Some people still have their NDS consoles. But they use emulators because they prefer to play NDS games on their computers. If you are counted among that large group of gamers, you are probably wondering whether IDeaS is the right emulator for you. It depends on what you want.
What is IDeaS?
IDeaS is an NDS emulator. The name combines ‘Ideas’ and ‘DS’. When it first came out, IDeaS was one of the best emulators around, fighting for the top spot with the likes of DeSmuME. It wasn’t perfect but it showed a lot of potentials.
Created by Salvio Falciono from Italy, the program thrived for a while because it relied on an OpenGL renderer to achieve the sort of speed, accuracy, and crisp graphical quality people wanted.
Renowned for emulating the ARM9 dual screen processor, IDeaS could run several commercial games. However, people do not count it among the best NDS emulators today because development on the application ended a long time ago.
People that visit the website regularly will tell you that it hasn’t published any new posts since 2013. However, IDeaS is still a functional emulator for Windows, which is why it has been downloaded by over a million people so far.
Interest in the program isn’t quite as dead as some developers would like you to think. Many people appreciate the plugin system. It allows players to make alterations without accessing the emulator’s code.
But that is not the only reason why IDeaS has stuck around for all these years. Some developers use it to test commercial software.
Features IDeaS
- Emulates the ARM7 CPU
- Emulates GBA games
- Uses a Plugin System
- Portrait and Landscape Mode
- Graphics Acceleration
- You Can Save
How To Install IDeaS?
The installation process isn’t particularly difficult. The only challenging task is finding a secure download. These days, people disguise viruses as legitimate downloads to trick naïve people.
If you can find a trustworthy download, you don’t have to worry about installing IDeaS. This is a standalone program. You can launch it by simply running the executable file. Though, you have to extract the file beforehand.
IDeaS doesn’t rely on installers. You can move it to a flash drive, carrying it with you wherever you go. It is ready to run at a moment’s notice.
Download IDeaS
- Size: 241KB
- Platform: Windows
- Date: Dec, 20, 2012
- License: Freeware
Best Nintendo DS Emulator
| NO$GBA | Windows |
| RetroArch | Multi-platform |
| DuoS | Windows |
| Dualis | Windows |
| NeonDS | Windows |
| DSemu | Windows |
| DeSmuME | Windows |
How To Use IDeaS?
You can use IDeaS just as easily as you would any other emulator. It isn’t that sophisticated. You can use the ‘File’ and ‘Options’ menus to load games and to alter the video and audio settings.
Some people struggle with the plugin system. But the system is just as straightforward as the rest of the application. All you have to do is to send the ‘.dll’ files to the ‘Plugin’ folder. This will allow you to select those plugins in the emulator’s menu.
Conclusion
IDeaS isn’t the first emulator most people would think to use because it has many bugs and it doesn’t get updates. Development on the application stalled a while ago. That being said, if you don’t have any other emulators, this one will keep you busy for a while.
