Arduino NES: Transform an Arduino-compatible board into a portable NES

A new project has transformed an ESP32-based developer board into a portable and handheld NES. Published on Instructables, the project calls for a TTGO T8 board, which is compatible with the Arduino IDE. You will also need a 4.0-inch LCD, a MAX98357 I2S amplifier, a PCB mount mini speaker, an analogue joystick module and multiple buttons. Additionally, four plug-in boards serve as housings for the so-called Arduino NES, while you will need wires to connect everything together, too.

The Arduino NES will take a while to set up, but Liang Chen has provided a detailed walkthrough on his project page. In short, the EPS32 file system must be updated, while the project also requires the Arduino_GFX Library and Arduino Nofrendo Library, among other pieces of software. A battery can be added to make the project portable, rather than having it plugged in constantly.

Alternatively, one could use a TTGO T-Watch, an ODROID-GO or an M5Stack and an M5Stack CardKB to play NES games. Chen has also provided walkthroughs for getting games working on these devices, should you wish to save yourself some time with a pre-built ESP32 console. However, the colourful yet rough finish that the Arduino NES has is more fun, in our eyes.