Platforms · v1.0.9 · checked 2026-11-09
It is an NDS hack, not a GBA game
Pokémon Heartfelt Gold is an unofficial ROM hack distributed as a patch for the Nintendo DS game Pokémon HeartGold. The output is a .nds file. There is no GBA build, no APK, no iOS app, and no CIA installer in the author’s releases.
Where a patched .nds can run
| Platform | Path | What you need | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows, macOS, Linux | melonDS 1.1 (18 Nov 2025) or DeSmuME 0.9.13 (23 May 2022) | The patched .nds | Each emulator vendor · 1 source per emulator |
| Desktop, Android, iOS | RetroArch with the melonDS DS core | Install the core | Libretro project · 1 independent source |
| iOS | Delta with Nintendo DS support | Import the patched .nds; BIOS files are optional in current Delta releases | Delta developer · 1 independent source |
| 3DS | TWiLight Menu++ | A homebrew setup that already runs NDS games | DS-Homebrew · 1 independent source |
| Android app by name | Left blank | A DraStic report exists in GitHub issue 31, but I did not find a vendor page I will link | 0 for a store link |
What the searches get wrong
HeartGold itself shipped on Nintendo DS in Japan on 12 Sep 2009 and in other regions in March 2010. A GBA file cannot take this xdelta. An “APK download” would be someone else’s package, not the author’s release.
CIA and QR-code installers are 3DS package formats. This project does not publish one. On a 3DS, the documented route is TWiLight Menu++ launching the .nds.
Delta’s release notes say BIOS files are no longer required, and its game-import guide lists Nintendo DS. Some older BIOS setup pages still say otherwise; use the current release notes. A player on r/Delta_Emulator also reported a black screen inside a legendary cave. That report is one comment, so it stays on the crash page as a single source.
Next steps
First get the xdelta patch, then use the patching guide to produce the .nds. The FAQ covers old saves and project status.
Questions people ask
Can I play it on Android?
RetroArch plus the melonDS DS core is the path with a public platform list that includes Android. I am not naming a standalone store app.
Does Delta play it?
Delta supports Nintendo DS; its current release notes make BIOS files optional. One player reported a legendary-cave freeze.
Is there a 3DS QR code?
No CIA or QR package is in the releases. TWiLight Menu++ can launch .nds files.
Sources
Checked against the linked public pages on 2026-11-09. Multiple documents from the same publisher count as one source; a single-publisher claim is identified as such.
- HeartGold on Wikipedia — checked 2026-11-09
- melonDS — checked 2026-11-09
- DeSmuME — checked 2026-11-09
- Delta release notes — checked 2026-11-09
- Delta game import guide — checked 2026-11-09
- Delta App Store listing — checked 2026-11-09
- RetroArch platforms — checked 2026-11-09
- libretro melonDS DS core — checked 2026-11-09
- TWiLight Menu++ — checked 2026-11-09