Objective:

Turn a Nintendo 64 into a fully portable, handheld game console.

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Skills and Tools Used:

• Circuit Design

• Soldering

• Bondo Sculpting

• Relentless Sanding

• System Architecture Design

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Notable Features:

• 2 internal rechargeable batteries 

• 12V barrel jack for charging input

• 3mm audio out

• 5" Display with integrated brightness and volume control

• Cartridge slot relocated to device backside

• N64 controller directly integrated into enclosure

• Standard N64 A/V out

• Onboard speakers

• Fully functional player 1-4 controller ports

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Details:

Here's a project I did back in 2012, before I ever had access to CAD software, a 3D printer, or any real selection of tools. Having yearned for the days of games in large plastic cartridges, I set out to build a completely self contained, portable N64. It is without the ugliest thing I have ever created, but it functioned fully as intended. Well, it did function until my lack of heat transfer education led to its demise. Cut me some slack, I was 15.

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I learned a lot from this project. How to solder. How to integrate multiple hacked-together PCBs. How to bondo and sand your way to a smooth transition between plastic parts. How to be meticulous. And it only cost me 3 N64s and a few dozen hours of re-soldering bad connections.

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Best of all, this project was a great exercise in identifying what I knew I didn't know, and how to play to my strengths. I knew designing my own battery protection and charging circuitry wasn't realistic with what I had access to, so instead I found ways to integrate cheap camera batteries from ebay with these circuits pre installed. I didn't have a CNC mill to cut a new, clean enclosure, so I hacked together other pieces of plastic with a dremel to frankenstein something that would work. I credit the Modretro forums for being my main source of guidance and inspiration for this work.