With just a few cheap purchases, you can make your portable gaming system a music player with this cool homebrew. You can blast the music through the DS's speakers or plug in your headphones to enjoy your music. I'll show you step by step directions on how to give your Nintendo DS a new use.
What You will Need
The software that is needed to turn your Nintendo DS into an iPod isn't supported by Nintendo. That's why you will need to buy these things to bypass Nintendo's restrictions.
1. Flashcard
There are multiple flashcarts out there that are sold online - some offering more functionalities than others. All Nintendo DS's can handle simple homebrew such as this so any will do. Before making your purchase keep this in mind, with the debut of the Nintendo DSi all of the flashcards used in the regular DS and the Lite version were blocked. Those companies have now made new versions of their card that can be used on the DSi. If you are not interested in buying a DSi, I suggest checking if there are any cheaper options that only work for the previous versions, as the DSi versions are usually more expensive. However, if you are on the edge on buying the DSi or not, take in mind that the DSi cards the websites are selling are also backwards compatible with the DS and the DS Lite. Here are a few options to help you begin your journey to turning your Nintendo DS into an iPod:
Acekard 2 - DSi Version , Regular Version
EZ-Flash - DSi Version
DSTT - Regular Version
M3 Real - Regular Version (My personal favorite)
iTouch - Regular Version
2. MicroSD Card
A MicroSD card is needed to store the software that is used to turn your Nintendo DS into an iPod. Each flashcard has a slot where a MicroSD card can be placed. Since the files needed are relatively small, a 2gb card is recommended.
Here is a very cheap microSD card. Keep in mind this is a bulk package, so no retail packaging is included. All you recieve is the card and a card reader.
Sandisk 2GB MicroSD
3. iPod Clone Software
This project has been discontinued, but the website and download is still working. You can get the software here.
LMP-ng
The download will be a zip file and you will need something like Winrar to open it. Once opened, there will be an NDS file and a GBA file. You will only need the NDS file.
How to turn my Nintendo DS into a iPod - the Setup
After you have recieved all of the necessary items, it's time to start adding the software to your flashcard.
1. Find the latest firmware for your flashcard. This website has a nice up to date list on the firmwares for your flashcard for your Nintendo DS.
http://www.linfoxdomain.com/nintendo/ds/
The download will include multiple files that need to be placed on your flashcard. Here is a very nice guide that tells you step by step instructions for each card.
http://www.linfoxdomain.com/nintendo/ds/?mode=desc&fileid=1786
2. Drag and drop your unzipped .NDS file onto your micro sd card. I suggest placing it in the root (the main screen of your file explorer, not inside any folders) so it is easier to access.
3. Add songs onto your Micro SD card. You can also place these anywhere and depending on the size of your card, you can place as many as it can hold. I suggest keeping it organized in a folder if you have alot of songs. I do not know what file formats it supports, but I suggest using mp3.
4. Safely eject your MicroSD card from your computer and place it into the slot on your flashcard. Once booted up, navigate to where you placed the .NDS file which will be called lmp-ng-1.02 and press A.