DIY AVR-based Video Games

Using a simple circuit based on a Atmel ATmega168 you can build a simple video game system that allows playback through a television or composite video monitor. The games included with the source code are Snake and Tetris, for example:

Considering the minimalist hardware approach, the games are quite effective. You could also reduce the size of the system by hand-building an SMT version as well. However to get started, check out Ben Ryve's detailed page here. And for more news, updates and items of interest.please follow us on twitter, Facebook and Google+.

If you're not keen on programming directly for ATmega microncontrollers, you can achieve similar results with the Arduino ecosystem by using a Video Game Shield kit:

The Video Game Shield is an Arduino add-on shield to make your own video games, including graphics, text, sound effects, and music! Using the power of open source, this shield includes everything you need to make awesome black-and-white video games on your TV. It supports up to two Nintendo Wii Nunchuck controllers for an easy and familiar interface.