Are you looking for Nintendo DS Emulators?
Do you want to play DS games like Pokemon, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid Prime Hunters? If your answer is Yes, then keep reading as we have the best Nintendo DS emulators for you.
Back in 2004, the Nintendo DS was the most advanced dual-screen handheld gaming console that was developed and released by Nintendo.
In spite of being marketed as an experimental “third pillar” in Nintendo’s console lineup, Nintendo sold around 154.02 million units of this portable console.
If you want to play Nintendo DS games and relive your childhood memories, a Nintendo DS emulator might help.
Best Nintendo DS Emulators For PC
Here are the best Nintendo DS emulators for Playing Pokemon games on PC.
1. DeSmuME
DeSmuME is a good emulator for Nintendo DS, and it is an ideal alternative to MelonDS.
Similar to MelonDS, DeSmuME allows users to play exclusive DS titles at maximum graphics. Using DeSmuME you can scale your games as per your preference.
DeSmuMe lets users customize the graphics and emulation settings based on their system configurations.
In addition, there is a WiFi emulator that you can use with or without the compatibility mode. It emulates the bridge network adaptor.
That is not all; you can also emulator the microphone through the hotkey. It is set to default with an internal noise sample.
You can opt for high graphics quality coupled with mediocre performance or low graphics quality with flawless performance.
They have recently added high-resolution 3D rendering. Try the updated GPU Scaling Factor feature to get a resolution higher than the native 256×192 pixels.
DeSmuMe is presently available for Windows and macOS.
We advise our readers to download the DeSmuME DS emulator using the links provided in this article, as downloading it from a third party or an untrustworthy site can be unsafe.
2. MelonDS
Thanks to its tremendous popularity among the Nintendo DS Gaming community. MelonDS is a top-notch DS emulator for PCs.
Features like OpenGL renderer, 3D upscaling, joystick support, local multiplayer, and online connectivity help MelonDS stand out.
MelonDS utilizes your system’s hardware resources to offer fast and accurate Nintendo DS emulation.
Additionally, the MelonDS emulator renders 2D and 3D objects almost pixel-perfectly. This NDS emulator is updated regularly, and the developers are very active in fixing bugs.
Another noteworthy feature of MelonDS is the ability to save progress whenever a player wants to.
You get full Joystick support, so you can plug in your gaming equipment and use this DS emulator.
With the recent update, MelonDS has an RTC, Real-Time Clock, which comes in handy for the emulator’s clock.
While playing games, MelonDS displays live FPS. MelonDS is presently available for Windows & Linux.
You can also try the DS LAN multiplayer through the experimental version. It is still being tested and will eventually become the standard version.
Since MelonDS is an open-source emulator, it is completely free to use and you won’t be bothered by ads.
3. RetroArch
Unlike MelonDS & DeSmuME, RetroArch is an all-in-one emulator and it can be used to run games from all mainstream retro consoles like NES, SNES, DS, DSi, 3DS, 64, Atari, MAME, and many more.
Use your Pokemon ROM to play Pokemon games using this popular DS emulator for PC.
The developers of RetroArch have stated that users will soon be able to run original game discs from RetroArch.
RetroArch relies on MelonDS Core to emulate Nintendo DS games. A core is a modular program for emulating games on a device.
Some major highlights of RetroArch are shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, run ahead, machine translation, blind accessibility features, and much more. RetroArch can be downloaded on Windows, macOS, and Linux.Â
The set-top box-oriented menu of RetroArch makes browsing games a breeze.
Using RetroArch, you can record your gaming session and even stream your gameplay on Twitch. Lastly, RetroArch’s shaders help improve the rendering of old games.
4. No$GBA
No$GBA is an ideal emulator for anyone who is rocking an older computer system or wants to enjoy DS games on a low-powered laptop.
This DS Emulator for NDS ROMs supports running Nintendo DS homebrew.
Some noteworthy features of No$GBA are cheat code support, joystick support, and save state option. In addition to DS ROMs, you can also run commercial GameBoy Advance ROMs on No$GBA. Sadly, you can’t play multiplayer titles on No$GBA.
