Tech modder figures he might as well rig up a Nintendo Power Glove to his Switch and play Mario Kart
YouTube channel Will It Work? used the bygone Nintendo peripheral to remote control a Mario Kart toy
Games Features Nintendo
Rather than beat around the bush, the guy behind YouTube tech modding channel Will It Work? decides to just pose the central question asked by so many hardware modders before him in the title of his account. And, to answer the latest version of that question, he, like the visionaries who souped up a late ‘90s Hot Wheels-branded computer or messed with a Fisher-Price toy to the point that it can work as a modern game controller, has attempted to repurpose an old Nintendo Power Glove so it can be used with a Switch and its remote control Mario Kart spin-off, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
The video opens by explaining the basic challenge posed by this project: The Power Glove was a not-all-that-functional peripheral released in 1989 for the original Nintendo Entertainment System and Mario Kart Live is meant to be played with Switch controllers designed in a different decade—a different century and millennium even.
Undeterred, Will It Work? discusses how the Power Glove works, the specific problems he runs into when getting the Switch to recognize the Glove as a controller, and walks through the steps he takes to use a series of adapters to get the ball rolling on his mission.
He then explains how he had to rewrite elements of an adapter’s software to keep going and, finally, shows footage of himself controlling a physical Mario Kart toy and its on-screen counterpart with the motions of a hand encased in a big clunky glove from the late ‘80s.
We’ve seen a Power Glove used to perform music on a modular synth, but, as it turns out, using it control Mario Kart is an even more challenging project. Will It Work? calls this first run “partially successful” since he hasn’t been able to get full functionality out of the glove but promises to keep working on the concept in the future.
What he’s pulled off already is no “Ronald McDonald Modded Into Final Fantasy VII Remake” or “Entirely Too Big Nintendo Switch” to be sure, but the Power Glove experiment’s first steps are already pretty remarkable.
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4 Comments
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Mario: Home Circuit baffles me. Its a remote control car which, cool, is fun to play with. But I’m not watching the car as I play with it, I’m watching the screen. Why bother with an actual car when you can just play a racing game on your switch? I guess getting a cat’s-eye view of your floor would be sort of neat, maybe. Still, setting up an actual course in your home to just control a car while watching a screen seems pointless, or needlessly complicated.But I will say: I was tempted to get this just so I could stick a feather duster on it and stick in my duct work, but the 15ft. range made me decide against it.
Counterpoint: There is no giant cat running from me in Mario Kart.
It’s fascinating to see how tech modders continue to push the boundaries of innovation, and this recent endeavor by the creator of the YouTube channel Will It Work? is no exception. Repurposing the iconic Nintendo Power Glove from 1989 to control the remote-controlled Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit on the Nintendo Switch is a creative and ambitious project.The video not only showcases the challenges faced in adapting a vintage peripheral to function with modern gaming technology but also highlights the determination of the tech modder to make it work. The detailed explanation of the Power Glove’s functionality, the specific hurdles encountered in making it compatible with the Switch controllers, and the adaptation of adapter software provide a comprehensive view of the modding process.In a world dominated by [AI and machine learning specialists](https://kodexolabs.com/services/ai-and-machine-learning/), where cutting-edge technology is the norm, this nostalgic yet innovative project serves as a reminder of the endless possibilities when it comes to merging the old with the new. The “partially successful” outcome of the Power Glove experiment demonstrates the complexity of the task, promising further developments as the creator continues refining the concept in the future.As AI and machine learning specialists shape the technological landscape, it’s exciting to witness grassroots efforts like these that blend retro gaming accessories with contemporary gaming platforms, showcasing the enduring creativity within the gaming community. The journey of repurposing a relic from the past for modern entertainment reflects the spirit of experimentation and the ever-evolving nature of technology.