1980s on technabob...

futurama fans get invaders! possibly from space!

futurama_invaders_possibly_from_space

Remember the classic episode of Futurama where Fry has to save the planet from “Invaders! Possibly from Space?” Pretty soon, you’ll be able to take down those aliens while listening to your own all-Rush mix tape while chugging a 2-liter bottle of Shasta too.

Retro game maker/Futurama fan Shinobi is putting the finishing touches on a playable homage to the hysterical scene…

continue reading »

June 6th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: geek art + craft just plain fun retro video games

pac-man and galaga ornaments perfect for any holiday

pac_man_galaga_ornaments

Sure, Christmas is almost seven months away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start getting in the spirit really, really early. Especially if you really, really love your retro video games.

I first eyed Hallmark’s keepsake Pac-Man holiday ornament back in December 2008, and grabbed one for my tree then. Now it turns out that they’re starting a collectible arcade machine…

continue reading »

May 29th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: geek art + craft just plain fun retro video games

pac-man ghost coasters: blinky, meet drinky.

pac_man_ghost_coasters

These Pac-Man ghost coasters bring back 80s arcade memories every time you raise a glass.

ArcadeArt handcrafts these whimsical ghost coasters (aka ‘Ghosters’) that display Blinky the red ghost on one side, and then flip to reveal a post-power-pill blue ghost on the flip-side.

According to the artist, they’re made from “graffiti, wood, paint and pixels” – four ingredients that…

continue reading »

May 16th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: geek art + craft retro video games

nintendo game & watch (& television) casemod

game_and_watch_tv

Remember the old Nintendo Game & Watch LCD games from back in the 1980s? These early handheld video games have always had a bit of a cult following, despite their primitive, repetitive graphics, and drab monochromatic screens with cheesy color overlays. And while there are certainly some rare ones out there that are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars,…

continue reading »

May 9th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: hacks + mods mobile tech retro technology video games

dingoo a320 handheld gaming system plays nes, snes, genesis, gba, neo-geo and capcom arcade games

portable_multi_game_console_white

I’ve seen plenty of portable retro video game systems in my travels, but never one that attempts to cover as many bases as this one.

This Chinese import plays 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit titles from 7 different game platforms in one compact system. While it sports a less than thrilling name, the CVFH-N03-4G (aka the Dingoo A320) can play thousands…

continue reading »

April 23rd, 2009 comments (4) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio media players mobile tech retro technology video video games

sinclair zx spectrum 8-bit micro computer gets modern makeover as linux pc

zx_spectrum_casemod_pc

A few months back, I reported on a guy who turned his old Sinclair ZX81 computer into a PC. When I wrote that post I was convinced that there would be no way that anyone could cram a modern PC into the even more minuscule Sinclair ZX Spectrum. But after Technabob reader Brian Smith read my original post, he set…

continue reading »

April 12th, 2009 comments (9) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: computing hacks + mods retro technology

the 8-bit computer is back, ready to hack, and plays nes games to boot

8_bit_computer

When you think of 8-bit computers, classics like the Atari 400/800, the Commodore 64 and the Apple II probably come to mind. But there’s a new kid on the block that hopes to bring 8-bit computing back – this time for the hacker community.

This bare-bones looking “TV Computer” is based on the same 1MHz 6502 processor chip that powered…

continue reading »

March 27th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: hacks + mods retro technology video games

apple ][ disk drive modded into a mac mini (or vice versa)

mac_mini_apple_2_drive

This could be my favorite Mac Mini mod yet. Take one part retro Apple Disk ][ drive and one part Mac Mini, and what do you get? A little bit of casemodding genius.

Modder Charles Mangin took the guts out of his old Disk ][ enclosure and managed to find a way to squeeze the innards of a Mac Mini…

continue reading »

February 21st, 2009 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: computing hacks + mods retro technology

donkey kong junior shower is truly bananas

donkey_kong_shower

You really don’t hear much about Donkey Kong Junior these days. If you ever wonder what happened to the little pixelated monkey in diapers, look no further. He’s got a new job keeping watch over naked people as they hose off.

This intricate hand-tiled shower was created by Colombian artists Andres Barragan and Miss Vynilos (who seems to have a…

continue reading »

February 20th, 2009 comments (7) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: geek art + craft retro video games

rom check fail!… retro arcade games go berzerk

rom_check_fail

Have you ever loaded up a retro arcade game with MAME, only to be greeted with an error message about those bad ROMs you downloaded 2 years ago? Well one enterprising developer decided to take that idea and actually turn it into a game.

The chaos that ensues in ROM CHECK FAIL! is one that really needs to be seen to…

continue reading »

February 19th, 2009 comments (1) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: hacks + mods retro video games

relive the big and chunky days of gadgets with fauxsure shirts

screenprinted_controllers

Remember when controllers had corners and not curves? When speakers were bigger than a house? When storage was limited but personal? and rectangular? Remember when synths… Nevermind. Synthesizers still look the same. Oh wait. Remember when synths had no USB connection? Because there was no USB in the 80s?
If you can remember those days it’s because you ain’t drunk!…

continue reading »

February 13th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: lambert v.

filed under: audio geek art + craft just plain fun retro video games

technabob quickpix: when a picture is worth 1000 words

pac-man ghost lamps: blinky, blinky, blinky and blinky

pac-man ghost lamps brazil anderson horta 1980s

Designer Anderson Horta’s retro 80’s Ghost lamps will only turn blue if you happen to be downing some serious hallucinogenic power pills – otherwise, they are as you see them. Pac-Man not included.

continue reading »

February 11th, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design geek art + craft quickpix retro video games

pac-man gets the mosaic treatment

pac_man_mosaic_2

Here’s a piece of art any retro game fanatic would be proud to hang on their wall. It’s a handmade Pac-Man mixed media piece, using teeny ceramic tiles in place of pixels.

Perhaps inspired by the oh-so-awesome Ms. Pac-Man bathroom, this piece entitled Perpetual Pac-Man would look great in any game room. Or if you’re a serious retro gaming geek – hanging…

continue reading »

January 10th, 2009 comments (4) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: geek art + craft retro video games

foldskool heroes: they’re boxy but they’re good

foldskool heroes retro gaming computer papercraft c64 pong atari 2600

Got mad paper, scissor and tape skills? How about a fondness for old school video games and computers? Then have I got a fun afternoon project for you.

Graphic designer Marshall Alexander’s cutout characters includes a veritable menagerie fantastical creatures and critters all made from boxy paper cutouts, but his latest series, Foldskool Heroes 3, has got to be my…

continue reading »

December 16th, 2008 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: computing cool toys geek art + craft retro video games

ms. pac-man gets portable

Ms. Pac-Man Portable Handheld Videogame Namco

Not to be outdone by her dot-gobbling boyfriend, Ms. Pac-Man has made her way into a custom-built handheld.

Influenced heavily by Sam Thornley’s Pac-Man Mini, modder ela built this portable Ms. Pac-Man Mini video game system using the guts of one of those Jakks Ms. Pac-Man TV Games, and put its circuitry inside the power brick of an old printer.
A couple…

continue reading »

December 11th, 2008 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: hacks + mods mobile tech retro video games

more posts »

page 1 of 41234next »