Genesis emulation comes to the Wii

Alright, things are starting to get really good with these hacks. Just after seeing a GameCube / Wii Tetris, Linux build, SNES emulator, and the first homebrew MP3 player for Nintendo's money-maker, we're getting a totally radical, native Genesis / Megadrive emulator for the console. Coder-extraordinaire Eke-Eke has created not only the first of its kind for the Wii (and GameCube), but it's also the first ever that's capable of playing Virtua Racing, a milestone in Genesis emulation. This latest feat utilizes the same backdoor Twilight Princess hack, which is proving to be the best thing that happened to Wii development since... well... ever. Hit the read link and check it out yourself.

[Thanks, Craig]

[hussein E Rawat @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:11PM]

Virtua Racer... I did not have money in those days so I could only view this game from afar but what i remember very well is that the game was selling for a ludicrous £60. And what do you get today for £60... this game for me puts it all into perspective.

[atomicthumbs @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:19PM]

Actually, PicoDrive for the GP2X emulated the Virtua chip first.

http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/Picodrive

[Schmedly @ Mar 2nd 2008 4:37PM]

On the page you referenced, it says PicoDrive isn't capable of *playing* the game, which is what this article mentions, not being able to look at the pretty menus. Foot, meet bullet.

[atomicthumbs @ Mar 2nd 2008 4:40PM]

It would be playable if the GP2X had more than a 200MHZ ARM CPU.

[Schmedly @ Mar 2nd 2008 11:17PM]

Not if the notes on your link are accurate. "Can't get game to start" sounds like more than just a horsepower issue. That's all semantics though, since you just admitted the GP2X can't play the game. The article is about it being playable, not who emulated it first.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:45PM]

Wii-hooo, Altered Beast!

[lakiolen @ Mar 2nd 2008 2:59PM]

Altered Beast is already available through the normal, legal Wii Virtual Console.

[Alexander @ Mar 2nd 2008 3:11PM]

This too is legal, provided you own Twilight Princess and whatever Genesis game you wish to emulate.

[Wez @ Mar 2nd 2008 4:43PM]

Street Fighter 2 Special Championship Edition. Greatest version of all time. OK the Graphics couldn't match the SNES but the speed! Especially when cranked up. Really got the adrenaline flowing. Im drooling thinking of doing a dragon punch in my living room with a WiiMote!

[kawaiipikachu @ Mar 2nd 2008 5:05PM]

It's Wii Remote you dingbat not WIIMOTE !!!!↓

[Wez @ Mar 2nd 2008 5:59PM]

@kawaiipikachu

I usually wouldn't reply to someone so hopelessly anally retentive but damn it I couldn't fight the urge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote
Google search for Wiimote results in 3,410,000 results.
Neither conclusive proof either way, but proof enough that Wiimote is pretty common vanacular. Am I not allowed to use shorthand or nick names on this blog??/ Get a life!

[PSM @ Mar 2nd 2008 7:41PM]

I wish to buy a Wii Remote so that I can purchase digital video discs to play first person shooters on my television.

[Jhongerkong @ Mar 2nd 2008 5:07PM]

GENESIS DOES!

[Kompleet @ Mar 2nd 2008 6:30PM]

What Nintendon't !

[E @ Mar 2nd 2008 5:15PM]

Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldn't picture this

[LordZargon @ Mar 2nd 2008 5:25PM]

You could always buy a Dreamcast, burn 1050 ROMs onto a disc and play those for free...

But that would illegal right? :P

Nice to see the games living on, I still have my Virtua Racer cartridge! Still works!!!

[Rususeruru @ Mar 2nd 2008 10:13PM]

Not if you own a physical copy of all the roms on the disc!

[ManekiNeko @ Mar 2nd 2008 8:24PM]

So I take it you still need an SD card adapter for this exploit? I sure wish they'd let you load those files from a DVD instead...

[Palmtree3000 @ Mar 2nd 2008 8:37PM]

You do know the sd slot is built in, right?

[jim @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:04PM]

You still have to use the Gamecube SD card slot adapter right now. they haven't been able to load straight from the built-in SD card.

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 2nd 2008 8:31PM]

How freakin far ahead of the gaming industry is Nintendo? I think the engineers did this on purpose, because they want to relive their childhood days.

The list of reasons to get a Nintendo Wii keeps on growing like a leafy plant to low earth orbit heights.

[eidorian @ Mar 2nd 2008 9:22PM]

too bad sega has kindof gone down the tubes a bit : (

[Jongscx @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:52AM]

I really don't like seeing "Backdoor" and "twilight princess" being used in such close proximity...

[umm....hello??? @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:49AM]

...after the NES emulator available for the SegaDreamcast, turnabout is fair play!!! I want the original Sonic series for this, though...