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Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller Mod

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When it comes to hacking or modding, there are certain creations that make a lot of sense. Shank Mods’ Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are exactly the mod we would love to become a retail product for all of us to enjoy!

Shank Mods goes into detail of this creation, which wasn’t easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Us mere mortals would be incapable to follow the instructions for fear of bricking our Switch or worse, sacrificing a working GameCube controller which would no doubt end up breaking. Having said that, there are other peeps out there that are adept to following instructions and taking calculated risks, which pay off – and this one is a big pay off, as the Joy-Cons are based on one of the best controllers of all time!

As this mod was quite gruelling, Shank Mods has confirmed that these Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are a one-off, making them super ultra rare. So if you would like a pair, you better get hacking!


source: Shank Mods

[story source: technabob]

 

Super Mario World Guitar

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Still get surprised to the lengths some talented folks go to for merging their passions, like this Cranmer Guitars built Super Mario World guitar, made from 10,000 lollipop sticks!

We just want to know, how long did it take to lick and eat all those lollipops!
Oh yeah, we love the guitar 🙂

[story and image source: Geekologie]

Custom Mario Sunshine GameCube

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CustomMarioGCN_HDRWe love receiving emails from modders out there to show us their customisation work.

We received an email from Dorison Hugo (aka: @lyberty5 on Twitter) who tinkered with his purple GameCube to make it look like as if Mario was trapped inside the console. Dorison explains that this was a cosmetic mod, which still needed a bit of tinkering to get it done – like freeing up the space, in which he had to move the fan onto the other side of the case. Also, he had to drill small holes to allow air intake near the Mario figurine to ensure the console would not overheat.

This is a fairly simple and cheap-ish mod, with the window frame and Mario being made out of cheap water-based clay. Dorison has shown ingenuity throughout this customisation, including the use of cotton tips (Q-tips) acting as the prison bars. Dorison’s aim was to show that no real (and expensive) equipment was needed for a simple mod.

Have you customised your consoles? If you have, we’d love to check them out – hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

image source: Dorison Hugo

 

Project D – F1 Spirit

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If you thought the contemporary F1 Spirit video game, a remake of the classic MSX title by Konami, was awesome, wait till you play Retro Reloader’s Project D – F1 Spirit, a tweaked version of Brain Games‘ remake with Initial D arcade style elements, from the music, sound effects, to the enemies, graphics and menu.

Go and burn some rubber, drift or blast a berm in Project D – F1 Spirit!


source: John Retro Reloader

 

TMNT SNES Party Wagon Retro System

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Check out this one of a kind TMNT SNES Party Wagon console created by Jarno Kotavuopio (aka: JRN33). Surely this would be the first Turtles SNES Party Wagon in the world?!

We love everything about this, from the headlights and passenger compartments lighting up, working tail lights, glass windows, to the steering wheel, the secret battle button “Turtle Power” and the original car parts!

But wait, there is more – the POWER and RESET buttons are located on top just in front of the controller ports and the top loading cart slot. The power and audio/video cables plug into jacks mounted on the back of the van. To ensure completeness, there are matching custom painted controllers and game cartridge. Jarno informs us that all stickers on the controllers, game carts and wagon are custom made (with the exception of the TMNT logo).

Turtle SNES power!

source: Jacki33 via Deviantart

 

Nintoaster: A Toasty 8-Bit Console

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It is quite obvious that Nintendo’s old school console make for very good toasters. Or should that be, toasters make for very good old school Nintendo consoles?

Whichever way you look at it, Nintendo’s classic consoles go hand in hand with toasters as we have shown here on previous occasions. This latest creation by Finnish artistic modder Jarno Kotavuopio (aka: Jaki33) is his second Nintoaster that he has built.

This Nintoaster does everything that a regular NES consoles does, it can play 8-bit NES video games, it has a power and reset buttons, LED brightness control, and of course a matching controller that tops off this very cool creation. The only thing it won’t do is toast your bread. Hmm, we can’t have it all 😉


source: jarnok33

[via: technabob]



An Atari 2600 Transforms Into The Lynx 2600

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Retro Revolutions’ resident console modder, Jarred Green has mashed the venerable Atari VCS / 2600 (4-switch) console with Atari’s powerful colour handheld, the Lynx, to create one drool-worthy and awesome system – the Atari Lynx 2600! Having an eye for detail, Jarred doesn’t do things by halves – he complimented his unique console creation with an equally awesome custom packaging (by Logan Hunt from NeonVision Design) that wouldn’t look out of place on the shelves at your local video games retailer!

