Best way to play DS games (larger)

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evil_ash_xero
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Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by evil_ash_xero »

I'm wanting to play my original DS games on a larger screen. I recall hearing that the 3DS messes up their aspect ratio, when you don't have it in "native resolution mode".
Does the DSi play the games in their original aspect ratio, while having a larger screen? I don't know anything about that system.
My eyesight has been going downhill, so this is kind of necessary. Also, my hands were always a bit too large to play the DS, comfortably.

Also, does the DSi have that type of "Wii Plastic"? If so, can anyone recommend a shell or skin for it? If not, is it just some kind of other shiny plastic, that can be cleaned without
scuffing it all up?
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Guspaz
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Guspaz »

The DSi screens are exactly the same resolution and aspect ratio, there's no scaling involved.

The absolute largest screen that can play original DS games is the DSi XL. It's quite a bit larger than the DS/DSi, which sounds like it'd be a better fit for you.

All of the plastic on my DSi XL is matte except for the back of the display (the top flip-up bit), which is glossy. None of the parts you hold are glossy.

Keep in mind that the DSi doesn't have a GBA slot, it will only play original DS games. That said, there are a million ways to get GBA games on a TV, so it's not really a big deal.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by bobrocks95 »

Aspect ratio is correct on the 3DS, but the scaling doesn't look great with such a low resolution panel to work with. Holding start or select when you launch a DS game removes the scaling and does a 1:1 mapping, though that's small even on a 3DS XL.

The DSi XL has vibrant IPS screens and a nice textured matte finish on the lower half. It feels more premium imo than any other Nintendo handheld, I'm guessing since it was aimed at more of an adult audience in the marketing at the time.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by spmbx »

Dsixl for original hardware and games, no alternative.
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6t8k
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by 6t8k »

If you want to consider playing on a stationary display / laptop:

There are the Katsukity and Loopy (3)DS hardware mods that branch off the handheld's audio and video signals through an USB connection and make them viewable on your PC by means of proprietary viewing software. But those have their own quirks, and aren't really available anymore. MLiG published a good overview last year: click

Showing more promise, Woozle is working on a DS consolizer, here's the thread.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by bobrocks95 »

6t8k wrote:If you want to consider playing on a stationary display:

There are the Katsukity and Loopy (3)DS hardware mods that branch off the handheld's audio and video signals through an USB connection and make them viewable on your PC by means of proprietary viewing software. But those have their own quirks, and aren't really available anymore. MLiG published a good overview last year: click

Showing more promise, Woozle is working on a DS consolizer, here's the thread.
Still really curious how input will be handled with Woozle's consolizer. The only thing I can really come up with is having to hold the DS and use its touch screen, which is... eh...
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by 6t8k »

Woozle wrote:
bobrocks95 wrote:Really curious what the controller options would be besides just using the DS. I'd really prefer to not have to cramp my hands with a portable ever again!
There will be plenty of controller options.
Could it support a USB mouse and overlay a cursor as long as the mouse is moved? That would require emulating "touched" coordinates from the screen and injecting that into the appropriate place.
has no idea if something like that would be possible :P
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by evil_ash_xero »

Sounds like the DSi XL is what I am looking for. Thanks for the recommends.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by evil_ash_xero »

I got a Super Mario Bros 25th Anniversary Edition (new!). This is a thing a beauty. The screen is WAY bigger. I think I'm going to try and tackle Contra 4 again, now that my
hands aren't so cramped, and I can see the screen better. I could never beat it on Hard mode.

So, this thing has been jailbroken? Is it any harder to do than the 3DS? The DSi shop is shut down now, isn't it?
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Woozle »

bobrocks95 wrote:
6t8k wrote:If you want to consider playing on a stationary display:

There are the Katsukity and Loopy (3)DS hardware mods that branch off the handheld's audio and video signals through an USB connection and make them viewable on your PC by means of proprietary viewing software. But those have their own quirks, and aren't really available anymore. MLiG published a good overview last year: click

Showing more promise, Woozle is working on a DS consolizer, here's the thread.
Still really curious how input will be handled with Woozle's consolizer. The only thing I can really come up with is having to hold the DS and use its touch screen, which is... eh...
SNES controller for games that don't use much touch input, controllers with an analog stick and a "touch cursor" on the TV for games that require touch input.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by qjkxbmwvz »

Obviously, the correct answer is to stack two PVMs and use Touchless Touch or something like that with the lower one.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by bobrocks95 »

Woozle wrote:
bobrocks95 wrote:
6t8k wrote:If you want to consider playing on a stationary display:

There are the Katsukity and Loopy (3)DS hardware mods that branch off the handheld's audio and video signals through an USB connection and make them viewable on your PC by means of proprietary viewing software. But those have their own quirks, and aren't really available anymore. MLiG published a good overview last year: click

Showing more promise, Woozle is working on a DS consolizer, here's the thread.
Still really curious how input will be handled with Woozle's consolizer. The only thing I can really come up with is having to hold the DS and use its touch screen, which is... eh...
SNES controller for games that don't use much touch input, controllers with an analog stick and a "touch cursor" on the TV for games that require touch input.
Cool stuff! Also curious if Wii U Gamepad support was ever considered or looked into.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

Is the status of Nintendo DS emulation for PC so bad that it doesn't get even a mention here as an option? There's software to make the PC display at the DS' native resolutions on CRTs, as you'll know.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Woozle »

bobrocks95 wrote:Cool stuff! Also curious if Wii U Gamepad support was ever considered or looked into.
I considered making a replacement pcb for the wii u gamepad that is basically an HDMI receiver + data link for control/touch data, but with gamepad being tied to a wii u console I'd feel bad rendering the paired wii U useless. Maybe I can make a small external pcb that mounts to the back of the gamepad that snoops the controller/touch data and multiplexes the screen.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Lawfer »

qjkxbmwvz wrote:Obviously, the correct answer is to stack two PVMs and use Touchless Touch or something like that with the lower one.
You won't even be able to use such a setup since the DS Consolizer won't have Analog outputs and it won't even feature dual HDMI outputs.

