DS Ultimate banner

New Super Mario Bros Debug

Recently, various people online have found tricks, using AR or removing the game card, to show the debug menu thing for New Super Mario Bros. The information about the one involving game card removal is below:

How to activate

  1. Switch on DS, and start game.
  2. Remove game cartridge
  3. Hold L+R+Left+A
  4. Hold Down+B
  5. Hold Start+Select

The screen should turn blue with a ton of code and various letters in upper and lower case.

On screen:

EROM2006-04-26 14:20:08nitro-mj

GAME CARD is pulled out

SP = 027E3F28

And then code below is in various columns of white text and green text.

The Meaning:

EROM2006-04-26

I think this means the game was created (or maybe code compiled) on the 26th April 2006.

14:20:08

Not sure. Could be the time and year in Japan when this occurs, who knows?

nitro

This was, according to Wikipedia, the code name for the DS before it's release date.

GAME CARD is pulled out

This should be quite obvious. What is not obvious is why GAME CARD is in all block capitals and the rest is in lower case.

Theories

Some people have theorised that instead of a debug menu, this could instead be a crash dump for the game or something similar.

Oddity

Several DS games such as this game, Super Mario 64 DS and some others have the same debug code, while others like Mario Kart DS have totally different debug codes.