HOMEBREW RESOURCES - MAGNET CORNER

Nintendo is a greedy corporation, no different from any other greedy corporation, and we can't make exceptions for them just because they make some of our favorite video games. They treat their old consoles and games horribly, cutting off the life support for their old consoles and putting emulation for their games on the Switch behind multiple paywalls.

Nintendo has many old consoles and games that have been dropped off of the market and had their services cut off for the sake of ushering in latest brand new hot console, games, and their services. With how many Nintendo consoles are becoming a thing of the past, Homebrewing is more important now than ever if you'd like to increase the lifespan of your now dead Nintendo console. (not dead as in broken, but well, dead as in the company doesn't support it anymore. you get what i mean.)

I dedicate this page to sharing links and resources to help people homebrew their own Nintendo consoles, as well as answering potential questions one might have about the homebrewing process and sharing some of my own experiences with Homebrewed consoles and custom software.

Let's dive in first with the Homebrew F.A.Q. ~ !

QUESTION 1: What is Homebrew for Nintendo consoles?

ANSWER: Giving the simplest explanation, homebrewing your console is the process of modding it with custom firmware that will allow you to play unlicensed games and load unofficial software on your console. Homebrew in a lot of cases can also allow you to play games or load software released outside of your console's region.

QUESTION 2: Will Homebrew brick my console?

ANSWER: This is an understandable fear to have. For the most part, homebrewing your console is fairly safe if you're following proper practices and installing software only from developers that you trust. The most I've personally encountered as far as problems with Homebrew is storage problems on my Wii and certain games crashing my 3DS. Neither problems have bricked my consoles or left them in any kind of unrecoverable state.

QUESTION 3: Is Homebrew illegal?

ANSWER: Short answer: Basically no. Long answer: Homebrew itself is in a grey area as far as the law is concerned. If you just install custom programs on your console you will not be in trouble, and nobody has ever been directly arrested for modding their console. Piracy, however, is illegal.

QUESTION 4: Will I be banned for modding my console?

ANSWER: Likely no, but there are risks if you play online with a modded console. I believe the most risks for this lies with the Nintendo Switch.

QUESTION 5: What consoles can I mod?

ANSWER: Without breaking the console itself open and messing around with its hardware? The Nintendo DSi, the Wii, the Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch. You do have to open up the 3DS a little, but it's hardly difficult, all you need is a compatible screwdriver. There are no ways, as far as I know, to mod the Gamecube without messing with it's actual physical hardware. Xbox and Playstation consoles can also be homebrewed without messing with their hardware, to my knowledge, but for the sake of consistency this page will focus on Nintendo consoles.