Q: Why not just post to another 3DS theme host site?
Although I do plan to (and have alread) post these files in other places such as Theme Plaza, I also want to host them here. Downloading the zipfile to your computer is a more tedious way to go about installng the themes, but going through the process manually via my own downloads as opposed to another site allows me more discretion on what content the themes have. While I do agree with the type of banned content on Theme Plaza (such as pornographic, gorey, or otherwise NSFW content), having more control and freedom over what I make and share is incredibly important to me. I firmly believe that art should not be censored and this is one of the ways I put that belief into practice. There's also a level of security that comes with it. Say I need to delete my theme files for space, my computer is bricked or damaged irreparably, my Google account gets hacked, Theme Plaza goes down, etc etc, I have this as a backup. And vise versa! Hosting these files on multiple platforms is much safer than hosting only on one. That's how you end up with lost media.
Q: My 3DS isn't modded. Can you teach me how to so I can get custom themes?
Unfortunately, no. Not because I want to gatekeep the information but because I don't know myself! My boyfriend had someone mod my 3DS for me as a present, so I never had to do it myself. I also don't know what (re)sources are reliable, which are safe to download, so on and so forth. I don't want to be responsible for someone's 3DS breaking.
Q: I want to make my own themes! How do I do that?
I'm so glad you asked! There's two softwares that I'm aware of for this.
One is Usagi,
and the other is Kame.
Both are free, and are perfectly fine ways to build functional 3DS themes. I use Kame because I find the
UI to be more intuitive. There's also informative notes in Kame that make creating your theme easier to
comprehend. My only complaint with it is that it crashes every so often, but as long as you save frequently,
this is a minor inconvienience. (It's also possible this is an issue with my laptop and not Kame.)
Usagi is, in my opinion, kind of like Utau is to Vocaloid or SynthV (if you know what those are). It's a simple program,
but it's not the most user friendly and you'll need more guidnance to fully understand it. Of course you can also
just experiment with it for a few hours and teach yourself, but if you want to get started right away,
I wouldn't personally recommend it. Ultimately it's up to you though! Try both and see which is more comfortable
for you.
I can't tell you how to design your themes of course, but I can recommend
this video by Nejime Li-Li Ch
if you're having trouble getting started or are confused about the theme's image dimentions and such. This tutorial is based
around Kame's software, but the dimantions should be the same for Usagi as well.
I do plan on making my own written/image instruction guide at some point (as I don't follow Nejime's process 1:1), but
ultimately 3DS theme making is a creative process and you'll need to learn the design aspect on your own,
or referance already published themes to find a style you like.
Q: Can you make a theme for me?
No. Not because I don't like making them or wouldn't enjoy making one for you, but because I just
don't want to open up that kind of offer to the broader internet. As much as I love making 3DS themes
(and I really love it) I don't see a world where I can feesibly make enough art like that
without burning myself out, or losing interest. And I completely refuse to use other people's fanart or assets (that are not original
to the theme's inspiration/original source material) even if it would make the process 'easier'.
HOWEVER: If you wanted to commission art from me that just so happens to fit the dimentions for a 3DS theme,
and you just so happen to make the theme yourself using the art you commissioned, well then there's nothing I can really
do to stop you, now is there? ;) This does come with a stipulation though: you wouldn't be allowed to publish
the theme with the assets you commissioned me for anywhere. I absolutely would request it be taken down (for a plethora of reasons
I don't feel like explaining). Just as a general rule, if you're going to make a theme and intend to publish it,
don't use fanart/music made by other people for it. If you do get permission to, then it's perfectly fine as long
as proper credit is given, but otherwise just don't.