Balatro Gets an Unofficial Nintendo DS Port

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Summary

  • Balatro is now playable on Nintendo DS through homebrew modding.
  • The DS port of Balatro lacks features like in-game music and a full collection of cards, making it more of a novelty for fans.
  • The official version of Balatro has big plans for 2025.

Players seeking to enjoy the mobile version of the popular game, Balatro, on their Nintendo DS have some good news. The game’s port has become feasible due to homebrew modding efforts. Previously available on numerous consoles and even smartphones, Balatro can now also be played on a Nintendo DS.

A lesser-known indie game, Balatro, has astonishingly captured the gaming industry’s attention with its seemingly straightforward gameplay and a myriad of playstyle options. Combining elements of deck-building and roguelike games, Balatro aims to turn these genres upside down, encasing all its mechanics within an appealing poker-themed wrapper. Despite its complexity, the game remains engaging and hard-to-put-down due to its short rounds and user-friendly design, making it suitable for quick gaming sessions. This feature makes Balatro ideal for portable consoles, as it’s already playable on the Nintendo Switch. Notably, Balatro has also been unofficially released on another renowned Nintendo device.

Thanks to a new mod by Haynster on Github, it’s now possible to play the game ‘Balatro‘ on Nintendo DS. To get the game running on your handheld device, you’ll need MicroLUA homebrew development software prepared. However, do note that while playing ‘Balatro‘ on the DS may seem appealing, Haynster cautions that this version is far from the complete package and lacks several features. This version does not include in-game music and only includes the original deck, along with 12 Boss Blinds and 15 Joker cards. This is significantly less than the full collection of 150 Jokers that ‘Balatro‘ offers.

Modder Brings Balatro to Nintendo DS

Furthermore, it’s important to note that the game sometimes fails to distinguish specific combinations of cards. Haynster cautions that a hand containing a pair and three arbitrary cards may not be identified as a pair. Despite its impressive functionality on an older platform like the Nintendo DS, these constraints make it more of a curiosity than a suitable starting point for new enthusiasts at this time. Given the massive popularity of Balatro following its launch last year, it’s no wonder fans are eager to adapt the card game for various devices, with some mods even bringing the game to the Apple Watch.

2021 has been a significant year so far for Balatro and its creators, LocalThunk. The game has just received the “Friends of Jimbo” update, featuring unique card art for characters from games like Civilization 7 and Fallout series. Additionally, LocalThunk successfully appealed to reduce the age rating of Balatro, which was initially set at 18 due to its association with poker and gambling. All these events are happening before the major update for Balatro in 2025, which LocalThunk has been hinting at recently.

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2025-02-26 19:14