Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS)

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To do: Version differences. Stuff from the source code in the 2020 Nintendo leaks MBC4 support in the TRL source code. MBC4 was for interaction with the Nintendo 64 and possibly the unreleased 64GB Cable (not to be confused with the Transfer Pak/64GB Pack). No games ever used it.

The Virtual Console titles are merely shells for any game that is contained within it. They support a variety of systems right out of the box, simply requiring a swap of the game binary contained within the RomFS (as well as a bit of editing, depending on the game format) to run a different system.

Supported binaries are NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. However, the Game Boy Color Virtual Console emulator can run Game Boy Advance, NES, and FDS games, although the NES Virtual Console emulator can only run other NES games.

Game Boy Advance Support#

While there are 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games that do run at full speed (only ever made available for 3DS Ambassadors), they rely on hardware backward-compatibility via rebooting into a separate firmware called AGB_FIRM, thus they lack certain features including sleep support and save states. However, there is also a software-based emulator built into the Game Boy Color Virtual Console container.

It does work to a degree, but it's incredibly slow and unstable. However, it has full support for the main functions that other Virtual Console games have, such as save states and resuming where you left off, both of which are used for the GBA Virtual Console on the Wii U. It's likely Nintendo tried to do proper GBA emulation on the 3DS, rather than rely on hardware backwards-compatibility.

Multi-ROM Support#

To do: Get screenshots of this.

While only compatible with the NES Virtual Console container, if multiple NES binaries are placed within the /rom/ directory of the Virtual Console RomFS and modified appropriately to run, when you start the application you'll be presented with a menu in which you can explore the Virtual Console's RomFS contents and boot a different game, although to change the game you're playing does require you close and restart the application.

Debug Menu#

The Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console has a debug mode that can be enabled in the Generation I and Generation II Pokémon games using patches made by zaksabeast on GBATemp. This debug mode will replace the Virtual Console menu normally opened by tapping the touchscreen. The options are Interruption Save, Interruption Load, Capture, Reset, Change Rom, NetWork, ButtonRepeat, Emulator Speed, and Quit. The selection highlight is moved with the control stick or D-Pad, and the Y Button is used to make a selection. All options except Interruption Save, Capture, Reset, and Quit have a Back option that returns to the main debug menu. The Home Button is disabled while this menu is open, but if pressed, will open the Home Menu once the debug menu is closed.

Interruption Save#

Selecting this option displays the prompt "Do you want save?" (sic) with options for Yes and No. Despite selecting Yes displaying the messages "Writing save" and "Save successful", it doesn't seem to work. This may have been used to create restore points, a feature removed from the Virtual Console emulator used for the Pokémon games. It may work as intended in non-Pokémon Virtual Console games.

Interruption Load#

Selecting this option displays a file list, presumably of saves created with the Interruption Save option. Empty entries are displayed as NULL. There are also PrePage and NextPage options for changing the page if enough entries are present. The X Button could be used to delete files, according to controls at the bottom of this submenu.

Capture#

Selecting this option just closes the debug menu. It may have been used to create screenshots during development, however, it doesn't appear to create any files in the RomFS or on the SD card.

Reset#

Selecting this option displays the prompt "Do you want reset" (sic) with options for Yes and No. Selecting Yes resets the emulated game.

Change Rom#

To do: Get a screenshot with multiple ROMs present in the folder. I wasn't able to get this to work using Luma3DS's LayeredFS, so it may require rebuilding the RomFS/game or using an emulator.

Selecting this option displays a list of files in the RomFS's rom folder. They are formatted as filename-internal name. Empty entries are displayed as NULL. Like with Interruption Load, there are PrePage and NextPage options for changing the page if enough entries are present. Just like with Interruption Load, controls at the bottom of the submenu indicate that the X Button could be used to delete files.

NetWork#

To do: Try testing this option with a two Nintendo 3DS consoles at once to see if something happens

This option may have been used for testing the emulated Link Cable and infrared port. It has options for Server, Client, Channel (0), and Back. Selecting both Server and Client both seem to either freeze the console or wait for network activity. Channel can't be selected but pressing left or right on the control stick or D-Pad decrements and increments the channel number to a maximum of 13.

ButtonRepeat#

This option seems to be related to repeating inputs. It has two options, HoldFrames (0) and ReleaseFrames (1) that can't be selected but can be decremented and incremented with left and right on the control stick and D-Pad. HoldFrames goes between 0 and 1 while ReleaseFrames goes between 0 and 2.

Emulator Speed#

This submenu has a single Speed (1) option that can be decremented and incremented between 1 and 4 using left and right on the control stick and D-Pad. Values higher than 1 will speed up the emulator, similar to an unofficial emulator's Fast Forward option.

Quit#

This option closes the debug menu.

Unreleased SNES Titles#

On March 1, 2016, Nintendo began releasing SNES Virtual Console games to New Nintendo 3DS users on the Nintendo eShop. Hidden within the emulator binary is a list of games, some of which were released, and others were not. The text is stored in the .code of the ExeFS in Shift-JIS.

Green backgrounds denote released games.