Video Games

New style NES Portable Built! No, really!

Person #1 at water cooler: “Is Ben EVER gonna build another portable? What does he DO all day?”
Person #2: “Have faith, o non-believer! He’ll make something soon!”
Person #3, wasting work time surfing on web: “Fellows! Look over yonder… a NEW PORTABLE!”

Yes, it's large, but so are the cartridges and the screen

Yes, finally after all this time I have built something! One that I’ve wanted to make for quite a while… There’s a catch to this unit, however – I built it WITHOUT A CNC MACHINE!

*gasp*   *gurgle*   HUH? Yes, it’s true. Exactly how I built it will be under wraps for now, but the information will be available in the future so you can make one just like this of your very own!

For a bit more info and pics regarding this unit, check out my Project 42 page. As a parting note for today, I will be making a new portable about every 2-3 weeks for the next few months, so stay tuned!

And for up-to-the-minute portable gaming news and talk, check out our Forums!

Articles, Video Games

This site now filled with 80% more gooey goodness!

Welcome to the even more filled up benheck.com! I’ve completed the Videogames section, you can now browse through all the portable systems just like the old days! The Downloads section is also fairly functional, but if you come across something that goes clunk, let me know!

Also be sure to check out the Forums (located under the Videogames menu) for all sorts of fun, including being able to vote on if Ramen noodles could take Macaroni & Cheese in a fight!

More portables to come!

Articles

benheck.com Site Semi-Redesign and Content Filling!

I’ve been slowly working at getting this site up and going and I was trying for a fresh, new & different look from my old site. That’s all well and good, but along the way I changed my navigation system. It wasn’t really working the way I had hoped and dreamed…

I then thought to myself, “What was  wrong with the frame-menu navigation of the Atari 2600 Portables Site…?” Having reflected on that, I set forth to fix up this site so it would have the same easy-to-navigate structure!

This site is still under construction, but you can scroll around using the Navigator thingy to the left and check some stuff out. Here’s what works as of 5-17-04:

Videogame Forums, Downloads (all the videos at least) and Chat. For Movies you can check out the Port Washington & Lizard of Death pages.

So see what you can see, and if you end up in 404 land, just click BACK and bear with me…

If you need a (working) fix of portable videogaming action, check out my fully functional site at www.classicgaming.com/vcsp

Thanks for your continued patience!

Video Games

VCSp’s Invade TechTV – Again!

Hello portable fans! Sorry if I haven’t updated in a while… I have been busy with a bunch of projects. 2 of which actually involve portables! One of the portable projects is kicking my butt… I have now officially broken the construction time record of the original VCSp (which took 2 months) because I’ve been working on this new portable since January! Ah, I miss the good old days when I could whip together a PSp in 2 weeks… Actually, I kind of enjoy the fact that it’s so difficult. And one of these days I should finish that NESp…

The MGDp (see below) is still purring like a drunk kitten. I added a muffler that can be Velcro-ed over the power supply fan to make it quieter. What a great trivia question it will be, that all the looped dialog for my movie was recorded by a computer made out of an 18-pack of beer.

Oh yeah, TechTV. Once again I shall grace the airways of their fine network! Naturally I have no idea how they’ve edited the interview, or if they’ve gone ahead and stitched William Shatner’s head on my body, but here is a preview:

SEE! My “I Love Beer” coffee mug I have on my desk

LISTEN! As I give answers so long that by the end I’ve forgotten the question!

WITNESS! Me driving around in my car that got rear-ended! (don’t worry, the Atari bumper sticker was unscathed)

EXPERIENCE! What it might be like to visit the fabled “Barn” and sit on my ratty old couch that a co-worker gave me!

Tune into TechTV at 8 eastern, 7 central for all the pulse-pounding excitement!

And there’s more news coming soon! No, really, I mean it!

Articles

MGDp Built!

For centuries, man has asked the undying question: “Can a computer be built inside an 18-pack of MGD?” Now, in this brave year 2004, I, Ben Heckendorn of the Atari 2600 Portables Site, have risen to the call!

 This is a strange turn for me, to be sure. But I needed to build a cheap-as-possible portable computer, and this was the natural answer. For the heart-pounding story, click here!

Articles

VCSp and Me to be on Tech TV (notice the clever rhyming!)

1 Comment

On February 20th, 4 PM Pacific time (6 PM in Wisconsin), I shall appear on Tech TV – The Screen Savers!. Normally on this site you see photos of me doing stuff. But now, prepare yourself for full 29.97 frames-per-second Ben Heckendorn action! See you there!

In other news, get ready for a DIFFERENT kind of portable… The post-production of my movie required me to build a portable device (much to my joy) and since it’s meant to be OFF-camera, not ON, it’s not gonna be pretty! But I promise it will be at least worth a laugh. Stay tuned!

Movies, Video Games

3 Videogame Movies they SHOULD make!

Every year we get “treated” to the latest movie based off a videogame. Have you ever wished they’d make one that’s actually GOOD? Maybe they’re just picking the wrong games?

Here, for your surf-at-work-when-its-slow reading enjoyment is MY picks for the 3 Videogames that would make great movies! I know this isn’t portable-related, but it’s an article I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time, so enjoy!

In other news, I am wrapping up work on my movie (not based off a videogame) so I should be able to spend more time with the site and portable building soon! Also look for cool new announcements later this week!