Nintendo DS News

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I’ve decided to make my own DS port of Lua because:

DSLua was abandoned (and uses PAlib).
Micro Lua DS was abandoned by the original developer.
Apparently noone noticed Lua defaults to the double floating point type (which is ridiculously slow on the DS due to its lack of a fp unit).
Lua is easy to learn and can be a friendly introduction to Nintendo DS homebrew programming.
Compiling an integer-only version of Lua for DS was really easy, and I got key and stylus support in a couple of minutes. Division and module operations are done using the hardware registers for performance. Here are some pictures:

(EDIT: There’s something wrong in the main page, please click on “Read more”. Can a mod fix this?)

Cute, isn’t it? Well, it still lacks support for almost everything, but something is better than nothing. Here is a list of planned things:

libnds lua bindings for background/sprite/VRAM functions
maxmod lua bindings
sleek object-based sockets API
good ol’ POKE and PEEK functions
memory buffers for use with the functions above
file loading to memory buffers
luaballs (archives containing Lua scripts and resources) with compression support
preparsed Lua scripts support in order to speed up the loading process
shell entirely written in Lua (with minimal C bootstrapping)
debugging over Wifi via the DBGp protocol
runtime version for converting Lua programs into standalone .nds files
PC runtime emulation layer for quick testing and easier debug
Don’t forget to post your thoughts here!

Due to the difficulty of those who do not speak portuguese (almost all of this forum), it became difficult for some users to have a position to assess or even test this software.

So I did an English version, where each screen has a brief spoken introduction (robotic voice) in order to help you understands best what it is each room.

I have found difficulties in converting RAW files to MP3 and also hit the correct format of MP3.

The sequence of screens is the same as the previous version. Therefore, they can use the little manual from the previous post.

I wait your comments.

P.S. This version was very well tested on my DSi. Please, do not use it on emulator cause will not work.

This is the first 'proper' release of my Rubik's Cube game for the DS. Although it is currently a little way from completion, it is intended to be a fairly fully-featured Rubik's Cube simulator with saving and loading, scrambling, painting and solving features. You can download the rom here.

Working as of this release:
* Saving and loading
* Scrambling
* Palette editing
* Painting

Still to do:
* Step-through solving
* Background decoration (colours, wallpapers)

Any and all feedback is appreciated, and for those interested, the full source can be found here

Cheers,
Mark.
_________________
Cube-DS: A Kick-Ass Rubik's Cube Game for DS
http://cube-ds.googlecode.com

This version includes the major changes mentioned in the previous blog post, and also various other improvements and fixes. Here is a list of the changes:

Mouse emulation using the touchpad. If you have not mapped the SELECT key to a PC key, it works as a toggle to swap the screens so that you can use the stylys as a mouse directly on the emulated PC screen.
EMS memory increased to 1.5MB. Problems in the EMS memory access have not been fixed yet, so this version might run certain games (for example Wing Commander 2) worse than the previous version.
Proper DOS "System File Table" handling. This was needed for the file handle duplication functions, and this is also a requirement for improved DOS device handling (including console I/O) in upcoming versions. This also fixes problems with the 4DOS @select function.
Preliminary support for EGA mode 0x0E (640x200x16). Not properly tested, but some games might work in this mode.
Fixed a bug in Mode-X MOVSB opcode (MOO).
Fixed a bug in DOS CONSOLE INPUT function (Ultima V).
Fixed DUNE 2 save game problem.
Added opcode "repe scasw" down (for real this time!)
Ignore port 0xB8B I/O (GOBLINS, MOO INSTALL).
Support input from port 0x3CE (FD, MOO).
Added Mode-X opcodes LODSB and LODSW (MOO).
Several new EGA opcodes supported (BL, CARRIER, START, WARET, SH, WC1, B2, CALGAMES).
Support DOS functions 0x45 and 0x46 (DUP - DUPLICATE FILE HANDLE) (4DOS).
Support DOS functions 0x27 and 0x28 (RANDOM BLOCK I/O FROM FCB FILE) (Ultima II).

There are still a lot of issue in my TODO list which I did not have time to fix for this version, so I will continue working on these. Please send me again log files for this version for games that have issues!

A faithful HackMii reader spent some time with AnyTitle Deleter and tried to clean everything odd off his Wii, and used the HackMii Installer to uninstall the HBC and BootMii/boot2. He then sent his Wii into Nintendo (of America) to try to get them to repair a noisy drive; the warranty had expired, and he just wanted to pay them to repair the drive.

