Extreme underground soldering!

We knew gamers would eventually get over this obsession with realistic 3D graphics and return to the core values of interactive entertainment--soldering and programming in BASIC.

Courtesy of the bloggists at Engadget, feast your eyes on the Mignon, described by its German masterminds as a "minimalist" Game Boy alternative based on the notion that it's more fun to do everything yourself.

Which means that once you plunk down your 69 Euros, you'll get a pile of electronics components waiting for your soldering expertise.

If you manage to not burn down your house and the Mignon with it, the next step is to make your own games. (Although there are a few pre-fab games ready to download, including a Pong knockoff). Cutting-edge programming tools such as BASIC will allow you to create anything you can imagine, as long as it can be expressed by 35 small, blinking lights.

Warning: Don't watch the QuickTime video on the Mignon site unless you're ready to recognize your shiny new PSP as the sad pretender it is.