Playing on PC: the ROM and melonDS

To play Dragon Quest IX on a Windows PC you need two things: the ROM (your cartridge's contents, a file ending in .nds) and an emulator, the program that pretends to be a DS. This encyclopedia recommends melonDS: it's the only one that also allows DQVC at home and multiplayer. Everything below was done with melonDS 1.1.

1. The ROM: from your own cartridge

Downloading the ROM of a game you don't own is illegal: this encyclopedia gives no link. The only clean way is to copy your cartridge, and your save with it, using a modded Nintendo console. These guides are free and very detailed:

• With a Nintendo 3DS or 2DS: follow 3ds.hacks.guide to install custom firmware, then its page “Dumping Titles and Game Cartridges” (GodMode9).
• With a Nintendo DSi: follow dsi.cfw.guide, then its page “Dumping Game Cards” (GodMode9i, which also copies the save).

You get a .nds file (the ROM) and, if you copied it, a .sav file (your game). Keep them in the same folder, for example “DQ9” on the Desktop.

2. Installing melonDS

1. Go to the official site melonds.kuribo64.net, Downloads page, and download the Windows version (a .zip file). It's free.
2. In “Downloads”, right-click the .zip → Extract All… → Extract. A melonDS folder opens.
3. Double-click melonDS.exe. If Windows says “Windows protected your PC”, click More info, then Run anyway.
4. No BIOS or console firmware needed: melonDS provides its own.

3. Setting the controls (required)

When first opened, melonDS has no keys set: without this step the game won't react to the keyboard.

1. In the melonDS window: Config → Input and hotkeys.
2. DS keypad tab, Keyboard mappings column: click the box next to “A”, then press the key you want. Repeat for each button.
3. Suggestion (QWERTY): arrow keys for Up / Down / Left / Right; A → X; B → Z; X → S; Y → A; L → Q; R → W; Start → Enter; Select → Backspace.
4. With a gamepad: same in the Joystick mappings column, pressing the pad's buttons.
5. Click OK.

The DS touch screen (bottom screen) is played with the mouse: click, or hold and drag.

4. Playing

1. File → Open ROM…, pick your .nds file: the game starts.
2. Language: the game uses the console's. To change it: Config → Firmware settings, pick the language, OK, then System → Reset.
3. Window size: View → Screen size (2x, 3x…).
4. Saving: as on the DS, at a church (or with Pavo). melonDS writes the game to a .sav file named like the ROM, next to it.

5. Continuing an existing game

• Save copied from the cartridge (.sav): give it the ROM's name (e.g. DQ9.nds and DQ9.sav) in the same folder, before opening the ROM. Or, game open: File → Import savefile.
• DeSmuME save (.dsv, in its Battery folder): in DeSmuME, File → Export Backup Memory gives a .sav; or drop the .dsv into the black window of “Lancer la DQVC.bat” (DQVC at home), which converts it.
• Savestates (F1-F8 quick saves) don't work in another emulator: only the real game save moves.

Tip: to see file name endings (.nds, .sav), in File Explorer: View → Show → File name extensions (Windows 11), or View tab → File name extensions (Windows 10).