Homemade portables - Anyone here an aspiring Ben Heck?

[spenoza]

The subject says it all. Anybody here have the skills or inclination to make home portables? I'm just curious, because I've been rolling an idea for a PC Engine portable around in my head. And while the PC Engine GT was OK, it had a screen that was limited in resolution and suffered from very poor battery life. I keep wondering if a skilled hobbyist could do better.

[MissaFX]

I don't have the said skill but I have an idea of how to make a portable PC-Engine.

Start with a core grafx and do a composite mod, but use the AV out port from a PS-One (the slim portable PS1).  This way you can mount a PS1 LCD screen to the back of the core grafx.  Then make  a wooden box the size of the core grafx and put some holes in it which you will then fasten the core grafx to the top of this wooden box with.  Put in one of the battery packs for the PS-One into this box and wire it up to the core grafx and the screen (the power will actually be routed through the core grafx via the video output).  You might have to adjust the voltage going into the core grafx but you might get lucky and not have to.

It sounds pretty do-able to me, you just need to track down a DOA PS-One and a working battery for it and a working screen.

[D-Lite]

Well, I must come clean.  I am/have been about 80-90% done with just such a system.  Mounted in a standard thin case, with lots of stuff:

- RGB video to a PSOne 5" LCD (this is pure sex)
- region-switched of course
- S-Video output
- controller output
- built-in Neo Geo Pocket "clicky stick" controller and buttons
- RC car battery pack

Like I said, mostly done.  But it's been mostly done for about 18-20 months.  Maybe someday..... 

[guyjin]

so the clicky stick is digital? i had assumed it was analog.

[D-Lite]

so the clicky stick is digital? i had assumed it was analog.

'tis digital.

[guyjin]

won't it be difficult to convert the analog stick to the digital d-pad the PCE requires?

also, would this beast play/be able to play CDs? if not, I don't see the point of it; an Express/GT or gamepark would do just as well.

[SignOfZeta]

so the clicky stick is digital? i had assumed it was analog.

Analog?

No.

God no.

Why would it "click" if it were analog?

[spenoza]

The Express/GT has a lower screen resolution, I believe, and while the screen was high-quality for the time much better quality screens exist now. And a newer screen would be lower power. Also, you could rig up an expansion cable so that you could connect the portable to a CD base. The CD base wouldn't be portable, but hey, at least it CAN do it.

[D-Lite]

won't it be difficult to convert the analog stick to the digital d-pad the PCE requires?

also, would this beast play/be able to play CDs? if not, I don't see the point of it; an Express/GT or gamepark would do just as well.

Sorry, meant digital.

It was just for the hell of it.  And a much bigger screen with much better resolution.  And can be played on your normal TV in S-Video.

[guyjin]

Why would it "click" if it were analog?

I dunno; maybe to 'guide' you to the cardinal directions?

I dunno, I've never had, or even handled, a NGPC.

[D-Lite]

Why would it "click" if it were analog?

I dunno; maybe to 'guide' you to the cardinal directions?

I dunno, I've never had, or even handled, a NGPC.

That's thoroughly upsetting.

[nat]

My friend has a NGPC. He has Sonic the Hedgehog on it.

[MissaFX]

I have an origional Neo Geo Pocket B&W model.  I was really impressed at the time with the quality of SNK games it actually did have.  Don't tell me, you killed a Neo Pocket to make this conversion, did ya?

[SignOfZeta]

I love the NGP. The d-pad is an actually a fantastic 8 direction micro switch joystick of incredible quality. I can walk up to people in Match of the Millennium with Zangief and do a ground Final Atomic Buster without even buffering it from a jab or anything. A fighter on any other handheld is, frankly, a f*cking joke.

The SNK has an even better ratio of quality to crap than the MVS does. I can only think of one or two games on NGP I wouldn't want to own (gambling and pachi-slot stuff aside of course). Even Big Tournament Golf is great. Extremely great, in fact.

Check out the combo videos here:

http://sngp.classicgaming.gamespy.com/games/snkvscap/motm_menu.htm

[guyjin]

It seems like a cool system and all (I even asked for one for my birthday around the turn of the millenium), but ended up not getting one. Now that the DS is my constant pocket companion, I don't really see the need to get one.

Plus, it seems to be mostly good for fighting games, and that's not really my thing.