New 3 DS

Though the DS days of mass hacking and playable ROMS through common R4 cards are a thing of the past - to the relief of developers and publishers - there are still those that mod the 3DS for niche purposes. Such has been Nintendo's aggressive approach to firmware updates to lock out exploits, any attempts at ROM access - for instance - have typically been limited to systems that are offline-only and using out-of-date firmware.

Exploits to make the 3DS region free do typically earn more sympathy and support from gamers on the fence, however, with the region restricting concept being unpopular with gamers with a penchant for importing games. Unofficial region free been achieved before, though 'stability' updates from Nintendo often locks it out. Homebrew and modding regular Smealum has now returned with another exploit, however, this time working on both the original 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS models. Tellingly, it works in the current 9.7 firmware on the latest hardware, which will no doubt prompt another update in the future to try and lock it out. Like some of its predecessors it requires a copy of Cubic Ninja, a nondescript title that's achieved infamy and rarity courtesy of hackers.

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Quite how long this exploit will survive before Nintendo blocks it is anyone's guess and, as before, it remains a niche option that carries the typical risks of any unofficial dabbling with the hardware.

You can see this in action below; let us know what you think, though do be sure to keep have an eye on our Community Rules when you do. Here's hoping that region locking will soon be a thing of the past.

Thanks to Rupee Clock for the heads up.