# 049 - Reversing Your Childhood One Game At a Time

- Show: [Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast)
- Published: 2021-07-11
- Length: 1h 00m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time
- Listen: https://unnamedre.com/episode/49

## Summary

Security researcher James Chambers discusses his reverse engineering projects, including extracting firmware from a Logitech wireless keyboard using a Great FET and analyzing the letter system in the GameCube version of Animal Crossing using IDA Pro and the Dolphin emulator. He explains how he exploited a memory card feature to load custom NES ROMs and run code via DevKit Pro, and details the security mechanisms of Amiibo NFC tags using Proxmark3 and amiitool. Chambers also shares insights on console anti-piracy chips like the N64 CIC and recommends PCBite probes for hardware debugging.

## Chapters

- [0:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=31) Introduction and Logitech Keyboard Reverse Engineering
- [3:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=233) Extracting Firmware from Logitech Keyboards
- [12:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=773) Reverse Engineering Animal Crossing Letter System
- [29:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=1792) Exploiting Memory Cards for Custom Code and NES ROMs
- [41:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=2519) Amiibo NFC Security and Spoofing
- [49:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time#t=2966) Hardware Tools and Console Anti-Piracy Chips

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- James Chambers (other)
- Logitech (company)
- Great FET (tool)
- Nordic (chip)
- IDA Pro (tool)
- Dolphin emulator (tool)
- Animal Crossing (product)
- DevKit Pro (tool)
- Amiibo (product)
- Proxmark3 (tool)
- amiitool (tool)
- PCBite (tool)
- Nintendo 64 CIC (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [111: Potty Train Your Tamagotchi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-07-29-111-potty-train-your-tamagotchi) (Embedded.fm)
- [259: Calculators Changed My Life](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-09-07-259-calculators-changed-my-life) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep082: DJ CNC, NFC Black Box, Sound of Keys, and Payin' for 3D Prints](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-08-28-ep082-dj-cnc-nfc-black-box-sound-of-keys-and-payin-for-3d-prints) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [An Interview with Dmitry Nedospasov](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-06-17-an-interview-with-dmitry-nedospasov) (The Amp Hour)
- [352: Baby's First Hydrofluoric Acid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-11-20-352-babys-first-hydrofluoric-acid) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2021-07-11-049-reversing-your-childhood-one-game-at-a-time. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast.