Nintendo's 3DS has been on the market for what's coming up on four years now yet somehow, modding enthusiasts have been unable to find a pure software hack that allows the portable console to run homebrew games.
That all changed this week, however, as 22-year-old Jordan Rabet revealed the results of his year-long quest to crack the 3DS' previously impenetrable security.
The aspiring hacker found an incredibly simple backdoor into the system that works across all 3DS types. Best yet, it doesn't require any programming skills. All you need is a copy of an old, obscure game called Cubic Ninja.
Once news of the hack spread, copies of the now out of print game became a hot commodity, commanding anywhere between $30 and $100 online depending on where you shop. The game, which had been available via download from the 3DS eShop in Japan, was pulled within hours of Rabet's tweet.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Rabet said he expected attention but not this much. He described the way the game shot up in price as nothing short of insane.
Rabet actually had the exploit working back in July and planned to release it in August. One day before his scheduled release, Nintendo announced its new 3DS. Rabet decided to hold off on releasing the exploit over fear that Nintendo might somehow fix it in the new model.
Full details on how to pull off the hack can be found on Rabet's website.