Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@PixelSergey

PixelSergey/dump.md

Last active November 5, 2025 21:40
Show Gist options
  • Save PixelSergey/73d0a4bc1437dbaa53a1d1ce849fdda1 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save PixelSergey/73d0a4bc1437dbaa53a1d1ce849fdda1 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
Dump games with godmode9
Raw
dump.md

Dumping games with Godmode9

Dumping games is the act of taking a game from your system or gamecart and copying it into a readable format onto your SD card. Dumping is perfectly legal if you keep the dumps to yourself, however sharing these dumps is piracy and is illegal.

This guide will tell you how to dump games from various formats and for various purposes. Dumping 3DS cartriges as .cia files is good if you want to install them to your system. Dumping them as .3ds files is good for emulators. Installed titles cannot be dumped as .3ds files. NDS cartiges can only be dumped as .nds files and cannot be installed (however, you can play them with emulators or flashcarts).

Dumping the RomFS of a game is primarily for romhacking purposess. RomFS is the place where a game stores its data. If dumped and modified, these files can be used with Luma's LayeredFS feature to patch games.

Many instructions here are adapted from Plailect's Godmode9 Usage page. Check it out for more information on Godmode9's functions.

This guide requires Luma3DS, b9s and Godmode9. If you do not have any of those, please follow the guide.

This page contains a lot of information. Only follow the section(s) relevant to you!

Dumping a 3DS game cartrige as a .3ds file

  1. Insert your gamecart into your console
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  4. Press (A) on the <titleid>.trim.3ds file in the drive
  5. Select Copy to /gm9/out
  6. Press (START) to save and reboot
  7. Your dump will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Dumping a 3DS game cartrige as a .cia file

  1. Insert your gamecart into your console
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  4. Press (A) on the <titleid>.trim.3ds file in the drive
  5. Select NCSD image options..., then select Build CIA from file
  6. Press (START) to save and reboot
  7. Your dump will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Dumping an NDS game cartrige as a .nds file

  1. Insert your gamecart into your console
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  4. Press (A) on the <titleid>.trim.nds file in the drive
  5. Select Copy to /gm9/out
  6. Press (START) to save and reboot
  7. Your dump will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Dumping an installed title as a .cia file

  1. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  2. Hold (R)+(A) while pointing to [A:] SYSNAND SD to open the drive options
  3. Selct Search for titles
  4. Press (A) to continue
  5. Press (A) on the .tmd file of the game you want to dump
  6. Select TMD file options... then select Build CIA (standard)
  7. Your dump will be in the /gm9/out folder on your sd card

Dumping a system title as a .cia file

  1. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  2. Hold (R)+(A) while pointing to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND to open the drive options
  3. Selct Search for titles
  4. Press (A) to continue
  5. Press (A) on the .tmd file of the game you want to dump
  6. Select TMD file options... then select Build CIA (standard)
  7. Your dump will be in the /gm9/out folder on your sd card

Extracting RomFS from a 3DS game cartrige

  1. Insert your gamecart into your console
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  4. Press (A) on the <titleid>.trim.3ds file in the drive
  5. Select NCSD image options..., then select Mount image to drive
  6. Press (A) to enter the drive
  7. For each file you want to dump, press (A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  8. For each folder you want to dump, press (R)+(A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  9. Press (START) to save and reboot
  10. Your files will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Extracting RomFS from an NDS game cartrige

  1. Insert your gamecart into your console
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART
  4. Press (A) on the <titleid>.trim.nds file in the drive
  5. Select NDS image options..., then select Mount image to drive
  6. Press (A) to enter the drive
  7. For each file you want to dump, press (A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  8. For each folder you want to dump, press (R)+(A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  9. Press (START) to save and reboot
  10. Your files will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Extracting RomFS from an installed title

  1. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  2. Hold (R)+(A) while pointing to [A:] SYSNAND SD to open the drive options
  3. Selct Search for titles
  4. Press (A) to continue
  5. Press (A) on the .tmd file of the game which you want to extract the RomFS from
  6. Select TMD file options... then select Mount CXI/NDS to drive
  7. Press (A) to enter the drive
  8. For each file you want to dump, press (A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  9. For each folder you want to dump, press (R)+(A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  10. Press (START) to save and reboot
  11. Your files will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Extracting RomFS from a system title

  1. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  2. Hold (R)+(A) while pointing to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND to open the drive options
  3. Selct Search for titles
  4. Press (A) to continue
  5. Press (A) on the .tmd file of the game which you want to extract the RomFS from
  6. Select TMD file options... then select Mount CXI/NDS to drive
  7. Press (A) to enter the drive
  8. For each file you want to dump, press (A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  9. For each folder you want to dump, press (R)+(A) while hovering over it and select Copy to /gm9/out
  10. Press (START) to save and reboot
  11. Your files will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Extracting RomFS from a .cia/.3ds/.nds file

  1. Obtain your game file using one of the methods above
  2. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  3. Navigate to your game file inside the [0:] SDCARD drive
  4. Press (A) on the game file
  5. Select <type> image options..., then select Mount image to drive
  6. Press (A) to enter the drive
  7. Press (A) on any files or (R)+(A) on any folders you want to dump, then select Copy to /gm9/out
  8. Your files will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card

Converting .3ds files to .cia files

  1. Boot your console while holding (START) to launch Godmode9
  2. Navigate to your .3ds file inside of the [0:] SDCARD drive
  3. Press (A) on the .3ds file
  4. Select NCSD image options... them select Build CIA from file
  5. Your converted .cia file will be in the /gm9/out folder on the SD card
@AlcalineAlice
Copy link

AlcalineAlice commented Jul 7, 2023

I am not sure what causes this, but your godmode9 might be too old/outdated. Try updating it and following the instructions again carefully.

I am encountering the same issue as the person above, and I double checked and my Godmode is up to date. Perhaps there's been a mistake by whoever writes the guide.

@ehx-v1
Copy link

ehx-v1 commented Jul 10, 2023

@AlcalineAlice It seems that Godmode9 did some restructuring and the guide is slightly out of date now. Check the discussion right above your comment.

@MangakaJ96
Copy link

MangakaJ96 commented Apr 24, 2024

IMG_5766 Is there a way that I can extract the ROMs from the CIA files of my legal virtual console GB/GBC games?

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment