Tag: Hardware - Page 14
Random Man Creates Half-Tonne Computer In His Home, Uses It To Play Tetris
Somewhat less portable than a Game Boy, but more impressive
As we all know, Tetris was the game that sold the Game Boy to the world, and one of the key reasons for its success was the fact that the console was portable and could be played anywhere. Electronics engineer James Newman likes Tetris, but instead of taking the easy option and buying a...
News Outspoken Analyst Has A Good Feeling About The Nintendo NX
"Let's hope Nintendo get their mojo back"
Wedbush Securities research analyst Michael Pachter hasn't exactly endeared himself to Nintendo fans over the past few years. He wrote off the Wii U's chances early on and has been famously critical of the Japanese firm - something, it's worth remembering, he's paid to do in his day job, which involves...
News Nintendo Might Soon Be Hawking Its Own Smartphone Controllers
Shut up and take my money
We've seen a lot of retro-inspired smartphone controllers hit the market over the years, with some of our favourites being the 8Bitdo NES30, FC30 and SNES30. As Nintendo sets its sights on success in the smartphone gaming arena with
Will you still love me when I'm 64?
To mark the 20th birthday of Nintendo's 64-bit wonder we're republishing this feature on the console, which originally went live on the site in December 2014. The Nintendo 64 is a console which divides opinions, even today. For some, it was an unforgivable fall from grace after the dizzying heights of the SNES;...
News Nintendo NX Production Reportedly Pushed Back To 2017 To Incorporate Virtual Reality
Order volume reduced from 20 million to 10 million
Nintendo has reportedly delayed mass production of its NX console in order to factor in Virtual Reality functions and improve the system's unique "console and handheld" integrated gaming experience, according to DigiTimes. Sources close to the production chain have stated that the console combines...
Rumour Nintendo's Next Generation Handheld Is Codenamed "MH"
Monster Hunter? Miyamoto Hotness? Mobile Home? Much Hype?
Ever since the NX was announced it was suspected that the system would be a hybrid that offers both home and portable gameplay. However, according to DHZ Financial Research's Trader's Web site, Nintendo is also working on a next generation handheld codenamed "MH" alongside NX. While the...
The fun toy-making side of Nintendo
To break the Talking Point rule I'm going to start this one in first person. Late evening on 3rd May I was browsing around the web when I came across the trailer for the PocketC.H.I.P., a Super Handy Fun Computer that uses a $9 micro-PC within a relatively simple casing and has a price tag of $60 ($49 as an early...
News New Handheld Channels The Spirit Of The Game Boy And Can Run Virtual Boy Games
All for $49
Those of you who follow the homebrew coding scene might already be aware of CHIP, a self-contained computer which costs just $9. This super-cheap piece of hardware is now being put inside a portable shell to host "Fantasy Console" platform PICO-8, and the end result is looking fantastic. Created by Next Thing and dubbed PocketCHIP, this...
News EB Games Australia Opens Up Nintendo NX Pre-Orders At $999
That's a placeholder price, of course
Nintendo might not be launching its NX console until March 2017 and won't be showing it off at this year's E3, but that hasn't stopped the Australian arm of EB Games opening up pre-orders for the mysterious console. The store has the NX listed at
News Nintendo Will Reveal NX Price, Launch Lineup And Specs This Year, Claims Nikkei
Stating the obvious?
Today we found out that Nintendo won't be launching its NX console this year and also won't be showing it off at E3 2016. The news has come as quite a blow for many Nintendo fans who had hoped that the new hardware would be out in time for Christmas, while others hav
News You Can Now Pre-Order The Most Gorgeous New Nintendo 3DS XL Console Ever Made
Just Super
A short time ago, Nintendo revealed that it is releasing a special Super Famicom-flavoured version of its New Nintendo 3DS XL system exclusively in Japan. Based on the classic Super Famicom system (SNES in the west), this edition of the machine will come with a unique design and packaging
News The Only Problem With This Tabletop Neo Geo Is That There's Just One In Existence
Say hello to the Starforce Neo
Remember the Starforce Pi? It's an incredible tabletop gaming system based on the Raspberry Pi, and despite a failed Kickstarter campaign is carrying on with a release in the near future. In the meantime however, Marcel J. de Haan - the remarkable one-man-band behind this incredible platform - has created a side...
