DSPRE - DS Pokémon ROM Editor Reloaded

DSPRE (DS Pokémon ROM Editor Reloaded) is a tool for editing Nintendo DS Pokémon games (Generation IV). It allows you to modify maps, scripts, events, Pokémon data, trainers, and more.

For additional documentation, tutorials, and research on DS Pokémon ROM hacking, see the DS Pokémon Hacking Wiki.

Supported Games

Game	EN	ES/IT/FR/DE	JP	KR	Notes
Diamond	Full Support	Extensive Support	Partial Support	Minimal Support
Pearl	Full Support	Extensive Support	Partial Support	Minimal Support
Platinum	Full Support	Extensive Support	Partial Support	Minimal Support
HeartGold	Full Support	Extensive Support	Partial Support	Minimal Support
SoulSilver	Full Support	Extensive Support	Partial Support	Minimal Support
hg-engine ROMs	Partial Support	N/A	N/A	N/A	Some editors disabled

Editors

Map Editor

View and edit 3D map-related data including collisions, permissions, building placement, import and export of map models.

OpenGL 3D visualization
Mouse-based building placement and movement
Collision editing with type painters
Permissions editing with flood fill
BGS (Background Sound) section editing
BDHCAM import/export
Map NSBMD and BIN import/export
DAE, GLB, and NSBMD model export
512px map screenshot export (for PDSMS backgrounds)

Note: To create new maps from scratch, use Pokémon DS Map Studio (PDSMS).

Script Editor

Edit game scripts in binary or plaintext format.

Syntax highlighting via ScintillaNET
Dual-format support (binary .bin and plaintext .script)
External editing support with VS Code
Script Navigator for quick navigation
Search for any command
Text Search and Replace
Syntax error detection
Level script clearing
Number format selection (hex or decimal)
Custom script command database support

VS Code Extension: Install the DSPRE Script Compatibility extension for syntax highlighting when editing scripts externally. This can be installed directly in VS Code by searching "DSPRE" in the Extensions: Marketplace.

Script Command Databases: The command databases are maintained at scrcmd-database. Contributions are welcome.

Header Editor

Edit map header properties.

Copy and paste headers
Import and export
Add and remove headers (if relevant patch applied)
Location search
WorldMap Coordinates (HGSS)
Weather effects with preview
Internal names editing
Battle Background and Following Pokémon properties
Camera settings
Music settings

Matrix Editor

Edit world map layout and connections.

Custom color table support
Matrix resizing
Status bar coordinates
Matrix names in selector

Event Editor

Place and configure NPCs, warps, triggers, and spawnables.

Mouse-based event placement
Warp navigation
Event duplication
Selective event import from other files
Overworld sprite rendering
512px customisable map and event data screenshot export

Wild Encounters Editor

Configure wild Pokémon encounters.

Encounter slot editing
Import and export
Add and remove encounter files
Broken encounter file repair
Separate editors for DPPt and HGSS formats

Trainer Editor

Edit trainer data including party, AI, and items.

Trainer Class editing
Party composition (up to 6 Pokémon)
Custom movesets
AI flags
Trainer and held items
Party reordering
DV Calculator (IV & Nature determination)
Export to Showdown format

Note: For more advanced trainer editing features, see VSMaker2, which supports DSPRE unpacked ROMs.

Note: See Generation IV Trainer Move Selection AI Reference for details on AI flags.

Pokémon Data Editors

Personal Data Editor

Edit Pokémon base stats and attributes.

Base stats (HP, Attack, Defense, Sp.Atk, Sp.Def, Speed)
Types
Abilities
EV yield
TM/HM compatibility
Catch rate, base EXP, growth rate
Gender ratio
Egg groups
CSV import/export

Learnset Editor

Edit level-up moves.

Add, edit, and delete moves
Auto-sorting by level
Manual sorting of moves learned at the same level
Entry count warning for 20+ moves (see maximum move threshold)
Bulk Learnset Editor with:
- CSV import/export
- Copy learnset to other Pokémon
- Global move replacement
- Level adjustment
- Filter and search

Evolution Editor

Edit evolution methods and targets.

All evolution methods supported
Evolution parameters (level, item, move, etc.)
Multiple evolution paths

Egg Move Editor

Edit egg moves by species.

Bulk replace and delete
Search by Pokémon name
CSV import/export
Size limit tracking

Move Data Editor

Edit move properties.

