Some friends and I had this idea today, and we might build it. it would be a small portable computer, running on Linux, with only one usb port(bluetooth if we can get our hands on it) a floppy drive, and some basic buttons along the sides. (Basicly like a Gameboy Advance) It will probably run on a few nine-volt batteries. Then you can play all those retro games you bought on floppies, and can't bear to get rid of.-- Weirdo55, Oct 18 2005 GameTap http://www.gametap.com/home/Home [theircompetitor, Oct 18 2005] Multiple Machine Arcade Emulator (MAME) http://www.mame.net/Old school arcade games on your PC [JoeyJoJoShabadoo, Oct 19 2005] Gamepark GP32 http://en.wikipedia.../GamePark#EmulatorsBaked [BunsenHoneydew, Oct 21 2005] A lot of people seem to be working on Linux emulators for retro games, although I imagine their definition of retro (Atari, etc.) is a whole lot more ancient than yours (early Gameboy?).
People do pine for the games of their respective childhoods, so I imagine you'd find a ready market for this. You do have to worry about trademarks and copyrights, though, and Nintendo really throws its weight around in that area.-- DrCurry, Oct 18 2005 Look at GameTap, see link-- theircompetitor, Oct 18 2005 GameTap=website. GameTap=/portable.-- Weirdo55, Oct 18 2005 I once halfbaked up a scheme for a 5inch floppy drive with a USB connection. Search as I might, none could be found. One could then play these games on a new computer running an emulator of whatever old machine you chose.-- bungston, Oct 18 2005 Check the [link]. Mame is a cool emulator for old school (and some new) arcade games. You could install this on your game machine.-- JoeyJoJoShabadoo, Oct 19 2005 Once again, I'll state that the point isn't so you can play old games. It's so you can play old games portably! Portably being the operative word. Also, we want it to be able to play games from a hard copy, or from memory.-- Weirdo55, Oct 20 2005 I don't know about this one... Even being a retro game fan (NES Classics) I don't think there will be an incredible market demand for such a product, as the games today have made large strided that are now hard to go without, 3D being an example.
Its like buying an iPod and using it for a few years, then going to try and listen to old music on a game-boy speaker. Its hard.-- half-n-half, Oct 21 2005 The issue of portability is easily solved anyway - by using a good emulator on an iPaq or similar.-- Adze, Oct 21 2005 I can't find a link, but there's a retro game emulator + 100s of games that are all crammed into the bottom of a joystick. The joystick is the controller and console in one!
(Mostly Atari games if I recall?)-- not_only_but_also, Oct 21 2005 remove the keyboard from your laptop. walah.-- JoeyJoJoShabadoo, Oct 21 2005 random, halfbakery