SNES modded into handheld by Ben Heck forum member

Sure, you've seen the portable wooden SNES, but if you've been looking for something with more of that fresh-off-the-showroom-floor sheen, maybe you should check into this Ben Heck-forum user's design. Using a modified Polycase, dual lithium-ion batteries, a 5-inch Zenith LCD, and a whole bunch of Super Nintendo, the modder created what could easily be mistaken for a bona-fide production model. Sure, the back looks a tad bit messy, but "Life of Brian" (the SNES fan in question) has managed to squeeze in a second controller port and A/V outs -- no small feat. Check the video after the break to see the handheld in action... a lot of action... like, the guy plays StarFox for a long time.

[Via Switched]

[Jonny B @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:45PM]

This just makes me wanna dust off the old SNES and play some Star Fox Myself..

Sweet Mod tho..

I can't wait till 10 years from now someone makes a portable Wii that'll fit in your pocket.. That would be sweet

[Joe @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:29PM]

I've been using my pocket Wii nunchuck for decades.

[BK @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:53PM]

"Play with your PocketWii"

This might just burst onto the market.

[Mark @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:18AM]

I have a PocketWii in my jeans right now...

[gabe @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:53PM]

what a fuking nerd.

haha listen to him talk!

[JohnTitor @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:55PM]

the comment almost sounds mean until you actually see the video

[David @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:02PM]

Console Envy eh?

The guy makes one of the coolest moded consoles ever and you have the balls to laugh at his voice. Classy.

How bout this... Ha Ha listen to this guys comment, he's a douche!

[JohnTitor @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:05AM]

^geez, I respect he got some skills but have you heard him sing along with the Corneria theme?

[Kamokazi @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:57AM]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. No one posting on Engadget has the right to make fun of anyone else for being a nerd.

(But yes, his voice is particularly geeky. Just adds to the authenticity though, IMHO.)

[Patrick @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:17AM]

I actually noticed his voice and liked it. He states the features while showing them in a confident and relaxed, though pleased, fashion. I also didn't detect any anatomical irregularities; I think perhaps you picked up on his "drawl". Maybe he's from the South(US).

[meist3r @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:12AM]

@John Titor: ... have you heard him sing along with the Corneria theme?

Yes I did while I was humming it myself. StarFox has probably one of the best soundtracks of any Super NES game. I'm just glad he wasn't playing Suck Band/Guitar Queero ... there you can hear some awful uninspired singing.

[mike @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:22AM]

Nerds rule the world

[Rush Montgomery III @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:23PM]

I can't believe someone in this day and age would use a computer to post in a videogame forum that someone else is a nerd.

Pot meet kettle, sir.

[Aki @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:23PM]

I rather liked the narration, I actually found it rather refreshing how someone who put something so complicated together was then so happy to use it. It really didn't feel like it was entirely about the mod. The old joke about how audiophiles are people listen to their equipment seems to apply in a lot of places.

[Bryan @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:46PM]

Haha, yeah his voice is slightly annoying, but I wouldn't mind having that thing.

Looks like a Game Gear though.

[JohnTitor @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:56PM]

no it looks more like a Sega Nomad

[triforceOFcourage @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:45AM]

But a hell of a lot more awesome.

[sure bert @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:05PM]

Nice job. And you've got that "Revenge Of The Nerds" laugh down. '...trying to play while i watch on the camera screen...uuuuuuhhhhh'.

[thebigDallas @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:04PM]

Let me be the first to say that if you could get the price down to about 150$ I would buy one immediately. This is amazing and i wish i had one now!!

[iofthestorm @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:33AM]

You might as well buy a GP2X or something and run SNES emulators on it. Although this is more retro-cool, and guaranteed to work 100% speed, plus you get to blow in the carts whenever it doesn't work. Heck, I do that with my DS sometimes (blow in the cartridge slot, not the carts as that would require taking them apart) and it seems to work (sometimes the DS doesn't recognize the cart for some reason).

[Fernando @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:06PM]

do a barrel roll!

[Jhongerkong @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:16AM]

never give up... TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

[riggs @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:09AM]

phil ken sebben FTW

[Anthony H. @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:07PM]

He got so excited after clearing the first stage..

