While the gaming world has moved into newer realms with new technology pushing the industry forward, that doesn't mean the older stuff has been completely forgotten about, especially when it comes to Nintendo products. Appreciating in value, games such as Super Mario 64 are able to fetch more than a million dollars at auction. It shows that retro titles and hardware are highly sought after. Sometimes, however, it's possible to reanimate old consoles and give them a new life in the modern era, as one modder did.
Posting a series of photos to Imgur recently, user QnadianBacon has been able to marry two quite disparate Nintendo products, an N64 and a Switch, to create a hybrid unit. The images and accompanying description tell a tale of how the modder was able to purchase a cheap N64 from eBay and use the chassis to house a Switch console. But they went further than that, by actually modifying the old machine to allow for Switch cartridges to be inserted on the side, and they also installed USB ports for additional third-party controllers.
Similar to the fan who created a Game Boy Advance to work like a Switch, what QnadianBacon has done is find an up-to-date use for a system that is now very much past its prime. The Imgur user says their motivation for creating the N64/Switch amalgamation was partly because it "looks cool" and was "fun to make," but also they said they wanted a way of keeping the Switch horizontally docked, and the old cartridge machine seemed to fit that purpose nicely.
It perhaps speaks volumes about Nintendo's product range that people can go back to older tech and rebrand it as a newer games console. In fact, it's even possible to predict next-gen Nintendo hardware, which is a testament to how much the Japanese conglomerate knows the market.
There is something to be said for the gaming community that modders can still show their appreciation for retro consoles. It shows not only a great amount of skill, but an appreciation for older products, some of which newer generations of gamers may never have experienced. With the fan base even modding the games themselves, such as when someone began recreating Mario 64 with ray-tracing assets, QnadianBacon and others show the gaming world that just because it's old and no longer in the cultural zeitgeist, doesn't mean it's not still useful. A Nintendo 64 that houses a Switch is a great way to bring the old into the new.
Source: Imgur