Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables (ExtremeTech) (Paperback)

~ Benjamin Heckendorn (Author) "The year was 1984, and video games were dead..." (more)
Key Phrases: engraving plastic, portable video game system, aux input jack, Making Portable Game Consoles, Radio Shack, Sony Infolithium (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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

From the Back Cover

Space Invaders and Asteroids are back!

Loved that Atari® 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® and Nintendo® 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

1. Choosing a game system — Atari®, Nintendo®, Super Nintendo®, or Playstation®1
2. What you'll spend
3. Electronics and soldering 101
4. Hacking portable TVs for their screens
5. Building the case — CNC or freehand?
6. Yank the cord, install the batteries

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 574 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (February 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764578065
• ISBN-13: 978-0764578069
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #384,200 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hacking systems? This is a must own!, August 23, 2005

By	Jared M. Wolpert (Oxford, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is simply incredible! If you have ever wondered what to do with your old systems that are around your house, this book provides the answer.

The book is extremly easy to follow, ever for people like me who have never soldered anything in my life. The book describes step by step how to take apart a screen from either a portable tv or a portable PSOne screen. He also gives two different portable ideas for each of the four different systems featured in the book (PSOne, Atari 2600 - 4 switch, NES, and SNES Mini).

Just by showing how to take apart the units and describing what is being done, this book opens up posibilities for making any system you own portable (Check his website for proof).

The only complaints that I have about this book is that there are a couple of misprints for some diagrams. All of this is fixed in erratas on his site. Other than that, I wished he would have shown more systems and how to make them portable.

I just couldn't get enough! And I bet you'll love it as well!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, Great Augmentation to the Website!, February 22, 2005

By	James R. Davis "comp_wizard306" (MI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been following Ben for almost 2 years now since I found his website for the original PSp (PlayStation Portable). The humor on his site is great and he did an excellent job of carrying over his writing style for the new book. It's a good light read, and doesn't require a whole lot of previous knowledge. Specifically in the department of understanding electronics. I can personally recommend this book if you love tinkering with electronics or if you actually plan on building one of these portables, it's clear and the pictures corresponded amazingly well to the descriptions. Great Book, Great Work.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tinkerers rejoice!, May 8, 2007

By	Terrance Lackie "Terrance" (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book surpassed my expectations. If you are a tinkerer this book will be great for you...if you also like retro-gaming, this book becomes a must have. He is so thorough in his descriptions of the projects, that even if you aren't already handy with electronics you will have no problem completing these projects. I also liked the fact that for each project he has two versions: one full-scale project; and one that can be accomplished without any expensive tools. Highly recommended!