melonDS Emulator Setup Tutorial 2023 - Nintendo DS on Windows PC!

melonDS - melonds.kuribo...
BIOS & Firmware - emulation.game...
Educational Purposes DS Games - vimm.net/vault/DS
Hey y'all here's another emulation tutorial video. This one is about the melonDS emulator, which I absolutely adore. It truly feels like a labor of love. It also runs DS games flawlessly! Get to playing Pokemon or Mario 64

[@TheCactuar124]

As of version 0.9.4, BIOS and firmware files are not required for DS mode.

[@DannyBrooks-nm1qd]

what about 0.9.5 would that version not need it or does it?

[@DannyBrooks-nm1qd]

@TotallyNotArkk thx tho is there anyway to optimize MelonDS? cause every now & again it slows down it gets annoying

[@noasusen2958]

thank you so much

[@SacredCerulean]

What type of file do you need to play the games

[@rickets5094]

​@@SacredCeruleannds

[@ImpendingApotheosis]

Great guide, everything was very clear and well laid out. Thanks for uploading this!

[@MineSwifi]

how do i save the game? in melonds im playing pokemon white

[@skyliaan6247]

For anyone that is having issues that you cannot save state or that your settings in general do not save, when you launch melonDS (for the first time i believe) run it as administator and it will create an .ini file where your settings will be saved for the future.

[@itsstingxd6213]

When I click the link in the description to download the BIOS & Firmware files, it's not downloading a zip file it's downloading the NDS Firmware & BIOs .7z file and I can't find the two bios files and firnware files anymore, am I doing something wrong?

[@xGlacierAnge1x]

Just for the record Vimm's Lair is pretty much dead in terms of Nintendo Stuff as Nintendo went after it recently so don't bother going there.

[@jacobtrujillo2348]

Why dose mine keep saying ds arm9 bios was not found check ur emu settings

[@Emiliano88888]

when i download the bios files, its in the for of a .7z file. How can i fix this?

[@Charliezard7]

works the same as any other zip file

[@SoreTv]

I’m currently downloading every ds game I can find online, I’ve found some collections but they’re not quite complete, so I’m going to add my own collection online. If you’re wondering, I’m at about 3.5Tb of NDS games so far.

[@billsmith9249]

is that including 3ds games as well?

[@SoreTv]

@@billsmith9249 that’s just DS games, they’ve been extracting for 42 hours straight now, with another 10-11 hours left. I have 0 3ds games right now, those will be after the psp games. (I have a shit load of storage specifically for ROMs) Shit, wait. Those are the wii and GC games, in that case I have no idea how much space the DS games have taken up. I’ve got about 30Tb dedicated to ROMs but my latest drive is about filled up, going to buy a 22Tb in a week or so

[@popcatgaemr]

@@SoreTv dear god didn't know someone could be so dedicated to roms lmao

[@SoreTv]

@@popcatgaemr I’ve got damn near 10Tb of games in ROMs alone. I’ve bought nearly 1000 games on steam alone, and I have a couple other store fronts as well, though steam is my main one. It’s mostly for archival but also for if anything happens and there’s some crash or societal collapse I’ll still have all the games I could ever want. I’m a prepper lol. Edit: and yes, every single one is downloaded and ready to go offline. Plus, I have the flash game archive installed, which was another 3 some terabytes of storage, and that’s roughly 150k flash games and 26k flash animations. I’m set for about 3 life times with games 😂

[@SoreTv]

@Vile Disturbance 🇷🇺 🫡

[@bellaF]

slay

[@Dani_1012]

I want to Thank You so much! I was thinking of getting the cartridges because things seemed complicated but your video was so easy to follow (granted, it did take me 40 minutes because I was a little confused at some point but I'm way past that). Currently downloading my favorite games, I'm so glad to have a piece of my childhood back

[@BagelFrog]

This is such an amazing guid, short, to the point. Thank you, this really helps

[@Zxchxryy]

Hey everyone, just a heads up for those who are currently playing on Melonds! I learned the hard way when I went to try and organize my folder to have all my SAV files in it, going back to the emulator start up all of the NDS files do not find the SAV files so it acts as if you've never played the games yet. You have to restart and you lose your saved data. I was deep into Soul Silver but now I lost everything. Just a heads up for those who think the files piled up is an eyesore and you wanted to organize them. DON"T! - Zach

[@JuansGotThis]

hey man just wanted to say THANK YOU ! seriously super straight forward. ive been trying other videos and i just get lost. not really good at following tutorials and yours was just so easy to follow ! THANKS

[@axolotl-guy9801]

There is no sound when I play. Also how do I do the settings/controls like you did and how do save (is it automaticly)?

