Greetings, lovers of hacked up portable things! It’s been about a month since I’ve updated so I thought I’d fill ya’ll in on what’s going on (my favorite Four Non Blondes song, you know…)

First and foremost, I got to meet Nolan Bushnell at the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo in Vegas! I thanked him for what he had done, which may have seemed a little vague, but I was thanking him for creating the videogame industry! Maybe I should have specified that… C’mon, I was nervous! Honestly, if I could go back in time and tell myself, age 13 or so, that I would someday meet Mr. Bushnell, my 13 year old self woulda crapped his pants! (call Christopher Lloyd, I smell a hit movie!)

In other news, I now have my own CNC router. Some of you will probably think that was more news-worthy than meeting Nolan Bushnell, well, what can I say? He’s Nolan Bushnell!

Anyway, about the router… We had an old router at work that was replaced 4 years ago because it was becoming too out-of-date for our company, but for me it should be fine! I’ve had to fix a few things, but I got such a good deal on it that I can certainly justify that. Besides, I can hack up and modify an old router! If I tried that with a new router the bank would show up at my door with pitchforks and torches. Luckily the XY transit controls are kind of worn out so I get to replace them with a nice JOYSTICK!

The best part about a cheap machine is I don’t have to pass the cost onto my customers. And the money I save will go directly into my MGD account!

The thing weighs more than the Titanic so being the Transporter and taking to a Final Destination is gonna be tricky. Perhaps I can hack it up and make ROUTERp…  I will keep all of you posted on my progress!

The first project I plan to build with my router is my NESp. Yup, I am making one. In fact, it’s all wired and designed, just needs to be routed. I’m ‘saving’ the construction of it as kind of a present for myself. It’s barely larger (XY wise) than a cartridge and runs off 4 AA’s. It’s gonna ROCK THE CASBAH!

After I get that thing outta my system I plan to build A LOT of VCSp’s and VCSp kits! Kits will include the casing and instructions. I also hope to build new and different custom portables quite often, to save myself from monotony.

I know, it’s hard to believe your eyes. But here it is. Just in time for the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo, the Vagabond ’03! Using the design concepts from the original Vagabond plans (circa 2000), it is the smallest VCSp ever – yet it the cartridge slides down the back! No fakey emulation or “Ataris-On-A-Chip” – a real live Atari 2600 (or part of it) is actually crammed into this baby! For the story on how (and why) I did it, click here!

Hello there, portable fans! Updating to let ya’ll know that I will be attending the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. I also plan to bring a new (or old?) style portable with me… It’ll have link ability so if you’re one of the people who has a linkable VCSp, perhaps you can try to defeat my SKILLZ at Combat!

It is Summer, 2003. You, a brave adventurer, have decided to explore the Fabled VCSp Construction Area. This is the hallowed ground where the batch of VCSp Rev 6’s are being built.

Under guise of dusk, you sneak up to the entrance whilst the occupants are away. You step up the stairs, towards the door. What treasures and mysteries await? What new and exciting Atari portable stuff might you see? And of course… will you survive?

The Workshop Tour is an HTML-based photo-realistic extravaganza of excitment designed to show you the ‘innards’ of what goes into building a VCSp. And you may even find some prototype units along the way!

So ENTER… if you DARE!!!

Not one, not two, not four, but THREE portable systems are currently being developed by The Atari 2600 Portables Site! What could they be? Here are some hints:

One system has already been made portable by many other hobbyists.

The second system has already ‘portabilized’ by me once but is now being re-designed with a brand-new style!

The third is my personal Holy Grail of Portables, the device I’d most want to have portabilized above all others. The system closest to my heart, it would also be the most expensive and difficult portable unit I have ever built. But, if completed it would be, in my humble opinion, the most jaw-droppingly amazing homebuilt portable system since the Dawn of Mankind. Or at least really cool.

On top of all that I am still working on the batch of VCSp Rev 6’s. Also coming soon – my predictions for the Official Sony PSP (TM).