Variant
@vxyz.me
vwf enthusiast / platform sec by day / gameboy jrpg hacker by night / just a guy playing his DSi
I'm a debian guy now
https://github.com/VariantXYZ
https://vxyz.me
WIP: Medabots GBC titles, maybe some others.
I'm a debian guy now
https://github.com/VariantXYZ
https://vxyz.me
WIP: Medabots GBC titles, maybe some others.
Like every OSS image editor insists on changing the color information of my 2-bit grayscale images 🫠
It changes the image and breaks my rebuilds.
Funny enough, Win10/7 MSPaint and Fireworks MX are like the only things I've seen that preserve the format...
It changes the image and breaks my rebuilds.
Funny enough, Win10/7 MSPaint and Fireworks MX are like the only things I've seen that preserve the format...
January 20, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Like every OSS image editor insists on changing the color information of my 2-bit grayscale images 🫠
It changes the image and breaks my rebuilds.
Funny enough, Win10/7 MSPaint and Fireworks MX are like the only things I've seen that preserve the format...
It changes the image and breaks my rebuilds.
Funny enough, Win10/7 MSPaint and Fireworks MX are like the only things I've seen that preserve the format...
Every now and again I'll watch the first episode of like a solid 3/10 anime and get irrationally angry that 2008 Shounen Jump readers let Mx0 get axed.
January 19, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Every now and again I'll watch the first episode of like a solid 3/10 anime and get irrationally angry that 2008 Shounen Jump readers let Mx0 get axed.
I spent last weekend fiddling with Debian and now I'm rebuilding llvm with PGO enabled so I can more quickly rebuild the kernel and all I can think about is this xkcd from like 15 years ago.
January 17, 2026 at 3:57 AM
I spent last weekend fiddling with Debian and now I'm rebuilding llvm with PGO enabled so I can more quickly rebuild the kernel and all I can think about is this xkcd from like 15 years ago.
Reposted by Variant
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
January 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
Installed Debian with KDE Plasma on the old 2016 XPS 13 and I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed so far.
Things running pretty well and was able to configure the UI easily enough. Also got wine running without much trouble and most things I need Just Work.
Things running pretty well and was able to configure the UI easily enough. Also got wine running without much trouble and most things I need Just Work.
January 12, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Installed Debian with KDE Plasma on the old 2016 XPS 13 and I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed so far.
Things running pretty well and was able to configure the UI easily enough. Also got wine running without much trouble and most things I need Just Work.
Things running pretty well and was able to configure the UI easily enough. Also got wine running without much trouble and most things I need Just Work.
Being at a company where I end up needing to simultaneously use two chat applications makes me realize how shitty Teams really is in comparison.
January 6, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Being at a company where I end up needing to simultaneously use two chat applications makes me realize how shitty Teams really is in comparison.
Reposted by Variant
After a long absence, I'm picking back up the Digimon Tamer: Brave Tamer Wonderswan translation project! Made a good amount of progress the last few days, and really hoping to get it finished this year!
January 4, 2026 at 8:03 PM
After a long absence, I'm picking back up the Digimon Tamer: Brave Tamer Wonderswan translation project! Made a good amount of progress the last few days, and really hoping to get it finished this year!
(I also finally got around to updating and consolidating this)
Medarot: Kabuto Version - English Translation (GB) Updated from version 20240408 to 20241104
Medarot: Kabuto Version - English Translation - Content
23 years later, here are the first Medabots titles for the Nintendo Gameboy in English. This game is a prequel to the GBA title and loosely follows the story of Hikaru Agata (Henry).
Several patches ...
romhack.ing
December 30, 2025 at 8:40 PM
(I also finally got around to updating and consolidating this)
(I finally got around to uploading this)
Medarot 3 / Medabots 3 - English Translation (GB) Added
Medarot 3 / Medabots 3 - English Translation - Content
A full text translation of Medarot 3 / Medabots 3 for the Game Boy Color.
This game is a direct sequel to Medabots 2 which was remade as the Medabots RPG for the GBA released in English. This title ...
romhack.ing
December 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
(I finally got around to uploading this)
I think this approach to web design is the real minimalist design philosophy we should've gotten.
this is how my website started. I still don't know javascript or php. it was so satisfying seeing it on the internet, in my browser, for the first time. even with it looking like that. anyone can make a website like this
December 25, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I think this approach to web design is the real minimalist design philosophy we should've gotten.
I was gonna do some rom hacking stuff today but ended up just burning the day away trying to install Gentoo on my XPS 13...
I had put in an old Macbook wireless card in when I was hackintoshing it and now that's backfiring pretty hard because the drivers aren't in the Gentoo Live USB...
I had put in an old Macbook wireless card in when I was hackintoshing it and now that's backfiring pretty hard because the drivers aren't in the Gentoo Live USB...
December 24, 2025 at 6:42 AM
I was gonna do some rom hacking stuff today but ended up just burning the day away trying to install Gentoo on my XPS 13...
I had put in an old Macbook wireless card in when I was hackintoshing it and now that's backfiring pretty hard because the drivers aren't in the Gentoo Live USB...
I had put in an old Macbook wireless card in when I was hackintoshing it and now that's backfiring pretty hard because the drivers aren't in the Gentoo Live USB...
