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The homebrew scene on 3DS has been in a constant dance with Nintendo, with regular system updates often forcing those that want to use unofficial apps to run outdated firmware and lose the ability to play games online. As a result it's a very niche area, albeit with some quirky tools such as someone running Windows on a 3DS, just because they can.

A similar state of affairs is now underway on Wii U. A Wii U Homebrew Channel, of sorts, has been pulled together - it's not the first Wii U homebrew workaround by a long shot, but in its current form is certainly the most durable while functioning on the current firmware. Just as on 3DS, however, frequent system updates mean that those that seek to use it will likely be lagging behind soon enough.

In terms of what the 'channel' can do, some of the arguably less harmful uses include a tool to use any 'USB compliant' controller on the system, such as the PS4's DualShock 4. There are also tools for creating backups of your games, which is where things get sticky.

Though the original poster on NeoGAF is careful to highlight that you can simply backup games that you own, the channel and related tools do allow people to run ROMs through an existing Virtual Console game; we've seen similar things on the 3DS. Some examples in the thread include people running Rare N64 titles not on the Virtual Console, likewise DS games. In fact, there are homebrew tools that make DS titles that look better - in terms of resolution - than the official downloads.

In any case, Nintendo will likely be pushing homebrew solutions backwards with system updates, as it has been on 3DS. Unlike the rampant Wii and DS days exercises like these remain restricted to enthusiasts and dabblers, and in some cases fun (and silly) things can be done in homebrew.

Naturally anyone that meddles with their Wii U is breaking the user agreement, liable to get into bother or - at least - find themselves lagging behind in system updates and potentially losing online access. It's always interesting to look in from the outside, nevertheless.

[source neogaf.com]