Years from now, when someone pulls an old New 3DS XL from a drawer and connects it to this handcrafted Switch-style dock, it will feel like going back in time. The system slides down with a satisfying click, its screen blazing onto the TV in crystal-clear, high-definition HDMI, and a Switch Pro controller springs to life in your hands.
Pokémon has always been about using your imagination rather than becoming entirely immersed. Those old-school Game Boy sprites, with their blocky graphics, didn’t require fancy ray-traced reflections to make you feel like the 10 year old ruler of the Pokémon universe, catching them all. Then there’s NIONX, a French YouTuber who has no prior expertise with 3D modeling or Unreal Engine 5, but has now released an amazing HD-2D reconstruction of the Kanto area that looks exactly like the remake we’ve all been waiting for.
Japan has always been the place where Nintendo’s wildest ideas come to life. In 2007, one developer took it to the next level by creating a device that transformed your entire DS into a desktop mouse. The “Slide Controller” was an official product, albeit a quite wacky one, that came exclusively with “Slide Adventure: MagKid.” This device plugs into the DS’s bottom GBA slot and features a bright red LED sensor.
RwanLink’s latest labor of love is a real treat for fans of some of gaming’s most iconic hideouts. The Gerudo Fortress from Ocarina of Time gets a fresh reboot, built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5. Over the course of three months this lone creator poured their heart and soul into bringing it to life, paying homage to the original while slapping on a shiny new coat of visual polish.
On July 30, 1987, Bandai launched Karaoke Studio in Japan, making it the first of its kind and a genuine pioneer in the area of karaoke games. TOSE manufactured and published this Nintendo Famicom bundle, which included much more than just a cartridge. It came with an additional piece of hardware, a large device that slips directly into your Famicom’s cartridge bay, as well as a special grey microphone that plugs right in. Guinness World Records has even labeled it the first karaoke video game, and it’s easy to understand why, with its super-accurate voice detection system and very excellent song collection.
Gustavo Bonzanini has made a name for himself turning everyday shoes into wearable art. His latest project takes the classic Nike Air Max 90s and rebuilds them around the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released to celebrate the console’s 35th anniversary, these sneakers do more than just nod to the past. They play actual games from that era, right from your feet. Bonzanini calls them AIR SNES, a pair that combines the comfort of a classic running shoe with the thrill of 16-bit adventures.
Substance Labs’ started the BrickBoy project with the aim of getting the official LEGO Game Boy set to actually play some games. That’s exactly what the basic kit delivers, with a tiny circuit board, a Raspberry Pi Zero to boot and a few ports to play original cartridges or the emulated versions. With over €500,000 pouring in from Kickstarter backers, along came the Arcade Edition: a rather snazzy €89 add-on that essentially turns the whole lot into a miniature arcade cabinet.
AYANEO recently provided a hands-on look at their upcoming Pocket VERT in a lengthy 90-minute demonstration. They’re pitching this vertical handheld as the pinnacle of their range, and it’s easy to understand why: it has the DNA of the original Game Boy, but with the tech you’d expect from a modern device.
Analogue 3D shipments have finally begun, and Tito of Macho Nacho Productions has already received a review unit. His early peek at this FPGA replica of the Nintendo 64 reveals a device for all those old cartridges in your cupboard. For $250, it will dust them up and project them onto your 4K screen, complete with enhancements that honor the past without changing history.
In the massive hallways of the Louvre Museum, a small device hangs from necks of visitors like a lost relic. This is a limited edition Nintendo 3DS XL that has been redesigned exclusively to guide visitors through centuries of art and history using spoken words as well as illuminating graphics. Nintendo made only 5,000 of these handhelds, and donated them to the museum in 2020.