Rumour Nintendo Once Worked On A Game Boy Successor That Promised N64 Power In Your Pocket
Lifting the lid on Project Atlantis
The Game Boy was a stunning success for Nintendo. Released at a time when rival hardware was packing backlit colour screens, the monochrome handheld proved that sometimes having the most powerful tech doesn't always ensure commercial triumph. The Game Boy sold millions and established Nintendo's dominance of the...
News GameStop COO Claims New Console Launches Are "Imminent"
"As usual, we know more than we can share"
GameStop COO Tony Bartel has perhaps given the biggest indication yet that Nintendo NX will be launching in 2016. At a recent GameStop event, Bartel spoke about company growth and let slip that "console launches" are coming this year: Although we have not modelled extensive growth for new innovation in...
"SGI very nearly did another spin of the hardware to fix the issue"
The N64 was, for the time, a formidable piece of kit. Its chipset was developed in conjunction with Silicon Graphics and provided the console with power that put rivals like the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation in the shade. However, the complex nature of the chips involved resulted...
News Nintendo Files a New Patent for a Fancy Object Detection Device
Potentially used as a controller, projector, or something else
The wizardry taking place behind closed doors at Nintendo R&D is something that's endlessly fascinating, as the company continually experiments with new and exciting ways to play. Of course, not all of this makes it into stages of production – looking at you inflatable Wii saddle...
News AMD Earnings Call Says "New Consoles" Are Launching Later This Year
"New semi-custom business" coming "in the second half of 2016"
Chipmaker AMD supplies the processors which power the Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One, and is therefore a pretty significant player in the gaming arena right now. At the company's recent earnings call, it gave another possible indication that Nintendo's new NX system will be arriving later this...
News Nintendo Is Ending DS Phat Repairs In Japan
Spare parts running out, says NCL
It's the end of an era. Not only have we recently had the news that DSiWare is shutting down and Nintendo is bringing DS cart production to a close, but we've now heard that NCL is stopping Nintendo DS console repairs in its homeland. Repair support for all colours of the very first DS (model number NTR-001, also...
Rumour Nintendo has Discontinued Production of Nintendo DS Cartridges Around the World
Better get 'em before they're gone
Last week, we reported on the news that Nintendo would be entering the process of sunsetting its DSiWare service, reflecting the end of the official sale of digital games on DS consoles. This news didn't come as a huge shock given the age of the service and with a new console just on the horizon, but it nonetheless...
News We'd Sure Love to See This Japanese Super Famicom New Nintendo 3DS XL in the West
It's Super
If you're yet to get around to watching the Japanese Nintendo Direct, it's worth taking a look. Much of it is either the same as in the West or focusing on titles long established outside of Japan (such as Shovel Knight and Terraria), but it had some unique segments that certainly catch the eye. For one thing a lot more SNES Virtual...
Video It's Fun To Learn About The Game Boy's CPU
'70s tech powering '90s dreams
The Nintendo Game Boy is without a doubt one of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, having shifted millions of units and turned countless individuals into Tetris addicts and prolific portable players. However, the console itself was actually seen as something of a weakling, even by the standards of the late...
News Nintendo Is "Looking At" Virtual Reality, But Don't Expect Details Any Time Soon
Virtual Boy 2, anyone?
Nintendo has been famously dismissive of Virtual Reality lately, with NoA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé even going as far as to say that the tech "just isn't fun" right now. However, with Sony pushing its own VR option and Oculus Rift winning over developers, the VR sector could become a massive part of the games industry. Some are...
News Macronix Will Be Providing Memory Products for the NX
Reiterates that the platform will be launching this year
It seems that more and more information around the NX is beginning to come to light, as we creep closer and closer to the much anticipated E3 reveal of Nintendo's new platform. Just earlier today, it was suggested that there will be a Super Smash Bros. game of some sort on the device at...
News Pokémon Yellow, Red And Blue 2DS Bundles Now Up For Pre-Order In The UK
Gotta pre-order 'em all?
The Nintendo UK store has opened pre-orders for the new Pokémon Yellow, Red & Blue 2DS bundles. Each one comes with a carry case of the appropriate colour (well, almost - the yellow system has a grey one), as well as a preinstalled version of the relevant game. The asking price is £79.99, while the yellow version of...
Hardware Review We Look at a Definitive GameCube HDMI Mod
Crystal quality
Long-time fans of Nintendo have often harped on about the GameCube controller being one of the best controllers in gaming history, and the console it attached to first was certainly not shy of some spectacular releases. It's a shame that we have to have a television the size of Snowdonia just to be able to appreciate the system...
