dasShiny
dasShiny is a free Nintendo DS emulator for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What dasShiny is
dasShiny is a free Nintendo DS emulator for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its maker describes it as highly experimental and directs it toward users familiar with cartridge folders and recent BSNES versions. The interface looks for a gamefolder.nds/manifest.xml file; with a blank manifest, it searches gamefolder.nds/rom for a ROM of up to 1 GB. Setup requires ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS files plus firmware, and the maker advises backing up rewritable firmware. It can load homebrew ROMs, but DLDI support for FAT access is not implemented, so software relying on that access may not work. Listed examples known to run include Super Mario 64, Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and several DS demos. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl is reported to save but crash at the load menu. For 3D, the maker says a high-end Core 2, i5, or i7 is pretty much mandatory in the described context. On Windows, XAudio2 is recommended over DirectSound, with higher frame rates under load reported for XAudio2.
Good
- Free to use
- Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Several games and demos are listed as known to run
- Can load homebrew ROMs up to 1 GB
Watch out
- Described by its maker as highly experimental
- Requires ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS files and firmware
- DLDI support for FAT access is absent
- Pokémon Diamond/Pearl crashes at the load menu
Who it suits
dasShiny is aimed at people already familiar with cartridge folders and recent BSNES versions. It may suit users willing to work with required BIOS and firmware files and an experimental emulator.
Verdict
dasShiny offers a free route to trying Nintendo DS software, with some compatibility examples listed. Its experimental status, setup requirements, and missing DLDI support are important constraints.
The facts
Each one read from dasShiny's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Cartridge files
- A blank manifest makes the emulator look for gamefolder.nds/rom, which can be up to 1 GB.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Compatibility
- The maker lists Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing: Wild World among games known to run.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Compatibility examples
- The maker lists Super Mario 64, Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and several DS demos among software known to run.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Game setup
- The GUI looks for a gamefolder.nds/manifest.xml file.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Homebrew limitation
- The maker says DLDI is not implemented, so software requiring FAT access should not be expected to work.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Homebrew support
- The emulator can load a ROM from a gamefolder.nds/rom path, up to 1 GB, but has no DLDI support for FAT access.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The release is aimed at people familiar with cartridge folders and recent versions of BSNES.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Interface
- The GUI is described as little more than a standard ethos build and looks for gamefolder.nds/manifest.xml.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Known game issue
- The maker warns that Pokémon Diamond/Pearl saves but crashes at the load menu.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Known issue
- The maker warns that Pokémon Diamond/Pearl saves but crashes at the load menu.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository includes GPLv3 and license files.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Performance
- The maker says a high-end Core 2, i5, or i7 is pretty much mandatory for 3D at the time described.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- dasShiny is a Nintendo DS emulator.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The maker describes the emulator as highly experimental.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Required files
- Getting started requires ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS files and firmware.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Setup
- Setup requires ARM7 BIOS, ARM9 BIOS, and firmware files, with the maker advising users to back up the rewritable firmware.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Windows audio
- For Windows, the maker recommends XAudio2 over DirectSound and reports higher frame rates under load with XAudio2.checked 4 Oct 2026
