In the fall of 1990, Europe was once again late to the party. Nintendo had already released its ground-breaking handheld gaming system, the Game Boy, in Japan and the U.S. in 1989. In Europe, however, gamers were still waiting.
I was six years old at the time and somewhat familiar with video games. My father owned an Atari 2600 and I had dabbled in handheld LCD games like those Tiger Electronics had made infamous. The Nintendo Entertainment System had been on the market since 1986, and some of my friends swore it was the greatest thing they’d ever seen.
For the Love of Gaming
When my parents asked what I wanted for my seventh birthday, I faced a dilemma. My parents usually limited my TV time to one hour per day. I had a sneaking suspicion that I would be able to spend a lot more time with a portable gaming system. So, I requested a Game Boy for my birthday.
The Game Boy was my first video game system. It introduced me to Mario and Link, to “Final Fantasy” and “Tetris”. The little gray box holds a special place in my heart. It ignited a lifelong passion for gaming.
When I recently decided to retrieve my Game Boy from the basement, I was greeted with disappointment. The once white-grey shell had turned a sickly yellow. Some of the buttons felt too loose. The springs in the battery compartment had warped, barely allowing the batteries to make contact. Screen rot had created several dead spots on the screen.
Briefly, I considered purchasing a working Game Boy at a retro store, but dismissed the idea. I didn’t want to play on just any Game Boy. I wanted to use the same system that first inspired my gaming habits.
Thanks to the power of the internet, I quickly discovered a thriving community of Game Boy modders. I combed through dozens of websites and online sellers and put together a plan to make my Game Boy better than ever before.
1. Disassembly
By modern standards, the Game Boy is not a particularly sophisticated piece of technology. Still, I hit a brick wall even just trying to open up the system.
Turns out, I needed some rather specific screwdrivers to open the shell. These “tri-wing” screwdrivers are thankfully available from numerous online sellers. They are inexpensive and extremely useful when disassembling old Nintendo hardware.
There are six tri-wing screws holding the two halves of the Game Boy together, four on the back of the system, and another two inside of the battery compartment. These are the only tri-wing screws; for the rest of the disassembly, its best to use a jewellery screwdriver.
Once the Game Boy was “open”, I noticed a small ribbon cable connecting the two halves on the inside. I gently disconnected the cable and separated the two halves.
Each of the two PCBs (short for “printed circuit board”), connects to one half of the Game Boy shell via a series of screws. Using a jewellery screwdriver, it was simple to remove them both. The springs inside the battery compartment are easily removed, as well; gently pushing in the release inside the shell allows them to pop right out. Finally, a little pressure removes the lens that covers the screen; the adhesive used to attach it is quite old and brittle.
2. Hair Care for the Game Boy
My next step was to deal with the yellowing of the shell. I read on countless websites about a substance called “retrobrite” that could remove the yellow tint from ABS plastics commonly used in computer and video game shells in the 1980s. Some of the recipes were pretty complex. I didn’t exactly feel qualified to run chemical experiments in my basement.
Some further research, however, suggested that the active ingredient in “retrobrite” was hydrogen peroxide, a substance commonly used for highlighting hair. Instead of trying to re-create “retrobrite”, I purchased a bottle of 40v Cream Peroxide Developer online.
The concentration of hydrogen peroxide in this kind of developer is high, usually over 10%. Gloves are essential to protect the skin when using this stuff.
I applied the gel-like developer to the Game Boy shell with a small brush. I then wrapped the shell in cellophane wrap, which I had seen recommended on a couple of websites in combination with “retrobrite”. Finally, I placed the wrapped Game Boy shell outside into the sun, since hydrogen peroxide reacts with UV light.
I left the Game Boy shell outside for about 5 hours, then unwrapped it and rinsed it off. Unsatisfied with the results, I repeated the entire process. The results were impressive. The Game Boy shell was almost completely devoid of any yellowing.
