Nintendo Hacks

615 Articles

No Nintendo DSi Homebrew

November 3, 2008 by 44 Comments

The latest version of the Nintendo DS, the DSi, has officially launched in Japan. It features larger dual touchscreens, dual cameras, and an SD card slot. The members of GBAtemp.net have decided to tackle the most important question: will it run homebrew? Current DS systems just need a purpose built flash cartridge to load homebrew software (usually stored on MicroSD). Forum members have tested at least 10 different flash carts, and none of them worked. While not completely exhaustive it’s proof enough to us that current generation carts will not work. We hope this is something that can patched with a new firmware. Most carts load their firmware off the flash, so upgrades are easy. The blocking of homebrew maybe a side-effect of Nintendo’s announced region-locking on the DSi.

We hope this gets sorted out soon. Maybe we’ll see hackers figure out how to take advantage of the SD slot instead. If you’ve got a Nintendo DS, there’s no excuse not to be playing with homebrew. It’s as easy as copying files to a card. We’ve had success with the DSTT, which you can find on DealExtreme for just $10.

[via Gizmodo]

Arduino Gameboy Killer

October 28, 2008 by 16 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgKSLxRPtu8]

For roughly $250, you too can have this sweet bit of gadgetry based off of the Arduino platform. It is open source, and has some pretty impressive specs. Sporting a rumble pack, lithium ion battery, OLED display, and space for expanson. You can buy the pieces pre assembled, or as a kit. If you get the kit, you’ll see that the controller board has been laid out so that you can solder your buttons and joystick in as either left handed or right handed. The only problem? No games yet.

NES Controller Connectors For Sale

September 30, 2008 by 11 Comments

If you weren’t looking forward to trying to find a NES Four Score just to rip connectors out of it or were reluctant to cut the ends off your NES controllers and use different connectors for your NES hack, you’re in luck. Parallax has released an NES controller connector (7-pin, male) that is compatible with the Nintendo controller. They also provide the socket pinout. It’s interesting to see a product like this come out so long after the original console, a testament to the popularity.

[via Make]

No More Updates To Wii Backup Loader

September 19, 2008 by 20 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yBTsNwOO1I]

You can now play backups on your Wii without a mod chip. A beta version of the bootloader made by [Waninkoko] has been leaked onto the net. Keep in mind that it is unfinished, so your results may vary. All you need is the bootloader and a legal copy of Zelda.  After a few patches and some installing, you’re ready to play backups, no mod chip necessary.  We covered this before, but there is a twist this time. Unfortunately, [Waninkoko] states that this project has been officially abandoned, probably due to the leak. Apparently crackers get hurt by leaks too.

[via Gizmodo]

Control Your Camera Remotely With A DS

September 17, 2008 by 9 Comments

Using a custom built cable connected to the lower GBA slot and a copy of Canon’s SDK, [Steve Chapman] has come up with a very clever way of taking pictures remotely with a Nintendo DS Lite.

Currently the software supports bracket shooting as well as bulb mode. [Steve] points out that he is currently testing an audio based trigger system using the mic built into the DS and the software is still a work in progress.

While the weight saving benefits of using a DS instead of a notebook are obvious, there are things you do give up going this route. Traditionally, when you tether a camera to a computer the photos are saved directly to the computer where you can view the image on a much larger monitor. With the DS, it seems all you can do is remotely trigger the camera. Given the size and resolution of the screens maybe that’s all it can do.

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Multi Platform Plug’n’Play System Update

September 17, 2008 by 6 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22yI_nk09Fc]

[Bacteria] sent us this sweet video of the Multi Platform Plug’n’Play system running his new GameBoy Advance module. He’s made an addon for his unit that allows him to play his GameBoy Advance cartridges as well as GameBoy ones. Watch the vid for the details and some views of the insides.

Wii Backup ISO Loader

September 15, 2008 by 15 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtu0kQHaIhI]

The video above shows a new Wii backup loader that’s in development. It works via the easy to use Homebrew Channel we covered previously. From the news post it seems you have to rip the original game disc and then patch it before burning the copy. No release date has been set. As Nintendo Wii Fanboy put it, there’s much more interesting things to do with homebrew than wait for this to be released.