Nintendo Hacks

616 Articles

Cythbot, Pneumatic Guitar Hero

November 22, 2008 by 7 Comments

cythbot

Here’s yet another robot hoping to dominate the human race through the power of ROCK. Cythbot was built to demonstrate Cyth Systems machine vision systems. The device uses a camera to watch the Guitar Hero monitor and identify notes for button presses. The strum bar is then triggered after a delay. The notes are identified solely by pixel intensity since star power can cause them to change shape and color. All button presses are done using pneumatics. The whole system is self-contained and doesn’t require a separate computer for processing. Our favorite part is that the controller remains completely unmodified and the industrial light tree used to indicate notes. The team says that the pneumatics aren’t quite fast enough to hit 100%, unlike some humans. Video of the bot in action after the break. Continue reading “Cythbot, Pneumatic Guitar Hero” →

Johnny Lee’s Favorite Wiimote Projects

November 21, 2008 by 4 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txtl51YDMYw&fmt=18]

There is no doubt that [Johnny Lee] is the authority on Wiimote based projects. So, when he compiles a list of his favorite Wiimote projects, we definitely pay attention. He’s organized the list as a progression of the unusual. By the time you get to ‘Chicken Head Tracking‘ at the bottom, you’ll be adequately prepared. You’re bound to get some inspiration from the list even it’s building a pigeon guided missile.

Wii64: A Nintendo 64 Stuffed Into A Wii

November 21, 2008 by 16 Comments

wii64

File this one under “stuff that doesn’t make sense”. Someone put a Nintendo 64 into a Wii. Yes, we know you can download those games with virtual console. Maybe they did it just to look cool. Maybe a Wii case just happened to be laying there when they got some Nintendo 64 guts. Whatever the reason, it is for sale on Ebay.

[via DVICE]

GameBoy Color In A TI-83

November 18, 2008 by 16 Comments

gb_ti

[Mark] had a broken TI-83 graphing calculator and an overwhelming urge to play Pokemon in math class. The solution to his predicament, obviously, is to hack a GameBoy color into the body of his TI-83. He gutted the calculator and connected the front buttons to the contacts on the GameBoy. After some cramming and taping bits together, he got it all working. Now he just needs to find a way to make the cartridge a little bit less conspicuous.

[via Make]

LED Crazy DS

November 17, 2008 by 16 Comments

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Adding LEDs makes everything better. Watch this video as a regular old DS gets turned into one of the most awesome things on the planet. A ton of LEDs were added, some to the body, some to an extra cartridge, some behind buttons. Parts are wired into the speakers, so you get nice effects to your music. We’ll bet the battery life suffers, but who cares. This thing is worth it. This was originally taken from Nico Nico Douga, which overlays the comments on the video.

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Wiimote Trackball Mod

November 12, 2008 by 2 Comments

wiimote

Hot on the heels of their recent rapid-fire mod, the creative minds at AcidMods have turned out yet another useful hack for for the Wii controller. This time around, they’ve replaced the peripheral’s “A” button with a clickable trackball, allowing the player to quickly navigate menus without readjusting their hold on the Wiimote. With a flair akin to that displayed in their earlier projects, the team even took the time to add LEDs to the track ball internals. Check out the videos of the mod in action after the break.

[thanks mark]

Continue reading “Wiimote Trackball Mod” →

Nintendo DSi Teardown

November 8, 2008 by 16 Comments

dsi_teardown

[bunnie] managed to pick up a Nintendo DSi while in Japan. It seems he had the device running less than an hour before he tore it down for an impromptu hotel photoshoot. There’s nothing too surprising and he mentions that the CPU certainly feels more capable than the previous model, which may explain the shorter battery life. The ARM processor sits under an RF shield directly below the WiFi card. The best photo is the top side of the board with every single debug point labeled in plain English on the silkscreen. We’re sure that’ll help with the development of new homebrew hardware.

[bunnie] has posted some interesting teardowns in the past. Have a look at his Sony XEL-1 teardown to see the inner workings of an OLED TV.