Extract text from Nintendo DS graphics files (NCGR)
To convert NCGR graphics files to another format, you need Tinke or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Nintendo DS Graphics Data" file type, you need software like Tinke or a similar tool.
The .NCGR (Nitro Character Graphic Resource) is a proprietary graphics format used within Nintendo DS game ROMs. It stores raw 2D tile data, which forms the characters, sprites, and background elements you see on the screen during gameplay. Developers and ROM hackers frequently interact with these files using specialized tools like Tinke or NitroPaint.
Working with .NCGR files presents significant challenges. The format is highly restrictive and entirely proprietary. Files do not contain their own color palettes; instead, they rely on external NCLR files to map colors to the raw pixel data. If you open an .NCGR file without its palette, the image will look like a garbled, grayscale mess. Furthermore, the data is often compressed using the DS hardware's specific LZ77 algorithm. Standard image viewers, web browsers, and traditional graphics software cannot open or interpret these files.
To view or edit these game assets, users must convert the .NCGR file into standard raster formats. The ideal target format is PNG, as it natively supports the grid structure, preserves exact pixel values without compression artifacts, and maintains transparency. BMP is also a viable option for raw, uncompressed pixel editing.
Because this is a closed, proprietary console format, standard online image converters fail completely when trying to process it. They look for standard image headers that .NCGR simply does not have.
Convert.Guru analyzes your NCGR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert NCGR file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Tinke or similar software from the "Nintendo DS Game Tile Graphics" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to NCGR, try Tinke or another comparable tool in the "Nintendo DS Game Tile Graphics" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our NCGR converter.