Applying the Patch Using the Provided Patcher

Starting with patch version 4.2, we provide a small desktop app called IfPatcher in the release package. We created it to be as straightforward to use as possible, but we've also provided this brief tutorial to explain the procedure. If you're using a patch before 4.2, it's still compatible with this application, but you'll need to download it separately or use one that's bundled with a newer release.

To use the patch, you'll need the following things:

• The latest patch downloaded from our GitHub repository's Release section
• A 3DS with updated custom firmware (CFW) and GodMode9 installed
• A physical or digital copy of the game or its DLC (any edition or region is compatible)
• A PC with a micro SD card reader

This tutorial expects you to have a 3DS with custom firmware already installed. If you're starting without it, please refer to the following website to get your device ready to use. The guide above will walk you through installing GodMode9 as well, which we will need later to dump the game into a file we can patch. We'll be coming back to this handy website a couple more times in this guide.

Preparing the Game

Before we can do anything, we need to create a backup of our game. This will dump the game's data into a file with a .cia extension. To do this, we're going to use the aforementioned GodMode9. If you're dumping a physical card, please refer to this guide. If you're dumping a digital release or DLC, you can follow the instructions here.

Once we have our CIA file, we need to decrypt it so the patcher app can unpack the game data properly. Using GodMode9, navigate to the folder with the CIA file (likely gm9/out/), highlight the file, and press the A button. Select "CIA image options..." and then choose "Decrypt." If your file isn't already in the gm9/out/ folder, you'll have the option to put the decrypted copy in the gm9/out/ directory, or to overwrite the encrypted version "inplace." Do this for your game CIA and any DLC CIA files you have as well.

Patching the Game

Once you have your decrypted CIAs, turn off your 3DS, remove its micro SD card, and insert it into your computer. Copy your CIA folders into a safe location on your PC, ideally somewhere close to the downloaded translation patch files. We're ready to begin patching the game.

Open up IfPatcher. You'll be greeted with this window:

In the space for the Patch Folder, direct it to the patch you downloaded from our Releases page. The folder you choose should contain the exe, rom, and dlc folders. Below that, there are two tabs: Game and DLC. Choose the tab for the content you wish to patch.

If you're patching a game, make sure you're on the Game tab, choose the game CIA file, and click "Apply Patch." You should begin to see some text appear in the large box to the left of the button indicating the status, and a progress bar to track how much has been patched. When the process has finished, if there are no errors visible, you have successfully patched your game.

Patching DLC is similar but has an extra step. On the DLC tab, choose the DLC CIA file and click "Unpack." After a few seconds, the box on the left should populate with a list of the game's DLC.

Most DLC will not yet have a patch available. For those that do, you can use the checkbox under their names to include them in the patching process. Once you're ready, click "Apply Patch" and wait for the process to finish.

Once you're done patching your content, copy the patched CIA files back onto your SD card (having a folder on your card's root directory called cias is recommended). From there, you can follow this guide one more time on how to install the CIAs onto your 3DS.

Final Words

We're always happy to help! If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this guide, or have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact us here with an issue report or on SerenesForest. Of course, we are unable to help with acquiring the game itself; you'll have to do that step on your own. Keep it legal!