Filed under: Mods

No charger required for the solar-powered DS 'Light'


If you're an environmentally conscious DS Lite owner with a proclivity for modding, you may want to check out a recent Instructable that shows how to craft a solar-powered DS "Light" using relatively inexpensive components. By attaching solar panels to the top and bottom of the system, you can get a sun-fueled trickle-charge which should keep you from ever needing to plug in your Gore-approved handheld ever again.

Unfortunately, you have to leave your system lying on its easily blemished belly for a bit in order to get an adequate amount of power, but such is the cost of Earth's climatological salvation.

[Via Engadget]

Make a tiny working Wiimote, in seven ridiculously difficult steps

If there's one complaint we hear about the Wii more than any other, it's that the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are just too big for most hands. Seriously, who does Nintendo think they're marketing these things for? It's nearly impossible to stretch our average-size hands around the vast expanses of white plastic.

If you are one of the millions whose Wii experience is ruined by the comically oversized controllers, we encourage you to seek a solution in DHRECK's "Mini-mote" mod, which uses custom shells to shrink down the controllers to fun size. It's more attractive, more useful, and less likely to attract stray Woody Harrelsons than his previous "Hemp-Mote" mod, at least!

The extremely detailed guide to taking apart and rebuilding the Wiimote and Nunchuk is intended to help people get started with their own projects. The "Mini-mote" and associated Nunchuk are just a tiny proof of concept.

[Via Kotaku]

Wooden labyrinth made cooler and more frustrating with Balance Board controls


Some geniuses from Kansas City's "Cowtown Computer Congress", with the help of an Arduino microcontroller and copious amounts of SCIENCE, have added Balance Board controls to a wooden labyrinth toy. Leaning on the board controls the servos attached to the game's two dials, causing the game to tilt in response to the board. It's like The Incredible Maze, but actually incredible! It can also be controlled with an Xbox 360 controller, though that lacks the representative motion element.

The whole thing cost about $60 in parts, not including the Balance Board. Of course, that's if you don't already have a couple of servos and an Arduino lying about, which, if you're electronics-savvy enough to carry this out, you probably do.


[Via Engadget]

Game Boy Pocket mod lets the games continue after dark


Michael "Bibin" Moffitt had a dream. He imagined a world where a man could enjoy Tetris on his Game Boy Pocket in a dark room, without the need for odd peripheral add-on devices or, uh, a lamp. As you can see above, Michael decided to mod his Game Boy Pocket with a backlit screen.

It's not the most impressive mod in the world, but we have to give the man credit where it's due. He set his mind to something, and he did it. Almost makes us want to get back to that stamp collection we've neglected for years.


[Via Engadget]

Nintendo Vaio Lite, for people who want to match


Apple users have long gloated that Nintendo's sleek new form factor with the DS looked great alongside their Apple products, but it looks like the DS can be made to fall in with other products, too. BenHeck.com forumite goteking produced this awesome Vaio-branded DS Lite by setting the logo into a replacement shell. The result looks pretty nice next to his laptop.



[Via BenHeck.com forums]

Continue readingNintendo Vaio Lite, for people who want to match

Nintendo Sixtyfree Lite-R might be the perfect handheld


Okay, maybe it's not the perfect handheld, but it's an incredible piece of craftsmanship, wouldn't you say? It was created by user SifUf over at the Ben Heck forums. Considering how many of these kinds of projects we've seen lately, we're kind of tempted to do this to our own N64 that is sitting in a box somewhere gathering dust. Of course, we never actually would, because we'd hate to bring the fire department out this way again.

Gallery: Retro Mods

Ben Heck's NEStari is virtually a Virtual ConsoleA portable SNES we wouldn't mind getting our hands onThe amazing glowing GC port modWhat do you get when you combine a NES and PS2?Bring back that loving feeling

[Via Engadget]

Realistic Zapper mod is impressive, also sort of scary


Say hello to your new little friend, the "WeeP 5 Advanced Zapper," a mash-up of a toy MP5 gun and Wiimote innards (you can see the painted IR sensor just below the muzzle). The WeeP 5 is the work of Instructables user THeOReos, who was left disappointed by the range of gun shells available for the Wii (WHAAAT?!). It's just the ticket if you want your Zapper-compatible games to feel extra authentic, and we'd rather enjoy using it to drop bad dudes in Ghost Squad (though it may not suit Link's Crossbow Training).

THeOReos is confident this works well, and has posted a full step-by-step of the building process here. We lack the patience or skillz to make our own, but don't let that put you off building one and sending it to us!


[Via Hack A Day]

Star Wars: The Wii Mod Unleashed


We just had a thought: with Wii supplies potentially catching up with demand, we may see a Wii modding boom. After all, there's slightly less danger to modding a Wii if it is possible to find another one -- and some people may not have been able to find even one Wii to accidentally gouge or splatter.