[JeffM @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:09PM]

Trying to play while watching on the camera screen but it's kinda hard.... AWYUK!

Cool mod- cooler modder.

[spaceb @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:09PM]

He is a genius.

[Christian Walters @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:12PM]

WOW ENGADGET!! LIKE, THIS WAS ONLY ON BENHECK.COM 2 WHOLE WEEKS AGO!!

[Raheem @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:28PM]

I wish you'd fuck off two whole weeks ago.

[Jimmy @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:54AM]

ya... what he said.

[rlynd3 @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:01AM]

Really...??? Dumbass!!!


You did notice that Josh mentioned his sources, right?

[Jason @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:18PM]

If he can do this now, why couldn't Nintendo do it back then.......?

[Erik @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:34PM]

For reasons that really shouldn't need to be listed.

[toppgun @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:41PM]

screen tech or maybe battery tech? just throwing that out there. also handhelds are supposed to be cheaper than stationary consoles so they wouldnt have made as much cash.

[highjumpman @ Apr 3rd 2008 1:42PM]

Isn't this is kinda like a gameboy advance? It always seemed to us like a SNES-in-your pocket... But this is an impressive hardware hack nonetheless!

[Peppaz @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:44PM]

I love this mod, and all things snes. But I have 500 snes roms on my psp, plus 900 nes games and 400 genesis, all on a 2 gb card with a bigger screen. Not to take away from the novelty of an entire system in a handheld WITH a controller port AND all four control buttons. Just saying.

[anonymous @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:19AM]

It's probably technical, I think it has a border when emulated as well. The smaller resolution probably helps it display polygons faster.

[anonymous @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:20AM]

Wow, ok if this guy can make a portable SNES handheld with a second controller port on it, how come Engadget can't make a Reply system that works? last reply directed@greg

[Mark @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:41PM]

*yawn*

anyone told this guy about ROMS?

[meist3r @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:14AM]

@Mark:

*yawn some more*

Anyone told you about engineering skills and originality? From your point of view he might as well could have connected a Playstation controller to an iPhone and played the Roms from that. But that is not exactly the type of modding goodness demonstrated in this piece.

[greg @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:52PM]

this is pretty sweet. I wish I could make something like this. But is it just me or would it be annoying to have a 2nd controller attached to this time. Also, why is there a border on the screen? Is that just a bezel or does it not use the entire screen?

[Stevey 1337 @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:03AM]

Looks like a Game Gear.

[o29 @ Apr 3rd 2008 2:50AM]

Other than the fact that it's black and a little bulky, how?

[peepeepants @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:41AM]

When he says, "I wish this thing would stay in focus", HE IS TALKING ABOUT HIS ROBOTIC EYEBALLZ UNIT!!! I met up with this guy awhile back, and he is a cyborg.

After coffee, he cut through his forearm skin with a pocket knife and peeled off the skin to reveal what he called, UlnaRadiusSNES. He played StarFox with his fucking forearm alone but was still all, "DUN! . . . Dun, dun- dun, DUN!"

I then got up and left.

[Frank @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:21PM]

there's books at barnes and noble telling you how to do this

[Amun @ Apr 3rd 2008 4:13AM]

Why this is cooler than putting a rom on your PSP:
1. This is SNES hardware.
2. What more do you need?

[CosterMonger @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:15AM]

NES?

[CSlim @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:08AM]

Is it just me or did he execute the barrel roll without the L & R buttons?

[meist3r @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:15AM]

As far as I can tell there are some buttons above the ABXY. They're probably black so not really good to see but if you look closely during the roll you can see he put his finger way above the other buttons. I don't think this is the best place for the shoulder triggers because you can't use them simultaneously anymore but who cares ... I didn't make that thing.

[meist3r @ Apr 3rd 2008 6:18AM]

Ahh how stupid, I didn't look at the pictures in the gallery before. The system has two triggers on the backside right were your index fingers would be. Pretty well made.

[citykids @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:20AM]

That's a sweet mod! Although I wonder how long it was before his mom came down to the basement and told him was making too much noise.