Nintendo released the Switch portable/console hybrid today, and it’s sold out at pretty much every retailer you can imagine. That’s great, and I look forward to seeing how well it is supported (or not) for the months and years ahead, but there’s no denying that Nintendo’s old systems are really the cream of the crop. The Super Nintendo was never meant to be a portable, but one intrepid modder has done the seemingly impossible and turned his console — which is, for the record, a Super Famicom — into a portable system which should elicit equal amounts of joy and horror.
The system, which was spotted by RocketNews24 via Twitter, is a full-sized Famicom console with a built-in controller, LCD display, and custom cartridge slot. Yes, it’s a hulking beast that won’t fit in your pocket and would probably be a challenge to even cram into most purses or handbags, but it’s absolutely awesome.
友達がスーファミ改造して持ち運び式にしたらしいで見せに来た pic.twitter.com/yv4PmVdZ3q
— むらぺこ(村瀬) (@huxarufaxara) February 28, 2017
The newly converted handheld uses a full-sized Famicom controller, which has been embedded right into the front of the console, and the shoulder buttons have been rerouted to a pair of much smaller buttons on the sides of the system. There’s even a pair of built-in speakers, and because it’s the full original Famicom it uses the original game cartridges instead of pesky digital files.
It’s not immediately clear from the video or accompanying report whether or not the system runs on battery power or still needs to be plugged into a wall outlet in order to function. If it’s a fully portable system mod with rechargeable power source, it’s hard to declare this massive chunk of retro gaming anything other than a marvel.
