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Hackers Unlock NES Classic, Upload New Games Via USB Cable (arstechnica.com)
Just because Nintendo doesn't officially let their tiny replica NES receive new games doesn't mean hackers won't find a way to add their own. This week, hackers in Japan and Russia figured out soft-mod solutions to adding new games to the NES Classic, meaning you don't need to grab a screwdriver or a soldering iron to mod your own console. Ars Technica reports: According to the whiz kids at Reddit's NESClassicMods community, the solution won't work until you've created a save file in Super Mario Bros' first slot. (Chances are, you've already done this just by playing the game, since creating game saves is so easy with this system.) Once you've done that, connect your NES Classic Edition to a computer via a micro-USB cable, then boot the NES in "FEL" mode. This is done by holding down the system's reset button while pushing down the power button from a powered-off state. While you're booting, you should also run a "sunxi-FEL" interface on your computer. (An open-source version of compatible "USBBoot" software can be found here.) The rest of the steps land firmly in "operate at your own risk" territory, as they require copying your NES Classic's internal data to your computer, then modifying and adding files via an application made by hackers. Doing so, by the way, includes the dubious step of supplying your own ROM files, which you may have either dumped from your own cartridges or downloaded from other Internet users. One tool linked from that Reddit community, however, comes with two open-source NES ROMs that are in the legal free-and-clear to upload to your hardware. Once you've added your own game files, which should also include custom JPGs that will appear in the NES Classic's "box art" GUI, you'll have to repack the hardware's kernel, then fully flash the hardware yourself. Do all of those steps correctly, and you'll see every single game you've added appear in the slick, default interface.
Good job. You probably don't want to update it with any official Nintendo firmware update after that.
Doesn't look like there is any copy protection. The steps are, basically, copy the system image to a PC over USB, modify it, copy it back.
My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
It looks like Nintendo did their own, slightly quirky, thing in terms of how the ROMs are stored; but the procedure otherwise uses the same tools you use to manipulate Allwinner SoCs over USB. Since this console is just a cut-down Allwinner board, that isn't a surprise; but (as we know from dealing with cellphones and some tablets from the more obnoxious vendors) the ability to lock the bootloader so that it flatly refuses to do anything with an unsigned payload is a pretty standard feature. Some vendors don't turn it on; or allow it to be turned off; but the hardware is generally capable of it.
Given Nintendo's historical opposition to basically anything they don't explicitly allow happening on their consoles, it seems like a real surprise that this one cheerfully accepts being reflashed with a modified system image. Does Nintendo just not care in this case? Are they doing console lockdown almost as retro as the games being emulated?
surely, one would be able to run the nes classic on a virtual device of somekind...
Why not just run a NES emulator on your PC (free) with a NES USB gamepad ($10)?
Nintendo made sure only a handful of consumers who were willing to wait in long lines hours ahead of store openings could buy the trickle of NES Classics made available over the holidays, so my guess is these hackers won't even be able to enjoy their fruits.
Actually Crackers break through security (mostly into other computers, but also anything that thinks it's protected)
Hackers write code. Anyone writing code without having previously written a flow chart and and the entire algorithm before actually putting it into the whatever development platform they're using, is hacking. It is not breaking into other computers, that is cracking.
You know, like a safe cracker. I'm sure you've heard of that from the pre-computer days. I'm also sure you've heard of writers being called hacks in the pre-computer days as well. If you haven't heard that, just stream some classic movies.
I can't help but wonder how much more money Nintendo would make if they would just start releasing some of their older games for Android & iOS. They could have a steady stream of money flowing in from new people wanting to play classic games, much like how people are still buying Hemingway and Agatha Christie. Why do they insist on tying these re-releases to a specific hardware console?
and use retropie
They could have easily charged $100 if it had every NES game on there. To get any money all for games that old would/should be like manna from Heaven to the companies that own the IP.
AC clearly only knows the MSM version of what "hacking" is. aka. teh hax0rz!
Apparently, you've commented on wrong article. :D
A lot of Slashdot users have friends and family members who don't belong on this site by your criterion. They lack the time to set up RetroPie individually for each of them. Besides, I thought an RPi board, case, and controller already cost as much as this Nintendo product, and that's without ROM licenses.
You clearly don't understand how language develops.
I use an Xbox Duke controller myself, which I spliced with a standard USB cable so that I could plug it into a standard USB port. If that doesn't sound appealing then I would recommend one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wired-Controller-Windows-Console/dp/B004QRKWLA
If you really want something blocky and uncomfortable like the classic NES controllers that's an option too, but I prefer to use a modern gamepad and then map the buttons in an obvious way.
Your piece of shit site acted like my first reply didn't get posted. I even reloaded the page, and it wasn't there, so I wrote it again. Now it looks like I double-posted. Fuck you, Slashdot.
Since Nintendo created this using ARM hardware, the games run on an emulator. I assume this is based on their own internal emulator projector/software (they've had others for the NDS for development).
I assume since it's from Nintendo, it may have the best compatibility/performance of any emulator since they have all the docs and know how the hardware should behave.
On the other hand, they may have only tested the 30 games on it and others may have problems.
So you're saying that the hacks have hacked "hack", then? Why don't they just hack up a hairball and put that on the page and call it progress? It would make as much sense.
Hack means what it meant. Morons with a limited vocabulary and an inability to use language don't get to dictate changes to everyone else.
The only acceptable time for "hack" and "crack" to be interchangeable when talking about computer intrusions is when there was a need for some new software to be written in order to allow the intrusion. That's actually pretty common, until the script kiddies get involved. Script kiddies aren't hackers (as we've been saying for years), they're merely crackers. Guys that write software to exploit a vulnerability are both. That is the only reason to allow the continued use of "hack" in these articles.
The hackers in this article are most certainly hackers, as they wrote the "sunxi-FEL" interface for the host computer. They're also crackers, since they broke the security measures in place to keep them out. Either term applies here. It does not always apply. And we should never cede ground to mouthbreathers.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTWDeIm_9oh_HBKvAR4KekQ
What is the internal capacity? Is there only enough for roughly 30 NES games or does it have enough space for 300? How about 3000?
Does it support all the mappers or only a few specific ones? (MMC3, VRC2, etc)
Nintendo have quality standards. That means they will never put traditional platformers on a phone with horrible fucking virtual touch buttons. They're not capcom. See the recent pile of horse shit that is the megaman collection on phones.
Anyone who thinks Nintendo would sink that fucking low that they'd do something horrific like that, is a fucking retard. Hell, anyone who thinks this is a good idea period should get their thick fucking skull checked out.
I think we lost this fight.