Just less than two months after its worldwide debut, the ever-so-popular NES Classic Edition has been hacked to add some more support for many other Nintendo Entertainment System games that haven't been featured in the plug-and-play console's built-in lineup.
NES Classic hacked for the better
As confirmed by multiple reports, the NES Classic Edition can now be able to run other NES Classic games like River City Ransom, Bucky O'Hare, and even two entries of Capcom's Mega Man series that aren't normally playable using a stock hardware. Some additional titles are also shown in the hacked console's catalog, bringing its total number of supported titles up at a whopping 60 games.
The NES Classic hype
Just released last November 2016, the NES Classic Edition quickly sold out of its initial retail allotment and ultimately became one of the holiday season's hottest gift for longtime gamers. Designed to resemble a miniature version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the plug-and-play console includes a decent selection of 30 built-in games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Kirby's Adventure.
How they did it
While initial teardowns have revealed a compact circuit board that many feared would be difficult to infiltrate, the NES Classic Edition was recently hacked to run a custom build of Ubuntu, giving hackers a glimmer of hope regarding expanded the mod support. Currently, two hacker groups now claim to have bypassed the NES Classic Edition's security features and added new games to its playable lineup.
Hackers from Japan and Russia are among the first to report successful hacks via the NES Classic Mods subreddit. Both groups have released tools that allow users to hack their own NES Classic Edition consoles, but the platform's modding scene is still in its early days.
Amateur modders should exercise caution when running on an unsigned code. But despite the risk, hackers will definitely take it in order to enhance up the lineup to an incredible 60 game.
