Wooden portable NES lets you game in style

Sure, we've already got a wooden SNES, but sometimes we want to get a little rustic on some original SMB, and that's where Parker Dillmann's wooden NES comes in handy. Built around the guts of a Yobo NES clone and a 3.5-inch LCD, Dillmann did some major custom woodworking to get this rig going, and he says he's already got ideas for his next case. Tons more pics at the read link.

[Via Ben Heck]

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 7th 2008 2:57PM]

Thats hot.... but not hopefully to hot, otherwise all that will be left of it is ashes and molten lump of plastic.

Oh, and the tattered, charred remains of your portable wodden NES dreams mixed in there too.

[phanbouy @ Apr 7th 2008 3:08PM]

well, they could install a fan, which would have the added advantage of blowing on the cartridge!

[Bob @ Apr 7th 2008 3:51PM]

It looks smaller than my original Game Boy!

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:41PM]

The portable uses a NOAC which produces very little heat. I guess the onyl bad thing would be if the protection circuit in the Lithium battery decided to fail.

[RCL1221 @ Apr 7th 2008 2:59PM]

That's hot, I dig it.

[phanbouy @ Apr 7th 2008 3:20PM]

i'm paris hilton and i approved of this comment

[Heathen @ Apr 7th 2008 3:08PM]

I wooden like that: fir a few reasons. First I would be pineing for a PSP.
Secondly I think the builder should spruce it up a bit you know go out on a limb, branch out into some other materials. Lastly if it over heats he would have been better off using Ash.

[hempey @ Apr 7th 2008 3:10PM]

very punny.

[nd @ Apr 7th 2008 3:13PM]

"wood" have been better off...come on now... ;)

[phanbouy @ Apr 7th 2008 3:16PM]

personally, i'm pining for the fjords

[Heathen @ Apr 7th 2008 3:20PM]

Well guys I didn't want it to just be mahogany pun limelight.

[nd @ Apr 7th 2008 4:08PM]

""wood" have been better off...come on now... ;)"


....but +1 anyway! very funny and creative...

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 7th 2008 3:28PM]

Warm enough to give you a woody.

That's a really nice mod. You can see the side vent slots. As long as there's plenty of room around the chips for air to flow, it should keep cool enough.

[lonecow @ Apr 7th 2008 3:30PM]

So if I play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on this thing will I get a Splinter?

Ba-Dum-Ching!

[Tim @ Apr 7th 2008 3:35PM]

Judges?

[riggs @ Apr 7th 2008 6:55PM]

GER 10.0 USA 10.0 CHN 10.0 RUS 10.0 FRA 1.0

oooh france destroys the newcomers hope once again.

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:42PM]

@lonecow

Best comment ever.

[Migraine @ Apr 7th 2008 4:46PM]

From the coffee mug in the background, does Dillmann guard the president while gaming on his portable?

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:36PM]

Nah I got the mug at a thift store a couple years ago. Currently use it as a pencil holder.

[riggs @ Apr 7th 2008 3:49PM]

since when has wood = style? i thought the phase went out with the "wood" pt cruiser?

[phanbouy @ Apr 7th 2008 3:50PM]

ever notice that half of danny glover's speaking lines in the 3 or 7 lethal weapon movies they made consist of "Riggs! Hey Riggs!" ?

[hypereric @ Apr 7th 2008 4:50PM]

nah.... wood will never go out of style, for it implies:

1) craftmanship
2) labor of love
3) a connection with nature.

I worked with both wood and fiberglass growing up (father was a boat-builder / owner of a boat yard), and though I would be hard pressed now to pull off even a "simple" case like this one above (nevermind dealing with the electronics), I can say working with wood is a challenge and people visiting would always comment more on the wooden boats then on the shiny smooth fiberglass ones.

And I really hate saying this, especially as my w00d skillz ain't up to date, but he used too much wood. I would do the controls in brushed aluminium. And possibly the side vents. Or go with a very blonde wood and brushed nickel controls.

[absurdio @ Apr 7th 2008 7:22PM]

The PT Cruiser was never okay, no matter what anyone tells you.
This, on the other hand, is pretty okay. Loses points on originality (wood portable SNES HAS been done, after all), but the execution is fantastic.

