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To get started with this tutorial, you'll need the following things:

A New 3DS, New 3DS XL, or New 2DS. You can't just use any old 3DS, it has to be any of those 3 specific models. An easy way to check if your 3DS is "New" is to open it up (if you can) and check the right side of the bottom half. "New" 3DS and 2DS models generally have a little grey nub above the face buttons (see image below.) If your 3DS or 2DS has that, you can go along with this tutorial. If it doesn't, then sadly, this tutorial won't work for you.

Modern custom firmware on your New 3DS or 2DS (usually Luma3DS launching via boot9strap). Follow 3ds.hacks.guide/checking-for-cfw to check your New 3DS for CFW. If it doesn't have CFW, you'll have to follow 3ds.hacks.guide to hack your New 3DS; it shouldn't take too long. You can come back here when you're done.

You'll have to know how to transfer files to and from your microSD card and how to install CIA files to your New 3DS with FBI. You should know how to do those if you've already hacked your New 3DS with the guide above.

7-Zip to open 7z archives and all other kinds of files. You can get it at 7-zip.org.

A disc image of Vib-Ribbon, preferably the Japanese NTSC-J version in CHD format. The European PAL version works, but it has stuttery framerates and cuts off a chunk of the bottom of the screen. Try looking through the roms subreddit's megathread if you don't have it already; it has a link to an Internet Archive PS1 collection that has the Japanese Vib-Ribbon CHD.

All the music you like saved to your PC, if you want to play with custom tracks. You'll have to convert it into a Vib-Ribbon compatible format; I'll cover that later in Part 2.

Once you've got all of that ready, let's copy the emulator files! We'll be using the PCSX-ReARMed emulator to emulate the PS1 and Vib-Ribbon. It runs under RetroArch, so you'll need to install that.

Insert your New 3DS's microSD card into your PC's SD card reader; use an adapter if you need to. (New 3DS/New 3DS XL owners I'm so sorry)

Make a folder on the root (top directory) of your microSD Card and name it retroarch.

Head over to buildbot.libretro.com/stable/.

Find the latest stable version (it should be all the way at the bottom), click on nintendo > 3ds, then download the RetroArch_cia.7z file. Extract the files with 7-Zip.

Open the retroarch_cia > retroarch folder that you just extracted.

Copy everything in the retroarch folder except the cores subfolder to your SD card's retroarch folder.

Open up the cores folder on your PC's end. You'll see a lot of cia files.

Copy only the pcsx_rearmed_libretro.cia file and the info folder to the retroarch > cores folder on your SD card.

Get all the "scph55xx.bin" BIOS files from here: gist.github.com/juanbrujo/cf55d223ad01927a48f9ebac9f50bdee and put all three of them into your SD card's retroarch > cores > system folder (make it if it doesn't already exist).

Put your Vib-Ribbon disc image somewhere convenient on your microSD Card. I recommend making a dedicated folder for it (and potentially any other cool ROMs you may use with other homebrew emulators in the future.)

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Now you're ready to install and configure the PCSX-ReARMed emulator!

Put the microSD card back into your New 3DS if you took it out and turn it on.

Open FBI on your New 3DS. Both the Homebrew Launcher and HOME Menu versions will work fine.

Navigate to SD > retroarch > cores and select the pcsx_rearmed_libretro.cia file.

Select Install CIA and install the CIA.

Exit FBI.

You'll now have the PCSX-ReARMed app on your HOME Menu. Load it up and you'll be greeted with this:

It looks like a lot, I know, but relax. We'll get through this!

Go to Settings. You should see a lot of settings.

Go to Video. Bilinear Filtering should already be turned on. It's not strictly necessary, but Vib-Ribbon does look better with it on.

Select Video Filter and look for the Normal2x.filt filter; this will make Vib-Ribbon look sharper on the New 3DS's screen. (Pro tip- you can jump through menus faster with left and right on the D-Pad.)

Back out of the Video settings and go to Audio.

In the Output menu, set the second Audio option to dsp_thread. PCSX-ReARMed performs much better with this.

In the Resampler menu, set the Resampler Quality to Higher. This will make Vib-Ribbon sound as clear as it gets!

Back out of the Audio settings- you're almost done! Go to Directory; it should be somewhere near the bottom.

Set the File Browser directory to the folder you put your Vib-Ribbon disc image in by browsing to the folder, entering it, and selecting Use This Directory.

Set the Cheat Files directory to sdmc:/ > retroarch > cheats and select Use This Directory for that. You'll find it handy later.

Finally, go all the way back to the Main Menu, select Load Content, Start Directory, and select your Vib-Ribbon disc image. Select the Sony - PlayStation (PCSX ReARMed) core if prompted.

When the game starts, tap the bottom screen to enter the Quick Menu.

Go to Core Options > Audio and make sure Reverb Effects is turned on.

I suggest you set the Sound Interpolation to either Gaussian or Cubic; you'll be doing your ears a favor.

Tap Resume Game on the bottom screen or select Resume in the Quick Menu to resume the game.

Congratulations! You now have Vib-Ribbon running on your New 3DS/2DS!

Phew! You might be shattered by now, so you can take a break here. Once you're ready to go on, click the link below to go to Part 2, where you'll set up custom music!