The SNES would make a huge but excellent handheld device

The Nintendo Switch might be out today, but given Nintendo’s track record of stocking consoles, it might be difficult to get your hands on a system if you didn’t preorder. And when you do get it, only a handful of games are available. So why rush to get a new device with a limited library when you can reinvent the wheel while Nintendo works its new product out?

At least, that’s what appears to be the case with this guy who hacked his Super NES (or a Super Famicom, as they’re known in Japan) into one giant, portable console. I’m using the word portable liberally, as this thing looks massive compared to most handheld gaming devices nowadays. The intrepid gamer added a full color screen where the cartridge slot would be, and moved that slot to the back of the system. It’s also got speakers built in with a volume knob on the back, and a full controller embedded at the bottom of the console. Literally: the whole controller is stuck in there.

Lots of tinkerers have hacked their old Nintendo consoles in many creative ways, but this is definitely one of the more outlandish. The whole controller is stuck in the console. I can’t get over it. This reimagined SNES likely weighs a ton and probably needs a lot of battery power to last a good session of Final Fantasy V. But I can’t say I’m not impressed.

The article was published on : theverge