In a world where floppy disks are mostly gathering dust in museums or keeping old nuclear systems company, a fun DIY project is giving these retro relics a new lease on life. Say hello to DiskFight, an interesting mashup of the classic Whack-a-Mole arcade game and the nostalgic vibe of 3.5-inch floppies.
Rob’s creation is built on a clever idea: take those old floppy disk drives and make them the stars of a Whack-a-Mole-style showdown. Instead of smacking moles, you’re up against floppy disks that pop out of their drives, daring you to shove them back in fast. Forget the arcade’s plastic mallet—here, you score points by physically pushing the disks back into place, chasing that satisfying click that feels like a win every time.
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Putting DiskFight together took more than just a bunch of old drives and some elbow grease. Rob hunted down a stack of 3.5-inch floppy drives—yep, the kind that powered those clunky ‘90s PCs—and hooked them up to a custom-built control setup. A microcontroller runs the show, making each drive spit out its disk at random moments. The real kicker? Rob tweaked some drives to not just eject disks but sometimes fling them out with a surprising pop, forcing players to scramble and stuff those rogue floppies back in to keep their score climbing.
The setup doesn’t shy away from its retro roots—tangled wires and worn-out plastic casings give DiskFight a gritty, garage-built charm that hits right for anyone who loves to tinker. A small display, probably pulled from another one of Rob’s projects, keeps track of your score, adding a touch of modern convenience while keeping the old-school feel front and center.
Playing DiskFight is where the fun really kicks in. The rules are simple: shove those ejected disks back into their drives as quick as you can to stack up points. But with disks popping out at random and some flying out like they’ve got a mind of their own, it’s a wild test of speed and focus. Every drive works on its own schedule, so you’re dodging a flurry of floppies coming at you from all sides.
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