We
are saved.
Everybody
remembers their first games console; from a battered old Commodore
Amiga for the thirty-somethings, to a state of the art PS4 for the
kids. No matter how you got started in gaming we're pretty sure that
you'd remember your first console if you built the damn thing
yourself, and then coded your first game. That's just what kids today
can say, if they get one of the DIY Gamer Kits from Technology Will
Save Us. We did, and this is what we thought of it.
So...
what is it? Well, this kit (which comes either pre-soldered, or for
bit less cash requires you to do the soldering yourself) contains
everything you need to build your own hand-held gaming console. The
most important part of the kit is an Arduino Uno, a micro computer
which is a smaller and simpler version of a Raspberry Pi (which
we reviewed as part of the Kano kit). As well as that the kit
also contains the control board of the console, complete with
buttons, a speaker, and LEDs, as well as the bright orange plastic
case and plastic screws to hold it all together.
We
were sent the pre-soldered kit as it required merely plugging all the
parts into each other to create the gamer. The un-soldered kit would
need you to carefully solder all the buttons and connectors together
– something waaaaay outside of our comfort zone – but the
Technology Will Save Us website offers some great advice and
tutorials on this. Still, that's an important consideration when
purchasing one of these kits.
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| All those tiny solders to do. Just saying... |
The
LED matrix screen, the two microchips, and the Arduino itself all
slot together easily, leaving you to fix the protective casing with
the small plastic screws. Once together the gamer is surprisingly
comfortable to hold, despite not possessing any sides, and TWSU
thoughtfully include a wrist strap so you won't drop it while
playing. Speaking of which...
Connect
up a 9V battery (the only part of the unit not included in the box)
and you'll find that you can play a very simplified version of Flappy
Bird straight away. Playing on the DIY Gamer Kit feels very natural,
especially if you have any experience of the original Nintendo
Gameboy. But once you get bored of that, what to do next? This is
where you need the included USB cable and your laptop.
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| The easy-as-pie free Arduino software |
TWSU
instruct you to download the Arduino software; a very simple and
unobtrusive programme from which your coding career will sprout.
Again, the TWSU website came up trumps with lots of helpful hints on
how the Arduino software works, and they even have simple web-based
applications that let you 'draw' images and create animations – the
code from which can then be copied into the Arduino programme and
uploaded to your DIY Gamer.
Pre-coded
games such as snake are available to upload to your console, as are
simple bits of code to scroll editable text, and also make random
shapes which you can then move around the LED matrix screen using the
cursor buttons. Everything can be altered to your liking because the
base code of each action is sitting right there before you, and
editing something can be as easy as changing a 0 to a 1. But that's
not all.
Text scrolling on the @techwillsaveus DIY Gamer Kit. And yes, you can put rude words on there if you want. pic.twitter.com/PIBPdYiFgu— The Test Pit (@thetestpit) March 5, 2016
The
DIY Gamer circuit board also has a few other interesting features.
You'll become a lot more familiar with these components if you solder
your own kit, but there is also an infrared receiver and transmitter,
and also a touch-capacitive button. The prior can be used to
communicate with other DIY Gamer kits (like Gameboys could) but could
also be programmed to act like an IR transmitter for other purposes.
The touch-capacitive button is fun to use to change simple actions in
the games you make, but again could be programmed via the Arduino for
a multitude of tasks. These little extras, along with a bright LED,
the beeper speaker, and of course that 8 x 8 LED matrix, means you
get a lot more than just a simple gaming platform.
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| The brains of the operation - the Arduino itself on the rear protective plate |
For
retro gaming fans, this kit is great. Not only will it give you an
insight into simple electronics, but it will get you thinking about
what kind of coding and programming goes into making a game. Much of
the DIY Gamer Kit is something of a novelty; the scrolling text, the
basic games, the bleeps and chirps from the speaker. However, these
are the basics for a very good reason, as once you master these the
sky truly is the limit. With user-friendly software from Arduino, and
great support and community links from Technology Will Save Us, the
DIY Gamer Kit is the perfect place to start.
Pre-soldered
Kit £75
Un-soldered
Kit £65
Kit
without Arduino £35