Type, Split, Power, Accuracy, PP
Priority
Side Effect Probability
Attack Range/Target
Battle Effect Sequence
Move Flags
Contest data
Natural Gift, Fling, Pluck effects
CSV import/export

For more information, see the DS Pokémon Hacking Wiki - Editing Moves.

Item Editor

Edit item data and effects.

Icon and palette selection
Price
Hold effects
Field and Battle pocket
Field and Battle use functions
Natural Gift, Fling, Pluck effects
Party Use Parameters (status healing, HP/PP restoration, stat boosters, EV modifiers, friendship modifiers)

TM Editor

Edit TM/HM move assignments and item palettes.

Trade Editor

Edit in-game trade Pokémon.

Species (given and requested)
IVs
Held item
PID
OT ID and gender
Contest stats
Origin language
Nickname and OT name

Safari Zone Editor (HGSS)

Edit Safari Zone encounters.

All zone areas
Grass, Surf, and Rod encounters
Block placement requirements
Import/export

Headbutt Encounter Editor (HGSS)

Edit Headbutt tree encounters with 3D map visualization.

Normal and Special tree groups
Click-to-select trees on map
Import/export

Fly Editor

Edit fly destination tables.

Game-over respawn locations
Fly warp destinations
Unlock conditions

Camera Editor

Edit camera positions and angles.

Building Editor

View and manage 3D building models.

Interior and exterior models
NSBMD model viewing
Building NSBMD import/export
DAE building export

NSBTX Editor

Add, edit and delete AreaData and texture packs.

Add and remove map and building texture packs (NSBTX)
Add, edit and remove AreaData files
Import/export NSBTX and AreaData
Palette matching
Texture preview

Text Editor

Edit in-game text.

Line reordering
Row number display (decimal or hex)
Search and Replace
Chinese text support
STRVAR helper with type reference
Import/export

Table Editor

Edit various game tables.

Conditional Music Table (HGSS)
Pre-Battle Effects (VS. sequences and battle tracks)

Overlay Editor

View and manage overlays.

Compression status
Decompression operations
RAM address mapping

Spawn Settings Editor

Edit starting location and money.

Utilities

NARC Packer/Unpacker
Batch Rename (list-based and content-based)
Advanced Header Search
NSBMD/NSBTX utilities
DocTool (export data to CSV)

ROM Toolbox Patches

Apply patches to expand ROM capabilities:

Patch	Description
Expand ARM9 Memory	Increase usable ARM9 memory
Dynamic Cameras	BDH camera positioning
Overlay1 Uncompressed	Keep Overlay1 uncompressed
Sentence Case Names	Convert Pokémon names to sentence case
Standardize Items	Standardize item numbers across games
Expand Matrix 0	Larger world map matrices
Dynamic Headers	Extended header functionality
Disable Texture Animations	HGSS texture animation killswitch
Script Command Repointing	Custom script database support
Trainer Name Expansion	Extended trainer name length

Related Tools

Tool	Purpose
Pokémon DS Map Studio	Create new 3D maps from scratch
VSMaker2	Advanced trainer editor (supports DSPRE unpacked ROMs)
VS Code Extension	Syntax highlighting for DSPRE scripts

Installation

Requirements

Windows 7 or later
.NET Framework 4.8

Download

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
Extract to a folder of your choice
Run DSPRE.exe

Getting Started

Open DSPRE and click "Open ROM" or drag-drop a .nds file
Wait for ROM extraction (first-time setup)
Select an editor tab to begin editing
Save your work frequently in each editor
Click "Save ROM" to repack changes to a modified .nds file
Test your ROM in an emulator

Enhancements Over Original DSPRE

These improvements were made compared to the original DSPRE by Nomura:

Faster load and save times
Fixed Japanese DP ROM support
Configurable toolbar layouts
User preference persistence
Automatic updates via Velopack
Auto-updating script command databases
Application logging with crash reporter
Load extracted data from directory without ROM
ARM9 mismatch warnings
ALT key shortcuts
Custom character map support
Recent project quick-open

Development Guide

Prerequisites

Visual Studio 2019 or later
.NET Framework 4.8 SDK
Git

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/DS-Pokemon-Rom-Editor/DSPRE.git
cd DSPRE
msbuild DSPRE.sln /p:Configuration=Release

Solution Structure

DSPRE/
??? DS_Map/           # Main application (DSPRE.csproj)
?   ??? Editors/      # All editor UserControls and Forms
?   ??? ROMFiles/     # Data model classes
?   ??? DSUtils/      # Low-level DS utilities
?   ??? Resources/    # Databases and static resources
?   ??? LibNDSFormats/# 3D model format handling
?   ??? ...
??? Ekona/            # Image/sprite library (Ekona.csproj)
??? Images/           # Nintendo image format plugin (Images.csproj)