This Star Wars mod adds fiber-optic stars, a plexiglass logo and a hand-painted space combat scene to an aftermarket black Wii case -- with, of course, the standard slot light alteration. As a certain Star Wars character might say, "GRRRRAAARRRGGGHHHHH!" (That's the Chewbacca noise, which we've never tried to transcribe before.)

If you somehow still love Star Wars after all it's been through, you can follow modder BeerBellyJoe's Instructable, or just buy the thing on eBay, with 15% of the purchase price going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It even includes a copy of The Force Unleashed! BeerBellyJoe is also responsible for a totally great Mario mod from earlier this year, as well as the must-see Hulk system.


[Via GoNintendo]

Homemade Balance Board -- with more board


Sure, the Wii Balance Board is great, but you can't stomp on it. Also, it doesn't look nearly enough like a big piece of plywood. That's where the "Swiitboard" comes in. This "homebrewed" Balance Board alternative couldn't be simpler: it's a board, on some foam, with a Wiimote cable-tied to it.

But the real draw of this project, besides the availability of its parts in stores, is that you can actually run on the thing. Creator "frits" developed this for higher-impact exercise than the Wiimote allows, along with some custom software that tracks the motions of the tied-on Wiimote.

See also: Wii Fanboy Interview: Johnny Lee, Revolutionary: Balance Boarder


[Via Engadget]

Mod turns GameCube controller into a Classic Controller


This may not be the most groundbreaking mod around, but it's one that would allow you to play things like Mega Man 9 with your GameCube controller. Created by Marcan42, the above mod uses a special adapter which plugs into the Wiimote just like a Classic Controller, allowing him to trick the system into thinking the GameCube controller is a Classic Controller. Check out the video above to watch the mod being used with Mario Kart Wii.


[Via Go Nintendo]

Punish your wallet with this NES mod


While we're not the biggest Punisher fans in the world, we'll give credit where credit is due; this NES mod is very nice. With the LED lights and the slick, glossy paint job, we're finding ourselves a bit jealous of the individual who's soon to have this beaut. Of course, when we think about how much the inevitable winner of the eBay auction is going to have to shell out to win this bad boy, it helps.

Hit up the video above then check out the gallery below for screens of the NES from almost every angle.


[Thanks, Val!]

Some guy put a Nintendo 64 in his Wii


Why? NOBODY KNOWS. Maybe he desperately misses the days of blowing in slots. Whatever reasons he had, this is now up on eBay, with bidding starting at $49.99. The auction notes that the mod is "100% working!" (uh ... good?) and that the Wii's blue lights still illuminate when it's switched on, which we have to admit is kind of neat. Also, the seller calls it a "Wii64." Hmm. See more of this peculiar beast past the break, and more illustrious Wii mods here.

Continue readingSome guy put a Nintendo 64 in his Wii

Portable SNES vs. portable SNES


Earlier this year, we featured one of the above SNES mods (the one on the right), and now, one of our favorite modders has thrown his hat into the portable SNES ring. The SNES on the left, by kotomi, is the latest in a long line of great-looking mods featured on his site.

But unless you're some sort of ambidextrous, giant-handed mutant freak, you probably can't play two of these at once, and that means you have to choose. Which one do you prefer: kotomi's, or, uh, the other guy's? Unfortunately, we don't know his/her name, though we wish we did!

Which portable SNES do you prefer?

Revolutionary: Gun Sights

Zombies. It seems like you can't stroll through a secluded eastern European village, tour a bioengineering facility, or attend a Kenny G concert without coming into contact with their kind. "Brains" this and "moan" that is all you ever hear from them, but chances are you've smelled them long before they come into earshot. I, for one, am sick of 'em and if you feel as strongly as I do, I urge you to take up arms.

It's amusing to take them apart piece by piece, but as they shamble ever closer, you'll ultimately have to spread a little gray matter and put them to bed for a final dirt nap. At times like that, you'll need to know that you can rely on your sidearm to do the job. Zombie killin' is no turkey shoot, so a blunderbuss ain't gonna cut it. In this week's Revolutionary, we'll be testing out how straight a shooter the Wii Remote can be.

Continue readingRevolutionary: Gun Sights

Rapid fire mod creates a Wiimote of mass destruction [update]


AcidMods posted this amazing video demonstrating a hack that allows rapid fire of either the Wiimote's A or B button. They're selling the required parts in their shop for $10, and promise a tutorial soon. According to the forum post announcing the mod, "out of all our kits this is [by far the] simplest.."

Following the installation, turning on the turbo function is as simple as hitting a switch next to the sync button. They've even thought to put an LED under the A button as an indicator -- a touch of class.

Yes, rapid fire is cheating, but doesn't it look like fun to mow down zombies like that in The House of the Dead 3? Now that we can mod our controllers, we won't have to mod our fingers.

[Update: the video has been removed from Vimeo, but split into two and uploaded to YouTube. Hit the break for the hardware introduction!]

Continue readingRapid fire mod creates a Wiimote of mass destruction [update]

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