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Themes

AKMenu-Next supports Acekard/AKAIO themes, Wood R4 themes, and themes made for AKMenu-Next.

  1. For AKmenu-Next themes, open the AKMenu-Next Theme Repository. For legacy Acekard/AKAIO/Wood R4 themes, open the Wood R4/AKMenu Theme Repository and download a theme.
  2. Open the .7z archive with an extractor such as 7-Zip.
  3. Copy the theme folder from the archive to _nds/akmenunext/ui on your SD card.
  4. Put the SD card back in your flashcart or console and start AKMenu-Next.
  5. Press START, choose Themes, and select the theme you installed.
  6. Press A to set the theme, then press X to save the theme, then press A again to restart with the theme.

Check the folder path

The theme folder must sit directly inside _nds/akmenunext/ui. For example, a theme named HatsuneMiku should be at:

_nds/akmenunext/ui/HatsuneMiku

Do not leave it nested in a second folder such as _nds/akmenunext/ui/HatsuneMiku/HatsuneMiku. Selecting a nested theme can break the menu installation. If that happens, reinstall AKMenu-Next or edit _nds/akmenunext/globasettings.ini to select a default theme such as zelda.

Theme folder and image format

Themes live under _nds/akmenunext/ui. Each theme's folder contains its artwork and settings. An installable theme needs its bitmap assets and a uisettings.ini with a [global settings] section. A custom.ini file is optional.

Theme bitmap assets must be 16-bit BMPs in X1 R5 G5 B5 (RGB 5:5:5) format. In GIMP, choose 16 bit (X1 R5 G5 B5) in the BMP export options.

Configuration basics

uisettings.ini controls interface colors, positions, sizes, and features such as covers. Optional custom.ini settings add items to the upper screen, including the DS username, date, custom text, and custom picture.

Both files use INI format: a section name in square brackets followed by key = value lines. Put settings in the section for the feature they control. Coordinates and sizes are in screen pixels; color values use the DS packed 15-bit format (for example, 0x7fff is white). Omitted settings use built-in defaults.

This excerpt from Blue Skies' uisettings.ini sets interface and file-list colors, then positions and shows the clock:

[global settings]
formBodyColor = 0x5e06
formTextColor = 0x7fff
spinBoxNormalColor = 0x7fff
spinBoxTextColor = 0x4d80
spinBoxFrameColor = 0x35ad

[main list]
textColor = 0x2d6b
selectionBarColor1 = 0x20e2
selectionBarColor2 = 0x1482
selectionBarOpacity = 100

[big clock]
x = 6
y = 94
show = 1

A setting only applies inside its section. For example, x and y under [big clock] position the clock; under [date], they position the date. Set show = 0 to hide an item and show = 1 to display it where supported.

UI colors and scroll indicators

In [global settings], these color keys control scroll indicators in scrollable settings, theme lists, Help, and About windows:

Key Controls
spinBoxNormalColor Chevron for a direction that cannot scroll farther
spinBoxTextColor Chevron for a direction that can scroll, and the scrollbar thumb where shown
spinBoxFrameColor Scrollbar outline beside the chevrons 
[global settings]
spinBoxNormalColor = 0x001f
spinBoxTextColor = 0x7fff
spinBoxFrameColor = 0x4210

Clock and calendar

Configure these sections in uisettings.ini:

  • [big clock]: x, y, and show.
  • [am pm]: x, y, color, and show for the AM/PM label in 12-hour mode.
  • [calendar year] and [calendar month]: x, y, and show.
  • [calendar dayx]: x, y, and show for a compact day number.
  • [calendar day]: x, y, dw, dh, highlightColor, and show for the month grid.

Set the relevant show values to 0 if the design removes the calendar or needs that space clear. You can use a [date] overlay in custom.ini instead.

Standard text and pictures (custom.ini)

The standard text layer draws over the theme's upper-screen background. Colors use DS 15-bit values, and show is 0 or 1.

The [user name] section displays the username saved in DS system settings:

[user name]
x = 60
y = 173
color = 0x7fff
show = 1

The [custom text] section accepts text, x, y, w, h, color, and show. The [custom picture] section accepts file, x, y, and show.

Date and time (custom.ini)

The [date] section displays the system date. With font = 0, it uses standard text and does not require calendar number graphics:

[date]
x = 8
y = 148
color = 0x7fff
show = 1
format = DD/MM/YYYY
showTime = 1
font = 0

Supported format values are:

Value Example
DD/MM/YYYY 09/11/2026
MM/DD/YYYY 11/09/2026
YYYY/MM/DD 2026/11/09

Set showTime = 0 to hide the time. Otherwise, the time follows the DS clock's 12-hour setting: it uses a 12-hour style such as 11:45 PM when enabled, or a 24-hour style such as 23:45 when disabled.

Set font = 1 to draw the date using digit sprites from calendar/date_numbers.bmp. The bitmap must be 9 pixels wide by 140 pixels high, with ten 9-by-14 sprites stacked vertically in order from 0 to 9. The selected format still determines the day, month, and year order. The bitmap does not draw slashes; a 9-pixel gap separates each field so the background can show the slash. Bitmap dates do not display the time, even if showTime = 1.

Game covers

AKMenu-Next can show a BMP cover on the top screen for .nds, .dsi, .srl, and .ids games. Put .bmp covers at the SD card root in _nds/covers_code/ or _nds/covers_name/. AKMenu-Next first looks for a four-character game code, then for the ROM's filename without its final extension.

To enable covers for a theme, add a [cover] section to its uisettings.ini:

[cover]
x = 140
y = 44
darken = 0
fade = 0

x and y position the cover. If either is omitted, the cover is centered on that axis. darken dims the whole top screen behind the cover (0 is normal; 100 is black). fade makes the cover transparent (0 is opaque; 100 is invisible). Both default to 0. A theme without a [cover] section does not display covers. Interface settings → Game covers can disable or enable covers for themes that support them.

If a cover BMP has four or more entirely black or transparent columns along its right edge, those columns are clipped. Some images from Pico-Cover use this convention.

Theme music (bgm.wav or bgm.bcstm)

Add a bgm.wav or bgm.bcstm file to the theme folder alongside its images, for example _nds/akmenunext/ui/blue skies/bgm.wav. AKMenu-Next plays the track in a loop while the menu is open. Interface settings → Theme music controls playback. For BCSTM files with a specified loop point, the music will loop at that point. If both files are present, the .bcstm file is played.

Use uncompressed RIFF/WAVE PCM audio in 16-bit signed, 22,050 Hz, mono format. Audacity and FFmpeg can export audio in this format.

For BCSTM files, you can use 3DS format BCSTM files or convert them into BCSTM using a tool such as μ-wave