Designer Mizzat Kidd is creating custom consoles inside of video game cartridges
On Jan. 26, 2016, designer Mizzat Kidd, also known as Matthew Longo, unveiled his newest project; a Nintendo cartridge, with a full-blown gaming console inside. The video detailing this piece was released on Kidd’s personal Facebook page and continues to spread across Canada, the United States, and beyond.
“I grew up doing a lot of art… and my career has been tattooing, and making a living off of being creative,” said Kidd. “Basically my whole life has been just making whatever I’m interested in.”
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…allows the user to run a series of console emulators…[/pullquote]
Kidd said that in the first two days of video launch he received over 100 inquiries. Post-interview, that number jumped even higher as the video continued to spiral into viral fame, and the story was picked up by gaming publications. There is a now a Kickstarter page for Console Cartridges to help cover the cost of parts of the large amount of orders Kidd has received.
“I’ve always been a big fan of playing video games,” said Kidd. “I grew up with them and I also collect retro games.”
The original video showed an original Nintendo cartridge that had been gutted and replaced with computer parts. The entire unit is self-sufficient and includes an HDMI, USB, and power port located on the side of the device. Raspberry Pi is the computer inside that allows the user to run a series of console emulators, and in turn run games that would originally be for at home consoles. In the launch video Kidd highlights games like Donkey Kong Country, Sonic 2, and Mortal Kombat among many other retro games. Kidd said that with the right parts and time, he could create a computer cartridge that would be able to play games on everything from an Atari to a Playstation. A Console Cartridge currently goes for $150 and is available over the Kickstarter page.
Kidd admits that he cannot legally distribute Roms (game files), but there is nothing stopping him from creating a system that can play them. The video now posted on Kickstarter states the capabilities of the cartridge console, and that it can play hundreds of games across many retro consoles.
Video game console emulation is not new. The Google play store, and many websites offer apps for Android, Blackberry and Apple devices that allow the user to emulate a video game console. One example specifically, is that most people with an up-to-date mobile in 2009 were be able to play Pokèmon on their device.
Console cartidges are just a starting point for Kidd, who hopes to produce other custom computers for clients in the future..
“… I’ve seen a bunch of plans on converting vintage type-writers to USB keyboards, and I was thinking about making an all-in-one Windows 10 computer that was housed inside an antique typewriter,” said Kidd.
Kidd has an associate’s degree in graphic arts and advertisement, and is currently working on associate’s degree in computer science at the Community College of Rhode Island. While in school, Kidd began his tattoo business, the Hidden Lotus Tattoo Society, that continues to operate to this day.
“When I made the transition from art into electronics a lot of people thought ‘Oh how could you just turn your back on art?’ but I really feel that when I make games and electronics it’s still art,” said Kidd. “I’m still making something with my hands.”
Ultimately, what differentiates Kidd’s machines from the current market emulator devices is his focus on art and customization. Ouya, the dominant product in the market is an all-inclusive emulator system that offers the same functionality as Kidds, and includes streaming capabilities, but lacks all external artistic attributes. Kidd has a dedicated team of artists that he already works with, and it will be seen in the future if the artistic capabilities of his tattooing team can translate to beautiful tech.