Can You Play Nintendo DS Games on the Analog Pocket?

As a retro gaming enthusiast and Analog Pocket owner myself, this is a question I have done deep research into. And the short answer is:

No, you cannot natively play Nintendo DS games on the Analog Pocket.

The Analog Pocket is engineered specifically for original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Unlike generic emulation handhelds, it uses field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware to accurately replicate those consoles at a hardware level.

However, thanks to an active homebrew community, there are now options to emulate and play Nintendo DS games on the Analog Pocket through custom firmware and software cores.

In this in-depth article, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about DS emulation capabilities on the Analog Pocket:

Analog Pocket‘s Native Compatibility

The Analog Pocket is designed first and foremost to play original game cartridges via its physical cartridge slot:

This table covers all the systems supported natively by the Analog Pocket and its optional adapters. Nintendo DS compatibility is not advertised or supported out of the box.

The Analog Pocket uses a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to replicate the exact functionality of retro consoles at a hardware level. This allows for seamless compatibility and accuracy when playing original game cartridges.

However, FPGAs are complex and optimized for specific consoles. Building an FPGA core to emulate Nintendo DS games is well beyond the Analog Pocket‘s consumer scope.

So in its default firmware state, the Analog Pocket has no native support whatsoever for playing Nintendo DS games. But that doesn‘t mean it isn‘t possible…

Emulation Cores Add DS Support

Thanks to an active homebrew community creating unofficial software cores, there are now options for emulating and playing Nintendo DS games on the Analog Pocket.

Popular community firmware projects like jelOS allow you to install new emulation cores onto your Pocket. Developers have already released early Nintendo DS emulation cores, including:

• melonDS
• DeSmuME 2015

These are Nintendo DS emulators adapted to run on the Analog Pocket. By installing them via custom firmware like jelOS, you can load Nintendo DS ROMs onto your Pocket‘s SD card and play them.

However, emulation performance and game compatibility will vary greatly. Nintendo DS emulation is still very much in early stages on the device. Compare this to the flawless accuracy playing original Game Boy cartridges via the dedicated FPGA hardware.

Still – it works surprisingly well for many top DS titles like New Super Mario Bros or Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia in my experience!

The Challenges Around Analog Pocket Emulation

While exciting for hardcore retro enthusiasts like myself, emulating DS games on your Analog Pocket does come with notable downsides and risks compared to playing original cartridges:

Game Compatibility

• Many titles have graphical bugs or performance issues
• Complex 3D games often don‘t run at fullspeed
• Expect flaws and glitches during gameplay

Legal Risks

• You likely need to source your own ROMs
• Distributing and downloading ROMs is often illegal

Hardware Risks

• Installing custom firmware like jelOS can brick your Analog Pocket if done improperly
• Emulation puts more stress on the hardware than original cartridges

I cannotrecommend specific sources for game ROMs or custom firmware installation. There arelegal risks around unauthorized distribution of games and copyrighted code.

It‘s up to each user to evaluatetheir local laws and make an informed decision before hacking or jailbreaking any electronics.

Emulation Progress and Solutions

All that said – the emulation development community for Analog Pocket is making swift progress. And there are ethical and safe ways to enjoy old games from your childhood on the device.

For example, you might still own original Nintendo DS game cards you purchased in the past. With custom firmware installed, you can create legal backup ROM files from those exact game cards you rightly own.

And developers are releasing mod kits like the Analogue Pocket Dock which greatly improve performance for emulation cores.

In another year or two, I expect Nintendo DS emulation on the Analog Pocket to be smooth, polished, and playable for most games with the right setup. It‘s an exciting work-in-progress for us retro enthusiasts!

My Verdict as a Retro Gaming Enthusiast

While not for the faint of heart right now, Nintendo DS emulation on the Analog Pocket has me excited. Early performance is already impressive in some titles. With further optimization from the community, it could become an incredible portable way to revisit DS classics.

However, I cannot recommend the average user dive into custom firmware hacking just for DS emulation yet. If you mainly want to play Game Boy/GBA games, enjoy the stunning accuracy and polish of the native FPGA experience.

For retro gaming enthusiasts willing to tinker, it‘s wonderful seeing progress towards new system support like Nintendo DS on this hardware. But tread carefully – make ethical choices, back up your data, and happy gaming!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments – do you agree? Would you be willing to hack your Pocket for emulation? I read every comment!