After they received the Wii, they wrote him back and said that because he had unauthorized software installed (something they could not fix themselves — but more on this later), it would cost $200 for them to do any repair. He had them just send him back the Wii, and then reinstalled BootMii/boot2 and dumped the NAND and sent it to us to figure out what he had missed and anything else we could gain from the image.

I have a few theories as to what they detected, based on what things he did not manage to delete — and for a while, that’s all we had to go on, and it wasn’t going to make for a very interesting article. However, several hours with 0xED and grep and xxd paid off, and I found some traces of the disc they ran to detect “Illegal software”. Unfortunately, I was only able to find part of the data section of the main DOL of the disc, and not the code, so I don’t have actual screenshots to share — you’ll have to use your imagination this time. (If anyone has sent a Wii in to Nintendo for repair in the past few months, and received the same Wii back — no refurbs! — I’d love to see a NAND dump, especially if you took one right after you received it back. I may be able to reconstruct the rest of the disc.)

Here is the raw output of ’strings’ on the relevant part of the data section:

************************************************** *****
Check Disk for Pre-Repair Process
Disc TitleId : 0x%08x(Hi) 0x%08x(Lo)
Num of Checking : %d
This running is "First Running".
Start Region Address : 0x%08x
End Region Address : 0x%08x
main.cpp
*** EndSaveRegionAddr has been over rang ***
This running is "Restarted running".
Using language is Japanese.
Using language is English.
NRChecker is not inserted at SI port %d.
Waiting ejecting disk.
InitSD is failed.
Error. Line=%d
Start Checking Process.
Restart Disc...
Reset...
Shutdown...
End of Application
Unknown
Item %d : Load data from 0x%08x
Item %d : Save data to 0x%08x
Deleting the save data of SetPersonalData.wad...
Deleting the save data of DigicamPrintChannel...
/title/%08x/%08x/data/nocopy
NANDPrivateDelete : delete %s : %d
/title/%08x/%08x/data
/title/%08x/%08x/data/banner.bin
Searching unauthorized rewritten savedata...
/title/%08x/%08x/data/%s
zeldaTp.dat
/title/%08x/%08x/data
Checking %s
NANDOpen : %s(%d)
CheckSavedataZD : return false. This save data is unauthorized rewittern data.
Searching unauthorized title...
Unauthorized title num with checking ticket: %d
Unauthorized title num with checking TMD: %d
*** SearchUnauthCh_CheckTickets ***
Found ticket file num is %d
Result code of checking 0x%016llx is %d
*** SearchUnauthCh_CheckTMDs ***
Number of Home Directory is %d,
[%03d]Getting information about title id "0x%016llx"
- Title Name : %s
- TitleID : 0x%016llx
- Type : %d
- Visible : %d
- Status : %d
AnalyzeTitle : OSGetTitleStatus failed(%d).
/title/%08x/%08x/content/%08x.app
Pre-repair Check Disk ver%s
Pre-repair Check Disk ver%s - Detail
Pre-repair Check Disk ver%s - Delete
Pre-repair Check Disk ver%s - Launch Mode
Pre-repair Check Disk ver%s - Output File
------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Serial Number: %s
Waiting to Start
Processing
Complete
%d.??? >%s
%d.Altered Save Data Detection >%s
%d.Illegal Channel(s) Detection >%s
%d.Use of Copy Disk Detection >%s
Checking the following item(s)...(%d/%d)
Check is complete.
Press A Button to display detail screen.
Delete All Altered Save Data and Illegal Channel(s)/Firmware?
Detected %d pieces of data
No Data
Detected illegal channel(s) >
Press A Button to restart.
Automatic restart begins after %d seconds.
%2d/%2d [Title ID/Name]
%s%2d 0x%016llx(%s)
"%s"
[Type] [Visible] [Status]
%s %s %s %s
Detected %d title(s)
Press Button B to return to previous screen.
Deleting data...
Altered Save Data Deletion >%s
Illegal Channel/Firmware Deletion >%s
If you want to launch Wii illegal channel,
Select the channel and push A button.
Launch the following title?
Title ID: 0x%016llx(%s)
Title Name: "%s"
ID: 0x%016llx(%s)
Push DOWN Button to display next page.
<>
<>
<>
<>
Serial Number
Device Id
Wii Menu
Wireless MAC
Bluetooth MAC
BT MAC
WC24 Count
WC24 Stage
WC24
Shopping
Not Used
(No File)
(Initial)
(Generated)
(Registered)
(Unknown)
%d. %s
(DiscNum. %d GameVer. %d)
%d. %s
(DiscNum. %d GameVer. %d)
%d. TitleName: %s
DiscNum: %d GameVer: %d
Error: 0x%08x(%d)
DateTime: 0x%08x(%d)
Status: 0x%08x(%d)
Control: 0x%08x(%d)
NextOffset: 0x%08x(%d)
%d. TitleName:%s
DiscNum:%d GameVer:%d
Error:0x%08x(%d)
DateTime:0x%08x(%d)
Status:0x%08x(%d)
Control:0x%08x(%d)
NextOffset:0x%08x(%d)
%d DVD error record(s) has been logged.
Output the DVD error logs to SD card?
Output the meta-data of illegal channel(s)?
Insert SD card.
[%s] %s
(Deleted)
UNKNOWN
INSTALLED
NOEXISTS
DELETED
SAVEONLY
NORIGHTS
PARTIAL
FATAL
File does not exist.
File was deleted.
Error occurred during processing(%d:%d)
There is no problem with this console.
Problematic save data was detected.
Illegal channel(s)/firmware was detected.
Disc needs to be restarted.
Deleted all.
Use of copy disk was detected.
Finished to output the file.
Controller
[Main View]
UP: Back page
DOWN: Next page
A: Show the details
Controller
[Common]
LEFT: Back
RIGHT: Next
B: Back to main view
[Illegal Channels Detection]
UP/DOWN: Scroll list
1+2(GC:X+Y): Launch channel
A+2(GC:L+R): Delete illegal channels
[Use of Copy Disk]
UP/DOWN: Scroll list
1+2(GC:X+Y): Output DVD error log
[DVD Error Log]
UP/DOWN: Scroll list
1+2(GC:X+Y): Output DVD error log
InitChangeUid : NANDInit Error(%d)
InitChangeUid : ES_InitLib Error(%d)
InitChangeUid : ES_GetTitleId Error(%d)
Changing uid to %016llx
ChangeUid : ES_SetUid Error(%d)
ChangeUid : ISFS_CloseLib Error(%d)
ChangeUid : ISFS_OpenLib Error(%d)
/title/%08x/%08x/data
ChangeToGameSaveDir : NANDPrivateChangeDir Error(%d)

