Once CFW is installed, you can dump your own physical DS cartridges using or a PC DS dumper. This creates a digital backup (a .nds ROM file) that you can play via TWiLight Menu++.

: Certain games use QR codes to unlock hidden content. For example, Mario Tennis Open

The Nintendo DS, released in 2004, was a revolutionary handheld console that brought innovative gameplay and features to the gaming world. One of its lesser-known features was the use of QR codes in various games. In this blog post, we'll explore how QR codes were used in Nintendo DS games and their impact on the gaming industry.

Officially, the Nintendo DS hardware did not have a built-in camera capable of reading QR codes. This is the crucial distinction from its successor, the Nintendo 3DS, which used QR codes natively to exchange friend codes and download content. On the DS, QR codes appeared primarily in a handful of specific games as a proprietary data-sharing method. The most prominent example is the Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (2010). In this title, players could generate and share “Treasure Maps” and character equipment sets via a unique form of in-game QR-like pattern. These patterns, displayed on the top screen, were not standard QR codes but a custom grid system designed by Level-5. To "scan" them, a second DS system would use its bottom screen’s camera—via the Game Card’s own software—to read the pattern. This official implementation was a creative use of visual data transfer, allowing for content sharing without requiring an internet connection, functioning as a precursor to modern streetpass and spotpass features.