DraStic
| |
| Current version: | r2.5.0.3a |
|---|---|
| Active: | Yes |
| OS: | Android |
| Authors: | Exophase |
| Official website: | DraStic-DS.com |
| Source code: | Closed source |
DraStic is a paid, closed-source NDS emulator for Android.
Contents
Downloads
Latest Version - Need rooted device and Lucky Patcher to run. To remove the License Verification the options Inverse mode, Remove dependencies and Apply Patch to dalvik-cache must be checked under Remove License Verification -> Auto Modes.
2.4.0.1a - Doesn't need root, but settings and save states are broken.
Play Store download ($6) | Demo
Devices
Nvidia TEGRA 2-based devices (including the Xoom and some versions of the Galaxy S2) and Intel x86-based devices will not work properly with this emulator. You may be able to run Drastic on a Zenfone, for one, but don't expect any miracles due to them being on an Atom. You will need a reasonably powerful (hopefully multi-core) ARM device for games to work full speed. Tested devices:
- Nexus 4: Full speed in tested games: Mario Kart, Super Scribblenauts, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike. (Scribblenauts is too difficult to play without a gamepad, though)
- HTC Desire: Significant lag in most (all?) games
- Transformer Infinity: Some slowdown in Luigi's mansion level of Mario Kart DS. Generally full speed though.
- Lenovo A369i, Blu Studio 5.0 II and most other MT6572 devices: Most games run well with some frameskip, albeit with stuttering audio in some titles.
- Allwinner A31s: Some games run at full speed even on high-resolution 3D mode with the beta update. Otherwise average performance is to be expected.
Review
Currently the only full-speed DS emulator available for Android, hands down. Some may find the asking price too high to be worth it, and while there's a cracked previous version above, buying the full version on Google Play yields more benefits, such as being able to sign up for the beta program where new features are being tested. So far the latter method's the only way to get high-resolution rendering and custom shaders prior to it being implemented on the mainline release.
Contrary to what some may assume, the DS processors' similarity to ARM cores used on most Android devices are actually of little benefit. According to Exophase, running DS code straight on Android would lead to numerous issues. He also noted that the approach used in DraStic isn't any much different to other emulators, apart from implementing and optimising it with speed and low-end devices in mind.[1]
Just like with No$GBA, there are likely to be bugs to come with the speed. Please expand if you see anything broken. Posting bug reports to the author could also help later on.
- If both screens are used in sync, like with Hotel Dusks's scenes, Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake or Etrian Odyssey's intro, the screens may be flipped and flicker. This does not flip the touch controls though.
- To fix, in most cases at least, disable multithreaded 3D.
- Various pokémon games' 3D may have black holes. And the games themselves may crash at various points.
- Supposedly improved in 2.1.
- Some games, namely Holly Hobbie and American Girl titles, run with rendering issues like flickering geometry or sprites. This was largely fixed in r2.3.0.0 and up, however.
