Forget "Doom" on a toaster: SNES games now run on a sneaker
For the 35th anniversary of the Super Nintendo, designer Gustavo Bonzanini combines the console with matching 90s fashion: a Nike Air Max 90 sneaker.
The Super Nintendo was launched on the Japanese market 35 years ago under the name Super Famicom (スーパーファミコン; Sūpā Famikon). Gustavo Bonzanini, a designer from Singapore, wanted to celebrate the anniversary in style and came up with the AIR SNES: a modified version of the Nike Air Max 90 sneaker. In Bonzanini's version, the iconic shoe from the 1990s is also a fully functioning games console.
An emulator with Raspberry Pi
The original Super Nintendo measures around 30 × 24 × 11 centimetres and weighs over two kilograms. It would never fit in a shoe. Bonzanini's solution: an emulation. For this, he used a Raspberry Pi Zero W. This has enough computing power for the 16-bit SNES games.
Source: Gustavo Bonzanini
The microcomputer is actually small enough to fit in the tongue of the sneaker - including a battery for 30 minutes of playtime. However, Bonzanini believes that the Raspberry Pi's integrated mini-HDMI connection is not enough in 1990 and adds an analogue converter to the device. You can now connect the colourful cables to its iconic RCA plugs and connect the console to a compatible TV.
The matching gamepad is also a must
Bonzanini has also opted for a compact and practical version of the gamepad. You can use the sneaker with the original SNES gamepad, but then you are tied to another cable. The designer has therefore given the Raspberry Pi a small upgrade with an 8Bitdo Mod Kit. This allows a gamepad to be connected to the Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth.
Source: Gustavo Bonzanini
Your retro dreams are unfortunately shattered
Naturally, you now want to know where you can get the shoe. At least I really like it. I also prefer it to the recently presented Xbox Crocs, which not only look bad, but also have no technology built in. Unfortunately, the designer piece is a one-off. So far, there are no plans to mass-produce the stylish piece. Game over for the big dream - or the start of your next mod project?
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.
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