Before Mario Blog

I have known for a long time that Nintendo's company roots went back over a hundred years and that before video games they made playing cards.  That was until a buddy of mine introduced me to the awesome blog, Before Mario.  I found this blog to be so informative, so essential that I have given it permanent presence under the "Other Sites that Rock," section which appears on the far right.  You would be doing yourself a great injustice if you didn't the see the amazing and sometimes wacky things they manufactured.
-kaokensho

NES Micro

Throw away your DS, PSP and even the micro. Here´s the coolest portable console ever, the NES micro!. A guy with a lot of free time named Ben Heckerndorm has built this portable NES system.  Ok, maybe it´s not that portable and you will need some extra space for the cartridges but it is the coolest NES mod I've seen in a while.

Check out the full picture gallery and an explanation of how he built it at his website.-kaokensho

Bluetooth Meets a Classic NES Controller

I found this great idea on a fellow blog Kamalot that was posted in 2005.  While Bluetooth headsets are more prevalent and smaller now in 2011, this project would have been trickier with older hardware.  Come to think of I have an older yet functioning Bluetooth headset and some extra controllers. Huh.

The controller itself is an actual NES controller. The plus-pad has been hollowed out and houses a speaker to listen to conversations. Creating the NES Bluetooth Handset took around 4 hours of dremmeling, soldering and cursing. I could probably do it again in less time now that I know how things work. The end result is sturdy and light but you don’t want to see the inside of this beast, it is a monster in there.A discreet little hole next to the ‘A’ button allows sound to travel to the internal microphone.  Here’s where it gets good.
Pressing the ‘A’ button raises the volume while pressing the ‘B’ button lowers the volume. The ‘Start’ button is the main action button and is used to pick up calls, hang up calls, pair the handset and turn it on/off. I actually kept the internal button connectors, and hooked them up to the Bluetooth device.  A small port on the side of the controller is used to charge the internal battery. The Bluetooth handset has a talk time of 4 hours and a standby time of several days. The quality is quite good.
Here’s how it works with cell phones:
• Keep the NES Bluetooth Handset in your pocket.
• Keep you Bluetooth phone in your bag or backpack.
• When a call comes in, press ‘Start’ on the NES Bluetooth Handset.
• Talk.
• When done, press ‘Start’ again to end the call.
Here’s how it works with Skype:
• Keep the NES Bluetooth Handset on your desk.
• When a call comes in on your Bluetooth-enabled PC, press ‘Start’ on the NES Bluetooth Handset.
• Talk.
• When done, press ‘Start’ again to end the call.
Creating the NES Bluetooth Handset took around 4 hours of dremmeling, soldering and cursing. I could probably do it again in less time now that I know how things work. The end result is sturdy and light but you don’t want to see the inside of this beast, it is a monster in there.

-kaokensho