Retro All-In-One Gaming Console

Do you love your NES? How about your SNES, Gameboy, Sega Genesis, or the N64?

Why not combine all of these systems into one fluid system all encased in the beloved box known as the Nintendo Entertainment System? Well, I am going to show you how to combine all of your favorite games into one console, while still maintaining the classic look of the NES. The final result is a customized M.A.M.E. machine encased in a NES console case, with some special modifications to create the console experience that is simple enough for a child to operate, but comprehensive enough to include virually any system that can be emulated.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Below is a list of items you will need in order to complete the project. Most can be picked up on Amazon.com or Newegg.com, with a few exceptions.

1x Nintendo Entertainment System (Doesn't need to function, just a nice case will do) ($20 @ Ebay)
1x ZOTAC IONITX-T-U Intel Atom D525 (1.8GHz, Dual-Core) Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo ($200 @ NewEgg)
1x Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe MKNSSDCL40GB-DX 2.5" 40GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($80 @ NewEgg)
2x Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Laptop Memory Model KVR1333D3S9/2G ($32 @ NewEgg)
2x NES/SNES RetroKit ($17 @ RetroUSB)
1x Computer Case Power Button and Reset Button (Salvaged off Old PC)
2x Nes Controllers (Ebay)
2x SNES Controllers (Ebay)
2x NES Controller Extention Cords (Amazon)
2x SNES Controller Extention Cords (Amazon)
1x HDMI Cable (Amazon)
1x Sheet of 1/8" Plexiglass (Menards)
1x Small sheet of metal roughly 3"x 6" (Menards)
4x Nylon Spacers (Menards)
4x Small bolts with Nuts to affix motherboard to plexiglass (Salvaged from odd items)
1x Zip Tie (Menards)
1x Self powered USB Hub ($5)
1x Generic USB Keyboard ($5)
1x 4-port USB A Female Low Profile Slot Plate Adapter (Salvaged from old computer)
2x Momentary Push Buttons (Salvaged)
1x CPU Fan (Salvaged)
1x Copy of Windows XP (I used 32-bit, but 64-bit would be prefered)

Tools List
- Dremel Cutting Tool (or another cutting tool that you have available)
- Hot Glue Gun with Glue
- Multimeter
- Soldering Iron & Solder
- Drill
- Screwdrivers
- A mouse and another Keyboard for settings
- External CD-Drive (to setup Windows)
- USB Thumb Drive (to transfer files to the system)
- Internet Access

Software
- Windows XP (Also listed in Materials List)
- XPadder
- Hyperspin 1.0
- EmuMovies Videos
- Various Emulators
- Game Images (Like Homebrew Games)
- (Optional) A Program to assist you shell Hyperspin

Comments

[leflower]

Thanks for the swift reply! I was worried I had to wait a while for a response, if any, with an old post like this. I'm not too savvy with this stuff, but I do understand it. So, thank you for the information! I really wanna build this.

Cheers

[leflower]

Had to make an account just to ask this, but the motherboard has been discontinued on Newegg and cannot seem to find the same one anywhere else. Any ideas or substitutions that would not make my life difficult when spending the money and building this?

[Beave2012]

Actually you can get any mini itx form factor motherboard. Just get a combo one with processor and video onboard. Then choose you other options. I just looked and found a few with hdmi out for $75. However, if you want to keep from having to get a pico power supply make sure your motherboard combo has a power supply built in. That is the hard part, but a pico PSU is nice.

The other option is the raspberry pi, just need different software. It's cheep but not as nice looking.

[jimmytvf]

i did just that with a sega mega drive two years ago, and i won a prize in the Euskal convention in Spain. The space inside a Mega was almost impossible to do, a NES is a little more bigger, and you can put the stuff inside more easily. Anyway, good ible! i have to do an ible to the mega, but i never remember to upload all the pics

[PlutoPirate]

awesome!

[jazzyman08]

How much does this wind up costing you?

[Beave2012]

I put most of the prices on the material list. However, it ran around $400 US. It could be done for less, i just wanted to give it WiFi and hdmi out. The Solid state drive also added a bunch.

[qquuiinn]

Try the Raspberry Pi, it is only $25, the size of a credit card, never overheats, and has plenty of power to run pretty much and emulater

[Beave2012]

Took the advise and we should see my new project with the raspberry pi soon. Got to learn python and linux in the process...

