Hackers uncover method to reprogram NES Tetris from within the game
Players have discovered a groundbreaking glitch in classic NES Tetris that allows them to code new behaviors into the game, leading to a wave of excitement and innovation in the gaming community.
Known as “arbitrary code execution,” the glitch enables players to introduce outside code into the game by manipulating the high score tables as machine code instructions. A recent video from Displaced Gamers demonstrates how NES Tetris reads these tables as instructions, granting players the ability to control the game’s behavior in unprecedented ways.
The glitch is made possible due to the specific way the game crashes after reaching level 155. By taking advantage of the Japanese Famicom console’s use of two hard-wired controllers, players can manipulate the crash jump by holding specific combinations of controller inputs. This allows them to direct where the game code goes after the crash is triggered, ultimately giving them the power to code new routines into the game.
In their proof-of-concept routine, Displaced Gamers coded a method to lower the score processing time and prevent a crash, showcasing the potential for innovation and improvement within the game. However, limitations include the need to manually achieve high scores and enter complicated names every time the game is powered up.
Despite these challenges, players are actively exploring ways to grant full control over all of Tetris’ RAM in order to patch out crash bugs and achieve higher levels in the game. This newfound ability to manipulate the game’s code has sparked a new level of creativity and experimentation within the Tetris community, with players eager to push the boundaries of what is possible in this classic game.
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