Nintendo's Wii has shrunk to the size of a playing card! How did you modify it? |.GetNavi Web GetNavi

The original Famicom was manufactured in Game Boy sizeConvert it into a mobile game machineMac mini from AppleMake it more miniThe passion that remodeling enthusiasts have for downsizing is extraordinary.

As the latest version, the modified “Short Stack” device was released, which packs the Nintendo Wii's fixed game console into the size of a playing card box.

“The original Wii could hold 13.5 short combos,'' says James Smith (aka Loopj), the founder of this project.'' The detailed build, homemade board, and other information needed to reproduce this mod is available on GitHub.

This short stack has the Wii's original PCB (printed circuit board) cut out and uses the original components, from the CPU and graphics chip to the onboard memory and storage.

The power supply, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth chip, and GameCube controller port have been moved to a separate, homemade PCB, and a new HDMI output and microSD card slot have been added. The original Wii used a full-sized SD card and didn't support HDMI output, so we've adapted it for the modern era.

However, there are some things that are sacrificed due to miniaturization. The optical drive is gone, and games load from a microSD card instead. In addition, the GameCube's four controller ports have been modified into headphone terminals, which are connected to the console via an adapter called the “GC Nano”.

Additionally, I designed my own PCB for the front and back in order to make the power button and DVD slot (just looks but not functionality) glow blue. It also has a built-in heat sink and a small fan to cool the main unit.

Nintendo released the Wii mini overseas in 2012, at the end of the Wii era.

It lacks online connectivity, lacks GameCube controller ports and gaming compatibility, and lacks an SD card slot, among other features. This time, the Short Stack inherits all the functionality of the original Wii, except for removing the optical drive.

Smith expects the device to be 20 to 30 percent smaller without sacrificing functionality. However, one of the purposes of the Short Stack project was to create a small model of the original Wii, and making it smaller would make it “complicated” to assemble.

On Nintendo's paid online service Nintendo Switch Online, the only older game consoles that can be played are the NINTENDO64. I would like to hope that one day they will release a Wii Mini like the Famicom Mini (Nintendo Classic Mini Family Computer).

source: github
via: Ars Technica