Key information
A creator known as Throaty Mumbo developed a modernized VHS-based FMV gaming system that runs versions of Super Mario Bros. and Doom. Dissatisfied with the precision and limitations of the 1987 ActionMax VHS console, the tech enthusiast used modern hardware including a Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller and a DE1-SoC FPGA board.
The custom setup utilizes an FPGA board to handle overlay graphics and switch between eight simultaneous video streams played from a VHS deck. Players select different video streams through timely button inputs, while a counter tallies correct presses and tracks the score.
Adapting Doom into an on-rails format alters the gameplay significantly from the original title, though it maintains a similar audio and visual presentation. Meanwhile, the Super Mario Bros. adaptation pairs a faithful rendition of the Nintendo classic with VHS-taped background imagery.
While the project successfully modernizes the concept, it continues to suffer from familiar full-motion video interaction constraints, echoing the imprecise interactivity that plagued vintage tape-based gaming hardware.
