Finally a controller only the great Andre the Giant could comfortably handle. Inspired directly by Kyle Downes’ NES coffee table, Matt LaBoone worked all summer on this impressively gigantic SNES controller. I can’t imagine having a group of friends sitting around this thing each contributing their part to one button as they mash away while playing Street Fighter 2.
You’ll never look cool playing on those plastic guitars from Red Octane that feel like they were designed for a gnome. It’s a good thing Peak is releasing these full-size wood guitars for the PS2 and PS3. Sorry, Wii and 360 rockers, looks like you’ll be playing the world’s smallest violin.
Both Guitar Hero and Rock Band are compatible with the new guitar and trust me, the groupies that’ll lay you enjoy both games equally. The Starpex guitar comes with both a wired and wireless option for connectivity. Getting too much wireless interference screwing with your chance at five star-ing Dragonforce? Plug that 15-inch cord in and you’re back in business. The Starpex will be available in August for $179.95, a price that even rock gods can appreciate.
Your house plants are withering. You have two options: put them out in the sun or build a gigantic robotic arm that takes up half of your living space. Lively plants at the cost of sleeping in the bathtub doesn’t sound too bad either.
The Bartlett School of Architecture showcased their “Experiments in Time” exhibit, which included this steel monstrosity strapped with an Arduino Lilypad controller to tilt a disc into sunlight. Seriously, all you have to do is pick your house plants up, walk outside and place them down on the ground. You’ll be set, they’ll be healthy and you get to spend the night in your bed without sharing rent with a robotic arm.
Editor’s Note: SEATTLE!!
Remember that Nintendo Famicom which was built into an NES cartidge? That was cool and all, but a post on Ben Heckendorn’s console hacking forum by user Darkeru revealed a new approach which may have just one upped it. Not only did he manage to fit the NES inside the cartridge, he also has managed to embed a controller and a screen!
The catch? It doesn’t play cartridges. That’s alright though, since this hack relies on games already integrated into the chip. This prevents the bulkiness of having a cartridge sticking out of a cartridge and makes the system comfortable and more portable. It runs on three N-cell batteries, so don’t expect to be playing NES games endlessly.
If you really suck at video games or you’re just a no good untrustworthy cheating sonofabitch, then the AcidMods Spit-Fire Controller was made just for you. This Xbox 360 controller mod has two special function buttons which are fully programmable that will give your pudgy fingers an edge against competition that is clearly superior to you in Call Of Duty 4.
Demonstrated in the video are some of the macros that can be assigned to the all new back buttons installed on the controller. A button in the center of the controller can remap the keys and change their macros. Shown here we have the player being able to rapidly fire his pistol, as if he was using a turbo button. Cool mod, but will it be cool after it gets you banned from Xbox Live? Sure it will! They can’t ban ya from a single-player campaign. In your face, Microsoft!
Shivers me timbers and call me DIY! I just bought a Guitar Hero controller yesterday and now the boys at Giz’ are saying that Guitar Hero 4’s controller will have additional fret-button-thingies. Sheesh. The case for this new accusation? A GH promo page shows an expanded drum kit and additional frets on the guitar. This could really make modding the controller interesting come later this year…
This is the shit. Sorry, but there’s really no other way to describe my excitement for this mod. For under $100, including the cost of the controller, Dave was able to create a full-fledged MIDI controller from a wireless Guitar Hero guitar. Wondering what you can do with it? Check this out:
With the current version you can:
play 2 octaves of an 8 note scale at a time
change the starting note anywhere in the range of a regular keyboard
change octaves
change keys
change tonal modes (Ionian, Mixolydian, Lydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian, Locrian)
change the timbre of a sound
change the resonance of a sound
use the whammy bar to pitchbend
play chords in the mode you have the guitar set to (major/minor/etc.)
rock out with a video game toy
The guitar used was the wireless model for the Nintendo Wii. It looks like you might really need to know your shit about circuit patterns and MIDI, but hey, the payoff is incredible. Now all you need is a friend with a TUIST and you’re ready to rock.
The NES controller is just a classic example of iconic gaming culture being hacked and modded into oblivion. So many awesome projects have integrated the Nintendo controller design that it’s almost becoming a cliché. I said almost.
The NES Coffee Table is among some of the most awesome mods we’ve ever seen and we’ve seen some doozies. Not only is the controller design actually able to be used as a controller during game play, but provides excellent space for storing away all of your gaming crap. Hit the jump for more pics and an awesome video. (more…)
You might have your car’s interior and sound system down as far as geeky prowess goes, but what lurks under the hood? A standard engine just won’t do for my fellow car modding comrades, oh no! We need more! Better! Geekier!
The owner of this car is such a huge fan of the NES console, that he modded a NES controller design right into the very innards of his VVT-i 16 Valve engine. Blasting away at all cylinders, this modded Toyota deserves some serious respect. Hit the jump for a close-up. (more…)
Today, everything is about bulk. Everything is becoming more compact, even dare we say “snack-sized”. This user on the Ben Heck forums put together a creative gift for his girlfriend’s birthday. A NES Controller with the entire console built-in to the controller, as well as some built in-games.
The NES Controller features the 2 player version of tetris, and a level select hacked Contra, among 70 or so more built-in games. And for the games you want to play that aren’t included? There’s a built-in cartridge input on the back of the controller. (more…)
