Transform Your Old Game Boy Color into a Retro Gaming Console with the ReBoi Kit
Are you nostalgic for the days of playing Game Boy under the flickering streetlights in the backseat of your parents’ car? Now, you have the opportunity to embark on a journey back in time. While there are plenty of noteworthy competitors in the market, none can match the original design of the Game Boy Color with its perfectly pocket-sized form. If you happen to have an old, dusty Game Boy Color lying around, a DIY enthusiast from London is offering you the chance to transform it into a fully functional emulator.
The ReBoi Kit is a set that replaces the interior of your Game Boy Color and turns it into a miniature computer powered by the Raspberry Pi Zero. It’s perfect for emulating retro games, and you don’t need any soldering skills or electronics knowledge. James Sargent, an engineer from London, created this kit because he has always been fascinated by the minimalist design of the Game Boy Color and wanted to fit a full-fledged computer into something small yet iconic. The Kickstarter campaign for the ReBoi Kit is set to end this week, and shipments are expected to begin in August (although, as with any Kickstarter project, there may be some variations).
The kit includes a main board with a built-in sound card and microcontroller, ensuring compatibility with the Game Boy’s buttons. The port has now been upgraded to a full-size USB-C, offering file transfer and battery charging capabilities. The kit also features a new backlit TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 240 by 250 pixels.
To facilitate retro game emulation on this device, ReBoi suggests installing the RetroPie architecture as the operating system. This will give you access to all titles available on Game Boy and Game Boy Advance consoles (please note that technically you should own the original games you are emulating). Older systems like PSX should work smoothly, but running later consoles like Nintendo 64 can be more challenging, especially on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 alone.
It’s worth noting that while the ReBoi Kit doesn’t require any soldering or electronic assembly, you still need your own Game Boy Color and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 board—a tiny computer board that usually costs less than $15. The kit doesn’t come with an operating system or any games, as Sargent clearly emphasizes in his Kickstarter project to avoid any legal issues related to current emulation laws. Based on the videos shared by Sargent, the assembly process seems fairly straightforward and only requires a few thumbs and basic tools.
While part of the fun with this device is building it yourself, it’s important to mention that many similar retro gaming consoles, resembling the Game Boy, cost the same or even less than the $101 price tag of the ReBoi Kit. Additionally, you won’t be able to use your original Game Boy cartridges. The fake plastic cartridge included in the kit is for display purposes only. If you’re looking for a modern version of the Game Boy that allows you to enjoy your old game collection, you might want to explore other handheld consoles of similar size, such as the Analogue Pocket (which also supports emulation of other Nintendo consoles).
Other companies, like Retro Modding, also offer fairly expensive parts for DIY repairs and modifications of Game Boy consoles. However, what sets ReBoi apart is its simple assembly kit that replaces the entire interior while preserving the original housing. We can’t advise anyone to invest in a new Kickstarter project from an inexperienced creator, but we hope that everything goes well for both Sargent and other Game Boy Color enthusiasts.
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The source of the article is from the blog macnifico.pt