iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Here's a funny happening that occurred on my first day in San Juan: I was driving a replica of 'Eddie's Skyline' from NFS Underground when suddenly another player lined up next to me with Melissa's beta car from the NFS Underground intro movie. ✨ Sometimes miracles do happen. 😉 #SBRW #NFSWorld #NFSU

The Mitsubishi Eclipse from the NFS Underground Intro movie next the Skyline featured on the cover of said game.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Another bonus I noticed since modders took over NFS World: You finally get to drive all the 'hero cars' from the Black Box games. Not the watered down remakes that were in NFSW but the actual cars with some of them even featuring the exact sounds from their respected titles and matching handling. 🤌✨

The beautiful scenery of San Juan. Now in the light of the day.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Last year I finally made the step and reinstalled NFS World (Soapbox Race World). I'd heard that they finally figured out how to add map content. Thought it was a joke at first so I had to see it with my own eyes. 3 weeks ago the next surprise: They added San Juan from NFS Carbon. Impressions below👇

The world map with the additional San Juan map.

San Juan featuring NFS Most Wanted's BMW M3 GTR in a twisted special Stacked Deck livery.

San Juan featuring a BMW M3 GTR with the supposedly beta vinyl from NFS Most Wanted.

San Juan features a beautiful desert scenery that isn't as prominent in the open world of Palmont City.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Once More 'Round the Sun to quote a famous band 😉 So I thought let's do it again a year later. Sorry for image quality. Was shot using a new smartphone but they are still not comparable to real cameras. Had to heavily edit those images to make them acceptable. Get a real camera if you can!

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I loved that you could tell from the Neversoft intro and the sound of it alone which game was running. Somebody could blindfold me, drop a THPS disk into the drive of a console and I could tell which THPS title it is 😎

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Requirements are very simple: install the tools plocate and grep and if you have just installed either the game or plocate make sure to run the command 'updatedb' so that new files get indexed. Here is one last example with the game 'JDM: Japanese Drift Master':

Finding the save games for 2025's JDM: Japanese Drift Master. In the terminal screenshot you can see that it also detects the save files from the demo prologue at the bottom: JDMSlot_Prologue_S.sav

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

With games using Steam cloud it's even easier as we just have to search for a folder containing the file 'steam_autocloud.vdf'. That folder will most likely include all of your save files so that you can make a local backup on e.g. a USB drive. Here is an example with the game 'Tokyo Xtreme Racer':

Searching for the savegame folder using the Linux terminal is easy with games using the Steam Cloud. Example shown here is: Tokyo Xtreme Racer

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

This can of course be applied for desktop Linux but maybe even works on Steam Deck in Desktop Mode or on Windows using the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) but I am not certain. Many games nowadays seem to be using the file extension *.sav for the files. An example is the game 'Ghost of Tsushima':

Getting the save files for the Steam release of 'Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT'.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

When new games get released on Steam or elsewhere one of the first questions I see popping up on forums is 'Where are the savegames???'. So I tried to create a very easy one-liner for the terminal in Linux. Here's an example for the free project '2 Unreal 5 Underground':

An example how to find the save files for the free game '2 Unreal 5 Underground'.
Using locate -i TUFU | grep -i save | grep sav the files can be found and the file extension even gets highlighted in red. TUFU is the codename of the project. Try different words that come to mind with your game.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Working in IT, I know how much it costs to maintain the infrastructure, especially now that hardware prices are skyrocketing. I didn't post as much as I had the impression interest isn't very high in my posts but I'll do my best this year. 😉

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

A very very late happy new year to everyone who followed, unfollowed, liked a post, unliked a post and everyone else. I'm grateful that I have the privilege of posting here free of charge on a platform without any adverts, which is not a given.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

In case you haven't heard, you can still purchase Tokyo Xtreme Racer/首都高バトル at a reasonable price, and it will be updated to the full version for free in a few hours: store.steampowered.com/app/2634950/... Price difference: $29.99 🔜 $49.99 ¥3,960 🔜 ¥6,600 €29.99 🔜 €49.99 Why? No micro transactions😉

store.steampowered.com

Tokyo Xtreme Racer on Steam

"Tokyo Xtreme Racer" is a racing game set in a blocked-off future Tokyo, where players aim to be the fastest by driving their best cars on the highways that weave through the city.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

If you want to try out GPT-5 (mini): From today on you can do so for free on Duck.ai. I saw that it was added today to the selection. #DuckDuckGo

GPT-5 mini was added to Duck.ai today as a selectable AI model.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

THPS 2003+4, when? Or rather THPS 2003+3 ;-) On a serious note: I was really pondering before the release of #THPS3+4 if they'd localize the game's title for different regions again just like they did with THPS4 which was renamed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2003 for its NTSC-J release.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

#reTHAWed added THPS3's Los Angeles map recently and I found one feature missing that was in the #THUG2 version: The ability to climb trees. Their intention was to port the #THPS3 version but I think the THUG2 feature of climbing bigger trees and then doing a Natas on them isn't talked enough about.

