I’d say it is rare for a person to own a collection of Nintendo Entertainment System’s game cartridges and not the console. And if you are one of these rare people, the TinyNES is for you.
As the name implies, this little guy is a shrunk-down NES clone. It uses the same processors as the original NES (namely, MOS 6502-based Ricoh RP2A03 CPU and Ricoh RP2C02 PPU), which means it will let you play the original game cartridges.
The best part is, there is no emulation involved, and *cough* there is no need to download game ROMS. And oh, the NES in TinyNES does not stand for Nintendo Entertainment System. That would be infringing on the IP. Instead, it is the acronym for Nostalgia Evocation Square – a perfect description of what the device does.
However, unlike some NES clones out there, TinyNES eschew the fancy features. It will not upscale graphics, nor will it output HDMI or RGB video signals. It does connect to any other gadget and it does not have Internet connectivity. It is exactly like what an NES should be but only very much smaller – even than the official palm-size version, and very much geeky – thanks to the enclosure made from circuit board material.
It does however have some modern technology, including drawing its power from a simple USB adapter and some updated circuitry components such as a highly-accurate MEMS oscillator instead of a quartz crystal, for example.
Also unlike most NES clones, TinyNES is fully open-source hardware, so gamers can tinker with it if desired.
If you are interested, you may learn more about the TinyNES Open Source Video Game Console on Crowd Supply where it is being crowdfunded. During the campaign period, you can secure a unit for between US$179 and U$199. The project is 220 percent funded.
But this being a crowdfunded product, it has its risks. So make sure you do your own due diligence. You know the drills.
Images: Crowd Supply (Tall Dog Electronics).
