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How to Make GBA ROMs Work on DS

GameBoy Advance (GBA) games are backward compatible with the Nintendo DS as long as you have a first generation DS or a DS Lite with a slot 2 GBA cartridge adapter. Since GBA games load out of slot 2, the bottom slot on the DS, you'll need an adapter for slot 2 in order to run GBA ROMs. "ROM" stands for "read only memory," and GBA ROMs are copies of GBA games. As long as you own a legitimate copy of the game, you can use the GBA ROMs on your DS.

Things You'll Need

Slot 2 GBA adapters
SD card
Card reader

Instructions

- 1
  Download the latest firmware for your slot 2 GBA adapter from the adapter's official website.
- 2
  Install any software onto your PC that came with the slot 2 GBA adapter. Click on the "exe" file and select "Next" and "Finish" to complete the installation.
- 3
  Plug the SD card into the card reader and plug it into your USB port on your computer. Right-click on the new drive icon and select "Format." Select "FAT/FAT16," uncheck the Quick Format box and name the volume. Click "Format."
- 4
  Drag and drop the new firmware files into the root directory of the card. The root directory is the card itself with no files.
- 5
  Open the slot 2 adapter software from the "Programs" file on your PC. Click "Add" and select the GBA ROMs you want to add to your SD card. Adjust the properties of the card, if possible with the software. Select the directory inside that card you want to save the games to and click "Save."
- 6
  Unplug the card reader from the USB port and remove the SD card. Plug the SD card into the slot 2 adapter. Plug the adapter into your DS and turn the DS on. Select "Slot 2" from the main menu and choose which GBA ROM you want to play with the "A" button.

Nintendo DS