Details have been released on how to hack the Nintendo Game & Watch console, released in late 2020 as a modern update to 1980s LCD handhelds.
At this stage the hack requires some specialist equipment (which you may or may not be comfortable with) and in fairness it is still early days. The level and stability of the hack means it is more suited to specialists and developers rather than for daily use – for now.
Capable of running NES and Game Boy emulators, and even Doom, the Nintendo Game & Watch hack was reported in mid-November, literally hours after the device when on general release. Intended to play hi-res updates of classic Super Mario titles, the pocket handheld can now potentially run a whole era of classic games and homebrew titles.
Of course, the question is, should you? After all, a whole host of dedicated multiplatform retro gaming handhelds already exist. Do we need one that has been created by accident, as it were? Or do the Nintendo Game & Watch’s aesthetics warrant this type of intervention?
We’ll leave you to make your own mind up on that. Hit the video above to learn more about the hack, the tools required, and why you should avoid generic programmer boards when taking your chances hacking this rather slick looking console.
(Via Hackaday)
Gaming since 1984, retro gaming since 2004. Contributes to Linux Format magazine, TechRadar.com, and other publications.
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