/ticket/%08x/%08x.tik
/title/%08x/%08x
/meta/%08x/%08x
Delete all files in %s.
NANDPrivateReadDir : %s(%d) num = %d
Returned DELETEFILES_ERR_OK_NOEXIST.
Returned DELETEFILES_ERR_FAILED.
memory allocate is failed.
NANDPrivateDelete : %s(%d)
Returned DELETEFILES_ERR_OK.
Running "DeleteProcess".
Start to delete unauthorized channels and save datas.
ATTENTION!! : current groupId is not 0.
ChangeUid to 0x%016llx : %d
NANDPrivateDelete : %s has been deleted.
/title/%08x/%08x/data/banner.bin
Running "LauchTitle".
Can not launch because target channel is not installed.
Can not launch because target module is not a channel application.
SaveResultFunc_SearchCopyDisc
LoadResultFunc_SearchCopyDisc
/shared2/test2/dvderror.dat
: Ver.%d(TMD)
: %02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x
: %s %s %s %s
: %d %s
ES_InitLib is failed : %d
ES_GetTmdView is failed : %d
Memory Allocation is failed.
ES_GetDeviceId is failed : %d
NCDiGetWirelessMacAddress is failed : %d
/shared2/succession/shop.log
NANDPrivateGetStatus is failed : %d
/shared2/wc24/nwc24msg.cfg
NANDPrivateOpen is failed : %d
NANDRead is failed : %d
Running "FileOutput".
/shared2/test2/dvderror.dat
InitSD is failed.
%s%s/%08x
%s%s/%08x/%08x
%s%s/%08x/%08x/%s
H4A should not be cleared because of Broadway errata.
<< RVL_SDK - OS release build: Mar 5 2009 08:59:58 (0x4199_60831) >>
We have to do some reading between the lines here, but what we have is a disc with a fairly simple text-based UI (much like the “Wii Backup Disc” we looked at a couple of years ago) — but at least this time they’ve added colors (the BL, YE, RD tags presumably change the color of text displayed on the screen). There are a few different menus / screens you can traverse through, but the long and short of it is that they are looking for:

