Rocket Rider (Nintendo DS)

Overview

Rocket Rider is a Nintendo DS game developed in C using low-level ARM9 programming.

The project focuses on real-time control, rendering, and interaction with constrained hardware. It demonstrates embedded-style development applied to game systems, including graphics handling, input processing, audio integration, and structured game-loop design.

Demo

Features

• Real-time rocket control
• Rendering for the Nintendo DS
• Movement and collision logic
• Audio playback
• Structured game loop and game state handling

Tech Stack

• Language: C
• Platform: Nintendo DS (ARM9)
• Libraries: libnds
• Toolchain: devkitARM
• Build system: Makefile

Build and Run

Requirements

• devkitARM
• libnds
• A Nintendo DS emulator such as DeSmuME, or real hardware

Build

make

Run

Open the generated .nds file in an emulator such as DeSmuME, or run it on a Nintendo DS using a compatible flash cartridge.

Current Status

Working

• Core gameplay loop
• Input handling
• Rendering
• Audio playback

Limitations

• Limited level complexity
• Basic physics and collision handling
• Minimal menus or UI polish
• Limited robustness to edge cases

Learning Outcomes

This project demonstrates:

• Low-level programming on constrained hardware
• Real-time system design
• Graphics and memory management on Nintendo DS
• Structured C project organization using a Makefile-based workflow

Authors

• Charlotte Heibig
• Ismael Frei