendo DSi seemed as if though would never happen, it has since been made possible by the hard work of two manufacturers. While the choices for Nintendo DSi flash carts is somewhat limited, the two or three that are available at absolutely fantastic. All of them work just like the very popular R4 DS flash card for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite. The first of the bunch is the EZFlash Vi. It works exactly the same way that the R4 DS worked on the Nintendo DS and DSi. If you're looking for a unit that was available on the Nintendo DS, but has been upgraded to the DSi, then the AceKard 2i 2i is for you.

Both of these units were made specifically for the Nintendo DSi - however, both are backwards compatible and will work equally as well on the Nintendo DS / DS lite console. If you currently have a Nintendo DS, but are thinking about upgrading to the Nintendo DSi soon, then the R4 DS would not be the unit I recommend as the R4 DS only works on the Nintendo DS and DS lite consoles, but does not work on the new Nintendo DSi systems.

So, grab your DSi, and get your hands on an EZFlash Vi or an AceKard 2i and let the games begin!

Want to find out more about the R4 DS or the AceKard 2i ? Then make sure to visit http://www.ModChipStore.com - The official North American Distributor for the R4 DS and AcekArd 2i