Makerbuino, the portable console you build yourself

Based on Arduino and an open source software platform, it gives users a way to test their manual dexterity

Sick of the "usual" console and video games? Then Makerbuino could be what you're looking for. Currently being funded on Kickstarter, it is a kit based on Arduino - an Italian open source minicomputer - that allows you to build a portable video game console at home.

As Makerbuino's creator, Croatian Albert Gajsak, warns, the "recipe" for the portable console consists of an Arduino board and a small LCD monitor, patience, passion for video games, a little money (a few tens of euros) and a lot of free time. In addition to a basic knowledge of electronics and a good dose of manual dexterity. Thanks to the instructions included inside the kit, those who buy the DIY portable console should be able to assemble it in about five hours. If you want to make sure you've got all the tools you need, you can buy them together with the Makerbuino kit for just a few euros more.

Great selection of titles

The fun, however, is not limited to the assembly stage. Thanks to compatibility with the Gamebuino software platform - a do-it-yourself console project similar to the one just described - those who decide to purchase the Makerbuino kit will be able to count on a rich collection of videogames that range from the most classic Arkanoid to an Arduino "reproduction" of the first chapter of Super Mario, passing through Snake and Tetris. In short, titles that had an incredible success at the turn of the '80s and '90s and that may soon return to cheer your afternoons. Together with Makerbuino, of course.

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