THUG2 allows the player to climb most bigger trees and palm trees so that the (by then newly introduced) feature of doing a 'Natas Spin', a trick invented by Natas Kaupas, could be done on the tip of the tree.

THUG2 allows the player to climb most bigger trees and palm trees, a feature not talked about very much although it seems to be the only major title in the series with that feature.

THUG2's version of LA feature a very prominent dynamic contrail at the sky. Probably a reference to the LAX airport nearby.

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Reposted by Nights744

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

We are on the cusp of AGI, definitely for real

Google search for "all you can eat buffet near me" with an "ai overview" of the results saying that you can use Google to search "all you can eat buffet near me" to find a buffet.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Why exclusively on the store owned by Eggman?

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

You might have seen some flock of birds in #NFSMostWanted already as they fly over the streets passing you by but have you seen any birds in NFS Underground 2's Bayview? Turns out the PS2 demo version had them but they must have been removed before retail release. #NeedforSpeed #NFSUnderground2 #NFS

A flock of birds in the sky in NFS Underground 2

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

I've heard about DaVinci Resolve. I'm experimenting with Kdenlive atm. I used to work with Magix Vegas back when it was owned by Sony for YT videos but it crashed so often that sometimes I'd give up after a day being wasted editing and rendering with no result at hand.For short clips ffmpeg rules🙂

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

I only use it for single clips by watching my recorded footage on VLC once, noting where I want the clip to start with -ss seconds and then how long it should go with -t seconds. Sometimes I add my own overlay using -filter_complex and what I love the most: -fs where you can limit filesize.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

This is how I render most of my videos nowadays for Bluesky or YouTube. I used to edit and render my videos using expensive software back in the day but for short videos this does suffice. What you see is #FFmpeg rendering in the terminal. Cooler than Movie Maker or Clipchamp, eh? 😉 #Linux #Terminal

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Tatiana Mikhaleva @devops.pink · 09/07/2025

🎞️ New open-source tool reverses pixelation in video using FFmpeg, GIMP & edge detection - no AI needed. By analyzing motion across frames, it reconstructs blurred content. Pixelation isn’t privacy. 🛠️ github.com/KoKuToru/de-... #ffmpeg #opensource #infosec #osint #linux #technews

github.com

GitHub - KoKuToru/de-pixelate_gaV-O6NPWrI: de-pixelate youtube video gaV-O6NPWrI

de-pixelate youtube video gaV-O6NPWrI. Contribute to KoKuToru/de-pixelate_gaV-O6NPWrI development by creating an account on GitHub.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Finally we get a #ViceCity DLC after all these years 🥹👨‍🍳 Also one of the best use cases for AI voices if you ask me. youtu.be/K3IqJysNjII

youtu.be

Leo Teal's Story - PC Release Trailer

YouTube video by Nocturne Team

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

I don't want to tell you all of my secrets but one way to have a nice view over Guntama is by trying to glitch under objects like rocks/vegetation or ramming into walls and then resetting your car. The result is similar to the 'Swingset of Death' glitch found in #GTA4. #JapaneseDriftMaster #JDMGame

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

I think dividing the city of Ichikara into two parts was a performance decision. I triggered a glitch that launched me over the city and luckily I took some photos. Here are two screenshots I took. Flying over the north unloads the south and vice versa with the train tracks as a divider 🏙️🚆🏙 #JDMGame

Looking from the south of the train tracks:
Parking lot area is unloaded and you can see the blue water beneath the map. Surroundings are also unloaded or have lower detail north of the train tracks.

Looking from the north of the train tracks:
Parking lot area is loaded here but streets and other objects south of the train tracks are unloaded.

The line in red shows where the game switches from loading the north to the south of the city and vice versa.

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Reposted by Nights744

Obsolete Sony @obsoletesony.com · 28/06/2025

1995 Sony Trinitron KV-9PT50

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Reposted by Nights744

Bailey1014 @bailey1014.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Oh wow, the monkey room and hippo easter egg area from THPS4 are still in #THPS3+4 Zoo but they're completely unused with no textures on them.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

The one magazine you cannot get in the full version and it is also the most expensive one of them all (as far as I know) at a price of 6.99 (if it should be US dollars). I'm sure I'd pay 6.99 whatever the currency if this existed for real :-) #NeedForSpeed #NFSUnderground2 #PS2

From: Rachel
Subject: Taking a Picture

Congratulations!
Your car will be featured on the cover of the Need for Speed Underground 2 magazine!

