Ben Heckendorn's latest: the NES Micro

Ben Heckendorn is at it again. The creator of the Portable PlayStation 2, N64p and Phoenix 2600, has created his smallest homebrew portable game console yet: the NES Micro. That's right. While Nintendo spins its wheels with the Game Boy Micro, Heckendorn has built a pocketable Nintendo Entertainment System capable of using cartridges created for the full-size console. The one-of-a-kind unit is just 5.25 x 2.625 x 1.625-inches, has a 2.5-inch LCD, runs off of 4 AA batteries, and even has a headphone jack. We have no idea what Ben's next project is, but we can't wait to see it (and, yes, we're secretly hoping for a portable Colecovision, just so we can actually use that old Zaxxon cart that's down in the basement).

[Via Joystiq]

[Derek M @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Can you play duck hunt, or world class track meet?

[Gouki @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

His projects are always perfect. I bet hes getting a job for PSP2 :P

[Jon Konrath @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Dude, if you're tired of waiting for that Coleco portable, just buy his book and a glue gun and get at it!

[Lweel8 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

ColecoVision rocked! My thumbs still hurt from hours of Qbert, Frenzy and Cabbage Patch Kids (the video game - think Super Mario before the NES).

[narco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Yeah, this guy is totally awesome. Mega Man II used to be my favorite of the series as well.

Fishes,
narco.

[Giddieon @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

This is wild stuff... I would love to make stuff like this... to bad I am a dumbass... da well I will reap the enjoyment of others and say damn that is kool...

[choco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

What a waste of time. Someone could just go buy a Game Boy Micro, a blackup flash cartridge and download a NES emulator, then be able to play all the NES games you want. Or better yet, just get a used PSP that still has 1.5 and download NesterJ and play all the NES games on that.

[TZK @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Choco, you get the 1st prize for missing the point completely. Congratulations.

[daguuy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

emulators suck, this is the real thing and it rocks!

[Rick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

#7 - Agreed!

This guy makes systems that on some occasions, look more lovely than the product made by the official company, including this one, and, although it doesn't officially exist, his portable Atari, that's fully customizable (you can have graphics from your favorite game on the sides of the machine).

I can really appreciate someone's work like this who doesn't strive on making the smallest damn device possible, but something that works, and brings back nostalgia, but in a slightly newer form. How can you feel nostalgic when playing the official Micro? It just looks like some sterile, slate-gray dumbed-down Sidekick / cellphone, and besides, the Game Boy is all about those big red buttons!

[Jason Anderson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Sad, no matter how small he makes them, he can't work around the size of the NES cartridges. LOL

Awesome. Ben is a hell of a guy. I wish I owned one of his NES portables.

[Camp @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

RE: #9
I don't have the time to find it, but somewhere on his site, in the past, he has toyed with the idea of hacking each cartridge to reduce the size. This involved cracking the case and modding the PCB, I think.

[Tech^CF @ Dec 19th 2005 1:37AM]

Another great mod from my favorite console modder! And to anyone thinking this is easy. I mounted a N64 in my computer, and it was much harder than I thought. Soldering catridge connectors sucks..

Ben is the console modder king!