The not-so-portable portable GameCube

Ben Hartland's so-called handheld GameCube here isn't quite in the same league as the homebrew wonders from that other Ben, our hero Ben Heckendorn, (though really, what is?) but we've still gotta give him a few points for effort. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback is that it just ain't all that portable, basically consisting of a full-size GameCube console stuck on an over-sized but well-engineered controller and screen -- and made even less portable by the fact that you still have to plug it in. If you can live with that, following Ben's lead should cost ya about $370.

[Via Joystiq]

[jeremie the sofaking @ Jul 27th 2006 10:06PM]

Worse ben creation ever! it sucks big time man why call it portable if it aint!

[John Doe @ Jul 27th 2006 10:53PM]

Retarded.

[Justin @ Jul 27th 2006 11:00PM]

I thought this idea was clever. I would hate for this to be belittled and logged away for eternity. Anyone at home could create some contraption and be criticized because its not better than an xbox360. Give the guy some credit for putting this together.

[_man1c_ @ Jul 27th 2006 11:14PM]

he's no Ben...

[jeremie the sofaking @ Jul 27th 2006 11:17PM]

Im not saying what i said because it's no xbox 360 im saying it from all he did was put a skin on the bottom and cut a controller in half and molded them to the sides thats all he did....

[Matt @ Jul 27th 2006 11:22PM]

If you've ever opened up a GameCube, you know how compact they've already built the whole thing, and you might have gained an understanding for how difficult it would be to squeeze it into a smaller case.

The internals consist of two boards and a compact optical drive tier, all three connected in a stack by a single vertical column. There are almost no wires to be found, whatsoever, except the ribbon cable which connects the front controller port panel to one of the boards. (Going from memory, so if I'm a little off, please forgive me). The inside of an XBox looks like a joke compared to it.

The only way to make the thing smaller is to miniaturize its components and boards, which is exactly what Nintendo did when designing the Wii (it's a more powerful GameCube), but it's not something a mere mortal can accomplish on his own.

[AB @ Jul 28th 2006 12:04AM]

thats hilarious. although hooking up four controllers into the top would make for some interesting gameplay.

[Cliff @ Jul 28th 2006 12:18AM]

You can play a videogame and workout at the same time

[seamus bartlett @ Jul 28th 2006 12:21AM]

I've noticed that a lot of portables end up looking like a melted Dreamcast, or at the very least, it's controller.

Or, better yet---this one resembles the keyboard-controller they made for the Gamecube (which I thought was really only useful for Phantasy Star Online).

http://www.planetgamecube.com/media/2389/1/9342.jpg

Really though, I'm gettin a dreamcast vibe from this. And I honestly wouldn't mind it, if you didn't have to plug it in. But they already sell several other Gamecube battery + screen attatchments (one of which I own). So, this design seems a little moot.

[Jeffrey M Foster @ Jul 28th 2006 12:24AM]

woah that keyboard is RAD!!!

[iibbmm @ Jul 28th 2006 1:26AM]

I certainly couldn't make that.

How many of you could?

[Liam Parry @ Jul 28th 2006 5:53AM]

Matt, you're wrong. I've spent a lot of time modding my cube; whilst the boards *are* sandwiched tightly, there's also a LOT of dead space at the base where the BBA adaptor etc plug in. There's room behind the connector panel, and the CD flip takes up a bit more room than expected, and dead space either side of the cooling arrangement.

With an exposed spindle and different cooler (modified VGA cooler perhaps?) I reckon the GC could easily be half the size.

The GC is also 12v so ideal to plug into a car; obviously a battery would be better

[Atro @ Jul 28th 2006 6:17AM]

I, for one, welcome our portable GC Overlords.

[Joel @ Jul 28th 2006 9:17AM]

"I advise playing it on a table or on my lap."

Bit tricky eh? :D

[anonymous hero @ Jul 28th 2006 9:50AM]

yeah... I mean, I dont even know the guy that well Joel, not sure I'd be comfortable playing it in his lap...

[Jimmay @ Jul 28th 2006 2:13PM]

Why didn't he put a battery in it? They make Gamecube batteries. Infact, I have one. Intec (I think that's how you spell it) makes them. You can buy one off ebay for about $10-$15

[Your Mother @ Jul 30th 2006 5:10PM]

So what happens when you have to go somewhere? You just carry it around? It's a piece of crap for portability. The Controler on the other hand...

[Roxtar @ Feb 20th 2007 12:01PM]

To people who continue to innovate, rock on. The industry needs more of ya.

To all the haters out there who claim it sucks or they can do better, put your money where your mouth is and do it. Unless you can do something just as good or better than someone else, cram it up your basement-dwelling pieholes, because you have neither the drive to the creativity to do anything half as good as this.