If you’ve got a copy of Zelda: TP, an SD to gamecube adapter, and a spare SD card, head over here to download and try it out yourself. Here are my abbreviated instructions:

1. Download the Twilight Hack, and follow these instructions to install on your SD card.
2. Download tetris.elf, and dd it to your SD card, as instructed here.
3. You’re now ready, so boot it the normal way and Tetris should load.

To get the Game Launcher, head to the Marketplace. Here is where it’s nested: Game Store | All Games | XNA Creators Club | XNA Creators Club Game Launcher. The naming is particular, since the similarly titled downloads require a Creators Club membership.

Once installed, you will have a new tab titled “XNA Creators Club” in your Games Library under My Games. Navigate to this new category, and hit Y to download games. This should take you to the XNA Creators Club Content download page. There are seven trial games available for download.

This is a very nice taste of whats to come, where independently developed games using XNA will be available for free and pay. From what I gather, publication will be contingent on some type of peer review, rather than the stringent Live Arcade requirements/verification process.

And I urge all college students to cash in on the free XNA Creators Club subscription offering I recently posted about. The free 12-month subscription has a $100 value, and will let you get games RIGHT NOW for free. You will be able to legally install any XNA software freely available on the web onto your 360. What kind of games? How about an NES emulator? No modding, and no getting banned from Xbox Live.

To get your free swag, head here. If you’re school isn’t on the list, don’t fret. Visit this link to find out how to get verified (I did it, and it was a painless process).

Update: Since my college isn’t on the list, I followed the link to get verified. My enrollment was immediately verified, and I was emailed a link to the DreamSpark download site. From there, it was one button press and I was given an Xbox Live code to claim my 12-month Creators Club subscription. Couldn’t be any easier. I have the XNA Launcher installed (separate from the temporarily available Game Launcher which is free for all). I now have the ability to install games on my 360 directly from my computer. I plan on installing XNA Sharp NES, a NES emulator created with XNA. I will report back on how that goes. Legal 360 homebrew is here! (for the masses this time, without a $100 entry fee)

If you think you’ve got better moves, the developer is calling you out in an open challenge. BYO oscilloscope and DIY skills.

This may not be anything to write home about just yet, but the cat is officially out of the bag. It’s only a matter of time before more usable homebrew hits, along with loaders, linux, and more. You can follow along at the WiiBrew Wiki, or I will keep you posted on the major developments here.

Mass Effect – Xbox 360 (November 07)

The graphics and scope alone are jaw dropping, but it’s the team on board that gives this game promise. We know they can craft a story, and Mass Effect looks like no exception.

Fracture – Xbox 360, PS3 (Q3 08)

I was skeptical at the premise (terrain deformation), but this demo proves it adds a very fresh and creative element to the crowded shooter genre. I can’t even imagine all the possibilities for game design and player creativity. The game already looks amazing, and it’s still got a lot of dev time left. I’m actually glad this one is 08. I will need some time to recuperate after this years spending.

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja – Xbox 360 (October 07)

I’m just as surprised as you are this game made my list. I’m no Naruto fan, but this games unique art style captured my attention. As the name implies, the story covers the beginning of Naruto’s adventures. For people unfamiliar with the franchise, such as myself, this game could turn out to be a welcome introduction. Unfortunately with it’s October release, it has steep competition and will likely get overlooked. It’s at least worth keeping your eye on this one.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames – Xbox 360, PC, PS2, PS3 (Q4 07)

Two words: co-op and destruction. Looks like fun. This is another game I think will be largely overshadowed by other games coming out this year. This game looks nothing like I remember the original mercs. This is worth looking into, even if you weren’t a fan of the original.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – PS3 (Q4 07)

A much needed PS3 exclusive. The games graphics and animations are superb, and it seems to nail both the adventure and action aspects. So often great adventure games have lame combat systems. This game has nice weapons, a nice cover system, and great hand to hand combat. It may be a little too inspired by Tomb Raider (gameplay wise), but that’s hardly a criticism.

Unreal Tournament 3 – PS3, PC (Q4 07… later on 360)

Another game only on PS3 this holiday season. This game is on my list for one reason: mods on the console. So long PCs have had the advantage in this aspect, now PS3 will get the (almost) equal treatment. The video above details how easy it is to get a mod from PC to PS3 (at 2:50 in).

A number of others go with out mention… Halo 3, MGS4, Resident Evil 5, Mario Galaxy, etc. Maybe it’s time I get a job.

The hacker Cpasjuste has managed to get Ubuntu Linux booting on his 360 thanks to: dvd firmware hack, Hypervisor Vulnerability, King Kong shader exploit, XeLL bootloader and linux xenon patches. The latest dashboard update has already blocked out the hypervisor vulnerability, so this will only be possibly with older dashboard versions. Regardless, this will prove useful to a handful, and hopefully help find more back doors for the rest of us. I envision a game of cat and mouse (and many banned consoles) in the near future, much like with Sony and the PSP firmware upgrades.

via Xbox-scene