Nothing is more fun than taking a broken video game console and putting it to good use. Years ago, I turned a Dreamcast into a guitar amplifier, which was one of my favorite DIY projects. Now we have some hardware hackers turning NES and SNES systems into bedside clocks. Hollow out some cartridges, turn ‘em into a clock and lock and load. That’s the idea here. If you want to make your own, hit the link below and try to piece together what was used to build the clocks. Gotta run. It’s Burger Time.
I can’t get enough of corny retro video game commercials. When I saw this Street Fighter 2 Turbo promotional video posted on Dooby Brain, I just had to share it here. It reminds me of the better times in my life, when wearing cardigan sweaters and listening to Nirvana was cool. If you pay close attention to the video, ignoring the overly rhapsodic attitude of the asshole in the blue baseball cap adorned in reverse, then you can pick up some early ’90s slang you won’t hear anywhere else.
“Did you see that new move? Aw, that was bad!” says one guy playing Street Fighter 2 Turbo. What the kid really meant is the exact opposite: the move was impressive. But, because this is the early ’90s and everyone was still recovering from the ’80s, it was considered cool to say things that make little sense. The video has some great tips, too. For example, did you know you’ve got to jump before executing Ken/Ryu’s hurricane kick? I sure didn’t. After seeing this video, who would ever want to play the game in the arcade? “Fight Balrog, instead of the crowds!”
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.
This week we’ll be taking a look at some strange games that we can’t seem to get out of our head. They may be bad, they may be good but they all share the same fate of being lost in time. The games that comprise this list are not the Loco Rocos or Katamari Damacys out there that shoot for wackiness, but rather the subtle, obscure games that tried to be normal but just couldn’t pull it off.
When you love to game, you’ve gotta have titles to play on the go. This is why the hardware hacking community will go out there, gather up parts and whip up a portable NES. There’s nothing quite like playing actual cartridges on your DIY console though, so make like this guy off of the BenHeck.com forums and create a portable Super Nintendo.
With a custom game enclosure and a sharp, backlit screen, this will blow away your acid-ridden Game Boy Color your parents made you hang on to. This portable SNES has rechargeable batteries and a cartridge slot as well. Everything you need to game on the go except for those expensive, rare RPG cartridges. (more…)
Playing racing games can sometimes be pretty one-dimensional, especially on a 16-bit gaming console. This was a time when there were no vibrating gaming controllers, so racing was just about as real as walking with your hands reaching out in front of you, grasping on to an imaginary wheel.
But if you could take the SNES system playing Super Mario Kart, and modify it so that a high-end motion simulator can recreate engine vibrations, pavement texture and high frequency suspension vibration, you have a much more interesting experience on your hands. Check out the video above to see the experience.
Forget about Virtual Console. There is no longer any need. This mod lets you play your SNES cartridges right from the comfort of your own Wii. Nintendo mod master, Kotomi, known mostly for his DS mods, has shifted his eyes towards the Wii for this project. Originally intended to be an NES project, it evolved into a SNES expansion for the Wii.
Kotomi has been working on this mod since Febuary and it looks as though all of his hard work has paid off. All you need to create your own is a lot of patience, a lot of time, and one classic Wii controller. — Andrew Dobrow
Of all of the things we’ve seen this has got to be both the most and least surprising tidbit of information we have come across regarding PS3 sales. With dwindling PS3 sales, did anyone truly expect the console to be out sold by a legacy gaming system on the largest online retailer on the planet, Amazon?
Sure, SNES was, and still is, a very entertaining console. But still outselling the newest Sony console release?! Insanity. — Andrew Dobrow
