Tag Archives: game gear

SEGA Game Gear Micro Is a Ludicrously Tiny Retro Handheld

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When it comes to retro gaming systems, SEGA made some of my favorites, including the Master System, Genesis, and Dreamcast. Long before modern mobile devices, the Japanese video game company created one of the first full-color handhelds, the SEGA Game Gear. The portable arrived back in 1990, and played 8-bit games that were often inspired by the 16-bit titles that came to the Genesis.

The original system is pretty easy to come by on eBay these days, but if you want something different, check out these new collectibles coming from SEGA to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the handheld.

The Game Gear Micro is a ridiculously small, fully-playable version of the classic handheld. It measures in at just 3.1″w x 1.7″h x 0.8″d, and has a diminutive 1.15″ diagonal color LCD screen. That’s roughly 40% of the size of the original. It runs on two AAA batteries or via USB power, and has a tiny mono speaker as well as a headphone jack for listening in stereo.

Unlike the original Game Gear, it doesn’t take cartridges. Instead, each of the four available colors will come preloaded with four games. That’s a bit of a bummer since portables like the @Games Genesis handheld came packed with 80 games.

Here’s a list of titles that each Game Gear Micro will come with:

  • Black: Sonic the Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo 2, Out Run, Royal Stone
  • Blue: Sonic Chaos, Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tale, Baku Baku Animal
  • Yellow: Shining Force Gaiden: Ensei – Jashin no Kuni he, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict, Nazopuyo Aruru no Ru
  • Red:Revelations: The Demon Slayer, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special, The GG Shinobi, Columns

Since the screen on the Game Gear Micro is so teensy, SEGA is also making an accessory called the “Big Window,” which is basically a fresnel magnifier that sits atop the device so you can actually see what you’re doing. It’s not the prettiest add-on, but I guess it gets the trick done.

The Game Gear Micro will ship starting on October 6, 2020 in Japan, and you can find purchase links on SEGA’s website. The tiny handhelds are priced at ¥4,980 (~$46 USD) each, and you’ll get the Big Window magnifier if you buy all four colors. There’s also a ¥28,512 (~$261 USD) super special edition that includes a fifth Game Gear Micro in a see-through smoke color, along with a display frame. I’m guessing these things will become quite collectible, so you’ll want to place your order as soon as you can.

[via The Sixth Axis]

Raspberry Pi Game Boy Case Mod Has microSD Card Slot in Cartridge: Game Boy Zero

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Another day, another Raspberry Pi retro emulator in a Game Boy case. But Redditor wermy426’s Game Boy Zero deserves its own post because it has a couple of neat features. The main one is that he loads software on the Pi by inserting a cartridge, just as you would load a game on a normal Game Boy. Wermy426 soldered an SD card reader to the cartridge, then connected the cartridge reader to the Pi’s SD card pads.

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While the Frankensteined gadget looks like a mishmash of wires, tape and hot glue inside, wermy426 managed to make it clean and practical on the outside. For instance, the Li-ion battery, the USB hub and the display controls are accessible via the battery compartment. Wermy426 also added small L and R buttons where a pair of screws on the back used to be.

Here’s his build log:

Game Boy Zero

Check out the description on wermy426’s video for more on the parts that he used.

[via Reddit via Engadget]

Raspberry Pi Zero Game Boy Case Mod: Maker Man Zero

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We’ve seen the Raspberry Pi 2 stuffed inside the case of the original Game Boy to make a retro handheld gaming sytem. Redditor bentika did the same but with the $5 Raspberry Pi Zero. The tiny board made the project cheaper, but no less complex.

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Bentika used a 3.5″ 320×240 LCD, which is why he had to cut out the case’s classic gray display frame. He positioned the Pi’s microSD card slot where the contrast wheel used to be, the microUSB port in the space for the original charging port and the USB port in the space external connector.

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All of the buttons work, including the power switch, and bentika also added four additional buttons at the back. He installed a 2500mAh battery that lasts up to 3h per charge. Here’s a comprehensive demo of the awesome gaming machine.

Here’s his build log:

Raspberry Pi Zero Gameboy Casemod.

Head to Reddit for bentika’s parts list. I look forward to the day that the Raspberry Pi 30 will let you play everything from Pong to Crysis 30 on the go.

