Imagesource: https://github.com/travisgoodspeed/

Dumping ROM's with the help of a microscope is nothing new. My memory of the end of the 90s is still somehow linked to smartcards, encryption systems and PayTV ... I have no idea, what that had to do with ROM dumps 😇.

Travis Goodspeed aka @travisgoodspeed has chosen a much more exciting target than PayTV: The GameBoy.

With the help of a metallurgical microscope at 50x magnification, a digital camera and the MaskRomTool he built himself, he manages relatively quickly to extract and decode NINTENDOs secrets contained in the chip of this iconic handheld.

And off into the emulator ... or so. 🎮

For those who have never done or seen something like this before, there is a lot to learn in Travis' github repo.

Happy ROM hacking.