Opinions have always been quite split when it came down to picking the best Nintendo DS emulator. On one side there were those who swear by DeSmuME, on the other those who prefer the much newer melonDS.
However, the last few years solidified melonDS’ reputation (I don’t want to say “the best”) as being the best-rounded product in terms of accurate Nintendo DS emulation.
There’s not one single thing that makes melonDS good, but rather a combination of many aspects. For instance, it boasts a plethora of connectivity options such as GBA Slot 2 cartridge detection (add-on), local multiplayer, online multiplayer, and very good hardware performance, as well as a DSi Mode.
Add OpenGL rendering, 3D upscaling, decent internal resolution support (with a wide range of display positions, sizes, and rotation modes), joystick support, RTC, microphone, and lid close/open actions).
If you’ve ever used a gaming emulator, then you might already have a good idea of how to use this one. BIOS and firmware files need to be “dumped” from a real DS or DSi console in order to use melonDS. Of course, there’s a lot more to that, but that’s where the app’s website and forum come into play.
Do note that DS firmwares “dumped” “from a DSi or 3DS are not bootable and only contain configuration data, thus they are only suitable when booting games directly,” according to the app’s GitHub page.
Even though melonDS boasts a remarkable feature set, the app is still arguably very much a work-in-progress type of deal. Projects like this only go as far as the motivation of a very passionate individual or team of individuals goes. Hence, I have to give the team behind melonDS credit for constantly improving the product over the course of many years.
Future plans for the project include improved DSi emulation, improved OpenGL rendering, Netplay, support for rendering screens to separate windows, and “the impossible quest of pixel-perfect 3D graphics). Other low-priority plans include big-endian compatibility (such as Wii compatibility) and LCD refresh time.
As with all projects of this type (meaning open-source projects in general, and gaming emulators specifically), anyone can get involved by testing various aspects of melonDS, reporting issues, and suggesting new features.
