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Electronics news

Nintendo Wii small video game console

The only way to replicate the feel of retro games is to play them on the original hardware.

Software engineer James Smith took a hacksaw to the Nintendo Wii video game console to get rid of "extra" parts and shrink it down to the size of a deck of cards.

To create a 1:2.38 scale Nintendo Wii, Smith first removed the power circuitry, USB, Bluetooth and GameCube connectors from the circuit board. This left only the processor, GPU, RAM and flash memory. Special PCBs were then designed to replace these features, since power and peripherals are really needed. He also added an aluminum heatsink to keep the compact hardware from freezing.

The case was ordered and 3D printed to look like a miniaturized version of the original Wii case, with a few minor exceptions. For example, the GameCube controller jacks were replaced with TRRS headphone jacks to keep it compact. Using an adapter, the original GameCube controller can be connected to the system. An acrylic diffuser is even included to preserve the signature backlighting around the disk slot.

Smith provides fairly detailed assembly instructions on GitHub, but keep in mind that this is not a beginner's project. If you don't know how to work with electronics, solder fine pitch, and assemble circuit boards, you'll likely end up with nothing more than a broken Wii.