Hack on Pimp my retro handheld

Ultimate Amiga 1200: PiStorm, CD32 Mode and Full Hardware Expansion

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 21:15:04 +0000

Some time ago, I had the opportunity to get both an Amiga 500 and an Amiga 1200. While the Amiga 500 was restored as a fairly traditional machine, I had a more ambitious project in mind for the Amiga 1200.

My goal was to build three different machines into a single computer:

A high-end Amiga with a powerful CPU, graphics card, networking capabilities and all the modern conveniences normally associated with an upgraded Amiga 4000.
A more traditional Amiga 1200 with Fast RAM and a hard drive for maximum software compatibility.
A CD32-compatible system able to run games specifically enhanced for Commodore’s console, without requiring dedicated CD32 hardware such as the Akiko chip.

To achieve this, I combined several solutions:

Playstation 2 : new lens / silent fan / FreeHDBoot

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 20:28:20 +0000

Some time ago, I had the chance to buy a used PlayStation 2 for cheap because it was sold as “defective.” In fact, the console was unable to read any discs, whether DVD or CD. I thought that wouldn’t be a problem, as installing FreeHDBoot is easy, and replacing the DVD lens should be straightforward and inexpensive. It turned out I was right—except for the lens replacement.

Here is the story of my upgraded PS2, featuring a new DVD lens, a silent fan, and FreeHDBoot…

Sega Master System FM sound expansion module

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:09:47 +0000

Adding an FM sound expansion module to a Sega Master System to reproduce the Yamaha audio capability of the Japanese Sega Mark III.

Pimped socket 7 / BabyAT with K6-II 400 + Riva 128

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:12:15 +0000

Building a Baby AT Socket 7 PC around an AMD K6-II 400 and Riva 128, with period hardware choices and configuration notes.

PSP : hacking any model to play ISO images

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 21:44:25 +0000

The PSP is a very nice portable console, but its UMD drive is quite fragile and tends to miss read games. This may leads to (very) slow loading or even not loading games at all. Fortunately, all PSP models can be easily hacked nowdays. It is just not alway easy to find needed informations nor to understand which software is needed.

All that is needed is a MemoryStick and a way to write to it from your computer. IMHO, the best option is to buy a MicroSD to MemoryStick adapter. MicroSD are easier to manage and this kind of adapter can be found for less than 2 euros.