Modding guru Benjamin J. Heckendorn, otherwise known as Ben Heck, has his own online TV show where he often takes new tech and turns it into something else. In the past, he's created portable versions of the Sega CDX and PS3, and in the latest episode of The Ben Heck Show (hosted on element-14.com), he turns his attention to the Xbox 360.

However, this is no mere rehash of Microsoft's console. To celebrate Atari's reboot of some of its classic games, such as Star Raiders and Yar's Revenge, Heck has been tasked with creating a portable version of the Xbox 360, but with the flavour of the iconic 1970s games machine, the Atari 2600 (or VCS, as some know it).

Every part of the process is shown in the 23-minute video, and every element of the design has been carefully planned to include elements from the original Atari - even down to the famed Xbox 360 ring of death now looking like the decals on the Atari's rubber joysticks. Superb.

“I was thrilled when Atari approached me to build this unique gaming system,” said Heck. “It was a great experience taking consoles from two completely different eras and combining them, not only from a mechanics standpoint, but incorporating the design features to replicate an old Atari. That’s what art’s all about!”

Atari was also pleased with the end result: “We are thrilled with the final build of Ben’s custom Xbox 360 1977 Edition system,” said Lee Jacobson, the company's SVP of Licensing and Digital Publishing. “It’s great to see how the classic, retro Atari design is incorporated. The system completely exceeded our expectations and we’re sure that any enthusiast would be thrilled to use this unique system.”

We sure would. But only if it could play Crystal Castles.