Piracy?: Downloading DS demo ROMs

Monday’s release for Ghost Trick’s new downloadable trial reminded me about the clumsiness of DS demos – the norm for almost everything Nintendo does online.

Even if you have a Nintendo DSi, downloading one of the few demos Nintendo offers each week requires a Wii and a series of steps to transmit the game from the home console to your handheld. And if you decide to shut off your portable or play another game, you need to re-download the demo to try it out again later.

Why is the selection of demos so limited? Why is it still such a pain to download one? Any why can’t I keep the demo on my DSi’s internal flash memory or an SD card?

There is a solution to all three of those problems with DS demos, but it’s either piracy or very close to it.

While searching for Shiren the Wanderer 5 news recently, I discovered a ROM for the Japanese game’s demo had been posted online – it turns out many DS trials have been somehow ripped and made available for others to download on their PCs, then transfer to flashcarts to play.

I haven’t tried it out myself, but the concept is alluring: choose from hundreds of demos, download them through your PC, then play them whenever you want. And, of course, if you like them, you’ll buy the full game.

I’m curious about your thoughts on this: Do you qualify downloading demo Nintendo DS ROMs as piracy?

If all goes according to keikaku, this will become less of a concern when the Nintendo 3DS releases, as that system’s Shopping Channel is supposed to offer downloadable demos (though presumably just for your region, so no Shiren DS 5 trial for you U.S. gamers!).

[Note: I am not condoning piracy or even downloading demo ROMs. Pay for your games, keep your activities legal, and eat a lot of protein with your breakfast.]

Buy: Special Edition Red Nintendo DSi XL bundle, DSi XL (Blue, Burgundy, & Bronze), Standard DSi (White, Pink, Black, & Blue), Standard DSi Orange & Green bundles

[Images via DS-Scene.net, eBay]

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