Fuzebox 8-bit DIY game console, strictly for those who'd rather DIY

What do you give the person who has everything this holiday season? How about a game system without any games? Fuzebox is a homebrew, open source 8-bit game console kit based on an ATmega644 8-bit processor, with a whopping 4K RAM and four-channel MIDI sound. The console plays games written in C, accepts two SNES controllers and should come together in an hour and a half or so, as long as you have some skill with a soldering iron. Seventy bucks will get you a bare bones rig, or for an extra thirty you can go all out -- components, enclosures, a controller, necessary cables and one power adapter. If you're one of those people who like to give your kids educational toys that they'll never use, you're welcome. Even if you're not, there is an action packed video (with obligatory breakbeat soundtrack) of the prototype after the break.

[Via Make]

[Katosen @ Nov 26th 2008 4:45PM]

First off, i don't give a crap if I'm first.

Second, i agree that this would be an awesome gift to give someone who is, say, into game programming too, i guess.

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 26th 2008 4:52PM]

I'm into game programming, but writing an 8-bit game in C with 4k of ram at my disposal is not something that I'd ever consider doing to myself.

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 26th 2008 4:53PM]

try not having a life a bit more..
then you will find time :)

[masochist @ Nov 26th 2008 7:36PM]

As someone who makes crappy freeware games in my spare time i think this is fantastic.

There's something about programming on these sorts of devices that actually make them more fun then programming on a powerful machine. I think it's the same reason a puzzle is fun. I actually like the fact that there isn't enough space to have a framebuffer in RAM, it means you have to think up some way of doing it that isn't in any modern textbook. Admittedly you could probably just make use of the SD-card slot and use its flash which would be faster than the CPUs onboard RAM/ROM but that would be cheating.
Also with this it's not a problem that i suck at graphics, nobody expects much.

[mus1cjunk1e @ Nov 26th 2008 8:13PM]

@masochist: I think the name says it all lol

[Lukino @ Nov 27th 2008 4:09AM]

@Masochist

Get a GBA and an usb cart, you'll have the chance someone else will play a game you made

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 4:51PM]

Did someone say Fuzo?

Paging Mr. Proffessional.

[Danny F. @ Nov 26th 2008 4:53PM]

Im still waiting for a company to develop a snes-on-a-chip design. :-\

[MarbleMind @ Nov 26th 2008 4:54PM]

Quite nice for a DIYer indeed, but what exactly held them off from putting a cheap 16 or 32 bit CPU and RAM in the MB region in it? Do they think that their target group is too stupid to access such resources?

[j_g_puff @ Nov 26th 2008 7:36PM]

They're proudly sticking to '2 chips and a bunch of resistors'. As soon as you start using anything more complicated than a basic uC, the complexity skyrockets.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 8:05PM]

Hey, everybody! It's Fuzo! He's always good for a laugh.

BTW, Fuzo, I've been meaning to ask you . . .

On Nov. 11, when I hypothesized that you were a 12-year-old kid, you said you were 21. Link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/11/helios-solar-concept-car-is-bird-like-in-that-it-evolved-from-li/

This week, you said you're 23. Link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/hannspree-trots-out-sd7021-sd80m4mb-digital-photo-frames/

Are you measuring your age in Earth-years, or years from your home planet? Just wondering.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 8:18PM]

What the hell is wrong with the comments system tonight? I know I clicked Reply to Fuzo's thread, not this one.

Either way, sorry.

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 27th 2008 12:27AM]

@ Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 8:05PM

Typo I am 21, born July 1987 UK


Well since your interested, heres some links to my older profiles, I have had 5 in total starting in 2006

Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Proffessional
Started 20th Nov 2008
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2388656/

Fusion Fuzo
Started 05th Oct 2008
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2262543/

^Fusion Fuzo
http://www.engadget.com/profile/1778204/
Started 17th Feb 2008


NICE, to see people are interested in my commenting history on this site.

Thanks For Your Interest
Fusion Fuzo

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 26th 2008 4:59PM]

FUGLY not impressed, the xbox 360 under my tv gets the job done better, that is fugly, dont like it, knowbody will buy it, FUGLY

Professional
Fusion Fuzo

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 26th 2008 5:06PM]

Every time I think, 'wow, that's cool!' - fuzo is there to say the opposite.

Another prime example that Fuzo is the antithesis of me and my personal online nemesis.

Apologies to all others for feeding the troll. This is the last time.

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 26th 2008 5:06PM]

Go.

[CraigJ @ Nov 26th 2008 5:11PM]

"assholes are made, not born"

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 26th 2008 5:03PM]

NICE name FUZO very professional, FUGLY product


Professional
Fusion Fuzo

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 26th 2008 5:09PM]

Away.

[Danger @ Nov 26th 2008 6:40PM]

Oh, I see what you did there..

[Wolfticket @ Nov 26th 2008 6:53PM]

Surely it's banhammer time by now?

