The first hardware option, and smallest overall, uses the Feather RP2040 DVI and Adalogger FeatherWing. This is also the only option supporting the Wii Classic Controller by default.

The Adalogger FeatherWing provides the microSD card slot used for holding games. This board also supports a battery-backed realtime clock, not used by this project; battery neither included nor required here.

It’s common in some Feather projects that the ’Wing stacks on top…but here, in order to access the Feather’s STEMMA port and boot and reset buttons, a different approach should be taken, your choice:

• Stack the Feather board on top of the ’Wing using header row pins (Feather) and sockets (Wing)…low-profile headers/pins are available if you want a slimmer package. Soldering the two permanently (using just header row pins, no sockets) is the slimmest of all options, but blocks access to the battery socket and limits how this might get re-used in future projects.
• Use a FeatherWing Doubler or Tripler to mount the boards side-by-side (see image below). A little extra bulk and cost, but has better re-use potential later.

These are required parts for this variant:

And these parts are optional, picking and choosing which suit your build plans:

Input Options

To use a Wii Classic Controller:

• Add a Wii Nunchuck Breakout Adapter and STEMMA QT cable.

To use one of the supported Sony USB controllers:

• A suitable USB-OTG splitter cable is needed; this is something we don’t stock but can be found online. Look for USB-C plug for the Feather, USB-A socket for the controller, and then whatever connector you would prefer for connecting power (USB micro-B and USB-C are common). 

To use NES or SNES compatible gamepads:

• This is not plug-and-play and will require a little soldering and creativity. You might need to “blue wire” to a few header edge pins on the Feather board, or add a FeatherWing Proto to the stack (or FeatherWing Tripler if mounting boards side-by-side).
• Wire up a NES or SNES controller port (these can be found on eBay)…or, if you don’t mind sacrificing a junky controller, cut the plug off and wire directly between the circuits.

• Connections are:

The ports are shown here from the front; wire order is mirrored if looking at the back.

Software

Here is a pre-compiled .UF2 file for the Feather RP2040 DVI. Install as you would most .UF2 files: hold down the BOOT button while tapping reset or when connecting USB, and the board appears to your computer as a small flash drive called RPi-RP2. Just drag the file over and allow it some time to complete the transfer.

If the RPi-RP2 drive does not appear on your computer, try a different USB cable. Even in this modern age some devices come bundled with a budget “charge only” cable, but this needs a proper “charge and sync” cable.