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Shinobii toolkit disassembles your warranty ... and console

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 22nd 2009 at 8:30PM }

Shinobii Technologies has released the "Console Toolkit," which will kill your console's warranty faster than a failed liquid cooling mod, for a mere £20 ($32). The 19-piece toolkit comes with all one needs to take apart various generations of consoles, so that the humble consumer can "replace a defective drive, burnt out laser lens, scratched or cracked screen or any other defective part."

It's fairly safe to guess that most of us have about as much ability to diagnose and repair what's wrong with our defective console as we do in finding Oklahoma on a map (it's above Texas, totally true). With that said, unless you're well versed, it's probably easier and safer to just purchase a new console. For those who do decide to purchase this and go it alone, please remember to unplug the console first ... just sayin'.

Hackers create dueling New Super Mario Bros. Wii level editors

by JC Fletcher { Nov 17th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Well, that didn't take long. On the very day that New Super Mario Bros. Wii was released in North America, hackers Virus and Vash released Tanooki, a program that allows users to design their own levels in place of the game's existing locales. Coder Treeki also announced Reggie!, yet another level editor for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Whichever wins, everybody wins.

Of course, these programs, while awesome, are pretty impractical for most of us, given that they run on a computer and thus work only with emulation. But, we must reiterate, these are awesome, and we appreciate the efforts of hobbyists everywhere who immediately make games better with their work. Check out example videos of both (with some NSFW language in annotations) after the break.

[Via Gemaga]

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Hackers apparently create dedicated MW2 servers, gain super powers

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 16th 2009 at 9:00PM }

Whoa! We've put quite a bit of time into Modern Warfare 2's online multiplayer offerings, but we've yet to unlock a perk that lets you rapid fire grenades, or jump 80 feet into the air without succumbing to death upon landing. However, the soldiers seen in the video after the jump seem to be doing just that. Is it, like, a prestige perk, or something?

Well, it couldn't possibly be because they're playing on a dedicated server, where such suspensions of the laws of nature are allowed. See, those don't exist. Sure, the video's description says that hackers have enabled these superhuman abilities on "a whole new wave of servers," but we all know that most of those people are total liars anyways.

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Quickdev16 cart opens up wonderful world of SNES homebrew

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 26th 2009 at 7:30PM }

Has your homebrew SNES masterpiece, Secret of Manilow, been trapped within your computer for a decade or so due to technological restraints? Time to dust off your old ROM file -- the Quickdev16 SNES developer cartridge has all you need to get your brainchild up and running on Nintendo's Super console. The cart includes an Atmel AVR ATmega644 with boot loader, a USB connection with which to upload a ROM, 16 megabits of SRAM, and an RS232 converter.

We're assuming that if you possess the technical know-how to craft custom SNES games, then you probably know what all that stuff means. We're also assuming that you'd be more inclined to pony up for the cart's $120 price tag than we are. That's just a tad too steep for an SNES cart -- or rather, an SNES cart that isn't a sealed, mint condition copy of Chrono Trigger.

[Via Engadget]

Mario World marriage proposal is clever (but kinda creepy)

by Randy Nelson { Oct 19th 2009 at 10:00PM }

Marriage proposals via video games aren't exactly new, but they're still clever -- and usually cute. Last Thursday, Brad Smith proposed to his girlfriend of five years using a hacked version of Super Mario World, placing coins in world 1-1 to spell out, "Will you marry me?" Cute, right? But we have to question Brad's filming of the occasion, because, if we didn't know better, we'd think the couple was being watched by a serial killer hiding behind their couch. You can see what we mean after the break.

Seriously -- tell us that, when the camera pulls back to catch Brad on his knee, ring in hand, you don't want to yell out, "Look out! There's someone else in the room!" Or maybe it's just the close proximity to Halloween that's got us all on edge. Still ... Brad, if you're reading this, please drop us a line to let us know you're alright?

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NES controller flash drive is Konami Code-protected

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 15th 2009 at 3:30AM }

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start. It's a powerful string of commands capable of garnering its invoker thirty lives, a gaggle of power-ups or other potent in-game bonuses. However, a technomancer from ProtoDojo.com has figured out a way to give the Konami Code practical applications in real life -- it can now be used to unlock one gigabyte of LOLCat JPEGs, German techno covers of Billy Ocean songs or, well, smut.

This little slice of realized magic is possible due to a 1GB flash drive embedded into a hollowed-out NES controller. Entering the Konami Code into the controller unlocks it, allowing you to browse its contents on your compy. To see how this technological feat was made possible, watch the video after the jump. After that, start pondering what this guy could put into a Power Glove. Perhaps -- dare we say it -- a two gigabyte flash drive?

[Via The Tanooki]

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The Conduit Wii case mod much cooler than actual game

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 6th 2009 at 5:45PM }

If you own more than one console, there's a sizable chance that you found The Conduit underwhelming. A commendable effort, sure, but not the world-rending behemoth we were all hoping for. That said, if you own multiple consoles, you probably also have enough money to afford a sweet custom rig. Thus we present a custom Wii dedicated to High Voltage's good ol' college try.

While it might appear to be little more than a Wii with a face painted one side and a logo plastered on the other, the real magic happens when you turn it on, causing it to light up so very prettily. See it all in the detailed (and vaguely sensual) video after the break.

[Thanks, John]

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Ben Heck's PS3 laptop getting raffled off by Tennessee retailer

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 6th 2009 at 1:10PM }

Remember how dejected we were when we realized that Ben Heck's recently crafted PS3 Slim laptop would never appear in our quivering, wanting hands? That script just got irrevocably flipped by Franklin, Tennessee-based gaming retailer/event organizer The Score, who is raffling the modded console off to anyone who purchases their goods or employs their party planning prowess from now until mid-December.