[@SRN_RANGER]

Have you figured out how to fix the sound?

[@mannyy_ishere]

when i try to download the bios & firmware, it doesn’t do a zip. it downloads just a normal file that just contains a bunch of random, weird characters. Anyone know why?

[@inktirrell5016]

Thx Man I Really Wanted To Play Pokemon Mystery Dungeon For A Long Time Im Thankful :)

[@elioridacow]

4:11 It's cool! To be fair these DS games are becoming lost media so I don't think it's a big deal at all, I mean it is the only way to play it these days

[@EveryweekRandoms]

On my end it seems to have a stutter on games and the audio is bad. Any suggestions?

[@SoreTv]

If you’re still having problems, check the audio settings. Mess around with them for a bit and if the problem still persists your pc/laptop may not be powerful enough. If that’s the case, use desmume, it’s a lighter program but you’ll miss out on online multiplayer.

[@typicalmod8550]

Thanks, i wanted to use another emulator and this one is perfect

[@gigaswardblade7261]

the files download as .7z onto my computer by default. is there a way to download them as a normal zip file without having to get 7zip?

[@gigaswardblade7261]

@@deadrat i downloaded 7zip about 2 days after this when i found out 7zip was free

[@deadrat]

@@gigaswardblade7261 oh cool

[@OGVisionary]

Any viruses? I’m really trying to find out for me and my friends.

[@-_soy_-888]

Is there a way to use the emulator while the window is inactive? and do you know if there is a way to have the top and bottom screens be split into two different windows?

[@coryparrish525]

Mine doesn't work. Crashes ANY time I load a rom. Please explain.

[@sailoremma]

Everytime i try to download the bios & firmware, it doesnt seem to download correctly or allow me to rename files/open them/etc. Everything else on my MelonDS is working (like configuring keys & whatnot) but I'm at a loss with the addtl. downloads. I've tried the website you linked and a few others, and i have 7zip downloaded. I dont know what to do :(

[@aidan9563]

im new to melonds, ive heard from many people it doesnt use bios anymore that could be ur problem

[@YisuselPrime]

When I click on OpenGL, the emulator closes, what do I do?

[@MoltenCat]

this is honestly very "educational" lol thank you for this you deserve the world

[@konubi3405]

Do u maybe know how to sprint in holding b button but it doesnt works 😭💀

[@konubi3405]

Never mind i didnt play pokemon black and white for like 2 years and i forgot that u have to get running shoes to be able to run😭

[@iggy4143]

In Phantom Hourglass you need to fold the DS in order to solve a puzzle. How do I emulate that?

[@SenseiArima11]

You know what you gotta do now man😤

[@germanmejor]

I have a problem with the audio playing Inamuza Eleven 2

[@kanedytham4597]

please, anyone, i sold my 3ds 4 or 5 years ago but just came across all my pokemon games i thought I lost is their some kind of accessory i can buy to play original ds and 3ds cartridges on my pc instead of forking out on 3ds all over again please help 🙏

[@Slippereater24]

btw sharing bios files are not allowed pretty sure

[@leonel7044]

i fucking love you man

[@blackaua]

Not sure if anyone will notice my comment, but I need some help. I install the game exactly as explained in the video, but I am unable to save the game either as a save file or save state. I am unsure what additional steps are needed to save the DS games, or if there is some fault with installation.

[@Sweetpete9]

I haven’t downloaded yet but I will coment a solution once I figure out for u

[@klyandchppy]

How do you play GBA games on this emulator?

