It's not a stretch to believe that Nintendo's classic games are never going to lose steam — they're still used for speedruns, and they're usually the go-to ROMs for emulators.
That's why Nintendo launched the NES Classic Edition and Super NES Classic Edition. That's also why Iowa State University electrical engineering student Tim Lindquist made a Raspberry Pi-powered Switch clone that can play almost any retro Nintendo game out there, including ones that the real console can't run.
Nintimdo RP: The Retro Switch
The DIY Switch Lindquist created is called Nintimdo RP, and it's actually a clever name, mixing "Tim" into "Nintendo." And presumably, RP stands for Raspberry Pi.
At first glance, it looks like a glorified emulator crammed into a Switch-like body, but it's more than that. It really took a lot of cues from the real hybrid console, from the touch-screen to an HDMI port to plug into a TV, which automatically turns off the device's display for that authentic Switch experience.
Speaking of the display, it measures at 7 inches, and it's a bit larger than the original's 6.2 inches. There's also two USB ports to connect accessories and a 10,000 mAh battery that's rechargeable via microUSB.
The Nintimdo RP is complete with four directional buttons, two joysticks, the + and - buttons, the home button, and four action buttons. Also, Lindquist made the body with a 3D printer, crafting it with the Raspberry Pi module in mind.
Last but not least, it's running on RetroPie and EmulationStation, and the combination of the two makes it run and look like an official device.
The only thing it's missing is Joy-Con controllers or a replica of it. In other words, it's almost a carbon copy of the Switch for retro games.
Wrap-up
The Nintimdo RP is just the beginning, and from the get-go, it's already one fine-looking machine. So what's next for Lindquist? Here's what he says:
"My future plans for this device are to have secret 'Easter eggs' where you can hold certain buttons on boot to enter the CLI or Linux GUI instead of the default emulation software. I also want to make hardware shortcuts for changing settings rather than plugging in a keyboard and typing the command. I also want to develop an audio card to filter out the high frequency pop that occurs before the start of each game and unify the dB gain between each console."
And for anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps, he has uploaded the 3D model, the code on GitHub, and even the bill of materials. The best part is, a tutorial is underway too so that anyone — anyone who has the know-how and the right equipment, that is — can make their very own Nintimdo RP.
