NES hacked into an NES controller

Sure, you could go out and buy one of those ready-made systems-in-a-controller that provide a handful of games to let you wax nostalgic about your button-mashing youth, but to really fulfill that old school craving without cluttering up your living room with dusty consoles, the DIY route remains your best bet. While it may not be quite on the level of some of Ben Heckendorn's own NES hacks, benheck.com forum member G-force nonetheless holds his own with his modded NES controller. Using the ever-versatile system-on-a-chip, the controller boasts 70 built-in, not-quite-legal games, and a cartridge slot on the back so you can put your well-worn collection of carts to good use. The controller also apparently manages to squeeze in a port for a second controller, or a light gun, should the Duck Hunt mood strike you. Of course, no hack would be complete without the requisite LED lights, which G-force artfully positioned inside to illuminate the Nintendo logo when the controller's in use (check it out in action after the break). Unfortunately, he hasn't provided step-by-step plans for the less-l33t among us to build our own unit, but skilled modders should be able to crib enough from the ample supple of pics to whip up their own variation.

[Via Ars Technica, thanks Mike]

[mike @ Jan 16th 2007 2:16PM]

thats the greatest thing since sliced bread. I wish I could mod like that :(. I would buy it off him for $75 tho seeing as how my nes is broken and I could go for a replacment. Im sure he would charge more then that for it tho, + people would pay more.

[Andy @ Jan 16th 2007 2:25PM]

Wow, I'd definitely love to build one of those or even buy one if they weren't too expensive. That's awesome.

[Alex @ Jan 16th 2007 2:34PM]

That's pretty sick.

[Matt B @ Jan 16th 2007 2:38PM]

Every time I go back and play the old NES, I'm bored within 2 minutes. Props on the DYI though guys, enjoy it more than I do.

[NHAnimator @ Jan 16th 2007 2:45PM]

So a wired controlled attached to another controller. Old School Wii, anyone?

[Zack @ Jan 16th 2007 2:51PM]

I hope Metroid's one of the 70 games hes got in it. Metroid=best NES game ever

http://mammals.wordpress.com

[Billy Quasmo @ Jan 16th 2007 6:12PM]

It's no Contra

[MAIcrosoft @ Jan 16th 2007 3:36PM]

WHOA! Thats very cool lols Xp I want to build my PS2 in my Beatmania IIDX controller sometime so that i also have a plug&play IIDX setup lols Xp

-MAIcrosoft
http://dshacks.blogspot.com/

[ryan.sahb @ Apr 23rd 2008 2:25AM]

Please choke.

[Kizul Emeraldfire @ Jan 16th 2007 6:17PM]

Zack @ Jan 16th 2007 2:51PM

'I hope Metroid's one of the 70 games hes got in it. Metroid=best NES game ever'

I'd have to disagree with you there. It's either Zelda, Battletoads, or Super Mario Bros. 3. ;)

[Chris Mather @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:19AM]

Battletoads!!!! I just p00ped my pants! I could never get past the hoverbike level though... Damn walls...

[number40one @ Jan 16th 2007 7:02PM]

See? I think that if Ninty jumped on the ol' plug-n-play bandwagon, they could make a killing selling little buggers just like this (even complete with the LED-light-up to "justify" a slightly above average price).

Pack in a few dozen (or hundred) games, and it'll cannibalize VC sales nicely!

[Dex @ Jan 16th 2007 10:44PM]

For lazy people like me who want replacement systems to play old school NES and SNES games and aren't motivated to hack a controller:

http://www.ddrgame.com/nessnes.html

[Rumle @ Jan 17th 2007 12:23PM]

Thats perverse

[Bradc @ Jan 17th 2007 12:42PM]

No freakin' way.

Excite Bike?

[whiskey @ Jan 17th 2007 7:07PM]

Most of your average NES knockoff's sport a NES on a chip, but don't jump to conclusions, because they are often under some burnt goop that you cannot pass.

What you can do is open one of those (here they are usually 11 bucks) and see inside them, you should see that there are not much electronics inside and you can also rewire almost all stuff (the chip still being the hardest part of the mod)

My take on it would have been putting the cart reader where the cables usually are on the controller but it is tres cool!

[alex kessaris @ Jan 18th 2007 11:14PM]

I'd like to see the inside of that thing!