[@R1IY2N]

Just use mGBA

[@awzumzap3634]

I mirror what you do step by step but when I try to launch the game melonds just crashes instantly, im so confused as to what could have gone wrong :/

[@-originalLemon-]

It's a bad emulator, that's why it sucks, I've tried playing Pokemon with it and the sound is bad, and the fps count also sucks, drastic is better.

[@gior987]

@@-originalLemon- is there drastic for pc? is it fast?

[@YisuselPrime]

@@gior987 Drastic is only for android, if you want to play on pc you need an android emulator

[@hardcoreboyish2]

i have a problem with mine its slow and lagging i am not sure how to fix this

[@amimirmimir512]

you can have 3X the frame rate on phineas and ferb across the second dimension with hd resolution

[@Nobody_Shroom]

PERFECT!!!!

[@amimirmimir512]

@@Nobody_Shroom the main reason is because of the CPU of the ds being hard to emulate it's run a thousand times faster if it did t have a weird cpu

[@hossammoah]

I have a question. How do I update the emulator to the latest version?

[@pokemoncard9073]

Do you know any other ways to increase performance? I can run most 3DS games on Citra at 2 to 3x res but melonDS lags at 1x res , I'm using OpenGL and I'm playing Sonic Rush (Edit 1: MKDS is running much better I'm mostly getting 60 FPS at 4x res) (Edit 2: I'm using Retroarch now it is running much better now consistent 60 fps at 3x res)

[@popularjib8911]

How do you save in game. I can't find the option for it

[@savagehunter4772]

Bro thank you so much 🙏 😢

[@zevanpp5152]

can someone help me ?? i have a problem with it i did exactly the same than in the video but when i start the game on Melon it instant shut down idk whyy

[@xGlacierAnge1x]

I likewise keep running into the same issue. It sucks that seems to be very little information out there on this or on 3DS Emulation in general (that wasn't from years & years ago)

[@zevanpp5152]

@@xGlacierAnge1x yeah so I changed of emu and Pokémon game try to play on « citra » very easy to config it and it work perfectly

[@JustShroomba]

Much love. Thank you. Much Love :)

[@Skreeshhh22]

It Just Shows A black Screen (maybe im doing something Wrong)

[@12-gaugeshotgundude24]

Man you started making me cackle with the whole "Not promoting" and "Educational purposes" lines lmao

[@itzmattyboy5837]

Can someone help me with this when trying to configure my controller when I try and select my joysticks it will go to button 12 can anyone help me

[@ssam2i]

TY

[@robbefertein2918]

I seem to have a problem. While the 3d elements look fantastic 2d elements are far lower quality than the 3d ones. Example: In Pokémon the environment looks high res but the characters and Pokémon itself are rather low res. Not unbearably so but very noticeable any ideas on how to fix this.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

I own a real DS and was going to buy a copy of Heartgold, but those are like 120 bucks. You just saved me so much money. lol Thank you!

[@jonarbucklehastakenovermylife]

Would it be possible to install Melon on an actual Nintendo DS Lite (modded/using a flash cart and sd card ofc) in order to play DSI titles through it?

[@merte.2047]

Əla video, çox sağol ❤️

[@Hunter-qv1ko]

Hmm whenever I try to open rom I get an error saying DS ARM9 BIOS is not a valid BIOS dump. I did everything in the vid Edit: Downloaded the bios files for dsi instead of DS oopsies hehe

[@pepitopacquiao]

where's the frameskip option?

[@jetpackdog3427]

Can i use this to play GBA games?

[@tuliptuliptuliptuliptulipt6533]

no use mGBA for that

[@alicemuguet6947]

1:49 the text on the screen says the opposite of what you're saying?? 🤨

[@zackbutter2277]

helpful video thanks man

[@marcoperrucci8493]

Is it possible to play with another player who has this emulator on their PC by connecting?

[@cookiemonster9986]

Call me dumb but I’m tryna play Pokémon platinum and I’m on the part where the prof tells me about the control setting and stuff but i don’t need that info anymore and when I try to scroll down to the option where it says no more info needed I can’t I tried every button but it seems as if I can’t scroll

[@jack-the-threader]

Oh this fixed my problem!!!! I was originally under the impression bios was optional, thank you so much

[@vacdim]

amazing, i love you (for educational purposes)

[@stiffusan6911]

My Select and Start buttons dont work, no matter what i select them as. any help?

