Nintendo 3DS region free exploit available to Cubic Ninja owners

Ubisoft platformer Cubic Ninja has again found itself at the centre of a 3DS hacking controversy.

Eurogamer reports that a new exploit using the game allows 3DS owners to remove the region restrictions on their hardware, allowing the handheld to run games purchased in other countries.

The trick requires only that users scan a specific QR code from within the game and works with the current 3DS firmware, as well as with both versions of the New 3DS.

The process is only required to completed once per game, after which point users will be able to play the game in question in the same way they would any other title. It’s not universally compatible, however – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask does not currently work, for instance.

The technique was created by the same man who last year used Cubic Ninja to allow for the running of homebrew software on Nintendo’s machine. That led to a run on the game, with retail hiking prices and Nintendo pulling the digital version from the eShop.

Even now the game still sells for around 40.

Nintendo has since patched that particular loophole out of the console and will likely do the same for this new exploit – which it should be noted does not facilitate the playing of homebrew or pirated software – in time.