Hacking software and hardware, to achieve functionality that was never intended, can be fun and rewarding. When motivation is directly linked to restrictions perceived as unnecessary or unfair, that can lead to moral justification. That’s understandable in some cases, but when a company like Nintendo counters by targeting a tool like Lockpick, that’s not surprising; it’s inevitable.

Nintendo’s N64 console went on sale in Japan in June 1996, selling for ¥25,000 (around US$185). By the end of day one, all 300,000 units had sold out.

For hardcore gamers in Europe facing a release date eight months away, importing an N64 was a tempting but expensive option. Adjusted for inflation, imported Japanese N64s changed hands for the equivalent of $1,400 in today’s money; a copy of Super Mario 64? A snip at $165.

Months before the console was finally released in Europe, N64 went on sale in the United States. Imported into the gray market in Europe, US cartridges were cheaper than their Japanese counterparts. Unfortunately, Japanese console owners soon found that while US cartridges would play on their machines, Nintendo had ensured that they wouldn’t physically fit in the slot.

The rest of this article can be read on TorrentFreak.com

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