We already knew that you could basically tweak the NES Classic Edition to hold more games than it launched with, but we didn't know until now that you could basically cram the entire NES library onto the thing, clocking in at around 700 games.
Youtube user TootyUK has figured out how to squeeze the entire NES/Famicom game library into the palm of your hands. Obviously not what Nintendo envisioned for its fun little micro version of the beloved game system, but that's never stopped folks from modding their hardware in the past. Here's a look at his process.
Late last year, Nintendo launched the NES Classic Edition, a small device made to look like the original Nintendo Entertainment System and even came packed with a replica controller. The device is almost completely hollow, however, as the 30 games it comes with are just digital files. If you were in the market for a bit of nostalgia and wanted an NES-shaped box that could be plugged into pretty much any TV or monitor, the device was great for diving into classic Final Fantasy, Mario, Metroid, Castlevania and Zelda games, plus a whole bunch more.
But for some, 30 classic Nintendo games simply aren't enough. It was discovered a few weeks back that people were figuring out how to put even more games on the system. As for TootyUK, they've gone the extra mile and figured out they could load the thing with pretty much every game for the console that launched in any territory.
As TootyUK explains in his video, he's using Hakchi 2.11 for this project, which allows for full ROM zip files to be used from all regions on the NES classic. The video is a good 20 minutes long, so don't expect this to be a two-minute process. Still, if you follow TootyUK's process, apparently loading your NES Classic Edition full of games isn't all that hard.
To be clear, ROMs are not illegal to own so long as you own a for-pay version of the game you are using a digital file of. So yeah, it's up to you to decide if this is something you want to mess with. Also, as with all things involving messing with a device in a way it wasn't intended to be messed with, you run the risk of just borking your tiny NES beyond recognition.
Whether or not you've been expanding your game collection on the NES classic, we'd like to hear how our readers are enjoying the micro-console. Are you happy with the selection of games? Do they run well? Bringing back loads of memories or introducing you to an era of gaming before your time? Let us know in the comments below.
