From 1989 to 2003, Nintendo released several Game Boy variants designed to make up for the various shortcomings of the original — the Game Boy Color gave us a color screen, the Game Boy Pocket gave us a smaller form factor, and the Japan-only Game Boy Light added a backlight. One thing we didn’t get was a model with all three features together.
Of course, you could always build your own. Game Boy modding has been around for as long as the handheld has existed, but to many, tearing apart their handheld was too hard or too big a risk.
Until now that is. Metal modders Boxy Pixel have released a DIY kit that lets you fit the internals of a Game Boy Color into the body of a Game Boy Pocket. All you need is a Game Boy Color to source the hardware from and a bit of patience to put all the pieces together. Check out how great the final product looks.
Source: The Retro Future on YouTube
The Retro Future posted a YouTube video where they use this kit to rebuild their Game Boy, and the results are spectacular. The CNC-machined metal chassis gives the Game Boy Pocket a modern shine and elegance. They even took their build to the next level by slotting in a modern screen with color and a built-in backlight, essentially creating the ultimate Game Boy.
The video shows off what looks to be a pretty straightforward build, though you’ll need to know how to work a solder (or learn how). From the looks of it, this would be a great first build for someone looking to get into modding.