Sales figures suggest Nintendo did pretty well with the Game Boy Color during its original run, even if the hardware and visuals feel a tad archaic and limited today. [Chris Hackmann] has taken the Game Boy Color design and reworked it from the ground up as the Frog Boy Color, kitting it out with modern upgrades in a GBA-like form factor while retaining the original hardware underneath.
[Chris] went to the wide-style GBA layout for comfort, which he considers superior to the original rectangular Game Boy format. He iterated through over 50 3D-printed enclosure designs to get the design to work, ensuring that the final housing could be CNC machined. He then set out to trim down the original Game Boy Color circuit layout to cut out hardware he considered unnecessary. The original LCD driver could go, since the Q5 replacement LCD he intended to use didn’t need it, and he also considered the IR port to be surplus to requirements. He also set out to replace the original audio amp with his own stereo design.
The result is a wide-format Game Boy Color with a gorgeous modern LCD, USB-C charging, and excellent compatibility with original games and accessories. Files are on Github if you want to build one yourself. Of course, he’s not the only person working on building the best Game Boy ever, but we always love seeing new work in this space. Video after the break.
Username checks out.
Happy New Year, by the way.
I miss the IR port a bit. Because, it’s a feature that made the GBC kind of unique.
Back in the day, when I had a humble original Gameboy, the wireless connectivity of the then-new GBC fascinated me.
Being able to “beam” data without a cable was still cool back then.
That’s why I got my MBO database back then, it was an organizer the size of a little cigarette box and had an infrared port, too.
Anyway, cool idea. It’s always nice when the Z80 type Gameboys get some love.
I just don’t like the USB-C port in general. Too flimsy, too tiny. I’ll prefer a barrel connector (Arduino Uno etc) anytime.
The IR port is cool. But just like IrDA it did not survive. Later gbc models are without it and not a lot of games made use of it.
Note that the gameboy is not a Z80. It has 8080 roots like the Z80, has a few Z80 features, but lacks many important Z80 things.
“The IR port is cool. But just like IrDA it did not survive. Later gbc models are without it and not a lot of games made use of it.”
I can’t know for sure, but I heard that IrDA survived for very long in Japan.
Up to late 2000s, at least. Users of flip phones did exchange their” business cards” that way. And other things.
Infrared is still being used by TV remote controls, too.
I think there was one game (some spy game?) or PIM software for GB that did take advantage of that.
“Note that the gameboy is not a Z80. It has 8080 roots like the Z80, has a few Z80 features, but lacks many important Z80 things.”
Noted, thanks. 😃 Though it happens that an Z80 core is often used by emulator writers when they work on their own GB/GBC emulator. That’s why think of Z80 when it comes to classic GBs. Of course, the actual DMG chip also has that sound generator built-in.
Some smartphones as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mobile_phones_with_infrared_transmitter
USB-C is fine, have you seen USB Mini and Micro? Huuuge step up. I’ve honestly seen more broken barrel plugs than USB-C. Also it’s everywhere, so you don’t need to bring a barrel cord with you.
I personally put a magnetic port in everything. They come in Mini Apple and USB-C magnets, so all my cords will charge any device. Easier to replace, and I don’t need to clean my ports because they always have a “cover”
Although, that said, both is not unheard of.
Loving this GB. Very cool. Can I put a Pi Zero in it? 🙃
“USB-C is fine, have you seen USB Mini and Micro? Huuuge step up. I’ve honestly seen more broken barrel plugs than USB-C. Also it’s everywhere, so you don’t need to bring a barrel cord with you.”
USB-C. Yikes. Did you see the scratch marks and wear on those connectors?
They wear out so quickly.
They’re not as good as, say, a DE9 connector.
USB-C doesn’t even have screws like DE9 or clamps like Centronics.
Something that any professional / industrial connector has.
No, I’m not convinced that USB-C is good. It’s a cheap consumer technology, rather.
Like everything that showed up since the 2000s. *sigh* 🙄
It’s a big step backwards from the barrel connector, I think.
USB should have had used something like the original Gameboy’s Link Port.
That connector was nicely big and clunky.
Firewire had used a similar plug, rightfully.
But, of course, that’s just my opinion. HDMI/DP connector, another consumer tech, is no better.
I Think the DVI connector was about the last serious connector here.
It had good haptics and screws, too.
Nice project and great to see sharing of the files so others can make one too.
I don’t like the idea of consuming a perfectly good GBC and GBA-SP to make this. It would be better to buy broken or smashed up consoles to get the parts from. It seems like we only need the salvaged CPU; the ram and crystal should be easier to replace. You could probably find the cartridge slot, or a suitable replacement from one of the big PCB connector manufacturers. You could 3D print or CNC machine the buttons.
I don’t like the volume knob, it looks too easy to hit by accident. I much prefer a large wheel that partially sticks out of a slot in the side of the case. Make a little rib around the wheel in the case to stop dust getting in.
If you are using tactile switches you probably don’t need the silicone mat anymore unless you’re using it to stop dust ingress.
“I don’t like the idea of consuming a perfectly good GBC and GBA-SP to make this. It would be better to buy broken or smashed up consoles to get the parts from.”
That’s a noble thinking, but it may make little of a difference.
Vintage stuff gets trashed overtime no matter its condition.
A GBC in perfectly good condition may on its way to a dumpster already, because there’s no one that has an use for it right now.
So not buying a NOS GBC for a project lile this doesn’t necessarily safe it.
Anyway, it’s just metal and plastics.
We have reached a point at which we recreate the original hardware to some degree.
So it’s just half as bad in reality.
The silicone is commonly used even with tact switches. Keeps them from being too hard on actuation, and quiets them. (Although my brother claims he likes loud clicks, can confirm he is an irritating mouse clicker)
Could probably use buttons/dpad from a Switch or Switch Lite or something else still being produced for that matter.
I’d have to try the knob to see if it does get hit on accident.
Creator here. I used all aftermarket SP parts, so no SPs were harmed, and I generally use badly corroded GBCs as donors to give them a new lease on life.
It never happened to me, but those screw-in connectors can do some damage if someone trips or something falls while they’re still connected. And even fully tightened, you can still get a color shift when your vga is on the way out and you bump the cable. I’ve seen the screws strip plenty of times on that sort of connector, and then it doesn’t retain properly and is bulky enough to work its way loose pretty often. Or someone overtightens them and you can’t turn them by hand, or if you can it’s because the screw socket comes loose and starts rotating in the hole, and now you can’t get the damn thing off unless you can get a tool around to hold it or you accept some collateral damage.
comment glitch! replying to discussion of connectors.