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

Posted on 07/04/2016 by Lambert Varias

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.

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

Posted on 04/04/2016 by Lambert Varias

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.

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.

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.

Retro Freak Multi Cartridge Console Also Rips Games: Emulator’s Wet Dream

Posted on 25/05/2015 by Lambert Varias

Game backup devices and hardware mods let you extract the data from video game cartridges into playable ROMs, but most of them require deep technical knowledge and are each compatible with only a few – if not just one – consoles. Cyber Gadget may change all that with its upcoming Retro Freak console.

For starters, Retro Freak is a hardware emulator, similar to the Hyperkin systems and other retro consoles. It will let you play cartridges from a variety of old systems, namely the Famicom, Super Famicom, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine SuperGrafx. It also has an HDMI output and supports 720p upscaling, instant saving and cheat codes for certain games.

The console will come with an SNES-style controller, but it will also work with both modern gamepads such as the DualShock 3 and DualShock 4. You’ll also be able to connect classic controllers to the unit, but you’ll need USB adapters for those gamepads.

But what sets it apart from its competitors is the aforementioned ability to make playable software copies of those supported cartridges and save them into its internal memory, and from what I understand this will be a relatively easy process.

Now I might be wrong because I’m only working off of Google Translate here, but it seems the Retro Freak’s internal storage has a small capacity so you’ll need micoSD cards for extra storage if you want to rip a lot of games. That’s supported by Cyber Gadget’s statement that the console has an anti-piracy measure, wherein the ripped copies will only work on the Retro Freak unit that was used to rip them. In other words – probably, in theory – you may be able to save the ripped ROMs elsewhere, but you’ll only be able to play them on one Retro Freak console.

Cyber Gadget hasn’t mentioned a price or release date for the Retro Freak, but if this is legit this is going to be one of the most useful – and controversial – pieces of video game hardware ever made.

[via RetroCollect]

Gundam as Classic Consoles: Hyperdimension Gundamia

Posted on 21/03/2015 by Lambert Varias

We’ve seen Optimus Prime and Megatron as the PlayStation and Sega Mega Drive respectively. Here are various Gundam dressed up as even older consoles: Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine aka Turbografx-16 and two Game Boys.

Mangaka ikkyu019 made these gaming-themed gunpla. His model-painting skills may not be up to par with his drawing skills – if Google Translate is to be believed, ikkyu019 calls his Super Famicom Gundam “embarrassing” – but they’re all still cool. He’s no Sei Iori, but where else are you going to see a Gundam with a Power Glove? His RB-79 Balls are also visual puns – look closely at their windows to see what I mean.