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[on:]

Hackvision is a hackable retro-gaming system based on Arduino technology.  Connects directly to your TV with RCA cables.  No Arduino is required but you can write and upload your own games onto the ATmega328 chip using the Arduino IDE and a USB to serial cable or adapter.  It comes preloaded with two games (Space Invaders and Pong clones).  A button controller is built right on the PCB and you can add a Wii nunchuk controller, paddle controllers, or design any controller you like!

See the official site for all the other details and lots of documentation:  http://nootropicdesign.com/hackvision

Available as a kit or fully assembled/tested in the nootropic design store: http://nootropicdesign.com/store/index.php?main_page=products_all


This was a lot of work, but I think it turned out great!

[Reply #1 on:]

Brilliant, I even got a mention!

I will try to get my 'jedi' pong pics uploaded soon as an example of alternative controllers.

It really is very addictive! Especially playing pong aginst yourself  ;D

(Paddles mini-kit) "Enclosures not included (Altoids tin recommended)."

Haha brilliant.

Mowcius

[Reply #2 on:]

Yes, a special thanks to Mowcius for helping test on PAL TVs in the UK!

[Reply #3 on:]

Great piece of kit there, first Toolduino and now this, keep up the awesome work.
Hackvision Arduino Driven TV Game System

[Reply #4 on:]

Now thats a cool one!

I wantz Asteroids!  

[Reply #5 on:]

I wantz Asteroids!

Well if you can write it!

I have a few games on my list that I want to code for it but I am rather involved in my current project to undertake anything else.

Mowcius

[Reply #6 on:]

Just thinking,

Would it be possible to load gameboy or Nintendo roms onto it ?

[Reply #7 on:]

Gameboy specs:

RAM: 8 kB internal S-RAM
Video RAM: 8 kB internal

No is the short answer.

We have 2kB SRAM running video and variables...

Mowcius

[Reply #8 on:]

What if we had several atmaga328's? Could you generate enough power to duplicate a nintendo console?

This is  sweet, it's really quite impressive.

[Reply #9 on:]

What if we had several atmaga328's? Could you generate enough power to duplicate a nintendo console?

If you wanted to do something like this, you might want to check out the ATMega644 - aka Sanguino:

http://sanguino.cc/

...like the UzeBox uses:

http://belogic.com/uzebox/

Note that they use an AD725 RGB-to-NTSC converter chip...

There wouldn't be much stopping you from taking an UzeBox, loading it up like a Sanguino, then porting UzeBox library over to the Arduino side of thing; heck, its probably already been done!

 

[Reply #10 on:]

heck, its probably already been done!

Well just about. Florin Chiperi dabbled in uzebox for his duino644 but I'm not sure where it got to.

Mowcius

[Reply #11 on:]

If it can be adapted to output to stardard res arcade RGB monitors one could make their own coin operated arcade games with it! The Space Invaders looks pretty close to the arcade version already.

[Reply #12 on:]

Yes, you can always do more with more hardware.  The ATmega644 gives you much more memory to work with so you can do higher resolution, but it costs twice as much.  And the AD725 chip and DAC on the Uzebox give it color capability, but they add cost.  I wanted to design a gaming system that was as simple as possible and had a low price.  I wanted to provide homebrew retro gaming for under $40 instead of $100.  I think it's fun to work within the tight constraints and try to get the most fun out of a simple ATmega328.

[Reply #13 on:]

Actually now that I think about it a lot of the early 70's B&W games (Boot Hill, Space Invaders, etc) used composite monitors anyway, so if you program in coin switch detection and maybe a driver for the coin counter it should plug right in.

I may have to get one of these things and start playing around!  ;D

[Reply #14 on:]

I think that the fact it can't do colour or really high res powerful games is one of the great things about it.

It's retro and that's cool

The simplest games are often very popular. Pong is always great, tetris is great (I am thinking of perhaps trying it but it will be a struggle with RAM constraints). Think of something like minecraft. it is highly addictive but a very simple idea. Square blocks!

Mowcius