Image

I have an IS NITRO CAPTURE and I have found DS games (besides very few exceptions like the Dragon Quest games and Chrono Trigger) to basically be unplayable without dual outputs.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Woozle »

Lawfer wrote:
qjkxbmwvz wrote:Obviously, the correct answer is to stack two PVMs and use Touchless Touch or something like that with the lower one.
You won't even be able to use such a setup since the DS Consolizer won't have Analog outputs and it won't even feature dual HDMI outputs.

I have an IS NITRO CAPTURE and I have found DS games (besides very few exceptions like the Dragon Quest games and Chrono Trigger) to basically be unplayable without dual outputs.
On a reasonably large TV stacking the screens gives you ~20" per screen which is as much as stacking two 20" PVMs will give. Not to mention rotated display modes. There may also be dual screen output ;)
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Lawfer »

Woozle wrote:On a reasonably large TV stacking the screens gives you ~20" per screen which is as much as stacking two 20" PVMs will give.
That's just going by my experience with DS games from playing on a 19" CRT, 17" LED and 46" LED, mind you I don't have a display that's 65" or 75". I don't know how the DS Consolizer will output the picture of course since it's not out, but with the IS Nitro Capture two stacked screens on a single output is a no go since the resulting screens are way too small, also the resulting picture is uglier than with a single screen output and it's alot of wasted screen space (it's pillarboxed obviously).

Woozle wrote:Not to mention rotated display modes.
Now that's a feature that I find kind of interesting, but not for the reason that you might think, the reason is that there are a few games that do not have a standard screen orientation, see this picture for an example:

Image

See it is using a vertical format, so on an IS Nitro Capture, Partner-CTR Capture (or an DS Consolizer), the picture will be sideways (unless you are willing to rotate your displays, which is not an option for everybody depending on their setup), but with the rotated display mode from the DS Consolizer, you will be to play these few games whitout having to rotate your display, I would think.

Woozle wrote:Not to mention rotated display modes. There may also be dual screen output ;)
Hum, maybe there could be options offered? People would be able to choose between a cheaper option if they only need a Single HDMI Output or a Dual HDMI output option at an additional cost?
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Guspaz »

Rotated mode would be more for vertical stacking of the screens on computer monitors, since most decent computer monitors can be rotated on their stands. The number of people with rotatable computer monitors would be many orders of magnitude higher than then insignificant niche of people with two or more 20" PVMs.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by 6t8k »

Woozle wrote:SNES controller for games that don't use much touch input, controllers with an analog stick and a "touch cursor" on the TV for games that require touch input.
Moving a cursor with an analog stick seems natural, on the other hand I wonder if that will allow for a workable speed/accuracy tradeoff. Some of the more hectic minigames that make use of the touchscreen come to mind, e.g. from the Mario & Luigi series. One could adjust sensitivity, but increasing that will be to the detriment of accuracy.

Edit: maybe reserving an extra button for an ad-hoc, marked increase in sensitivity could emulate lifting of the stylus.
Edit²: directly tying the cursor's position to the analog stick's deflection vector, instead of pushing it across the screen like a mouse would, may be better.
Last edited by 6t8k on Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Lawfer
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Lawfer »

Guspaz wrote:Rotated mode would be more for vertical stacking of the screens on computer monitors, since most decent computer monitors can be rotated on their stands. The number of people with rotatable computer monitors would be many orders of magnitude higher than then insignificant niche of people with two or more 20" PVMs.
PVMs? You do know the DS Consolizer is HDMI-only, right?
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Guspaz »

Yes, but you seem to keep insisting that it should let you stack PVMs even though it's an ultra-niche use case. The argument doesn't really change for digital outputs, though. Rotation support is enormously more important than dual HDMI outputs. Most people with good 27" monitors can rotate, but few people have two or more monitors.
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by evil_ash_xero »

So, no comments on the jailbreak?

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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by bobrocks95 »

Woozle wrote:
bobrocks95 wrote:Cool stuff! Also curious if Wii U Gamepad support was ever considered or looked into.
I considered making a replacement pcb for the wii u gamepad that is basically an HDMI receiver + data link for control/touch data, but with gamepad being tied to a wii u console I'd feel bad rendering the paired wii U useless. Maybe I can make a small external pcb that mounts to the back of the gamepad that snoops the controller/touch data and multiplexes the screen.
Interesting! I'd say it's worth looking into just because at least a decent number of games probably won't be playable without a true stylus on a touch screen. And, well, I could certainly use another reason to actually use the Wii U Gamepad.

Don't suppose any useful data lines are available on that unused extension port on the bottom of the Gamepad?
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Re: Best way to play DS games (larger)

Post by Kyusha »

New 3DS XL for me, screen just as big as the DSi XL and you get the joystick.
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