Macrox

May 6th, 2009
Lazy Bastard: What would you say you're most well-known for?

Macrox: The most well known thing I've done is really one of several things, depending on who you ask. It ranges from the Hacking Text co-author/editor, Castlevania 64/LOD Cut scene and Level/Location Modifiers, Indy 64 Walk thru walls codes, Clubhouse Games always get perfect strike or bulls eye, and finally Walk in Cut scene hack for Turok 64. I am also known for being a "liaison" for beta testing devices and getting samples of those devices from InterAct and Datel.


Lazy Bastard: What is your favorite code/hack that you hacked? 

Macrox: Definitely the Cutscene/Level Mod codes of Castlevania 64/LOD.


Lazy Bastard: What is your favorite code/hack of all time? 

Macrox: Wow, this is a hard one to answer. I think it must be the Indiana Jones 64 Hi Res King Solomon's Mines Codes. Not one in particular but the whole set as the trainer kept crashing due to to delicate hook in memory slot I had to use.


Lazy Bastard: Who would you say influenced you the most in the video game hacking scene? Who did you 'look up to' when you first entered the scene? (doesn't have to be the same person for both)

Macrox: The first person who got me hooked was Kong K Rool aka Parasyte. Later on the work of Viper's activators and Subdrag's Size Modifiers made a big impact on my work. My inspirations and main associates are Para, Shadow Knight aka Rune, Viper, Crocc, Kenobi, Subdrag and FNG from Datel.


Lazy Bastard: Why, and where, did you first enter the hacking scene?

Macrox: My interest in code hacking goes back to patching codes in PC games. I am probably one of the oldest if not the oldest hacker on the underground scene. I have hacked codes for SNES, N64, GB, GBA and NDS. I also was a mod, admin and co-owner of the old GSC, which I joined in the late 90's. I believed in the site being a family site unlike some of my past associates. I thought this way because I often had parents write to me asking how they can help their kids. That caused a rift between my associates and I....something I now think a fight I could not win. The world is much changed from when I was a kid....and there is not much I can do about that.


Lazy Bastard: What was your first code/hack?

Macrox: Star Wars Shadow of the Empire Timer code during battle of Hoth.


Lazy Bastard: What do you think is the most difficult type of code/hack to hack, and why?

Macrox: Wow...well Walk Thru Walls is the one that comes to mind. I have been very lucky to hack many of these for a few games using the memory editor.


Lazy Bastard: What is your favorite type of code/hack? 

Macrox: Cutscenes, Level Modifiers, Unlocking "locked" items.


Lazy Bastard: What is your least favorite aspect of hacking?

Macrox: The very long tedious hours to sometimes complete a hack. I spent many hours hacking the Castlevania 64/LOD and Indy 64 codes. I also spent a lot of time hacking Clubhouse Games for NDS, Tomb Raider Legends and Underworld.


Lazy Bastard: What do you like least about the hacking scene?

Macrox: Immature message board posts. I firmly believe that they are a great tool to exchange info but they are also a magnet for silly, useless posting of garbage.


Lazy Bastard: Which game did you find the most fun to hack, and why?

Macrox: The most fun was Paperboy 64. It was sheer fun and it was very automatic for me to dump all the codes.


Lazy Bastard: Do you have any specific hacking techniques or peculiarities?

Macrox: I believe in hacking a code perfectly. I test all my codes over and over to make sure they work and will not corrupt a game save nor ruin the game play in the natural course of the storyline. I am passionate about my hacks. I may not have all the patience in the world...but I have a lot of energy and endurance. AKA....I might swear while I hack but I don't give up. I found some of my toughest hacks by use of the memory editor in the trainers....I cannot emphasize enough how powerful that is. In fact, the N64 Gameshark and the CodeBreaker for Gameboy had the best damn memory editors I ever worked with. 


Lazy Bastard: Did you ever hack an awesome code, or find an address in memory that would've yielded an awesome code, but then lost it somehow?  

Macrox: YEAH! The stupid flashlight from the second Turok 64 game. Viper and I spent a lot of time hacking that thing and we never in the end got it. I consider that the grail of hacking.


Lazy Bastard: What was the most difficult, 'hair-pulling' hack you've ever accomplished? 

Macrox: You are not going to believe this...but it was the Always get a Bulls Eye in Clubhouse Games for NDS. There was more than coordinates to hack...the physics of the throw was also a very important factor.


Lazy Bastard: Was there ever a code you just couldn't get to work quite correctly (something you hacked/attempted to hack)?

Macrox: Yes, I do regret I was never able to finish the Moon Jump Hack in Indy 64, nor find that miserable flashlight with Viper in Turok. The Moon Jump in Indy 64 hurts the most as I was one of the originators of the GLEE method of the hack. Greater than, Less than, Equal, Equal and repeat again search hack = GLEE.


Lazy Bastard: Aside from hacking and gaming, how do you like to spend your time?

Macrox: I like to read and I am an electronics junkie. I am always on the lookout for new gadgets. I also like to watch the NFL especially the Steelers. I have a love for Old School of Pro Wrestling...not the garbage that is on today. My profession is in Physics. Much more than that I cannot reveal due to the sensitive nature of my work. I enjoy weight training and I am steroid free. I am still pretty strong and big for being over 50. I credit that to my early training where I was inspired by the old time wrestling champ Bruno Sammartino who I have had the occasion to train with in my youth. I, for the most part have now retired from hacking. I did recently come back to do a few DS games in the Tomb Raiders and several others.


Lazy Bastard: What do you think must happen for the video game hacking scene to continue to thrive?  

Macrox: Trainers for the new systems or better emulators with ASM hacking capability.  Without these...only the older systems will continue to be hacked...and only by those interested in old systems.


Lazy Bastard: One last question: if you had one thing to say to current, aspiring, and future hackers, what would it be?  

Macrox: My parting words to young hackers....never stop learning nor be afraid to learn new things. I was able to finally learn ASM hacking by talking to Para, Viper, and Kenobi. Also, be sure to have a life outside hacking codes. You don't realize just how quickly time passes. I remember when most of these code hackers were only in the early teens and now well into their twenties.


Lazy Bastard: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Macrox: Yes...the remarks of Rune on certain blogs about me being difficult and such to him on the old GSC...I did, like him, what I thought was right for GSC...I harbor no ill feelings to him or those days...let bye gones be gone.