No$GBA can be installed on a Windows 10, Windows XP, and MS-DOS computer system. Overall, No$GBA is one of the best emulators for the Nintendo DS.
5. NeonDS
NeonDS is another reliable Nintendo DS emulator. You can easily run most commercial ROMs on NeonDS. Since the emulator consumes very few system resources, it can run flawlessly even on aging desktops and low-powered laptops.
The next noteworthy feature of NeonDS is that it is OpenGL 2.0 compliant.
You can render the system optimized for OpenGL 2.0 and easily record your gameplay.
Sadly, NeonDS is out of development at the time of writing this article.
Best Nintendo DS Emulators For Android
6. DraStic DS Emulator
DraStic DS Emulator is the most feature-packed Android DS emulator and it can easily handle any NDS game no matter what you throw at it.
This emulator allows users to customize the placement and size of the DS screens based on their preferences. Using save states, you can save and resume your progress whenever you want to.Â
A few noteworthy features of the DraStic DS Emulator are controller customization, support for hardware controllers, fast forward, and Google Drive support.
If you own a high-end Android smartphone, you can even improve the graphics rendering through this emulator.
DraStic DS Emulator can be directly purchased and downloaded from the Google Play store.
7. Nds4droid
The next best Nintendo DS ROM emulator on the list is Nds4droid. In spite of being a free DS emulator, Nds4droid offers exceptionally great performance coupled with visually impressive graphics quality.Â
Similar to the DraStic DS Emulator, you can save your progress in Nds4droid. Furthermore, the frameskip option in Nds4droid is useful for budget-oriented or older Android smartphones.
It is worth noting that, Nds4droid is an old NDS ROMs emulator and it hasn’t received any update for quite some time.
That said, Nds4droid is an open-source emulator with no in-app purchases or advertisements.
8. EmuBox
EmuBox is another free-to-use emulator for Android smartphones that supports PlayStation, SNES, GBA, NES, and Nintendo DS ROMs. Using this emulator, you can utilize up to 20 save slots for each ROM.
EmuBox also allows users to plug in and play with an external controller. You can even play around with the emulator settings for optimized performance. Lastly, the ability to fast-forward the gameplay can help you save some time.
As for downsides, EmuBox does come with some advertisements.
9. NDS Emulator
The last best emulator for playing DS Pokemon on the list is NDS Emulator. As the name of this emulator suggests, it is dedicated to running NDS ROMs on Android smartphones.
Similar to other Android emulators on the list basic features like external controller support, save states, load states, and customizable on-screen gamepads are available on NDS Emulator.
10. SuperNDS
Last on the list is SuperNDS. The free DS emulator works flawlessly and supports NDS, ZIP, 7z, and RAR file types.
It works on Android 12 or earlier versions. SuperNDS Pro, a paid emulator, supports the latest Android version.
Other important things like save states, ROM browser, and multi-language support are all present in this emulator.
If you experience crashes while using this emulator, try clearing up the RAM on your smartphone and restarting the emulator.
Furthermore, the developers have mentioned that using an uncompressed ROM can drastically improve performance.
Are There Any Good DS Emulators?
Yes, there are many feature-rich Nintendo DS emulators. You can effortlessly install these emulators on a Windows or a macOS PC.
Furthermore, DS emulators can also be installed on Android smartphones. DS Emulators make the task of playing Nintendo DS games a breeze.
What Are The Best Nintendo DS Emulators?
Some of the best Nintendo DS emulators are DraStic DS emulator, MelonDS, RetroArch, and No$GBA. You can use these emulators to run Nintendo DS ROMs on your PC or Android smartphone.
Which DS Emulator Is Best To Run Pokemon Games?
The best free DS emulators to play Pokemon games are DraStic DS emulator, MelonDS, and RetroArch.
Can Citra run DS games?
Citra is one of the best Nintendo 3DS emulators. It can run DS games without any problem.
Is DraStic the best emulator?
DraStic is one of the best DS emulators available for android. However, it is premium and you may want to look for other free alternatives.
CONCLUSION
So these were some of the best Nintendo DS emulators that are worth checking out.
Do share any of your personal recommendations for the best NDS emulators to play Pokemon in the comments section below.