So how does the Atari Lynx 2600 hold up? Is it durable? Does it play well? Do the Lynx handheld games translate well to console / TV mode? Well, what a better way to have answered these questions than by having the Atari Lynx 2600 available for play (Ed: you mean punishment!) during one of the biggest gaming events in the southern hemisphere, PAX Aus 2018!

The Atari Lynx 2600 was an absolute winner and a head-turner at PAX Aus 2018

Over the course of the three day PAX Aus event, the Atari Lynx 2600 was never left unattended, with gamers playing a swag of Lynx games, including California Games, with their reactions always being the same – huge smiles and just wowing at Jarred’s creation. The amount of positive feedback was actually quite overwhelming. Jarred was always on hand to answer questions from eager gamers, from how he made the console to being asked if he could create one or do a production run for them to buy one! Actually, you can lump us in that category – we want one too!



Retro Revolutions doesn’t do things by halves! The Atari Lynx 2600 comes in its own unique retail packaging!

For the technically minded, the Atari Lynx 2600 sports some very impressive specifications that take advantage of current technologies, including output via HDMI. As we mentioned earlier, Jarred’s eye for detail extends from the aesthetics (like the airbrushed logos and the 3D printed cartridge adaptor for the Lynx carts – by Extreme Consoles), customs ports (for VGA and HDMI out) and custom paint detailing, to the innards with McWill’s LCD mod (with VGA output), the VGA to HDMI scaler (for compatibility with current displays) and of course the mapping and wiring of the Lynx controls to the DB9 joystick ports. Oh yeah, the one-button Atari joystick didn’t cut the mustard, so Jarred used a NES control-pad (also custom painted to compliment the colour scheme of the console) to implement the Lynx’s two button control system – he really did think of everything.

We can’t compliment Jarred enough, cause this is one super impressive mod that not only knocked our socks off, but it knocked the socks off thousands of PAX Aus attendees that got to play it – you can’t get a better endorsement than that! And yes, the Atari Lynx 2600 survived PAX Aus!

The Atari Lynx 2600 creator – Retro Revolutions’ Jarred Green

So what’s Jarred’s next creation? He tells us that he will have something just as unique and just as jaw-droppingly awesome as the Atari Lynx 2600. Perhaps we will see it at PAX Aus 2019? We honestly can’t wait!

You can follow Jarred’s awesome mod projects via his Retro Revolutions social platforms on Twitter and YouTube.

Watch the vid to see how the Atari Lynx 2600 evolved from idea to console!

source: Jarred Green, aka: Retro Revolutions 

The one off Atari Lynx 2600 is carefully packed and ready to be unleashed at PAX Aus 2018

The only place on the planet where the Atari Lynx 2600 could be played – in the Classic Gaming Area at PAX Aus!

The feature rich Atari Lynx 2600 – even the unique box takes centre stage!

Initial test is a success! Of course we were going to play our fave Lynx game first!

Getting in control!

Ready for PAX Aus 2018 action!

The players are starting to chase some high scores



Using A Real Car As A Mario Kart 64 Controller

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There are some cool and crazy mods out there, and then there is this one!

Let’s face it, not everyone is a fan of the N64 controller, so what does one do to compensate for this deficit? If you are Dan Hlavenka, you grab your dad’s Chevrolet Volt and hack a Raspbery Pi with a CANbus (PiCAN2) shield that plugs between the OBD-II port and a laptop with tools and a N64 emulator. Once all the controls are mapped and setup, you use the real Volt’s steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals to play one of the best N64 games ever!

Pfft, who needs the N64 controller when you can use a real car instead.


video source: Gordon Hlavenka

[source: technabob]

 

Mini 3D Printed Classic Consoles and Computers

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Do you want to collect retro gaming consoles and retro computers? Do you have a space issue?

If you answered yes to both questions, then Dave Nunez of Rabbit Engineering has a solution for you! Dave has created and 3D printed a series of more than 100 miniature devices and peripherals based on classic old school computers and video game consoles, each of which is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (Ed: space issue solved!). They may not be exact replicas or to scale, but they definitely capture the spirit and style of the system to induce nostalgia!

Here is a sample of Dave’s very cool creations – you can check out the rest via his Rabbit Engineering Etsy store.

image source: Rabbit Engineering

[via: technabob]

 

Retro Handheld: Burger King Game Boy Color

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This is an old one, but we thought it was still worth repeating, in case you missed it the first time around.

If you were lucky enough to have had a meal at Burger King in 2000, you may have been handed a plastic replica of the Game Boy Color which had analogue games built in.

Fast forward a decade and a half and that cute little Burger King Game Boy Colour toy with its analogue games has been DIY hacked with a Raspberry Pi Zero stuffed inside, morphing it into an awesomely cool and working Game Boy Colour emulator! Wish we were this clever.

[original story and images via Technobob]