News European Zelda Fans Are Getting A Shiny "Hyrule Edition" New 3DS XL Console In March
My precious
Should you be unsure about investing in Nintendo's latest 3DS hardware then you might find the decision is made for you once you clap eyes on this newly-announced Hyrule Edition New 3DS XL, launching in March alongside Hyrule Warriors Legends. The unit - which puzzlingly doesn't include a copy of the game - will launch in Europe on...
Video See the GameCube HDMI Mod Thrash Cheaper HDMI Converters in Video & Audio Quality
Goodbye lag, goodbye blur
We've been raving about the GCVideo HDMI mod for the GameCube for a little bit now, but what we haven't yet done it compare the quality to that of your average AV to HDMI converter; a common option for those trying to get older systems and games onto modern screens. These cheap devices present all sorts of issues with...
A "video game fabricating system" with editing tools and data sharing
Super Mario Maker has been a smash hit for Nintendo, and has finally given players the chance to create their own unique Super Mario experiences. However, if a 1994 patent is anything to go by, Nintendo has been thinking about this kind of user-generated approach for quite some...
News Koei Tecmo's President Seems To Think NX Is A Home Console First And Foremost
"Nintendo announced a new 'machine' called the NX"
2016 is the year that Nintendo reveals more about the NX, which - it has been rumoured - could unify the company's handheld and domestic console markets. Despite the chatter, no one really seems to know what the console is all about let alone have any idea about a potential Nintendo NX release...
"Nintendo has a history of doing things its own way"
Next year we're going to hear a lot more about Nintendo's next console, currently codenamed NX. The system has been shrouded in secrecy since it was first announced earlier this year, but rumours are circulating that it could be a console/handheld hybrid which effectively unites the two markets...
News Console Modder Zoki64 Is Back With Another Super Mario-Themed SNES
To mark 25 years of Super Mario World
This year marks 3 decades of Super Mario goodness, and famed console modder Zoki64 decided to celebrate that fact with a gorgeous custom SNES system. This year is also the 25th birthday of Super Mario W
News This Limited Edition Luigi's Mansion Game Boy Horror Has Been Reanimated For A Good Cause
"Hello...?"
If you're a fan of collectable custom hardware and like the idea of helping a worthy cause, then you might be interested in purchasing one of ten limited edition "Game Boy Horror" handhelds from 8-Bit Evolution - the same talented people who created the fantastic Smash Bros. N64 we featured a while back. Mimicking the handhe
Weirdness Someone Has Created A Real-World HUD For Super Mario 64
Just because they can
The rebirth of Virtual Reality in the games industry is blurring the lines between the real world and fantasy, offering an immersive experience which - as time goes on - could become indistinguishable from reality. But that's not the only way that video games and real-life can mix with one another - electronics hacker James...
Video Hands On With The Revo K101 Plus, The Ultimate Game Boy Advance Clone
Clone in the dark
Veteran members of the site may recall that we reviewed the Revo K101 Plus a few months back, and found it to be an excellent means of playing old and dusty Game Boy Advance software on more recent hardware. The system has been tinkered with and improved of late, with better controls and a fancy new transparent case design - so we...
News The NES Joins The High Definition Era With This Awesome HDMI Mod
Back to the future
A HDMI mod is already in the works for the N64, and allows you to get the best possible picture out of the vintage system. However, that's not the only modification which brings retro hardware bang up to date - there's a similar mod available for the older NES which performs the same trick. Available via Game-Tech, the Hi-Def NES...
News Live In The UK? You Could Find A Sega Mega Drive In Your Stocking Come Christmas Morning
Resurrected system seeing 400 percent jump in sales
The Sega Mega Drive - or Genesis, if you're of the North American persuasion - might be coming up for its 30th birthday, but that doesn't mean the system is completely dead from a commercial perspective. According to UK newspaper The Daily Mail, the 16-bit classic is making something of a comeback...
Retro Classic NES, SNES And N64 Controllers Get Stripped Down For Inspection
The evolution of play
Nintendo's story could be seen as the story of the games industry as a whole, certainly from an interface perspective. The company's NES console introduced domestic players to the D-Pad (first used on the 1982 Game & Watch Donkey Kong) and more than one action button, while the SNES a
Art If Nintendo Did Resurrect The Game Boy, We'd Want It To Look Like This
Past and present
The Game Boy line may be effectively retired in Nintendo's eyes, but the name itself still carries a lot of weight with gamers all over the world - including German designer Florian Renner, who has put together a cool concept which resurrects the classic brand for the modern era. The Game Boy 1up is of course nothing more than a fe
Woodn't you like one of these?
