Cutting down the SNES

Progress continues...Most of my parts have arrived, and I got an old broken NES that I will cut down (the one I drew all over is my brothers and since it is actually working I didn't want to cut it up). The aluminum panel came today and all my switches and connectors arrived Saturday.

I ran into some trouble on the Retro Duo with the NES cart slot not working well (it doesn't release cartridges well and it looks like some pins are bad). As a result I decided to separate the SNES board and focus on that for now. I may end up getting another NES component so the two are completely separate. There are a few manufacturers that make a NES on a single chip and they are relatively cheap. This will also simplify the switches and power source.

So I pulled off the bottom connector to the NES board which is not needed for the SNES function, I then wired in the A/V out and 5V in direct to the SNES board. In addition I removed the switch and wired it to always on (I will control the power from the source) and bypassed the reset switch.

This also cuts the board down very small, I think next I will set the SNES aside and start some work on the N64, once I get the power and A/V off of the N64 I will try mounting both to the Aluminum panel I picked up.

The NES board has been removed with the A/V and Power directly connected to the SNES board (thank you Retro Duo for labeling the board). In the lower left corner where I hardwired the switch to have the SNES always on and bypass the reset.

I was happy to see that everything still worked after tearing the whole thing apart. The Retro Duo is surprisingly sturdy.

--Dan

The Carnage Begins

Well, I have gathered my major components and started tearing down the consoles. I have found that the motherboards of the N64 and Retro Duo are quite small and should fit well. I have also ordered some smaller parts. A few original NES power/reset switch assemblies that I will relabel as power buttons for each console, I think I will just have one reset switch hooked up to all of them though, and at 20 cents a piece I had to get 10 of them (you know, i could accidentally break one and need a spare....or find other stuff that needs retro Nintendo push buttons). I also ordered a 12"x24" sheet of 1/16" aluminum panel that I will cut into the mounting board for the cartridge based systems so they are completely separate from the Wii...hopefully this will also act as a bit of a heat shield.

Here are some pictures of the motherboards, I think the next step will be to rewire the switches.


Here is the Retro Duo board. Controller ports look like they will be easily extend-able since they are not attached to the board directly I just need to extend the cables. The power switch (upper right) and the reset switch (just south of that) will need to be moved, I think I will also pull the A/V out so I can consolidate them with the N64.

I was surprised how small this was. The PCB is only 6.5" wide. I will have heat sinks attached to those chips though since they put off a good amount of heat.

--Dan

PARTS GET!!!

Alright, the project is beginning to take shape. I have acquired many of the necessary parts and will begin disassembly shortly. I have been hunting for a project enclosure large enough to house everything but haven't found one yet. I then got an idea, what If I could get all of this stuff to fit into the original NES chassis (the one that looks like a toaster). After taking a few measurements I believe this will be possible, however will result in some plan modifications. On the bright side it will make the whole design a bit prettier and a heap of alot retro-er. Unfortunately this will require me to house the wall wart's (power brick's, AC Adapters...whatever you would like to call them) outside of the enclosure so I will not be able to have a single power source. I should be able to still have a consolidated A/V output though, but I may keep the Wii separate anyway for the Component out.

--Dan

Here are some pictures from the project now:

My son is pretty excited about "It'sa Mee, Mario" which is what he calls Mario64. In the background is the game collection with the three systems that will be crammed into a toaster.

The original NES in all it's glory! I have marked the location of the cartridge slots. I will have to have the original hatch glued shut.

From the Side, the four N64 controller ports on the top, just below them in the middle will be the SNES port's, and the Wii will be housed in the bottom (I will probably have to extend it a 1/2 inch).

New Project: Consolidated Nintendo Legacy Hardware

Dear Readers (I believe there are three of you),

I originally started this blog to provide unsolicited advice to the general public. Well, I got bored of that so now I think I will use this space for a Project Blog, until I get bored or finish the project and re-allocate the blogspace for something else.

So here's my project:
I plan on building a consolidated Video Game console for legacy Nintendo hardware (yes, I did just use the word "Legacy" in relation to video games...deal with it).

Here's the vision: A single hardware chassis that includes a NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, and Wii. It will have a single power source and a single A/V output with cartridge slots for each of the older systems and controller ports as well.
You might tell me; "But Dan, why not just download the games to the Wii virtual console and save yourself some time and soldering burns?" Well dear reader...as Nintendo Co. LTD would tell you, I have already done so and have invested a small fortune on said downloads...but I want something more. I would like something I can plug those original cartridges and controllers in and play the games as they were designed, not on some fancy new wireless controller with buttons that are too small.

So here is my preliminary major components list:
-Retro Duo (for both NES and SNES)
-N64
-Wii (includes full Gamecube compatibility)

I will begin tearing down the hardware and should have some pictures once the carnage begins. In the meantime I am taking suggestions for a cool name for my project, something that will invoke feelings of fear and awe in the hearts of nerds everywhere.

--Dan