How to Use Cheats on melonDS for Android (Full Setup Guide)

So, it’s your first time to use cheats on melonDS for Android to ace your favorite NDS Pokemon games. But when you opened the emulator, you realized that you need a particular cheat database that you aren’t even familiar with.

Lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place! This guide provides complete and easy-to-follow instructions on how to use cheats on melonDS, specifically on Android.

Basically, melonDS gives you two ways to use cheats: manually enter the codes yourself or import a cheat database file. The latter lets you quickly access cheat lists for various games, including non-Pokemon titles, without having to enter each code individually.

To learn these two methods, ready your melonDS and carefully read the following information on this post. Let’s get right to it!

Is melonDS Safe to Use?

Definitely. melonDS is an open-source Nintendo DS emulator (developed by Rafael V. Caetano) that has been available on the Google Play Store for several years. Unlike DraStic, which has been removed from the official Android app market, you don’t need to download a melonDS APK from an external site. You can simply download it for free from the Play Store.

As long as you download melonDS from its official Google Play Store listing, you can avoid the risks associated with unofficial APK sources and start playing classic NDS Pokemon games on your Android device.

What You Need Before You Start

Before we discuss the cheats sections, let’s prepare your device first.

Device Requirements for melonDS

To download and use melonDS, your Android device needs to run at least Android 7.0 (Nougat). If your phone is around three years old or newer, you should have no trouble installing melonDS, as most modern Android devices run Android 13 to 15, which are several versions ahead of Nougat, released in 2016.

XML file containing a Cheats Database

The second most important thing that you need next to the emulator is a cheats database file. Getting access to this file will make using cheats on melonDS significantly easier, since it will allow melonDS to have a built-in library of cheats that you can use for many NDS games.

The most used XML file for melonDS cheats is the one shared by DeadSkullzJr on GBA Temp. Read the page’s text, and look for the download page under “DeadSkullzJr’s NDS(i) Cheat Databases.” This should open a page containing two folders. Open the “Cheat Databases” folder and download the cheats.xml. Don’t download anything else, as you only need the XML file.

Access to Cheat Codes for various NDS Pokemon Games

Though optional, cheat lists like the ones that you can browse here at PokeCoders can be quite helpful as well. Sometimes, a particular cheat that you want may not be present in the XML file you imported, so you can manually enter and add Action Replay codes to your existing cheats library. As for the process of doing it, more about that later.

Where Your Pokemon ROMs Come From

The trickiest part of using cheats on an emulator is getting the ROM file itself. To play your favorite NDS Pokemon game with cheats on melonDS, you’ll need a ROM dump of the game. 

The safest and legal way to obtain one is to dump it from a physical cartridge that you own and keep the resulting file for personal use rather than sharing it with others.

BIOS and Firmware Files (Optional)

As long as you have all the necessary files, including the ROM, XML file, and Action Replay codes, you can use cheats on melonDS without the DS/DSi BIOS or firmware files. However, if you want to access additional features, particularly those from the Nintendo DSi, you can install the required BIOS and firmware files in melonDS.

We personally tested melonDS using the BIOS and firmware files dumped from our old consoles. After tinkering with the newly accessible boot menu, we can confidently confirm that it has nothing to do with cheating in melonDS, unless you’re not using an Android device or downloaded another emulator that uses melonDS as a core.

How to Install melonDS and Load Your ROM

For those that still don’t have melonDS installed, this emulator is readily available at the Play Store, so don’t hesitate to search it up and follow the necessary processes for installing.

Make sure you already have your game ROM files on your device and store them in a dedicated folder in your file manager. After installing melonDS, you can select this folder as your ROM directory, allowing the emulator to automatically display all your games whenever you open it.

To load a ROM, simply click on your desired game, and it should start running.

How to Add Cheat Codes in melonDS (XML Database Method)

Now, here comes the most exciting part—using cheats! Follow the steps below to start enabling cheats and do lots of things in any game, from walking through walls to Shiny Pokemon spawns.

Step 1: Open melonDS and Click on Settings

Settings is accessible by clicking on the three dots at the top right corner of your screen.

Step 2: Open the Cheats Settings and Turn On the Enable Cheats Option

Keep the Enable cheats option on to keep using cheats on the emulator.

Step 3: Click on Import Cheats and Select the cheats.xml File

Remember that XML file that we mentioned earlier? We recommend putting it in the same folder containing your ROM files so you can quickly access it from the emulator’s Import Cheats feature.

Step 4: Wait for the Cheats to Load

Your screen will show a loading state where you’ll see melonDS importing cheats for various NDS games. Wait for it to end.

Step 5: Open a Game and Access the Cheats Options

With the database imported on your emulator, you may now open a game. While it’s running, hit the back button of your device to pause the emulation and open a list of options.

Click on Cheats to see a list of folders containing the available cheats. To activate a cheat, check the box beside it and follow any instructions listed under its name, such as pressing specific buttons.

How to Use Cheats on melonDS for Android (Manual Method)

If you want to add a cheat that isn’t available on the cheats database, you can manually enter the codes, just like what other players do when using cheats for GBA and 3DS games.

Step 1: Run a Game on melonDS and Hit Pause

Again, you can pause the game/emulation by pressing your phone’s back button.