3. After-Market Replacement Parts
I am not alone in my love for old video game systems. A small but thriving industry has sprung up around the games of yesteryear. Several online retailers specialize in replacement parts for various gaming consoles.
After some thorough research, I decided to go with handheldlegend.com. There, I purchased a new lens to cover the Game Boy’s screen, new buttons, and button pads (which sit under the buttons and make contact with the PCB), and battery springs.
Some of these parts are even available in alternate colors. I stuck with the authentic color scheme, except for the lens. I felt a darker colored lens would look better with the recently restored color of the Game Boy shell.
Installing these parts was incredibly simple. I placed the buttons in the shell, then covered them with the button pads. The lens came with its own adhesive. Even the battery springs simply snapped into place.
The real challenge, however, would be replacing the most important part of the Game Boy: the screen.
4. Preparing for a New Screen
When I began this project, it was incredibly important to keep the Game Boy as authentic as possible. If a part was not broken, I would not replace it. I wanted to preserve my original Game Boy, not replace it.
There was, however, one part I had to replace: the screen. Here, I faced a choice: replace the screen with a similar screen or upgrade.
Although intended to be a black and white screen that could display four shades of grey, the original Game Boy screen really displayed four shades of baby-diarrhea green. Worse, it did not feature a back light. Playing the Game Boy in less than ideal lighting conditions was basically impossible. The low-tech nature of the screen, however, allowed the system to have some incredible battery life for the time.
After some consideration, I decided to upgrade the screen, even if the battery life would take a hit. Using a screen with a back light would breathe new life into the system. Thankfully, handheldlegend.com had a screen replacement available that met my needs: the DMG RIPS IPS LCD V3.
This screen comes with a new front PCB to help minimize soldering. There is, however, one drawback: the new screen is actually larger than the original screen, so the front shell needs to be modified.
Two small posts above the screen opening have to be removed from the shell. I accomplished this with a sharp knife, although there are also specific tools available to accomplish this goal. After some minor sanding to make sure the surface was as smooth as possible, I was ready to proceed.
5. Installing the New Screen
There is a bracket that can help install the new screen; regrettably, I did not know that. When I began re-assembling my Game Boy, I had not ordered such a bracket. Thankfully, although it is helpful and highly recommended, it is not technically necessary.
I attached the new screen to the Game Boy shell’s interior with the included adhesive tape, carefully measuring every step of the way. At this point, I also made sure that I had the buttons and button pads installed, since the front PCB would cover all of this.
A small ribbon cable then connected the screen to the new front PCB.
6. Sound
Purchasing a screen with a new front PCB minimized soldering, but it did not eliminate the need completely. There was still one small soldering job required: the Game Boy’s speaker.
The speaker attaches to the front PCB via two cables. I simply cut the wires off as close to the original PCB as possible, then used a wire cutter to strip some of the insulation. The new PCB clearly shows where to insert these wires, but they still need to be connected via solder.
The good news is that this is a very easy soldering job. I had never soldered electronics before, so I was initially intimidated. I purchased a cheap soldering wand and watched a couple of videos on soldering. The whole process took less than two minutes.
7. Game Boy Re-Assembled
At this point in the process, it was just a matter of putting everything back in its place. I re-installed the back PCB in the back shell, used the ribbon cable to connect the front and back PCBs, and tightened all screws.
A word of caution: when re-installing the PCBs, it is important to not over-tighten the screws. This can create too much tension on the internal parts of the Game Boy. I made this mistake, and half of the buttons did not register when pressed. I had to disassemble the Game Boy once more to find the problem.
This was the moment of truth. Would it all work? The answer was yes. I fired up the Game Boy, then spent the next hour playing “Super Mario Land”. The buttons were responsive, the batteries maintained contact, and the screen was gorgeous.
After a lengthy process that required me to learn new skills, I am thoroughly pleased with this “new” Game Boy. I’d like to think that seven-year-old me would have loved this restored and upgraded system.
