In honor of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Analogue and 8bitdo created the Retro Receiver – a Bluetooth receiver that allows the original Nintendo console to work seamlessly with modern Bluetooth controllers. (via 8bitdo)
I am writing about this with an ulterior motive. I wanted to make something like this for the arcade project I had - using a Pi Zero. First, we explore what now exists... and what can be done from here. Is this merely emulating a serial connection?
I want you to try to remember something. Remember the scent of homemade meatloaf entering in wisps from the crack of the kitchen door. You are seated several feet from your family’s huge, tube television, glued to the hard wooden floors because the cord of your original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller didn’t reach all the way to the velour coach. But you didn’t care. You sat happily on the floor, shooting ducks and rescuing Princess Peach. Ah, the good old days.
What if I told you the days of sitting directly in front of your 1985 Nintendo system were over? What if you discovered your favorite gaming console now supports wireless controllers? “Can it be?” you ask. It can, and it is, thanks to the Retro Receiver.
The development of the Retro Receiver was a joint effort between Analogue and 8bitdo, and allows the NES to connect with just about any compatible wireless controller over Bluetooth, including the Dual Shock ¾, Wii U Pro and Wiimote. And while it may seem odd the vintage console is still getting new accessories some 30 years after its release date (was 1985 really that long ago?), the original Nintendo is still popular. And if the console still works, why not introduce new features for the favorite classic?
The Retro Receiver features an on-board CPU and Flash memory chip, and even allows for firmware upgrades. And while it was created primarily for classic gaming, the device also supports Windows/PC, OS X, PS 3, iOS, and Android gaming.
If you’re a big retro gamer, you can score some retro Bluetooth Nintendo controllers through 8bitdo, but any Bluetooth controller will do.
The Retro Receiver is on sale now through Play Asia for $19.99. But... the Pi Zero is only $5.00... Wireless Atari, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast awaits!
How can we do this?
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