Someone hacked Nintendo's $60 game console and more than doubled the number of playable games

Nintendo's new, miniature video game console was a hit during the holiday season - so much so that it was sold out most places. 

Nintendo

The NES Classic Edition is a tiny re-creation of the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

That makes a lot of sense: It's a $60 game console packed with 30 of Nintendo's most iconic titles. The entire original "Super Mario Bros." trilogy, as well as the first two "Legend of Zelda" games are among those 30 games - and have you seen how adorable that thing is?

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

It's a near-perfect re-creation of the original Nintendo Entertainment System from the 1980s, controllers and all:

Nintendo

Since launching in holiday 2016, fans who were able to find one have only had two major complaints with the NES Classic Edition:

1. The controller is wired, and the wire is too short (at just around three feet). 
2. There are hundreds of NES games, and only 30 are in this package. More games, please!

The first problem is easily remedied using inexpensive third-party solutions, like Nyko's Miniboss wireless gamepad.

The second problem, however, is a bit more difficult to fix. The NES Classic Edition console doesn't have an internet connection, and the cartridge slot is just a visual affect - in short, there's no official way to add more games to the console.

But hackers have found a way, as they are wont to do. 

YouTube

YouTube user

By plugging the console into a computer using a USB cable, putting it into what is essentially a developer or production mode, and uploading ROMs to the console, it can reasonably run more games than the initial 30 it comes with. 

How many more games? One YouTube user managed to load just over 50 games onto his console, including box art. The result is an NES Classic Edition with 84 games in total, nicely organized and still workable as a normal console. Even features like save states still function.

Of note: The process violates warranty, and you have to use software that isn't what we'd call trustworthy. This is very much an "at your own risk" situation. 

Check out the full video of this hacked NES Classic Edition in action: