Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables

by Benjamin Heckendorn

Space Invaders and Asteroids are back!

Loved that Atari(r) when you were a kid? So did Ben Heckendorn - so much, in fact, that he successfully resurrected it as a slim, go-anywhere portable. When Playstation(r) and Nintendo(r) aficionados got jealous, he created miniaturized, fully functioning, battery-powered versions of those too. Now it's your turn. Every secret is here - complete instructions, materials lists, tool tips, even advice on finding parts. Just wait 'til they see this at the high school reunion.

Ready? Let's get started

Plans and instructions for building eight handheld, classic video games
* Choosing a game system - Atari(r), Nintendo(r), Super Nintendo(r), or Playstation(r)1
* What you'll spend
* Electronics and soldering 101
* Hacking portable TVs for their screens
* Building the case - CNC or freehand?
* Yank the cord, install the batteries

574 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2005

Reviews

[Grant Canyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a system modder, this book added so much information about main boards and explained how the boards work and such. Very good read. Ben Heck is a great creator and can be looked up as one of my only true Idols.

[Bill G · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't really say too much about this book. It has all the info you need to turn old systems into portables. It reads like a text book, which it should.
The writing is understandable and I followed along. I wish I had the skill to do it, but the book made me atleast think I could do it.