Gaming has brought joy to many generations, and during the pandemic, the billion-dollar industry skyrocketed with families enjoying popular Nintendo games such as Hades, Animal crossing: new horizons and Ori and the Will of the Wispsin the comfort of their own homes.
But for one particular player in Waltham, Massachusetts, the excitement of games comes from the console itself. His passions have now led him to construct a device that is officially the world smalste custom nintendo 64 console.
With a love for challenges and a desire to break boundaries with innovation, Gunnar Turnquist (USA) said: “I was inspired to make this project as I love the N64 and it was my first game console I grew up with. has.”
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For those unfamiliar with the Nintendo 64, it was one of the original home consoles in the mid-90s, and one of the last to use cartridges as primary storage.
These devices are quite bulky and usually measure a height of 72.9 mm, width of 25.23 mm, depth of 190 mm, which does not make the size of this equipment easy.
Gunnar bothered like cutting off the motherboard to the smallest size. To ensure that the motherboard was functioning properly at a fraction of the size, he first had to carefully map the intricate connections and rewire his small circuits.
His end result paid off because he was able to manage all the pieces to a record size of 8.4 cm X 11.8 cm X 4.50 cm (3.3 in X 4.64 in X 1.77 in).
The modified console was on Gunnar’s YouTube channel ‘GmanModz’, a channel where he explains how he builds portable consoles, synthesizers and other neat engineering projects related to gaming.
The LCD screen is 3.5 “measured with a battery life of 1.5 hours. The new system also includes fully functional N64 control buttons.
With his new performance, many people wonder how he managed to condense all the operational equipment into such a small frame.
As it turns out, at the age of 13, Gunnar first met fellow gamers who had created their own portable game consoles. He was absolutely amazed that a project like this was feasible!
As a teenager, he was so confused about the work of these game lovers, that he became intrigued to create one of his own.
In a few days after his discovery, Gunnar methodically studied the available online resources regarding video games and electronics. In his free time from school, he studied and watched thoroughly and learned how others carry out and execute their unique electronic project.
Gunnar continued to practice and perfect his passion for building portable consoles for ten years, studying and noticing how he could improve his artwork with each replication.
Over the years, Gunnar received help and support from his high school teachers and friends who guided him in his quest for mud.
Years of work and technical studies have finally motivated him to continue on this journey by following electrical engineering in his own collegiate studies. .
‘I started learning electronics when I was 13 and when I saw online people building their own portable consoles, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I had to give it a try. There were many friends and teachers in my life who helped me along the way. High school teachers who became interested and guided in my projects. ”
For Gunnar, the reward for achieving this record was not the record itself, but the dexterity and perseverance in manipulating the boundaries of older game technology and mixing it with modern techniques, such as 3D printing, microcontroller programming and printed circuit board (PCB). ) designs.
‘Everyone can learn how to make their own portable console and other DIY electronics projects. It can be a steep learning curve, but you start with something basic and improve every project from there. ‘