Games have brought joy to people over many generations, and during the pandemic, the billion-dollar industry grew with families playing Nintendo game trends, such as Hades, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Or the will of the strandsin the comfort of their own homes.
But for a certain player in Waltham, Massachusetts, the thrill of gaming comes from the console. His passions have now led him to build a device that is officially the world Slowest Nintendo 64 console modified.
With a love for challenges and a desire to break the boundaries with innovation, Gunnar Turnquist (USA) said: “I have been inspired to do this project since I love N64 and it was my first game console that I raised.”
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For those unfamiliar with the Nintendo 64, this was one of the original home gaming consoles of the mid-90s and one of the last to use cartridges as main storage.
These devices are quite bulky and usually measure a height of 2.87 “(72.9 mm), a width of 10.23” (259.8 mm), a depth of 7.48 “(190 mm), which resizing this equipment is not an easy task.
Gunnar hit obstacles such as cutting the motherboard to the tiniest size. To ensure that the motherboard works properly at a fraction of its size, he first had to carefully map the complicated connections and reconnect his small circuits.
Its end result paid off, as it managed to handle all the pieces at 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 premiered on Gunnar’s YouTube channel “GmanModz”, a channel that explains how it builds portable consoles, synthesizers and other neat game-related engineering projects.
The LCD screen has been measured at 3.5 “with a battery life of 1.5 hours. The new system also includes fully functional N64 control buttons.
With his new achievement, many wonder how he managed to condense all operational equipment into such a small setting.
As it turns out, Gunnar first met fellow gaming fans who were creating their own portable individual game consoles at the age of 13. He was absolutely amazed by a project like this achievable!
As a teenager, he was so amazed by the work of these game lovers that he became intrigued to create one.
Within days of his discovery, Gunnar methodically studied the resources available online for video and electronic game modding. In his spare time at school, he studied and watched carefully, learning how others led and executed their unique electronics project.
Gunnar continued to practice and hone his passion for building portable consoles for 10 years, studying and noting ways he could improve his craft with each replication.
Over the years, Gunnar has received help and support from his high school teachers and friends who have guided him in his modding aspirations.
Years of work and technical studies eventually motivated him to continue this journey, pursuing electrical engineering in his own college studies. .
“I started learning electronics when I was 13 and when I saw online that people were building their own portable consoles, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I had to try. There have been many friends and teachers in my life who have helped me along the way. High school teachers who interested me and guided me through my projects. ”
For Gunnar, the reward for achieving this record was not the recording itself, but the dexterity and persistence of manipulating the limits of old gaming technology and mixing them with modern techniques such as 3D printing, microcontroller programming and printed circuit board (PCB). ) role models.
“Anyone can learn how to make their own portable console and other DIY electronic projects. It can be a steep learning curve, but start with something basic and improve every project there. ”