Provenance Retro Video Game Emulator for Apple TV: The Past of Television is Here

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Here’s the funny thing about video games. It gets harder to get a hold of games from 5 to 10 years ago, but it becomes easier to play games from 30 years ago. Aside from their original consoles, you can play 8-bit and 16-bit games on your computer, mobile device or on your own DIY console. And now we can add the new Apple TV to that ever growing list.

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iDownloadBlog‘s video below shows you how to install Provenance, an open source multi-system emulator, on Apple’s new media streaming device. Unfortunately it’s a tedious process. In order to pull it off you need a Mac, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a copy of Xcode and an Apple developer account. Thank goodness for retro consoles eh?

Meanwhile I’m just sitting here praying for Radiant Historia to come to the Nintendo eShop.

[via iDownloadBlog via IBTimes]

Pascali Raspberry Pi Portable Retro Console: Ghosts of Consoles Past

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We’ve featured several DIY classic console emulators based on the Raspberry Pi. If you’d rather buy than build one, keep an eye on Rose Colored Gaming’s Facebook page. The console modding shop will soon release a Raspberry Pi handheld system, with a case based on the original Game Boy.

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Speaking with commenters, Rose Colored Gaming says the Pascal will have a colored screen and will have optional customization options, including different case colors and laser etching.

Post by Rose Colored Gaming.

Rose Colored Gaming is shooting for a late February release, with the base price between $200 to $300 (USD). Keep an eye on its website or Facebook page for updates.

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[via GoNintendo]

Raspberry Pi Console Emulator in a Game Boy Case: Super Pi Boy

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Last month we saw a Game Boy Pocket’s case and buttons used to make a portable console emulator based on the Raspberry Pi. Then we saw a similar system packed in a 3D printed case. Recently a man named John Hassl showed that it’s possible to make the same system using an original Game Boy case and buttons. He calls his system the Super Mega Ultra Pi Boy 64… Thingy Build. Or Super Pi Boy for short.

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As with the Game Boy Pocket project, John went through a lot of trouble to fit the Raspberry Pi and the new screen inside the Game Boy case, but as you can see he did a great job considering the limitations. He had to cut out the battery compartment to make room, which was fine because he didn’t need it anyway. The biggest flaw, if you could call it that, is the noticeable omission of the Game Boy’s gray frame. That’s because John chose to use a 3.5″ LCD screen, which is substantially larger than the Game Boy’s 2.6″ screen and thus wouldn’t fit unless he widened the window on the case. Check out the Super Pi Boy in action in the videos below:

Head to John’s blog to for more on how he made the Super Pi Boy.

[via TechCrunch]

Raspberry Pi Console Emulator in a Game Boy Pocket: Pi-Pocket

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The Raspberry Pi is powerful enough to run a software emulator for classic consoles. We’ve seen it used to make a custom portable gaming system, a tiny arcade machine and even a gigantic Game Boy costume. Travis Brown aka XodusTech may have come up with the best take on the computer as a retro console. He stuffed a Raspberry Pi (among other things) inside a Game Boy Pocket’s body.

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The image above shows a vanilla Game Boy Pocket on the left, and Travis’ Pi-Pocket on the right. Using RetroPie, Travis loaded emulators not just for Game Boy games but for the NES, Sega Master System, Game Gear and Linux as well. Travis connected the Game Boy Pocket’s buttons to the Raspberry Pi with the help of a Teensy 2.0. A Li-ion rechargeable battery lets him play up to 3 hours per charge.

Head to Travis’ website to find out how you can make your own Pi-Pocket. If Nintendo has reached a point where it’s willing to borrow Mega Man, Pac-Man and Sonic for one game, it might as well go all out and make a multi-system retro console like this one.

[via TechCrunch]

SEGA Game Gear LEGO Transformer: Sonic in Disguise

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Behold the evil Segacon “Gearhead” and his minions Supersonic and Knucklepunch. Baron Von Brunk created these awesome LEGO Transformers from scratch and they look amazing.

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When not in robot mode, this guy transforms into a SEGA Game Gear handheld, and even has two Sonic games inside (Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Blast).
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Gearhead has battery blaster rockets attached to the shoulders and a shotgun cannon powered by Chaos Emeralds. He fully transforms without having to remove parts and converts back and forth easily.
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The two minions are pretty awesome too. At first glance you might think that he used an actual Game Gear to make this, but these it’s all LEGO with some custom labels attached. Amazing work, Baron!

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