The full list of rules and regulations for the raffle can be found on The Score's site, but it basically breaks down to "the more you spend, the more chances you have to win." This process is impeded by the fact that the store has no online support, but does allow for over-the-phone shopping. Yes, it's a lot of hassle for a quazi-portable PS3 -- but that extra effort is what really separates the men from the fanboys.

[Thanks, Bradley.]

Ben Heck's PS3 Slim laptop fills us with jealous rage

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 1st 2009 at 4:59PM }

You know what? Screw you, Ben Heck. Every time you come around, you bring these awesome, portable-ized consoles with you. From your corner of the internet, you wave these scintillating creations under our noses, then withdraw them from our lives. Sure, occasionally you'll provide us with tutorials to re-create your projects, but we don't possess your otherworldly, Forge-esque proclivity for technology. We are but simple folks whom you've chosen to tease at your leisure with glimpses of the future. It's just mean. You're a mean guy.

Oh, but your most recent creation -- a laptop built around a PS3 Slim (demoed in a video after the jump) -- is pretty remarkable. Rarely do these modified Frankenconsoles look this good. We can't wait to get our hands on ...

Aw, damn it.

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Ben Heck moves Dualshock's shoulder buttons to the front

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 18th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Can shoulder buttons still be called "shoulder buttons" when they no longer sit perched upon the Dualshock 3's shoulders? Could they be more aptly described as "hip buttons?" Regardless, the onus for renaming these toggles now rests upon modder extraordinaire Ben Heck, who made the controller's L1, L2, R1 and R2 buttons "easier to get at" by placing them on the front of the controller (at the cost of the peripheral's rumble motors).

We're perfectly contented with the shoulder buttons' current location, but we suppose folks who lost their index digits in a terrible Chinese Finger Trap incident may find this mod useful.

[Via Engadget]

Put your Fear Factor GBA cartridge to good use (turn it into a thumb drive!)

by David Hinkle { Sep 18th 2009 at 1:45PM }

Look, we all buy crappy games every now and then ... it just happens. But instead of hiding those titles under a pile of dirty clothes or trading them in at GameStop for almost nothing, you can now convert them into thumb drives. That is, if they're the right size and shape, like the Advance Wars 2 cartridge you see above (via Go Nintendo). We don't know why someone would ruin that game to do this, so we suggest you target Fear Factor: Unleashed instead.

Patch to fix Call of Duty 4 multiplayer exploit 'in the works'

by Randy Nelson { Aug 3rd 2009 at 7:30PM }

There's good news and slightly-less-good news for the many fans of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's multiplayer. The good news comes from Infinity Ward community manager Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling via his twitter feed: the developer is onto the recently discovered multiplayer exploits that unscrupulous players are using to cheat their way to victory. The slightly-less-good news is that the fix is "in the works," meaning there's no definite ETA for it.

Still, we'd have to imagine Infinity Ward has been hard at work on the patch -- we just hope it comes up with something very special for whoever discovered and used the exploit. We'll keep you updated as we hear more, but hey, Robert, you know how to reach us ...

Hacker brings PlayStation to the Pre

by Justin McElroy { Jul 1st 2009 at 7:01PM }

We can't tell you the number of times we've been on a train or bus and thought, "Wow, I really wish I was playing (insert your favorite PSX game here, though we're going to assume it's Pepsiman because of course it is)." Engadget reports that super hacker ZodTTD has heard our silent prayer and brought PlayStation 1 emulation to the Palm Pre.

It's not quite perfect yet (and not just because you have to play the thing with a keyboard), but at least we know our dream of bringing refreshing Pepsi-Cola to the children of the world on the go is just a bit closer to fruition.

Hackers add Roy to Super Smash Bros. Brawl

by David Hinkle { Jul 1st 2009 at 6:45PM }

Smashboards forum user goodoldganon wasn't satisfied with all of the characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His main contention with the game was that it lacked several key Melee characters. So, he did what any sensible member of society would do: ~~He wrote a letter to Nintendo~~ He hacked the crap out of the game.

As evidenced in the videos past the break, this isn't merely a texture swap, as goodoldganon also incorporated Roy's moves into the game. By delegating the hack to a certain color set of Marth's (here it's the red suit), he can pick Roy at will and seamlessly integrate him into the game. Sure, the bottom of the screen still says Marth, but, for all intents and purposes, this is the Roy you remember.

It's impressive stuff, to say the least, so head past the break and check out the footage of a fighter's return to the arena.

Gallery: Smash Bros. Brawl Snapshots

[Thanks, Slashy!]

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Fans rewrite Brawl to balance characters

by JC Fletcher { Jun 30th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a pretty fun fighting game to play with friends, right?

WRONG. It's actually an unbalanced mess. At least, that's what a group of Smash Boards members seems to believe, seemingly with more conviction than we've ever had for pretty much anything. It's important enough that they decided to patch the game's code to change specific gameplay elements. "Balanced Brawl" has three goals, as stated by the coders: first, to remove "infinites" and "inescapable lockdowns" (simple, unblockable combos that add more than 50% damage), increase overall character balance, and increase stage viability.

You can see examples of the kind of minute tweaking done to the characters in the chart above, and you can read way, way more about each change in the Smash Boards thread. It's a pretty impressive testament to just how much time has been spent thinking about Brawl.