Save data — they are looking to delete data from “SetPersonalData.wad” (?!) and from “DigicamPrintChannel” (which you might have if you had messed around with the regions on your Wii. They then run a check for “unauthorized rewittern data”, which seems to reuse the same old CheckSavedataZD function from the System Menu, after authenticating as RZDE/J/P.
“Illegal Channel(s)/Firmware” — as far as I can tell, this isn’t some specific check for HBC / DVDX / whatever. This is a bit more clever — they seem to be enumerating all tickets and all TMDs on the system, and looking to see if any of them are fakesigned. This will catch pretty much anything that is, as they say, “unauthorized” that you have installed.
“Use of Copy Disc” — I think this actually refers to their own Wii Backup Disc. It’s not entirely clear to me why they care about this. This check seems to be done by looking for the existence of /shared2/succession/shop.log. (In this context, “succession” seems to refer to the transfer of some identity info from one (presumably broken) Wii to another.)
Once they’ve done this scan, they can then do several things — most common is probably to generate a log file on an SD card. They can also launch any of the “Illegal Channels” they find, and output any of the TMD info to SD. They even have the option of deleting all of this stuff — but it seems that they’ve been told not to do this (remember, they claimed they can’t, and in fact, they didn’t before our friend got his Wii back).

In this case, what did they detect, and how? It continues to surprise me that Nintendo seems to not use any sort of special “hacked IOS” to make their lives easier — sure, the “Wii Backup Disc” came with its own (infamous) IOS16, but there wasn’t really anything special about it and we were never quite clear why they bothered. The disc runs as 1-2 and judging by its error messages, as group 0 — this means they can read and write most files in the filesystem directly, but they seem to use ES calls to do most of the work.

As for what they found — this Wii was bought second-hand, and it looks like there was a lot of “crap” on it at one point. Purely by looking for fakesigned tickets and TMDs, I found one each for 1-250 (IOS250) and 1-0 (“IOS0″ — this is a bogus ticket used to gain group 0 access, Waninkoko’s old FS dumper used this and I think that AnyTitle Deleter may as well). Something that I found that Nintendo didn’t was a bunch of crap left over from a Preloader install — extra files in 1-2’s data directory, as well as some extra files in /shared2.

Last Tuesday, the website of The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun revealed studyCarried out by Nintendo on lower sales of its products are Kyoto worldwide.

We learn that Nintendo deplores a decline in sales of 7% Japan 11% U.S. and 45% for Europe, between April and December 2009. According to the article, the company said these figures mainly by piracy, and cites another study, American this time, which presents Italy, Spain and France as the top three European countries most followers illegal downloading.

The article also explains that in June 2009, Nintendo has conducted a study of 10 foreign sites, specializing in the Roma game, and found 238 million illegal downloads, which represent the firm said a shortfall of 10 7 billion dollars. An enormous number obtained by multiplying the number of downloads pirated by the average price of a branded product. Knowing that the turnover of the company, for the fiscal year 2008-2009, was about $ 14 billion, the method of calculation appears to be rather dubious.

A shortfall and therefore a history of heavy Nintendo faced with piracy, the ratio of declining sales and abuse of linkers seems obvious from reading the article relayed massively since its publication.

However, contacted by us, Nintendo provides a perspective different from that proposed by the Japanese site: "The English version of the Asahi newspaper, which indicates that Nintendo has accused the material in violation of copyright declining sales European, is incorrect. In the original Japanese version of the article, it is clear that the views of the journalist is displayed, and not that of Nintendo. . Selon l'éditeur de jeux, le journaliste d'Asahi Shimbun aurait donc pris quelques raccourcis dans son analyse.

In fact, if Nintendo indeed follows closely the evolution of piracy of its products in the world, not openly accuse it of being responsible for declining sales.

Still, Europe and especially France, is still in the crosshairs of Nintendo, which is still in litigation against vendors linkers. Nintendo France had been dismissed, on 3 December by the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Paris in the case between the firm resellers of cartridges for pirating DS games. The company had appealed Nippon five days later, and the case is still pending.