3DS exploit bypasses Pokémon Shuffle microtransactions
Now it's actually free to play.
An exploit has been found that bypasses the microtransactions in free-to-play puzzler Pokémon Shuffle.
The 3DS game uses paid-for gems to grant extra lives and in-game cash, priced between 89p (for one gem) and £42.99 (for a lump of 75).
Lives and coins naturally refill (slowly), or alternatively can be acquired faster using real-world money to speed up the process and let you play for longer.
But hackers have found that they can change the cost of items in Pokémon Shuffle's in-game shop so that they are all available for free - no gems required.
The new exploit utilises the same technique that recently allowed users to download and play Game Boy Color ROMs.
Users found that they could inject new code into the memory of a legitimately downloaded game via the 3DS web browser.
But the method will not work on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, which uses an updated browser. It is also limited to 3DS firmware versions 9.0-9.5.
While paid-for items are not required to play Pokémon Shuffle, the amount of time that you can play for is limited without buying more lives. Eurogamer previously investigated how long you could expect to play Pokémon Shuffle for without paying up.
We've asked Nintendo for comment on the matter.