Architecture Overview

Key Design Patterns

1. Static ROM Context (`RomInfo.cs`)

All ROM metadata is stored statically for global access:

string workDir = RomInfo.workDir;
GameFamilies family = RomInfo.gameFamily;
string scriptsPath = RomInfo.gameDirs[DirNames.scripts].unpackedDir;

2. RomFile Base Class

All ROM data structures inherit from RomFile:

public abstract class RomFile {
    public abstract byte[] ToByteArray();
    public bool SaveToFile(string path, bool showSuccessMessage = true);
    protected bool SaveToFileDefaultDir(DirNames dir, int IDtoReplace, bool showSuccessMessage = true);
}

3. NARC Archive System

Game data is stored in NARC archives that are unpacked for editing:

DSUtils.TryUnpackNarcs(new List<DirNames> { 
    DirNames.scripts, 
    DirNames.eventFiles 
});

string path = Filesystem.GetScriptPath(fileID);

4. Handler State Pattern

Prevent event handler recursion:

private void SomeControl_ValueChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (Helpers.HandlersDisabled) return;
    
    Helpers.DisableHandlers();
    try {
        otherControl.Value = newValue;
    } finally {
        Helpers.EnableHandlers();
    }
}

5. Dirty Tracking Pattern

Track unsaved changes. For Form-based editors:

private bool dirty = false;

private void SetDirty(bool status) {
    dirty = status;
    this.Text = formName + (dirty ? "*" : "");
}

private bool CheckDiscardChanges() {
    if (!dirty) return true;

    var result = MessageBox.Show("Unsaved changes. Discard?", 
        "Warning", MessageBoxButtons.YesNo);
    return result == DialogResult.Yes;
}

For UserControl-based editors (tab panels), implement IEditorWithUnsavedChanges:

public class MyEditor : UserControl, IEditorWithUnsavedChanges
{
    private bool isDirty = false;

    // IEditorWithUnsavedChanges implementation
    public bool HasUnsavedChanges => isDirty;
    public string UnsavedChangesMessage => $"My Editor (File {currentFileID})";

    private void SetDirty()
    {
        if (!isDirty)
        {
            isDirty = true;
            OpenEditorsRegistry.Register(this);
        }
    }

    private void SetClean()
    {
        if (isDirty)
        {
            isDirty = false;
            OpenEditorsRegistry.Unregister(this);
        }
    }
}

Creating New Editors

Example: Creating a Simple Data Editor

using DSPRE.ROMFiles;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace DSPRE.Editors
{
    public partial class MyNewEditor : Form
    {
        private MyDataFile currentFile;
        private int currentId = 0;
        private bool dirty = false;
        private readonly string formName = "My New Editor";
        private readonly string[] itemNames;

        public MyNewEditor()
        {
            DSUtils.TryUnpackNarcs(new List<RomInfo.DirNames> { 
                RomInfo.DirNames.myDataFiles 
            });
            
            itemNames = RomInfo.GetItemNames();
            
            InitializeComponent();
            
            Helpers.DisableHandlers();
            fileIdNumeric.Maximum = GetFileCount() - 1;
            itemComboBox.Items.AddRange(itemNames);
            Helpers.EnableHandlers();
            
            LoadFile(0);
        }

        private int GetFileCount()
        {
            return Directory.GetFiles(
                RomInfo.gameDirs[RomInfo.DirNames.myDataFiles].unpackedDir
            ).Length;
        }

        private void LoadFile(int id)
        {
            Helpers.DisableHandlers();
            
            currentId = id;
            currentFile = new MyDataFile(id);
            
            itemComboBox.SelectedIndex = currentFile.ItemId;
            valueNumeric.Value = currentFile.Value;
            