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:44PM]

@absurdio

Does it really mater about originality when I made the wooden SNES to? :)

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:50PM]

@hypereric

Thanks for the comments. I will consider using some stainless steel in my next design probably for the buttons and D-pad.

[Mr. I Ableman, Mongaloid, Esq. @ Apr 7th 2008 3:52PM]

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, select, start

[Tim @ Apr 7th 2008 4:05PM]

Super C FTW

[R1cebrner @ Apr 7th 2008 4:43PM]

\\//\\//(())\\//\\//. You have made feel extra old on my bday. Thank You :)

[stagueve @ Apr 7th 2008 3:54PM]

Here is a video demo if you want to see them in action ;)

http://www.nowhereelse.fr/?p=3215

[Nobody @ Apr 7th 2008 4:10PM]

That's the Super Nintendo.

[mykie @ Apr 7th 2008 4:49PM]

That was the Konami Code, but it didn't work in Super C.

[Stem $ell @ Apr 7th 2008 4:09PM]

Johnson & Johnson's PR team is already previewing their new youth oriented campaign for Lemon Pledge™ based on the above entitled: "Take the Pledge™ Polish yer knobs challenge, boys!"

[YoMomma @ Apr 7th 2008 4:13PM]

does it play doom?

[makishima @ Apr 7th 2008 4:16PM]

Actually yes, it sure does. Now shut up.

http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/doom/index.html

[makishima @ Apr 7th 2008 4:22PM]

I retract my previous statement about it playing doom as I am clearly not on the ball today with that whole "reading" thing.

[Tim @ Apr 7th 2008 4:23PM]

pwnage via irrefutable evidence. I like it.

Good work makishima.

[makishima @ Apr 7th 2008 4:23PM]

crap .....ok really? Engadget fix the damn headline or the article. One says NES the other says SNES >< I'm going back to bed.....just as soon as work is over....

[stagueve @ Apr 7th 2008 4:21PM]

@nobody : oups, you're right... sorry...

[Fed @ Apr 7th 2008 4:24PM]

Correction: it was up up down down left right left right b a b a start
or select start for two players :)

[Podaman @ Apr 7th 2008 5:19PM]

not to be a d1ck, but only one set of B A.

a common misconception to think two of them, because it would work with 2, but really only needed one

:(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_Code

[Tim @ Apr 7th 2008 4:25PM]

Well then I retract MY previous statement.

[Tony @ Apr 7th 2008 8:00PM]

What has been spoken cannot be unspoken.

[michaelportent @ Apr 7th 2008 6:19PM]

This is for the poor sap who gets stuck playing woodblock in a psychedelic jam-band. They can take a Mario 3 break in the middle of that ridiculous 8 minute guitar solo.

[Lars @ Apr 7th 2008 7:03PM]

I have never wanted something so badly in my life.

[Life of Brian @ Apr 7th 2008 7:25PM]

The slots on the side are not vents - they're speaker holes. It's just a Nintendo-on-a-chip (NOAC) so it really doesn't need much ventilation at all.

Awesome work as usual, Parker!

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 7:46PM]

Thanks!

Sorry about the website being down. It is currently back up (6:46PM Central) but I don't know how long till my host shuts it down again.

[Glen @ Apr 7th 2008 8:21PM]

I. LOVE. THIS.

Lemme know if you decide to retail these. Any chance of getting one that would play all generations Game Boy (except for probably DS)? My only fear would be that humidity would get into the wood and cause warpage and/or damage to the electronics (and possibly the cart). But hey, I'd start collecting NES games again for this.

BRILLIANT!

[The Longhorn Engineer @ Apr 7th 2008 8:35PM]

The wood is covered in a polyurethane so there is no chance of humidity warping the case. As for a portable that plays all generations gameboy. Wouldn't that be a GBA?

[Glen @ Apr 7th 2008 10:49PM]

Polyurethane? Sweet. Actually, believe it or not, GBA doesn't play original Game Boy cartridges, it only starts with Game Boy Color... or does it? Now that I have a DS, seems pretty redundant to get a GBA, but a wooden Game Boy that can play NES and SNES cartridges... all's missing is the N64! (Unless if someone is REALLY crafty and can do a wooden, portable GameCube! Where can I buy the set? :) )

[Dan Davis @ Apr 8th 2008 10:52AM]

This reminds me of when Bender got sick of technology and decided to go with an all-wood body. And we all remember how that ended...