Reposted by Variant
I say this with zero irony: if you are even tangentially a part of a retro video game community, it is your civic duty to push back against this company and shun anyone who doesn't. This is fascism tapping gently at the door and as soon as you let it in, it's going to invite its friends.
December 19, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I say this with zero irony: if you are even tangentially a part of a retro video game community, it is your civic duty to push back against this company and shun anyone who doesn't. This is fascism tapping gently at the door and as soon as you let it in, it's going to invite its friends.
I occasionally find myself going back to Nora and the Time Studio as a little comfort game.
A real unsung gem on the NDS and damn if it wasn't amazing that it got a translation patch.
A real unsung gem on the NDS and damn if it wasn't amazing that it got a translation patch.
December 20, 2025 at 6:40 AM
I occasionally find myself going back to Nora and the Time Studio as a little comfort game.
A real unsung gem on the NDS and damn if it wasn't amazing that it got a translation patch.
A real unsung gem on the NDS and damn if it wasn't amazing that it got a translation patch.
I'ma be real, I'd be way more open to selling or giving away my old stuff if I knew it wasn't going to be part of a money-obsessed resale network for "rare" old games.
I just know some hustle-culture addled ass saw this article and started salivating at the thought of being able to scalp PSPs.
I just know some hustle-culture addled ass saw this article and started salivating at the thought of being able to scalp PSPs.
Why do Gen Z have a growing appetite for retro tech?
Why do Gen Z have a growing appetite for retro tech?
Gen Z are going retro, with studies showing a resurgence in people buying tech in the modern age that can be dated back decades.
www.bbc.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I'ma be real, I'd be way more open to selling or giving away my old stuff if I knew it wasn't going to be part of a money-obsessed resale network for "rare" old games.
I just know some hustle-culture addled ass saw this article and started salivating at the thought of being able to scalp PSPs.
I just know some hustle-culture addled ass saw this article and started salivating at the thought of being able to scalp PSPs.
Reposted by Variant
Here's the first footage of our Cardcaptor Sakura WonderSwan English patch!
November 24, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Here's the first footage of our Cardcaptor Sakura WonderSwan English patch!
Reposted by Variant
Imagineer finally scored a decisive legal win against that insane Spanish dude who was squatting on the EU Medabots trademark www.imagineer.co.jp/news/article... 🇯🇵 dude registered in 2018, unsuccessfully sued them(!) for infringement in '21, lost a '23 appeal & lost their final appeal on October 29
「MEDABOTS」商標に関するスペイン訴訟における当社勝訴判決の確定に関するお知らせ | ニュース | イマジニア株式会社
イマジニアは「想像をカタチに変える」をコンセプトとし、コンテンツビジネスを中心に、お客様満足度の高いサービスの提供を目指しています。
www.imagineer.co.jp
November 12, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Imagineer finally scored a decisive legal win against that insane Spanish dude who was squatting on the EU Medabots trademark www.imagineer.co.jp/news/article... 🇯🇵 dude registered in 2018, unsuccessfully sued them(!) for infringement in '21, lost a '23 appeal & lost their final appeal on October 29
Think I'm close to the end of ZA. I definitely enjoy it more than PLA. The city is small but dense, and there's a lotta little things and honestly the rooftop jumping grew on me.
The day/night transition sucks though. It annoys me way more than I thought it would.
The day/night transition sucks though. It annoys me way more than I thought it would.
November 7, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Think I'm close to the end of ZA. I definitely enjoy it more than PLA. The city is small but dense, and there's a lotta little things and honestly the rooftop jumping grew on me.
The day/night transition sucks though. It annoys me way more than I thought it would.
The day/night transition sucks though. It annoys me way more than I thought it would.
I generally like Apple stuff but trying to sync music on my PC with an Apple Music subscription is like pulling teeth.
The Windows version of iTunes doesn't support security keys, and iCloud with Apple Music doesn't properly sync up local files. What a dogshit experience.
The Windows version of iTunes doesn't support security keys, and iCloud with Apple Music doesn't properly sync up local files. What a dogshit experience.
November 4, 2025 at 4:23 PM
I generally like Apple stuff but trying to sync music on my PC with an Apple Music subscription is like pulling teeth.
The Windows version of iTunes doesn't support security keys, and iCloud with Apple Music doesn't properly sync up local files. What a dogshit experience.
The Windows version of iTunes doesn't support security keys, and iCloud with Apple Music doesn't properly sync up local files. What a dogshit experience.
Reposted by Variant
Damn I wish I could go start a lil venture to disassemble and translate obscure titles and push them onto modern platforms.
Unfortunately if I left my job I'd probs just die.
Unfortunately if I left my job I'd probs just die.
note the legals: LRG's using Japan's arbitration system for orphaned games to reissue Little Samson—if you can demonstrate that you've made a genuine effort to contact/identify a potential rights owner to no avail, you can legally commercialise an old game by paying royalties to the JP govt, which…
October 30, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Damn I wish I could go start a lil venture to disassemble and translate obscure titles and push them onto modern platforms.
Unfortunately if I left my job I'd probs just die.
Unfortunately if I left my job I'd probs just die.