Games have brought joy to people over many generations, and during the pandemic, the billion dollar industry skyrocketed with families playing popular Nintendo games like Hades, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Ori and the will of the Wispsin the comfort of your own homes.
But for a particular player in Waltham, Massachusetts, the thrill of playing comes from the console itself. His passions have now led him to build a device that is officially the smore malleable Nintendo 64 console modified.
With a love for challenges and a desire to break down barriers with innovation, Gunnar Turnquist (USA) said: “I was inspired to do this project because I love the N64 and it was my first game console that I had grown up with.
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For those unfamiliar with the Nintendo 64, it was one of the original home game consoles in the mid-90s and one of the last to use cartridges as main storage.
These devices are quite bulky and generally measure height of 2.87 ”(72.9 mm), width of 10.23” (259.8 mm) and depth of 7.48 ”(190 mm), making the resizing of this equipment not an easy task.
Gunnar encountered obstacles such as cutting the motherboard down to the smallest size. To ensure that the motherboard worked properly at a fraction of the size, he had to first carefully map the intricate connections and rewire their tiny circuits.
His final result was worth it, as he was able to maneuver all the pieces to a record size of 8.4 cm X 11.8 cm X 4.50 cm (3.3 in X 4.64 in X 1.77 in) .).
The modified console debuted on Gunnar’s YouTube channel ‘GmanModz’, a channel where he explains how he builds portable consoles, synthesizers and other legal engineering projects related to games.
The LCD screen was measured at 3.5 “with a battery life of 1.5 hours. The new system also includes fully functional N64 controller buttons.
With his new achievement, many are wondering how he managed to condense all the operational equipment into such a tiny structure.
As it turned out, Gunnar first met other game fanatics by creating his own individual handheld game consoles at the age of 13. He was absolutely surprised at the possibility of a project like this!
As a teenager, he was so baffled by the work of these game lovers that he was intrigued to create one.
Days after his discovery, Gunnar methodically studied the online resources available for modding and video game electronics. In his spare time at school, he studied and watched closely, learning how others conducted and executed his unique electronic project.
Gunnar continued to practice and perfect his passion for building portable consoles for 10 years, studying and observing ways in which he could improve his art in each replication.
Over the years, Gunnar has received help and support from his high school teachers and friends who have guided him in his aspirations for modding.
Years of work and technical studies ended up motivating him to continue on this journey, doing electrical engineering in his own university studies. .
“I started learning electronics when I was 13 and when I saw online that people were building their own portable consoles, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I had to try. Many friends and teachers in my life have helped me along the way. High school teachers who took an interest and guided me in my projects. ”
For Gunnar, the reward for reaching that record was not the record itself, but the dexterity and persistence in manipulating the limits of the oldest game technology and mixing them with modern techniques, such as 3D printing, microcontroller programming and video card. printed circuit (PCB) designs.
“Anyone can learn to make their own portable console and other DIY electronic projects. It can be a steep learning curve, but you start with something basic and improve each project from there. ”