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 26th 2008 7:35PM]

wolfticket, I've been here for over 2 years, and I think fuzebox is A GOOD NAME no matter what you think, just because you like everything apple or should I say anything beginning with an i, dosen't mean I have to agree with you about apple, I think Fuze box is good name, there I said it

Kind Regards
Professional
Fusion Fuzo

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 8:17PM]

Hey, everybody! It's Fuzo! He's always good for a laugh.

BTW, Fuzo, I've been meaning to ask you . . .

On Nov. 11, when I hypothesized that you were a 12-year-old kid, you said you were 21. Link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/11/helios-solar-concept-car-is-bird-like-in-that-it-evolved-from-li/

This week, you said you're 23. Link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/hannspree-trots-out-sd7021-sd80m4mb-digital-photo-frames/

Are you measuring your age in Earth-years, or years from your home planet? Just wondering.

[Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 27th 2008 12:34AM]

Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Professional @ Nov 27th 2008 12:27AM

@ Smart People Play Tuba @ Nov 26th 2008 8:05PM

Typo I am 21, born July 1987 UK


Well since your interested, heres some links to my older profiles, I have had 5 in total starting in 2006

Fusion Fuzo 05 - Mr Proffessional
Started 20th Nov 2008
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2388656/

Fusion Fuzo
Started 05th Oct 2008
http://www.engadget.com/profile/2262543/

^Fusion Fuzo
http://www.engadget.com/profile/1778204/
Started 17th Feb 2008


NICE, to see people are interested in my commenting history on this site.

Thanks For Your Interest
Professional
Fusion Fuzo

[mr_hankey @ Nov 26th 2008 5:09PM]

Awesome.

[CraigJ @ Nov 26th 2008 5:14PM]

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampModules/tabid/134/txtSearch/hydra/List/1/ProductID/467/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName

This is $199, and it's based on Parallax's 32-bit multiprocessing propeller chip. If you're going to go to the trouble, I'd spend the extra dough and go with 32-bit and 128k.

I haven't personally worked with this system, but I've been working with their SX chips and this is a good company.

[MarbleMind @ Nov 26th 2008 5:16PM]

You know, I don't think you should be too hard of Fuzo, he's just a m-

I mean, a f-

...

God, give me power.

*Pulls himself together really, really, REALLY hard*

... he's just likes to be the voice of dissent, you know.

*Runs to the bathroom*

[MarbleMind @ Nov 26th 2008 5:18PM]

(uh, oh, them spelling aren't verry gud today)

[tbone @ Nov 26th 2008 5:18PM]

where are they getting all these old console parts, didn't they stop selling over 10 years ago

[BigD145 @ Nov 26th 2008 6:00PM]

I can get a NES or SNES controller at just about any thrift store. There's no clicky buttons to break, so they will last for generations.

[Leo @ Nov 26th 2008 5:20PM]

But can it play Crysi-

[404 @ Nov 26th 2008 5:36PM]

It can actually, but only the homebrew edition....

[dotAaron @ Nov 26th 2008 5:33PM]

Wow, Player 2 really sucks at Tetris :P

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Nov 26th 2008 5:57PM]

I never heard any breakbeat in that video, you're nuts. Anyways this would be fun for a while until programming in C for a first timer would drive them nuts. Cheers.

[Vegetable @ Nov 26th 2008 6:30PM]

Uh, this is actually three months old?

[Dubb @ Nov 26th 2008 7:08PM]

I really want to know where Engadget got "Fuzebox" from.

It clearly says "UZEBOX" when you watch the video.

When they start up the system at ~.25 sec into the video it even says "UZEBOX" when the system is turned on.

[Dubb @ Nov 26th 2008 7:32PM]

Seems I overlooked this sentence in the read link.

"The Fuzebox is based on the Uzebox project, by Alec “Uze” B., and mods (such as the updated DAC) of Clay Cowgill"

[allenvanhellen @ Nov 26th 2008 7:09PM]

I'd be down for this if it were a bit more powerful, and if it could maybe access ROMs or whatevs on a network. Also, if it could play shit like Mugen, that'd be rad.

[mko @ Nov 26th 2008 8:44PM]

If only it was nes compatible.

[Adam Zey @ Nov 26th 2008 11:12PM]

Hmm. I would have much rather had something with a bit more power in there, say a 300MHz MIPS32 processor. Those things are pretty darned cheap (you can buy consumer devices for $50 that make use of them), and are fast enough to emulate anything from the 8 or 16 bit generation. And you can still do native development for homebrew.

[wootman @ Nov 27th 2008 1:42AM]

I dont get it, why not buy a pandora/psp/ds/gp2x/gba?

[Jack @ Nov 27th 2008 8:31PM]

So powerful. hah . I only can buy a PSP3 instead diy.
http://www.laptops-battery.co.uk/dell-inspiron-6000-battery.htm