The original Famicom was made in Game Boy sizeMake it a mobile gaming deviceApple’s Mac miniMake it even smallerThe passion that remodeling enthusiasts have for downsizing is amazing.
↑ The top left one is “Short Stack” (Image provided by James Smith)
As the latest version, the modified “Short Stack” hardware, which packs the Nintendo Wii game console into the size of a playing card box, has been released.
James Smith (also known as Loopj), who inspired this project, says, “The original Wii can hold 13.5 Short Stacks.” others necessary to reproduce this modification are available on GitHub.
↑ “Short Stack” is about the size of a playing card (Image provided by James Smith)
This Short Stack features the original Wii PCB (printed circuit board) stripped down and using the original components, from the CPU and graphics chip to the built-in memory and storage.
The power supply, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth chip, and GameCube control port have all been moved to a separate home PCB, and a new HDMI output and microSD card slot have been added. The original Wii used a full size SD card and didn’t support HDMI output, so they changed it to today.
However, some things have been given due to miniaturization. Gone is the optical disc drive, replaced by games loaded from a microSD card. In addition, the four GameCube control ports have been converted to headphone terminals, and are connected to the controller via an adapter called “GC Nano”.
In addition, I designed my own PCB for the front and back so that the power button and the DVD slot (which just looks good but doesn’t work) glow blue. There is also a 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 game compatibility, and lacks an SD card slot, among other features. This time, Short Stack inherits all the functions of the original Wii, except for the removal of the optical drive.
Smith expects the device to be even smaller by 20 to 30 percent without sacrificing functionality. However, one of the goals of the Short Stack project is to create a miniature model of the original Wii, and making it smaller would be “complicated to assemble.”
On Nintendo’s paid online service Nintendo Switch Online, the only playable retro game consoles are the NINTENDO64. I would like to hope that one day they release a Wii Mini like the Famicom Mini (Nintendo Classic Mini Family Computer).