[@keytester2xp339]

u know how i can setup the camera in melonDS for games like warioware snapped, DSi camera, etc.

[@comradegoldman1806]

dude thank you so much you could not have helped me more with this :D

[@nyancat8828]

This saved me so much trouble!! Thank you :D

[@MrMozy.]

bro when u coming back hope ur doing okyyy

[@cameronbrown540]

I noticed you have a very similar speech to Isaac Arthurs, never heard anyone else like that before!

[@fn2006]

I finally set up Delta emu, thanks for linking all the bios and firmware files

[@lavagirlgaming9523]

I have an issue, I don't get how to save my game even when I go to file and go to save state it says save state failed.

[@domaniquewesson3180]

the Emulator dont have pokemon no more

[@hyeonseok_l]

ohh what mean ds arm9 bios is not a valid bios dump

[@cyberslicer2851]

thanks man. this video was perfect. u got straight to the point and instructions were clear as day.

[@kxr842]

how do you use The stylus without needing to use the mouse?

[@spawn5840]

I spent a lot of money over the years on games my ds broke no I can play my games thanks

[@Sloth81194]

How do I trade pokemon from soulsiver to heart gold using the same wifi? (Or other way i don't know)

[@TheFenrirulfr]

Did you just pronounce the word "Better" as "Bettl"?

[@clamdak]

he can't help it, its a speech impediment. dont make fun

[@DiplexYT]

When i tried to use the vault, it said unavalible

[@xGlacierAnge1x]

Vimm's Lair recently got takedown notices from Nintendo, Sega, Lego etc. so Vimm's lair is no longer a viable option.

[@metalpheonix3628]

Literally perfect great step by step tutorial

[@meeliodaas_sama4987]

the nds firmware download in a pdf file , is it normal ? thanks for your answer

[@TheGreatCarm1ne]

thank you super helpful :)

[@monstermoo_]

thank you so much, im not very tech savvy, but this was very easy to follow

[@SRN_RANGER]

There is no sound when playing a game. Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

[@bandomelatonin7351]

I have the same problem

[@jeremytorres-jimenez1288]

really appriciate you bro thank you

[@danielchristopher9129]

Thanks man! Your the best!

[@f.f.animation2519]

Great tutorial, thx!

[@KiyoshiKenji881]

my game and the emulator worked perfectly before but when i try to start it noch it crashes when i select the rom file can anyone help ?

[@mf-cf8tr]

does this work on android? it shows in the app store but as early access. trying to find a good ds emulator to run gen 4 pokemon games but all seem to bug really bad at multiple points.

[@kaelthunderhoof5619]

I want to know how to change the time of this on Android.

[@heyitsblanK]

this man is the goat, thanks alot for the really well done and straightforward tutorial :)

[@justjason02]

Mine looks like this can you make a video showing how to make the cheat codes work

[@Playdoughman9999]

I can’t wait to try this I always wanted to play my favourite games on the ds I used to play for such a long time

[@Hollymatic440]

Great Tutorial Thanks

[@ppomodoro_]

thank you so much for the tutorial!! super easy to follow :)

[@MorganOgerpon_Fan]

my savior! i'm just getting into emulation and this guide helped so much.

[@jackhamilton0215]

Dolphin RetroArch and MelonDS are the kings of emulation

[@chuche1623]

Onggg

[@melon5031]

Cheers mate!

[@name_less25]

Thank you so much, I can now replay some of my favorite pokemon games as i no longer have a DS. Cant thank you enough!

[@deadrat]

any reason why i get a white screen everytime i try to run the firmware or run a game? i feel a little bit lost

[@wadehowlett66]

same for me any solution you found? it plays pokemon but Zelda game doesnt work its just a white screen

[@deadrat]

@@wadehowlett66 I just used desmume

[@BetaBloomberg]

amazing guide thank you!

[@luna1945]

Thank you so much !!!

[@matte1253]

Great tutorial, cheers!

[@iMakz07]

Thanks for this great video

[@vennotech]

youre an angel. thanks man