[Beave2012]

So much hype around the Raspberry Pi recently actually got me to order one. Unfortunately I am on the 3 month waiting period for one to ship. I have already gotten some ideas for it though. I was thinking of upgrading either my old gameboy to an NES/GBA system or my old gamegear to a Genesis portable system. A Rasp. Pi ($25) along with a automotive backup video monitor (about 20 bucks) could get a fairly nice portable system running for under 100 bucks. Thanks for the comment.

[mcgavinz26]

Check out the Nintendo's I made into PC's:
http://www.speedlimit88.com/indoors/snes/

[Beave2012]

Not too shabby. Great case mod. It also seems you ran into the same issue i did, cost effectiveness, thus why mine is a personal toy as a console system. It has a very specific target audience. My new project should run very cheap using a raspberry pi. Of course, as you know, sometimes it's all about the build rather than the final product.

[syates3]

I looked into the board you had listed here and I just wondered why so expensive, I looked at newegg and found some micro ITX boards for under 50 dollars with everything including processor, nothing fancy mind you and ram still required but it made me wonder looking at the machine you have built here it really makes me want to build my own but only as a novelty to have ALL NES games on it.

[Beave2012]

That was a modification from the original plan. Originally I planned to start XBMC from hyprspin to stream netflix and turn it into a media pc as well. The board had dual antenna wifi,power supply as well so it fit well. You could always go inexpensive and get a pico psu for power supply. The reason i moved on from the original plan was accessing the internet with it cause a lot of issues. Primarily the need for anti-virus clogging up the speed of the system and always having to need updates to download and install. It became too distracting from the primary purpose. Focusing on cheeper boards is definately possible, finding one with a built in PSU is hard though, so you may need a PICO PSU to fit it into the system. If you do go cheep, find one with a yellow video out and try and use all the old outputs on the case so you retain the same NES look all around. Good luck with the build.

[poofrabbit]

Hey congratulations on being a finalist in the hack it contest! Good luck to you!

[sonicdude10]

I had a laptop with the same CPU/ GPU combo. It didn't fare to well...
Just saying be careful with that setup. Saturn emulation pulls a lot of CPU power and that CPU has been known to die under loads. Perhaps a bit of overclocking can help. My laptop with that setup when I still had it was able to go from 1.8 to 2.3 GHz overclock on CPU and up to 700 MHz on the ION GPU. That may help to make the system last longer. Bumping the speeds up to reduce the workload.

[Beave2012]

The reason I added that top fan was to prevent burnout. Most laptops run a bit on the warm side, and thats about the temp it was running prior to the fan installation. So even though its a "fanless" system the fan brought it down from around 90 degrees C to about 33-34 degrees C. Even pulling in my saturn emulation. In addition I dont have any background programs really running because the O/S was gutted for the simple necessities to provide great boot time.

I do notice some blocky parts in the Saturn emulation though, so the overclocking might be a good way to boost the performance. Unfortunately I have never overclocked a CPU or GPU so if I do that I may have to do some homework on it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[sonicdude10]

Feel free to contact me further if you need help with that. I know how to do it on both CPU and GPU.

[ricardouvina]

Nice job! I am trying to do the same but with a Nintendo 64 and an Intel DN2800MT motherboard.

[Beave2012]

I just looked at your board. Its a nice, thin, and powerful. Im wondering if you would have the room in it to wire in your connections without cutting the outside of the N64 case. Also the top loading cart would be a nice place for "accessories." Like making it a USB slot and build either a USB hub into a dead cart. Good luck with the design and make sure to send us an instructable.

[zyh12398]

good

[Z0M8I3]

Voted, Wonderful job!

[fenster1138]

After looking at some the raspberry pi stuff, I would think you could do the same with it and you would have a ton of room to play with in there. Otherwise I love the concept.

[Beave2012]

Fantastic idea for actually using it as a Gameboy encasement. I really liked the hyperspin front end however and love previewing the games via the videos. I also have not had much experience with linux, even through tinkering. I actually have a Psychology degree and have no professional training, just pure tinkering. I do think the Rasberry Pi put into an original gameboy with a linux based front end would be a fantastic idea though. One downside I could see however is that it couldn't handle a Sega Saturn Emulator, so I couldn't play the translated versions of Shining Force 3 Episodes 1-3. (One of my own personal reasons for going the distance on this project)

[BigBadgers2001]

This is truly awesome and would make a fantastic addition to anybody's man cave. I want one. Great instructable too.

[Beave2012]

Thanks, it took nearly 7 months as a hobby and it was also my first experience soldering. So I think it turned out well.