This is the most metal Nintendo 64 we’ve ever seen. And we mean that both figuratively and literally.
We wouldn’t say that N64 is the best console Nintendo has ever made, but it holds a special place in people’s hearts for a certain generation. And certain retro game enthusiasts get really into their Nintendo 64s.
YouTuber BitHead1000 is both a Nintendo 64 fan and a master fabricator. Combine these two together and you get a recipe that creates the most metal N64 ever made.
To start, BitHead takes an old N64 and removes all the important bits from inside leaving a plain plastic shell. He then fashions a heat-resistant metal version of that shell, which will make more sense later. Promise.
There's a lot of grinding, hammering, and welding during this part, so if you want to skip to the 18-minute mark of this video, we'd understand. However, the first 18-minutes are an amazing example of a genius at work.
After making the lower parts of the shell and sidewalls, BitHead1000 ensures that the N64's board and power supply fit where they're supposed to. Then the side bulges are fashioned to give it that distinctive N64 look. They never really served any purpose, but they certainly made the N64 unique.
Here's where things get interesting. With the shell mostly done, BitHead creates a rotating "N" logo right in the center of the face place. Then he installs a small reservoir of lighter fluid that's soldered to the right of the mainboard. Plastic tubes feed lighter fluid through a pair of nozzles on top while a pair of pilot lights provide an ignition source.
A button installed on the N64 controller allows a plume of flame to burst from the console on demand.
Best of all, this monstrosity is still a fully-functioning Nintendo 64 console. BitHead even plays a bit of Banjo-Kazooie to ensure that it works. Which it does, although he nearly sets his porch on fire.
(via Kotaku)