Step 2: Click on Cheats and Add a Cheat Folder

This step will bring you back to the library of folders containing cheats you imported from the XML file. To make things more organized, press the red circle symbol with a folder icon at the lower right part of your screen to make a new folder.

You can rename that folder with whatever you like.

Step 3: Add a New Cheat Within the New Folder

Open the new cheat folder you created and press the red circle button at the lower right again to add a new cheat.

Adding a new cheat requires you to add a name and the code. The description is purely optional.

For the code, you can get them from reputable sources like PokeCoders. Here is a complete list of cheat lists that we have for the mainline Pokemon NDS games:

• Pokemon Diamond
• Pokemon Pearl
• Pokemon HeartGold
• Pokemon SoulSilver
• Pokemon Black
• Pokemon White
• Pokemon Black 2
• Pokemon White 2

After adding a cheat, check the box beside it and follow any additional information you’ll find in the PokeCoders cheat page, such as pressing a button or two to fully enable and disable it in the game.  

And that’s it! You just added a cheat manually on melonDS.

What to Do When a Code Doesn’t Work?

If any of the Action Replay codes shared by the PokeCoders team don’t work, you can report it by adding a comment under the specific cheat page or contact us so we can help you.

Best Screen Layout Settings for Pokemon

Now that you know how to use cheats on melonDS, perhaps you might want to consider leveling up your experience with the emulator’s layout settings.

Portrait vs. Landscape

You can change melonDS’s screen layout by opening Settings > Input > Layouts and clicking on the plus icon at the top right corner of your screen. Press Menu, then click on Layout Orientation to select between Portrait and Landscape.

Portrait displays the two screens vertically, while landscape displays them horizontally. There’s no objectively better option between the two, as it ultimately comes down to personal preference. However, your choice may depend on which orientation feels more comfortable in your hands or whether you prefer having a larger bottom screen.

Go for Landscape mode if you want a bigger emphasis on the top screen and select the Portrait mode if you prefer having a slightly bigger and easier-to-use bottom screen.

Using Hybrid Mode

melonDS doesn’t have a built-in Hybrid mode option, but you can make it manually by adjusting the sizes of the two screens when you add a new configuration at the Layouts menu.

How to Fix Lag and Speed Up melonDS

Turning On JIT

Go to the Settings, then click on System and turn on the Enable JIT option. This will help improve melonDS’ performance but may cause freezes or crashes for some games.

Renderer Settings

From the Settings, go to Video and turn on the Threaded rendering option. Like JIT, it also improves performance, especially on 3D games. However, it can also cause problems, so if you encounter any glitches, try disabling Threaded rendering to fix it.

Using Fast Forward

You can press on the fast-forward icon (right of the microphone icon) to make the game run quicker in frames. If you want this feature to slightly improve game performance, you can adjust it in the Settings > General > Set up your preferred fast-forward max speed.

Extra Features Worth Turning On

RetroAchievements

Creating a RetroAchievements account enables melonDS games to support Hardcore Mode, display on-screen indicators for achievements you’ve earned or still need to unlock, and show leaderboards where you can compare your performance with other players.

Controller Support

If you have a Bluetooth controller, you can connect it to melonDS to navigate your character and control various in-game features. Once your controller is connected to your device, open melonDS and go to Settings > Input > Key mapping. From there, click each button and assign it to the corresponding button on your controller.

Advanced: The MelonDualDS Fork 

If you want to explore more advanced features, you can also try the melonDualDS fork, which builds upon melonDS with additional features and improvements. It’s worth checking out if you want more customization options beyond what the standard melonDS version offers.

Common melonDS Problems and Fixes

White Screen on Boot

One of the most common issues that you might encounter while using melonDS is a white screen when opening a game. The usual culprits for this problem are a corrupted ROM file, a missing BIOS, or incorrect emulator settings.

Try redumping the ROM from your game cartridge, or install the required BIOS or firmware, as the game may need them to run properly. You can also try disabling JIT or Threaded Rendering in the settings, but only if you’ve confirmed that one of these options is causing the issue.

Game Won’t Load

A game that refuses to load may mean that it’s not compatible with melonDS or the emulator itself needs a restart. Try getting another copy of your ROM file or restarting the emulator.

Saves Not Working

If your game isn’t saving properly, check melonDS’s save settings and make sure it has permission to access the folder where your ROM and save files are stored. Avoid moving or renaming save files while the game is running.

Cheat Codes Not Working

If a code you entered won’t work, you can try again a few times and check if the source of the code provided any additional information, such as pressing specific buttons. If you get the source from PokeCoders, you can leave a comment under our cheat list so we can help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide helped you get started in using cheats for melonDS. If you encountered any issues while trying it, try to revisit this page and see if some of the sections covered a possible fix for your situation.

You can use cheats on every Pokemon game released for the Nintendo DS, so feel free to go all out in catching lots of Legendaries and reaching places that aren’t usually accessible in vanilla gameplay.

Glitches and other issues can occur when using cheats, even on other emulators. Make sure to back up your save file beforehand so you can restore your progress if the cheat causes file corruption or other problems.

One important note: DO NOT report bugs to the desktop melonDS GitHub page. The Android port uses a different codebase from the desktop version, so you’ll simply be redirected to the Android melonDS GitHub page instead.

For more guides on using emulators and cheats for the latest ROM hacks, check out more of our content here at PokeCoders.