Hacking Nintendo hardware

If you want proof that allowing people to tinker around with commercial hardware can produce cool results, take a look at this video. It shows a Wiimote mod done by Johnny Chung Lee that allows head tracking for the simulation of a three dimensional environment on a flat screen.

I wonder when we will see the first game that uses this approach. It could probably have some more serious applications, as well.

The sheer hackability of Ninendo hardware is making me seriously consider getting a DS. My brother has a card that lets you store dozens of games on a micro-SD card, as well as run homebrew applications.

[Update: 5 January 2008] I finally managed to track down a DS. I have put in an order for a device that will allow it to play ROMs from a micro-SD card, as well as run a web browser and other goodies.

[Update: 9 January 2008] For a very long time, I thought no Zelda game could top A Link to the Past. While it is too soon to know for sure, I can say that The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is in the running. Playing with just the touch screen works surprisingly well. The DS is the most entertaining system I have used since the original Playstation.

[Update: 11 January 2009] I received an M3 DS Real Nintendo DS storage device in the mail today from EchoStore.com. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have been properly manufactured and only functions intermittently. A number of web forums discuss making them a bit thicker by taping on pieces of paper. While this does seem to improve the success rate, it isn’t perfect and I would prefer one that works properly. As such, it seems destined to be returned to the manufacturer for exchange.