The Next Gen NES HTPC with Legos


Computers / Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Remember when I wanted to build a NES HTPC? Me too. It was a great idea.

Then I changed my mind. I decided that I’d rather go with a Raspberry Pi to power my HTPC (running OpenELEC, of course). It’s a far cheaper option and people are reporting great success with it. At first, I had added a pre-molded case to my cart, thinking it would simplify things. Then I got to thinking, why not build my case? It doesn’t have to be big or fancy, it just needs to hold the computer.

I started searching the internet for great design ideas. Some involved stained oak and others used nothing but card stock. My favorites were made out of Legos. If you haven’t talked to me in the past two years, then I doubt you’ll know how excited I am to return to my parents house at the end of my Peace Corps service so I can play with my Legos again. This would be the perfect project to mix two things I love doing, playing with Legos and watching movies. I could essentially design anything I wanted. I had visions of grandeur. I imagined an X-Wing powering my HTPC. Then, a dragon. Or even a massive castle to sit aside my television. I’d become the greatest adult with a castle on my TV stand.

But time passed, and I got to thinking. Why can’t I build a case that would look like it belongs next to the television? I should, because I am an adult. But what would fit on a TV stand and still express me? An NES made of Legos, that’s what.

Apparently, I’m not the first person to build an NES out of Legos and fortunately, Lego has a free program where you can build models. Furthermore, the people who have made the NES before, have uploaded their model designs to the Lego gallery for downloading. Of course, I’m going to need to change the design slightly because it creates a solid brick and I’d like to be able to place computer components inside of mine.

But yeah, this is going to happen. I hope the individual bricks don’t get too expensive to buy.

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