The Ben Heck Show

Raspberry Pi Donkey Kong Holiday Ornament (8x48)

Air date: Dec 28, 2018

For over 30 years, Hallmark has been creating limited-edition sets of popular culture-inspired holiday ornaments. Capitalizing on the popularity of video game nostalgia, they produced a miniature Donkey Kong arcade cabinet as part of the 2018 line. Featuring lights and sound from the game, it's a near-perfect homage to a bygone era designed by artist Orville Wilson. There's only one thing wrong with it: you can't actually play it. In this Very Special Christmas Episode, Matt declares war on the hapless ornament, tears it down to its shell, and rebuilds the interior with a Raspberry Pi, Adafruit OLED screen, and tiny control switches to create a one-of-a-kind PLAYABLE Christmas tree ornament!