NDS emulators have come a long way. Most of the modern emulators are quite impressive. But you have to attribute their success to the emulators like DSemu that came before and which struggled to stand out before ultimately falling by the wayside.
What is DSemu?
DSemu is a small, lightweight open-source emulator. Initially, it was just a Game Boy Advance emulator. Later on, it started running Nintendo DS games. These days, it attracts homebrew developers who need an integrated debugging environment to test and debug their projects.
DSemu joined the emulation market in 2004. That initial version was a Windows application that was created with C. DSemu: The Next Generation came out in 2005.
This second iteration was written in C++ and it was designed to work on various platforms. Back then, the emulator was associated with Imran Nazar, the creator of DSemu. But he did not stick with the project.
Imran released a blog post in 2006 in which he explained all the challenges he had encountered in his efforts to make DSemu more effective. He admitted that he was finally giving up on the program, which is why he was releasing the code.
He wanted other developers to pick up where he left off. Eventually, Chris Double took his place. DSemu is still around. Though, it is quite obscure. Many NDS fans have no idea that it even exists, which is a shame because it is a passable emulator.
It has a decent collection of features, including a debugger, the ability to limit the FPS, and functions that enable gamers to configure their keyboard controls. But you should know that DSemu hasn’t been updated in quite a while.
You cannot rely on the developers to fix the numerous bugs that have manifested since the last update. This is why some people are reluctant to use this emulator.
How To Install DSemu?
This is a portable program. You can even carry it on a USB drive if you want to. This is because it doesn’t have an installer. The only significant step you must take to use the emulator is to download it.
Get a secure download, extract the emulator where necessary, and run the executable file. This is enough to launch the emulator. If your download was free of malware and viruses, the emulator will start working immediately.
Download DSemu
Best Nintendo DS Emulator
| NO$GBA | Windows |
| RetroArch | Multi-platform |
| DuoS | Windows |
| Dualis | Windows |
| NeonDS | Windows |
| iDeaS | Windows |
| DeSmuME | Windows |
How To Use DSemu?
This is a simple program with a clean layout. If you have ROM Files on your computer, go to ‘File, select ‘Open’ in the menu, and use the window that opens to load the game you want to play.
Keep in mind that, unlike many modern emulators, this one doesn’t have a manual. You have to figure things out for yourself. Fortunately, as was already noted, the emulator is simple. You don’t need anyone to help you figure things out.
Conclusion
Even though DSemu doesn’t get updates, it will play your NDS games. It won’t play all of them. But it can play enough of them. The simplicity of DSemu makes the application attractive to newcomers.
