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Tuesday 5 December 2023 Dublin: 3°C
reboot

This Game Boy has a secret way to play hundreds of classic games

The device and cartridge it uses looks normal but inside, it’s very different.

6CJte3Q Imgur The modified Game Boy and the original side by side. Imgur

WHEN IT WAS released back in 1989, the original Game Boy was a must-have handheld thanks to the collection of games that came with it.

Now one DIY enthusiast has created a customised version called the Game Boy Zero which can play games from some classic consoles.

Thanks to its bulky size, Wermy (the YouTuber who designed it) gutted the device out and managed to fit in a Raspberry Pi Zero, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a Bluetooth receiver and a new screen and speaker.

There’s also a mini-HDMI output in case you want to play any games on your TV.

DKC game boy wermy / YouTube wermy / YouTube / YouTube

He also included some extra buttons to play more advanced games, two at the front and another two at the back to act as L and R buttons, which is similar to how the SNES controller was laid out.

The device is powerful enough to run all titles from the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, and the entire Game Boy range, including the Game Boy Advance.

Probably the best feature is how games are loaded onto the handheld, using a re-purposed standard Game Boy cartridge to act as a micro-SD card adapter.

It also slots into the Game Boy Zero like a normal cartridge, but unlike 1989 where Nintendo could only fit in one monochrome game, this can fit in hundreds.

game boy mod wermy / YouTube wermy / YouTube / YouTube

The device took a couple of weeks to complete and its creator goes into greater detail as to how he created it in the below video. A word of warning: if you’re thinking of doing the same, be prepared for a lot of work.

wermy / YouTube

Read: There’s an extremely simple way to free up space on your iPhone >

Read: Can a black background really extend your phone’s battery life? >

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