            SetDirty(false);
            Helpers.EnableHandlers();
        }

        private void SetDirty(bool status)
        {
            dirty = status;
            this.Text = formName + (dirty ? "*" : "");
        }

        private bool CheckDiscardChanges()
        {
            if (!dirty) return true;
            
            var result = MessageBox.Show(
                "Unsaved changes. Save before switching?",
                "Unsaved Changes",
                MessageBoxButtons.YesNoCancel
            );
            
            if (result == DialogResult.Yes)
            {
                SaveFile();
                return true;
            }
            return result == DialogResult.No;
        }

        private void SaveFile()
        {
            currentFile.SaveToFileDefaultDir(currentId, showSuccessMessage: false);
            SetDirty(false);
        }

        private void fileIdNumeric_ValueChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (Helpers.HandlersDisabled) return;
            
            if (CheckDiscardChanges())
            {
                LoadFile((int)fileIdNumeric.Value);
            }
            else
            {
                Helpers.DisableHandlers();
                fileIdNumeric.Value = currentId;
                Helpers.EnableHandlers();
            }
        }

        private void itemComboBox_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (Helpers.HandlersDisabled) return;
            currentFile.ItemId = itemComboBox.SelectedIndex;
            SetDirty(true);
        }

        private void valueNumeric_ValueChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (Helpers.HandlersDisabled) return;
            currentFile.Value = (int)valueNumeric.Value;
            SetDirty(true);
        }

        private void saveButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            SaveFile();
        }

        private void MyNewEditor_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
        {
            if (!CheckDiscardChanges())
            {
                e.Cancel = true;
            }
        }
    }
}

Creating the Data Model

using System.IO;

namespace DSPRE.ROMFiles
{
    public class MyDataFile : RomFile
    {
        public int ID { get; }
        public int ItemId { get; set; }
        public int Value { get; set; }

        public MyDataFile(int id)
        {
            ID = id;
            string path = Filesystem.GetMyDataPath(id);
            
            using (var reader = new BinaryReader(File.OpenRead(path)))
            {
                ItemId = reader.ReadUInt16();
                Value = reader.ReadInt32();
            }
        }

        public override byte[] ToByteArray()
        {
            using (var ms = new MemoryStream())
            using (var writer = new BinaryWriter(ms))
            {
                writer.Write((ushort)ItemId);
                writer.Write(Value);
                return ms.ToArray();
            }
        }

        public void SaveToFileDefaultDir(int id, bool showSuccessMessage = true)
        {
            SaveToFileDefaultDir(RomInfo.DirNames.myDataFiles, id, showSuccessMessage);
        }
    }
}

Adding Filesystem Helper

In Filesystem.cs:

public static string myDataFiles => 
    RomInfo.gameDirs[RomInfo.DirNames.myDataFiles].unpackedDir;

public static string GetMyDataPath(int id)
{
    return GetPath(myDataFiles, id);
}

public static int GetMyDataCount()
{
    return Directory.GetFiles(myDataFiles).Length;
}

Registering the Editor

In Main Window.cs:

private void myEditorToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DSUtils.TryUnpackNarcs(new List<DirNames> { DirNames.myDataFiles });
    new MyNewEditor().Show();
}

Contributing

Code Style Guidelines

Follow existing patterns - look at similar editors for reference
Use Helpers - Helpers.DisableHandlers(), Helpers.statusLabelMessage(), etc.
Log appropriately - use AppLogger.Info(), AppLogger.Error(), etc.
Check game version - use RomInfo.gameFamily for version-specific logic
Avoid useless comments - only comment "why", not "what"
SetDirty() guards - When calling SetDirty() in event handlers, ALWAYS check BOTH Helpers.HandlersDisabled AND the relevant selection index (e.g., listBox.SelectedIndex < 0). Setup code can trigger handlers after EnableHandlers(), causing false dirty state.
Reset() for UserControl editors - Editors that maintain state must implement a Reset() method to clear all data when switching ROMs. Always wrap in DisableHandlers()/EnableHandlers().

Pull Request Process

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
Commit your changes with clear messages
Ensure the solution builds without errors
Create a Pull Request with a detailed description

External Resources

DS Pokémon Hacking Wiki

The DS Pokémon Hacking Wiki is the primary documentation resource for DS Pokémon ROM hacking:

Repositories

DSPRE - This repository
Script Command Database - Script command definitions (contributions welcome)
VS Code Extension - Syntax highlighting for external script editing

License

This project is open source. See the repository for license details.

Credits

Original DSPRE by Nomura
All contributors to the DSPRE Reloaded project
The DS Pokémon ROM hacking community

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 1,538 Commits
.github		.github
DS_Map		DS_Map
Ekona		Ekona
Images		Images
readmeImages		readmeImages
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
CHANGELOG_2.0_Dev.md		CHANGELOG_2.0_Dev.md
CHANGELOG_2.0_User.md		CHANGELOG_2.0_User.md
DS_Map.sln		DS_Map.sln
LICENSE		LICENSE
OldReadme.md		OldReadme.md
README.md		README.md
changelogHelper.py		changelogHelper.py

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