Homebrew DS: Not Just For Gaming

Watch out, iPod. Hold onto your trackball, Blackberry. There’s a new multi-media system in town: the Nintendo DS. What does the DS have to rival these two pocket-sized powerhouses? Homebrew: software written for the DS that lets players run user-made software on the DS.

No, you won’t be able to make phone calls on your DS as with the Blackberry, but you will be able to perform many similar functions that those fruit-monikered rivals are able to do: listening to music, surfing the web, and playing video. To use these functions, specific homebrew programs are needed. Homebrew “Moonshell” allows its user to browse files, play music, and even view movies. And “Colors!” acts like Microsoft Paint.

There’s also the added, albeit less-than-legal joy of utilizing emulators to play games other than those designed for the DS. Games made for the homebrew emulator include the old school Lucas Arts adventures, with exception to the Monkey Island series, Full Throttle, and The Dig (and I really liked those games, too…). However, it will play the original PC legend itself, Doom, as well as its expansions and sequel.

Though homebrew itself is legal, it has a not-so-reputable status. Homebrew software requires rewritable cartridges (such as R4DS or M3) which are often used to pirate other software, including ROMs for the above-mentioned emulators. If you don’t mind tainting the sweet purity that is your handheld’s reputation, the positive benefits are pretty significant.