Nitro DarkSide brings Nintendo DS hardware to MiSTer FPGA

MiSTer FPGA has taken on one of its more demanding targets yet: the Nintendo DS. A new experimental core called Nitro DarkSide can already run parts of Nintendo DS software using FPGA hardware, with working 2D graphics, audio and support for key parts of the handheld’s dual-processor design. It’s still very early. This isn’t a finished DS implementation, and anyone expecting broad game compatibility will need to wait. But the project has already reached a point where commercial software can get into gameplay, which makes it an interesting technical development for MiSTer users.

Much of the Nintendo DS is already running in FPGA logic

The Nintendo DS isn’t a simple machine to reproduce. Inside the original handheld are two main processors, an ARM9 and an ARM7, along with separate graphics hardware, memory controllers, audio systems and several other components that need to work together with very specific timing.

Nitro DarkSide is rebuilding much of that hardware directly inside the FPGA. The current version includes both processors, 2D graphics functions, memory-related hardware and audio. The developers are also using Clash, a hardware description language based on Haskell, to create the implementation.

That approach matters because the working parts of the DS aren’t currently being emulated as ordinary software on the DE10-Nano’s ARM processor. They’re implemented as programmable hardware logic inside the FPGA. For the features currently included, the project describes itself as a 100 per cent FPGA implementation.

Some commercial games already reach gameplay

The core can do more than show a boot screen. Kirby: Squeak Squad has reached its in-game graphics, while homebrew Nintendo DS software can also run. That proves the project is already executing real DS code and producing working 2D output. Still, don’t expect to sit down and play through a game normally.

Cartridge-data access remains too slow in some cases. That can cause the virtual processors to crash or leave software stuck during execution. Games also interact with Nintendo DS hardware in different ways, so compatibility can vary dramatically from one title to another.

Pokémon games are a good example. Their menus already rely on enough of the DS 3D hardware to stop them from starting properly on the current version. So while the alpha can reach gameplay in some software, it’s still a technical test build rather than a practical replacement for a Nintendo DS.

3D graphics are the big missing piece

The biggest challenge is 3D. Trying to reproduce the complete Nintendo DS 3D graphics system entirely inside the DE10-Nano FPGA would require a lot of resources. The planned solution is therefore a hybrid setup.

The idea is straightforward. The FPGA would handle most of the Nintendo DS hardware, while 3D commands and data would be sent to the DE10-Nano’s ARM processor. That processor would render the 3D image and pass the result back to the FPGA.

That’s why the project is sometimes described as a hybrid Nintendo DS core. The current public alpha isn’t hybrid yet, though. It only includes the FPGA-based 2D implementation. The ARM-assisted 3D renderer is still planned for a later stage.

Getting that part right will be crucial. Nintendo DS games often mix 2D and 3D graphics closely, so timing, performance and communication between the FPGA and ARM side will need to work reliably.

BIOS and firmware files are still required

Nitro DarkSide doesn’t include Nintendo’s firmware or BIOS files. Anyone testing the core needs ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS files, along with Nintendo DS firmware taken from their own Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite hardware. Game files also need to be provided separately. Installation isn’t as simple as running the normal MiSTer updater either.

The current version is distributed as an experimental compiled RBF file and has to be installed manually. Standard Nintendo DS firmware booting also isn’t completely reliable yet, so the alpha uses a Direct Boot method by default to start software without depending on the full original startup process. That makes sense for an early development build, but it also shows how much work is still ahead before the core can behave like a normal MiSTer platform.

The source code isn’t public yet

There’s another limitation worth knowing about. Only the compiled FPGA core has been released so far. The developers describe Nitro_DarkSide as a clean-room implementation that doesn’t use existing MiSTer GPL code, but the project’s source code hasn’t yet been published.

That means people can test the compiled build, but they can’t currently inspect the implementation itself. There also isn’t a detailed compatibility picture yet. Touchscreen support, dual-screen handling and wider game behaviour still need more testing and development.

What comes next for Nitro DarkSide

Right now, Nitro DarkSide is clearly experimental. There’s no public 3D renderer, cartridge access still needs work and only a limited range of software can run successfully. But the core has already crossed an important technical line by getting commercial Nintendo DS software into gameplay using FPGA-based processing. The next steps are fairly clear: improve cartridge performance, increase stability and add the planned ARM-assisted 3D system.

If those pieces work together, Nitro_DarkSide could become one of the more technically interesting MiSTer FPGA projects currently in development. For now, though, it’s best viewed exactly as it is: an early Nintendo DS core that already shows real progress, but still has a long development list ahead.