Downing's Basement

I can’t even begin to tell you the rollercoaster of a ride this has been for the past year! With so much planning and trying to make a meticulously calculated effort to bring the best portable making experience to the world, only to have the world turn upside down in a matter of days, kinda takes the wind out of your sails.

But, I’ve put too much time…to much effort…too much of what has become the Downing’s Basement Legacy to let this ride out any longer. Like getting married or having your first kid…you’re never going to be fully “ready”, but you can be prepared, and I think that’s where I stand with this project.

Actually, this would more or less be like having my 23rd kid if you put it in that kind of perspective, so I guess I’m “a little” more than prepared in that regard, but as for everything else, it’d be a lie to say I wasn’t a bit nervous!

So now is the time and what seems like countless hours behind this keyboard alone, I can give a quick preview of what to expect on July 15th! The image above will bring you to the Kickstarter Pre-Launch page, where you’ll get a bit of info about what’s to come! Not gonna say much more right now, but I still can’t believe this is finally happening!

Hey guys! So today I had to make the decision to postpone the Kickstarter for The 5th GeN64 Portable Kit Kickstarter. A lot of unknowns going on right now with the global supply chain in which a lot of the parts that went into this kit were based off of. Video explains the details, but I am actively working on finding alternative solutions for this, but sometimes the best thing to do is ride out the wave and pick back up when things cool down.

I’ll be moving the Kickstarter date out to June 1st instead of May 1st in the hopes things change but it’s just very hard to say. Hopefully some vital components like the LCD screens are exempt as I’ve read in a few places which will be huge, but other things like custom PCBs and outsourcing the 3D printed cases could be a big challenge.

More info as it develops, but I just wanted to give everyone an update! Thanks for your patience!

So it’s been a hot minute since I’ve made any kind of post at all, but this one has been a long time coming.

So for many years now, there has always been the questions from prospective modders and people interested in making in general that have asked what kind of equipment and products I use to make my portable systems.

And while I can’t possibly list off everything I’ve used or what’s in my shop all together, there is a fine list of essentials, that based on what it will take to put together a portable console, I’ve now complied for you Amazon shoppers!

Now, this is my first attempt at using Affiliate links and I’ve been on the fence about this for a number of years. I just really didn’t see a whole lot of benefit to the idea, but things have been changing, and in the next few weeks, I feel that is going to turn a corner!

This isn’t going to include big ticket items like 3D Printers or CNC machines which, while still “essential” to my shop, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get started without them. So if you’re just getting started and wondering how to equip your shop, this is a pretty simple base point.

Anyway, if you have any suggestions, questions or comments, feel free to reach out and I’ll try and help you out as best I can. I’ve got some exciting stuff coming out next month which I can’t wait to share…but I will!

Click the image above or find the page at References>Tools & Consumables

See ya then!

So a couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure to attend a gaming convention known as Retro World Expo, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford CT. It was my first time attending this one even though it’s been on my radar for several years now just because of how close it is, but timing never really seemed to work out.

But this year, not only was the timeframe possible, but I actually got to bring “Mini Downing” to the show as well, marking another first as it was his first time being able to accompany me to any convention. And man, was he excited!

Not knowing exactly what to expect being the first time there, I really only had the Midwest Gaming Classic in memory for reference, which may have been a bit of an “unfair” basis, but it was still comparable. But the big difference was that at this convention, I wasn’t actually “working” it like I do with the Bit Built crew at MGC. So this allowed both of us to really explore the vendor floor as well as partake in some of the activities like tournaments and watch some live wrestling!

But one of the big draws for me was the guest list which was absolutely stacked! I got to meet people like Clint from Lazy Game Reviews, who is a You Tuber that I’ve been watching for years, as well as Tito from Macho Nacho Media and Rob from Retro RGB. All of these guys I’ve had a connection to in some form or another, but meeting face to face is always a very surreal moment.

The video above gives all the details of the trip and more about the people we were fortunate enough to meet! Definitely looking forward to this convention next year!

Thinking back, this has been one strange and amazing ride since “The 5th GeN64” made its debut back in February. But I knew that after taking over a year to conceptualize, prototype and build the first version of this portable, that I had a pretty special design on my hands.

Fast forward a couple of months from its initial release and the Midwest Gaming Classic was right around the corner, which I made a challenge for myself to bring not one, but two completed N64p’s to the convention. And though it was just by the skin of my teeth, it happened and I had two fully functional “Zelda” themed portables on display.

But little did I know at the time that things would be taking a huge “holy shit” kinda turn shortly there after and a You Tuber by the name of John Riggs and an Instagram video would begin to change my perceptions of my little corner of this hobby, as it currently sits around over 1.3 million views! Which to me, is a pretty damn big deal!

This in turn lead to the next challenge, which was to see if this effort was repeatable plus some and as design and assembly improvements made there way into these builds, not only was it doable, but it was faster and more reliable (albeit a few hiccups) than building 2 were just a few months prior.

Of course there as been a lot more going on since this and for the first time, at the end of August, I’ll be attending the Retro Game Expo in Hartford, CT. I’ll only be going as a spectator and I’m looking forward to having my son tagging along for the first time as well! So this has been a year of firsts that just keeps getting better!