pico-loader/CHANGELOG.md

Changelog

[Unreleased]

Added

• DMA card read support for the DSTT platform - by @lifehackerhansol
• DMA card read support for the M3DS platform - by @lifehackerhansol

Fixed

• DMA card read offsets for Pokemon Ranger (EU) - by @taxicat1
• Split DSTT SD read to multiple patches to avoid running out of space - by @lifehackerhansol

[v1.6.0] - 29 Mar 2026

Added

• Support for the SuperChis slot 2 card - by @edo9300
• Most of the remaining SDK 2-4 DMA patches - by @taxicat1
• Support for cheats
  • The Pico Loader API was updated to v3 for this purpose.

Fixed

• Star Wars Jedi Alliance patch - by @taxicat1

[v1.5.0] - 1 Feb 2026 - Puppy Palace Release 🐶

Important

With this release a new file patchlist.bin is introduced that needs to be copied to the /_pico folder on your SD card.

Added

• AP patch for Last Window: The Secret of Cape West - by @taxicat1
• Missing CARDi_ReadRomIdCore signature for Top Spin 2 (USA) - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Top Spin 2 (USA) on DSTT and slot 2 cards
• Patch list with misc arm9 patches and metafortress addresses - Implementation by @Gericom, patch list contents by @taxicat1
  • Puppy Palace (USA), My Puppy Shop (Europe), Machi no Pet-ya-san DS - 200 Piki Wan-chan Daishuugou (Japan)
  • Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin (USA) and (Europe), Akumajou Dracula - Gallery of Labyrinth (Japan), Akumajou Dracula - Gallery of Labyrinth (Japan) (Rev 1)
  • Luminous Arc 2 (USA) and (Europe), Luminous Arc 2 - Will (Japan)
  • Children of Mana (USA) and (Europe), Seiken Densetsu DS - Children of Mana (Japan)
  • Dementium II (USA) and (Europe), Tozasareta Byoutou - Dementium II (Japan)
  • Grand Theft Auto - Chinatown Wars (USA), (Europe) and (Japan)
  • Star Wars - The Clone Wars - Jedi Alliance (USA) and (Europe)
  • C.O.P. - The Recruit (USA) and (Europe)
  • Battle of Giants - Dragons (USA) (Rev 1), Combat of Giants - Dragons (Europe)
  • Battle of Giants - Mutant Insects (USA), Combat of Giants - Mutant Insects (Europe)
  • Captain America - Super Soldier (USA) and (Europe)
  • Imagine - Resort Owner (USA), Imagine - Dream Resort (Europe)
  • Might & Magic - Clash of Heroes (USA) and (Europe)
  • Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands (USA) and (Europe)
  • Kirby - Mass Attack (USA) and (Europe), Atsumete! Kirby (Japan), Moyeora! Kirby (Korea)
• Keep a valid stack pointer when booting the arm9
  • Fixes Battle of Giants - Mutant Insects (USA), Combat of Giants - Mutant Insects (Europe) together with the patch in the patch list
• System for adjusting addresses for autoload - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes New Super Mario Bros (USA)
• Attempt to fix rom hacks that decompress the arm9, but don't set compressedEnd to zero
  • Fixes Pokemon SoulSilver Deluxe (together with the fix for roms repacked in unusual ways)
• Support for CARDi_ReadCard signature used by Chou Soujuu Mecha MG - by @taxicat1

Changed

• Reduce size of some patch codes - by @edo9300 and @Gericom
  • Fixes Dragon Quest Heroes - Rocket Slime (USA), Imagine - Fashion Designer (Europe) and Mugen Kouro (Japan)
• Improve handling of module params and locating of unused libsyscall space to support rom hacks that repack roms in unusual ways
  • Fixes Coropata (English translation)

Fixed

• Ignore rom reads into null pointer destinations - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

[v1.4.0] - 11 Jan 2026

Added

• Overlay patch to fix race condition in Kirby Super Star Ultra - by @taxicat1
• Overlay patch for hombrew AP in Rabbids Go Home - by @taxicat1
• Bypass region locking on iQue games - by @R-YaTian
• Properly set MBK9 (twl wram locking) settings - by @R-YaTian
• Support for SDK variant with a lot of inlining
  • Fixes Tropix! ...Your Island Getaway and Think - Training für den Kopf - Kids - Spiel Dich Schlau!
  • Note that these two games don't work yet on platforms that need card id patches (DSTT and slot2 platforms)
• Support for Slot 2 flashcarts using Compact Flash - by @edo9300
  • Supercard CF (SUPERCARDCF)
  • GBA Media Player CF (MPCF)
  • M3 Adapter CF (M3CF)
  • Max Media Dock CF (MMCF)
• Proper detection of DS mode DSiWare
  • Fixes DS Download Play and Pictochat DSiWare apps
• Support for the homebrew bootstub that allows to return to the launcher application
  • The Pico Loader API was updated to v2 for this purpose. The new launcherPath field needs to be set to the path of the launcher rom. The bootstub is only inserted when launcherPath is specified. As such, you will also need to update your launcher. If you are using Pico Launcher, support was added in v1.1.0.

