Downloading roms? Probably not

Modding your Wii-U to run those roms?

I feel that probably qualifies someone to be regarded as a hacker -type

I guess I shoild have quoted what I was referring to, since it seems to high ask to expect others to read the rest of the discourse.

> If you're a hacker-type person who has already digitized your gamecube collection (or, let's be honest, downloaded the games illegally)

Either way, I disagree with your definition too.

The ”hacker-type” is the one figuring out how to mod the wii-u. The one following some instructions to perform it using provided tools is simply a end user.

I think they are both hacker like behavior, just varying skill levels

Using a tool someone else built is definitely the gateway to hacker mindset and culture

Gatekeeping the term hacker is... paradoxical.