The quality of the Drastic DS Emulator app is so great that if it weren’t for the fact that we have a mobile phone or a tablet we wouldn’t notice the difference with the Nintendo ds. As we can see once the emulator is started, the navigation menu is very simple, accessing the ROM’s loading folder by clicking on load new game and being memorized for future uploads. The interface is simple and not very customizable, which in my opinion cannot be considered a disadvantage since the important thing, the operation, is perfect as well as the quality in the representation of both screens both horizontally and vertically.
Other characteristics that we must highlight in the use of Drastic DS Emulator are the sound, the ease of setting up an external pad bluetooth – without detection problems -, the feature of using tricks directly from the screen and above all, the possibility of synchronizing with our account Google drive to save games.
How to start a Mario or Pokémon game in Drastic DS
If we click on New game We will access a file manager that will allow us to choose the ROM with the game. Click on Emulated and then in the folder DraStic. For convenience, I recommend putting the games in there. You can create a folder called roms and leave all the ROMs there. When everything is configured it is recommended to copy the DraStic folder to the computer to have a backup copy.
The next step is to click on the ROM image. A menu will appear with several options and we will select Start Game. The Nintendo DS has two screens, one upper and one lower. The upper screen is used for normal play and the lower screen is usually used as an auxiliary to show the map of the level or specific actions. Placing the phone horizontally rearranges the screens. If we play using the touch screen, it is more comfortable to play this way.
From the main menu, click on Options. Many options can be modified and adapted to our needs. We will see the most important options. You can also configure the characteristics of the touch control: its position, size or appearance. In the special buttons it is possible to add emulator functions. For example, to toggle the screen we see from the game console or to quickly save the game.
And it is that although emulation seems to be very good (with a good rate of frames and compatibility with most titles), DraStic’s flaws are not related to its quality as a program, but to the very concept of the Nintendo DS. The great novelty of this console with respect to its predecessors and the competition is the presence of two screens, one of them touch. Some developers used only one of the screens to show the action, leaving the secondary one to access the menus or display data, but there are certain titles in which the action takes place on both screens at the same time.
In order to solve it, in DraStic we can select how we want to distribute the two screens over the space we have on our device. For example, we can give priority to one screen over the other, or even use only one even if we lose the information that the other shows. It is clear that if we have a large device such as a tablet it will be easier for us to see both screens without problems, although a smartphone should not have problems depending on the game.
DraStic has the advantages of most emulators, such as the ability to save the game where we want, or to activate tricks that make our lives easier. We can even improve the graphics in a certain way. Of course, this seems to be the best option to enjoy Nintendo DS games on Android, although it has a downside. Its price of € 5.99 will be a deterrent for many people, although seeing how well it works it may be worth it. Of course, to make it work legally we will need certain files from a Nintendo DS that we have. The program itself warns us the first time we start it.