Changed

• Duplicate entries removed from save list and missing title added - by @synthic
  • Fixes Disney Two Pack - Frozen Olaf's Quest + Big Hero 6 - Battle in the Bay (USA)
• Improve nocash print support detection to also detect melon ds - by @synthic
• Lock scfg9 when switching from DSi to DS mode
  • Fixes homebrew with a DS mode header that tries to detect DSi mode. This for example fixes touch in DSCraft.

Fixed

• DATEL: Make read sector function vram safe - by @edo9300
  • Fixes some games that read directly to vram and fixes games that use OS_ResetSystem on the DATEL platform
• Proper handling of blx branches in CardiTryReadCardDmaPatch - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Ninja Gaiden - Dragon Sword (USA)
• Fix sCARDiTryReadCardDmaPatternSdk3017530 matching multiple variants - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Unou no Tatsujin - Soukai! Machigai Museum 2 (Japan), Trioncube (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es,It), Tetris DS (Korea), Original Frisbee Disc Sports - Ultimate & Golf (USA) and LifeSigns - Surgical Unit (USA)
• Fix Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi (Japan) (rev 0 and 1) by accounting for a spurious CARDi_ReadCard match

[v1.3.1] - 29 Dec 2025

Fixed

• DATEL: Put back the full spi cycle routine when sending commands - by @edo9300
  • Fixes issues with some SD cards on the DATEL platform

[v1.3.0] - 28 Dec 2025

Added

• Properly set the supported language, user language, and region based on the ROM's region - by @R-YaTian
  • This bypasses the region lock or language lock in some dsiware games.
• Missing OS_ResetSystem signature - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes crashes in Tetris DS and other games that have this signature.
• Support for roms with a writable NAND chip.
  • Fixes WarioWare D.I.Y., Face Training, Jam with the Band and Nintendo DS Guide.
• Special save initialization for Jam with the Band and Daigassou! Band-Brothers DX
• New supported platform: Datel (Games n' Music and Action Replay DS(i)) - by @edo9300
• New supported platform: Stargate 3DS - by @lifehackerhansol

Changed

• Optimized space usage of supercard platform - by @edo9300
• Check in CardiTaskThreadPatch that the required slot is actually mapped to arm7.
  • Fixes Power Rangers - Samurai.

Fixed

• Fix CardiTaskThreadPatch to apply the right patch for all signatures
  • This fixes various games, including Chibi Robo! Park Patrol, Rainbow Islands Revolution, MechAssault - Phantom War and Diddy Kong Racing DS (USA).

[v1.2.0] - 22 Dec 2025

Added

• Support for DSProtect patches in static arm9 - by @taxicat1
• Support for unusual DSProtect configurations - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Dragon Ball: Origins 2 and Puyo Puyo 7
• Proper implementation of save verification
  • Fixes Madagascar, Bleach: Dark Souls and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

Changed

• Improve Pokémon IR sensor AP patches - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
• Always boot roms with slot 1 and 2 mapped to arm7
  • Fixes FastVideoDSPlayer homebrew
• Improve Sdk5DsiSdCardRedirectPatch

Fixed

• Fix some retail roms being detected as homebrew
  • Fixes Scooby Doo! - Unmasked and Kim Possible - Kimmunicator
• Fix some system tool DSi roms being misdetected as DSiWare

[v1.1.0] - 4 Dec 2025

Added

• Support for EZ-Flash Parallel platform - by @lifehackerhansol
• Add a few more games to the DLDI patch blacklist
  • Fixes Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates (EU and US) and Nanashi no Geemu
• Clear all arm9 CPU registers before booting a game
  • Fixes the Cake Ninja DSiWare titles

Changed

• Simplified and improved DSProtect patches - by @taxicat1
  • Fixes Saga 3: Shadow or Light and Solatorobo: Red the Hunter

[v1.0.1] - 29 Nov 2025

Added

• Add Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Mini-Land Mayhem! US rev 2 (V2GE) to the AP list - by @IceKareemCheese

Fixed

• Fix the DSProtect v2.03 patch (thanks @taxicat1)
  • Fixes Professor Layton and the Last Specter among others

[v1.0.0] - 25 Nov 2025

• Initial release