There aren't enough consoles made out of wood, in our opinion. Sure, the Atari VCS had pretend wood on its front and the guys over at Analogue Interactive have spoiled us rotten with their range of wooden Neo Geo systems, but there's still room in the market for more of this kind of thing - and thankfully the...
Video Here's The Moment The SNES PlayStation Gets Turned On For The First Time
"Thanks to the haters, too"
Last week we reported on the news that the legendary SNES PlayStation has been turned on and played, proving once and for all that the system is the real deal and not an elaborate fake, as some people had claimed. Dan Diebold - son of Terry, who unwittingly purchased the system when the company he worked at went bust -...
News SNES PlayStation Prototype Gets Turned On, Opened Up
It's really real, you guys
Earlier this year, a prototype SNES PlayStation was discovered in the wild and caused quite a stir among fans and collectors alike. The system - which was supposed to be start of a beautiful friendship between Nintendo and Sony but the former left the latter at the altar - never saw release and what images existed were...
News The Starforce Pi Is An Arcade You Can Fit In Your Rucksack
Coming to Kickstarter this month
A new Kickstarter project is looking to resurrect classic arcade gaming in a more portable form via the power of the Raspberry Pi chipset. Starforce Pi is a tabletop gaming machine which offers a full-sized Sanwa-supplied microswitched joystick and buttons, powerful stereo sound, authentic video playback and support...
News CyberGadget's Ridiculously Well-Equipped Retro Freak Console Begins Shipping Tomorrow
All-in-one wonder machine finally coming to market
We covered the news of the Retro Freak quite a while ago, and since then we've been waiting expectantly for more information about this potentially amazing system. With support for 11 different consoles - Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC Engine, TurboGrafx-16, Game Boy, Game Boy...
News Here's a Breakdown of 3DS Software and Hardware Sales This Year
Looking good, Nintendo
Nintendo released a lot of new information at the latest investors strategy and while some of this was highly anticipated, some of it was also just plain fascinating to see. Among this information was sales data for 3DS software and hardware sales. It seems like the 3DS is still doing pretty well in the West, though Japan is...
News Masayuki Uemura on How the NES Controller Came About
Thank God it didn't have a joystick
When you really get down to it, the NES controller is the granddaddy of all modern game controllers. Granted, they didn't have thumbsticks, triggers, or tilt controls back in the 80's, but it doesn't take a terribly observant eye to note the design principles that are still evident in today's controllers. This is...
Video Watch This Amazing Nintendo 64 HDMI Mod Banish Smeary Visuals Forever
I can see clearly now
We've covered RetroActive's promising N64 HDMI project in the past, but the guys over at My Life in Gaming now have exclusive footage of the mod in action, and it's amazing. As anyone who has owned an N64 will know, the video output is the wrong side of average. Because the machine lacks RGB output as standard there's no easy...
News Japan Is Getting Some Gorgeous New 3DS Hardware Bundles And Cover Plates
Jealousy mode: engaged
Japan gets all the best hardware bundles - that's just one of the things us westerners have to live with. As if to prove this universal truth, details have just been released regarding two fresh New 3DS bundles coming to The Land of the Rising Sun, and both look downright lovely. First up is the Super Mario Bros. 30th bundle,...
News Yo-Kai Watch 2DS Bundle Coming To North America On November 6th
Comes with the game pre-installed for $99.99
Nintendo is releasing a new 2DS hardware bundle to mark the launch of Yo-Kai Watch in North America. The console - which comes with the game pre-installed - will launch on November 6th for $99.99, alongside the game's full retail release. Yo-Kai Watch is the first in a series which has taken Japan by a...
Random Check Out These New Officially Licensed Storage Peripherals From PDP
Store your gaming equipment with style
PDP is a company that has long since manufactured relatively high quality hardware for Nintendo consoles. Be it a GameCube Fight Pad or a headset for playing games online, PDP is a name that can be relied upon far more so than others like Madcatz. While the company has been rather quiet lately on new releases...
Development kits already in the hands of third parties
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo NX development kits have been issued to third parties, and that the system itself will indeed be the much-rumoured combination of domestic and portable hardware. Citing sources "close to the matter", the report speculates that we could see a