Need for Speed Underground 2 magazine
Price 6.99

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

All frames done in game using photo mode with no editing whatsoever. Just put the frames as layers into your fave image editing app and export as .gif 📷🗻🌃 #JDMGame #JapaneseDriftMaster #Nissan #Silvia #JDM

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

And I haven't checked whether the bug exists in the original THPS4 but it would not surprise me as the beta version of THPS3 was suffering from the same issue. In the THPS3 demo it doesn't check if an NPC is already at the same position and so a character or vehicle can go right through other NPCs:

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Yes, I know. It was meant as a joke on my side.😉 But seeing Activision playing it save everywhere (just before release I thought, how are they going to portray the peeing guy in Canada? Only to find out they cut the joke completely) they might cut them so people can't harm them like in the original.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

And the N64 version by Edge of Reality:

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

The first thing is just what I was thinking but never seeing the bug in the original versions until now I thought it must have been introduced by TreyArch but you are correct! Edge of Reality and TreyArch both just took the maps 1:1 without checking anything it seems. Just checked the PS1 version:

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Perfect paintjob for this guy:

Bob Burnquist in Tony Hawk's Underground

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Reposted by Nights744

Obsolete Sony @obsoletesony.com · 29/06/2025

One of the biggest myths about the PS2 Linux Kit is that it was made to exploit an EU tax loophole. It was not. Sony used a simpler trick by bundling Yabasic with PAL PS2s to classify them as programmable computers.

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Reposted by Nights744

Obsolete Sony @obsoletesony.com · 07/07/2025

30 Years later, skaters are still obsessed with this Sony

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Using this bug (or glitch?) you can then explore the map a little bit, although still only for 5 minutes. The car is pretty powerful so with its 4 gears you can reach about 315 kmh or 195 mph. It also has the power to jump if you drive against little bumps which enables you to go outside of the map.

Honey Badger's muscle car on the highway.

The car can reach very high speeds on the highway. It has 4 gears and can go about 315 kmh or 195 mph.

The muscle car flipped outside of the playing area into the water.

The muscle car of Honey Badger at the outskirts of Guntama.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

(Spoiler alert for #JDMGame) At the end of the game there is a mission where you get to drive the car of one of the bosses for once. The caveat? You are limited to the Ichikara area and it's only for 5 minutes. What can we do about that? Watch my tutorial video down below to explore the full map🗾🏎️☺️

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

A widescreen patch for #THPS2x got released very recently so I tried to play through the game again and found an interesting bug in the Streets of San Francisco level for the first time ever. You can skate this wall (shown in the video) upwards. Looks like a wrong property was assigned to the wall.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

My little nephew says they are mating but I say it is only a bug. But wait...maybe he is onto something and this is why the animals got removed from the Zoo level in #THPS3+4? Btw, hope they can fix it #ReTHAWed #THPS #THPS4

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

No, this is not how it works 😅: youtu.be/WFP1XIyPj2E You still have to know how to take advantage of it and I wish more games would allow us to disable gamepad and keyboard assists. 🎮 ⌨️

youtu.be

NFS Underground - How Hardliners Imagine DS Works

YouTube video by Redhair

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Had this texture lying around for a while now and put in some time today to finish it. By no means perfect, but the game itself is very dark and I did my best to make it look like in #NeedforSpeedUnderground2 which is a much brighter game. #NightRunners Download here: github.com/Nights744/Ra...

A very popular vinyl from an older game being on display showing purple flames and a dragonhead.

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Ever wondered why players in older NFS titles are so damn fast and you can't beat their records? With arcade racing games in general it's a little known secret that by fooling a game into thinking you have a wheel, assists get turned off and you can directly steer: www.nfsaddons.com/downloads/nf...

nfsaddons.com

NFSAddons.com - Need for Speed Underground addon file: NFSU Lap Recorder (.asi) Overlay HUD + Wheel Device Flag for Joypads - Created by Redhair

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Yes, that is probably correct. Although I think we cannot be sure what the developers really planned there as most demo and beta versions only feature a dark chunk without a texture as the building at this location. Somebody on the TUFU team however found a much more detailed building in some files:

NFS Underground 2 - Playstation 2 Demo Release (Unlocked Map)

NFS Underground 2 - Playstation 2 Pre-release (Almost like retail version)

2 Unreal 5 Underground - PC Demo Release (Retail release map with some changes)

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

You were always wondering what 'that thing' is on the minimap at Beacon Hill in #NFSUnderground2? Then I have good news for you: There's someone remaking the game on Unreal Engine 5 and if you're really curious download the demo from their discord discord.gg/NcXcVWtFyj and drive to that location 😉

Showing the mysterious location in Need for Speed Underground 2: Here in a pre-release version for the Playstation 2.

A mysterious location in Need for Speed Underground 2: What is this bulge supposed to be?

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Nights744 @nights744.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

How I look like when a perfectly fine game I had on my wishlist I was about to buy gets delisted from digital stores because the publisher has given up on it: #StopKillingGames

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alice @alice.mosphere.at · 30/06/2025

love getting a good ball bearings spam

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