The Nintendo DS was not well known for its online multiplayer capabilities. However, for those who spend any time trying to make friends online Mario Kart DS, you can remember how this little running game can get you. Thanks to the excellent Delta emulator, that is for those of us going back to our DS days on the iPhone or iPad can now get even more excited. One of the developers behind Delta said he is working on getting online multiplayer working again.
On Monday, the main face behind Delta, Riley Testut, wrote that many online gamers are coming back for select Nintendo DS games. In a post on Threads, he showed it working as well Mario Kart DSMy favorite game, I remember it from my youth. Testut wrote in Threads that he “wasted the drift at the end.” However, it’s a great showcase of what makes the mobile version of Mario Kart so competitive, even if the netcode wasn’t very good or—hell—even playable at times.
The developer of the emulator wrote that he worked with others in the retro gaming community to add a reverse version of Nintendo’s WFC servers to the emulator. Testut said he hopes there will be a beta “in [the] in the next few weeks.” It will start by hitting Delta’s Patreon subscribers before coming to the wider community.
This should mean that it will work on a modern WiFi network. It will allow online fighting and trading in classic DS games like Pokémon Black/White. The Delta implementation will work on all third-party DS servers, including Wiimmfi, AltWFC, and Kaeru. Testut added details of which online games are compatible in his Threads post. Confirmed that users can get gifts on old DS Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games.
Legions of DS owners already use services like Kaeru WFC to access a recreated version of Nintendo’s defunct online services. Testut told The Verge that he used a third-party program called melonDS to access fan-made DS servers. It also means that people on emulators can play directly with those lucky enough to own a virtual DS playing on the same servers. Since Delta uses these third-party services, it means the update will be free for anyone to use.
Nintendo ended the online capabilities of the DS in 2014. The sequel handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, had a much longer shelf life, but that’s coming to an end. A legacy Japanese game maker ended support for 3DS online services in April, alongside the Wii U. That also eliminated the eShop, making it very difficult to play any of Nintendo’s best handheld hits from the 2000s and 2010s. Delta and other emulators are always your best bet for those who don’t feel like spending hundreds of dollars on hardware, even if the emulation is still legally questionable.
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