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Introducing 3DSDB API: Comprehensive 3DS Game Data Access ๐Ÿš€

Introducing 3DSDB API ๐Ÿš€

Weโ€™re excited to announce the launch of 3DSDB API, our latest contribution to the Nintendo 3DS preservation community. This powerful RESTful API provides comprehensive access to 3DS game metadata, media assets, and statistics.

Features & Capabilities ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ

Comprehensive Data Access

  • Complete metadata in JSON format
  • High-quality media assets (banners, icons, screenshots)
  • Support for multiple content categories
  • Real-time statistics and dynamic updates

Content Coverage

Current database includes:

  • 3,515 base games
  • 1,202 DSiWare titles
  • 477 updates
  • 27 videos
  • 623 Virtual Console titles

Technical Implementation ๐Ÿ’ป

Database Structure

Our open-source repository (github.com/ghost-land/3dsdb) organizes content as follows:

[tid]/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ banner.jpg                # Banner image
โ”œโ”€โ”€ icon.jpg                  # Icon image
โ”œโ”€โ”€ top_image.jpg            # Main display image
โ”œโ”€โ”€ meta.json                # Metadata file
โ”œโ”€โ”€ screenshots/             # Compiled screenshots
โ”œโ”€โ”€ thumbnails/              # Screenshot thumbnails
โ””โ”€โ”€ screenshots_uncompiled/  # Original screenshots
    โ”œโ”€โ”€ screenshot_[n]lower.jpg
    โ””โ”€โ”€ screenshot[n]_upper.jpg

Content Categories

The database is organized into distinct sections:

  • Base content
  • Downloadable content (DLC)
  • DSiWare
  • System updates
  • Virtual Console titles
  • Themes
  • Videos
  • Additional categories (homebrew, ROM hacks, translations)

Implementation Details โš™๏ธ

Built on a Node.js RESTful server, the API features:

  • Efficient database queries
  • Optimized response times
  • Comprehensive error handling
  • Detailed documentation

Practical Applications ๐ŸŽฏ

The API is designed to support:

  • Game preservation efforts
  • Development tools
  • Content management systems
  • Research and documentation

Future Development ๐Ÿ”ฎ

Weโ€™re actively working on:

  • Expanding the content database
  • Adding new API endpoints
  • Improving performance
  • Enhancing documentation

Getting Started ๐Ÿš€

The API is now live at https://api.ghseshop.cc

Missing Content

While weโ€™re still adding some titles (check missing content), the current database is comprehensive and production-ready.

Why We Built This ๐Ÿค”

This API serves multiple purposes:

  1. Preserving 3DS content and metadata
  2. Supporting development of 3DS-related tools
  3. Providing structured access to game information
  4. Facilitating future preservation projects

Looking Forward ๐ŸŒŸ

The 3DSDB API is part of our broader mission to preserve and provide access to Nintendo gaming history. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to expand and enhance this service.

Thank you for your support and interest in our preservation efforts!

โ€” The Ghost Land Team