64k of memory is worth very little – in 2018. I was curious how much gameplay you can squeeze into an Arduino Uno and dedicated a weekend into building possibly world’s shittiest gaming console: Meet Utopia.
Three “applications” on one console
It all started when I thought: Hey, why not make a Pong clone in Arduino? After implementing that, I noted that I had plenty of memory left, so I added a very basic Lander clone.
With still thousands of bytes unused, I decided it would be a shame not to include a shitty E-Book-Reader.
I soon learned that the remaining space would last for no more than two pages, but hey…it’s an E-Book-Reader.
A gaming console as shitty as that definitely deserves an equally shitty video ad:
Hardware
Utopia is really easy to build. Here is what you need:
- an Arduino Uno
- a joystick
- a passive buzzer
- a 128x64px display
- a dozen or so jumper wires
The following image illustrates the parts I used and the pins I connected:
How to play
#0: Menu
- Move the joystick left/right, then press to choose one of three apps:
#1: Pong
- You are the left racket
- Move the joystick up/down
#2: Lander
- Land gently on the platforms
- Move the joystick down to thrust upwards, left/right to steer
#3: E-Book-Reader
- Move the joystick up/down to scroll
Code
Utopia is on Github. Feel free to download / modify the project as you like. If you manage to squeeze a fourth app into the Arduino Uno Memory, the citizens of Utopia will officially appoint you their new mayor.