NES Zapper Laser packs a punch

Remember the classic NES Zapper, as used in games like Duck Hunt? Well, an intrepid tinkerer at North Street Labs hacker space in Portsmouth, Virginia, has taken that same harmless toy and retrofitted it with a powerful laser. While not quite deadly enough to take out a real life mallard, you wouldn't want to point the NES Zapper Laser toward a TV either, as it's capable of doing considerable damage to whatever it shoots.

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The somewhat complicated retrofitting process involved removing most of the NES Zapper's original internal electronics to make room for the dangerous laser tech. However, the switch and trigger mechanism were kept in place as, impressively, Nintendo engineered the electric momentary switch inside the gun to such a high degree that it's capable of handling the high levels of current necessary for a real laser gun.

The NES Zapper Laser is set up so that a full trigger pull provides a momentary pulse, while a partial pull produces a longer burn time. Sensibly, the gun’s creator Justin integrated a key-operated safety switch into the gun's butt to prevent unauthorized usage, as in the wrong hands the NES Zapper Laser could easily blind someone.

The basic components used to make the NES Zapper Laser included batteries, a 445 nm diode, lens, key switch and heat-sink. There's a step-by-step guide to building your own NES Zapper Laser via the source link below, but this is definitely not a project for the novice and proper safety gear is essential.

Check out the video below to see the Nintendo Zapper Laser in action.

Source: North Street Labs via Hack A Day