Turn Your GBA Into A Game Console 136
Kon writes "Here's a site that has photos and describes some very nice mods for the GameBoy Advance
(original model), which make it function more like a video game console, yet still
remaining portable. These mods include a Neo Geo joystick attachment, power management
mod, and an RGB LCD monitor attachment. If you're not too squeamish you can try
them as well, using the instructions which are provided."
Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:5, Funny)
Real geaks dont buy there toy enhancesments
They mod their own, break it, but buy anohter one to mod on the principle of it.
how many times have i alone gone through this terrible vicious cycle...
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:2)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:2)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:1)
Re:Or you could just use a Game Boy Player... (Score:2)
No way, no how! (Score:1)
Penny Arcade said it well (Score:3, Funny)
(Warning : contains a bad word or two)
I'm glad that they said it... (Score:1)
Well then, (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Well then, (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:No way, no how! (Score:2)
My first mistake was not putting that film on the LCD, looks like crap if you do that. Took it apart again, put the film on and looks great now! I like to think I saved myself $100 for a new GBASP
Sing along with me now! (Score:1, Funny)
Too much time on my hands...
Too much time on my hands...
Another option... (Score:1)
GBA player + (used) gamecube ~= 120 bucks.
There is, however, a TV tuner with composite inputs for GBA available. Anyone have a link to the thing? It'd sure come in handy next time the power goes out.
Re:Another option... (Score:1)
Here's the TV tuner [success-hk.com] that I know of. Not too expensive, but I haven't tried it to know how it works.
Re:Another option... (Score:1)
What a fantastic idea! (Score:5, Funny)
Is it just me ir is this completely missing the point!
Re:What a fantastic idea! (Score:4, Funny)
Would that be before or after the casemod and mandatory installation of NetBSD?
Re:What a fantastic idea! (Score:1, Interesting)
Miniturization is for chumps!!! (Score:1)
That's, um... (Score:4, Insightful)
The idea behind the GBA is the portability. Seriously. Tacking on all that extra stuff does not make the GBA better.
=Brian
Re:That's, um... (Score:1)
Re:That's, um... (Score:1)
The original concept of the Gameboy may be portability, however "better" is in the eye of the beholder. By modding/adding the jacks/ports you do NOT strip the GBA of it's ability to go portable. You make it somewhat dual purpose. If you're at home, the ability to - not waste batteries, use a larger display, and use a gamepad controller - are useful and practical, in the eyes of many. Plus
also - (Score:1)
PocketNES (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:PocketNES (Score:1, Insightful)
Most of the better games are either 2mbit, 3mbit, or 4mbit. For the 115 NES roms i've got, it takes up about 25.9 megabytes on my hard drive, so you could probably fit about 160 average games on there. But not "over 1000."
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
Re:PocketNES (Score:2)
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
How many games you can use with the menu?
There are no limits in the menu program or otherwise in how many roms you can include, so the limit is with the space of the flash card. Considering most NES games are between 25-300kB you could fit 25-300 games on a 64mbit card, 50-600 games on a 128mbit card, 100-1200 games on the 256mbit card, or 200-2400 games on the 512mbit card! Note that the Gameboy Advance itself can't handle roms over 256mbit, so if you have a 512mbit card you need
Re:PocketNES (Score:2)
Re:PocketNES (Score:2)
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
Re:PocketNES (Score:2)
i am lucky to get 100 NES games on my 256Mb card.
Re:PocketNES (Score:1)
Also, apologies for the somewhat theoretical FAQ entry (this one [fuckingpimp.com]) that seem to have got you so upset. You can indeed fit 1000 25k NES roms on a 256 mbit flash card, but there probably are less than 200 25k roms, so yes, it's all theoretical. In practice, if you stick to old school games you sh
I sure hope... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I sure hope... (Score:2, Funny)
Oddly enough, chances are pretty good the ant will not get squashed because the surface roughness of the boulder will provide pockets of safety (ever step on an ant to have it survive because of the slots in your tread?). Whether the ant will starve/suffocate, however, is another issue entirely.
It all depends on your perspective...and mine is wierd.
Re:I sure hope... (Score:2)
Re:I sure hope... (Score:1)
Who me no I have not been reading Quicksilver not me.
You ain't kidding! (Score:2)
It's been done before, too.
Be very afraid [fivemouse.com]
hmm.. practical applications.. (Score:3, Interesting)
a bit polishing though.. but at least it would be an eyecatcher for sure.
Re:hmm.. practical applications.. (Score:2)
Except that for most demonstration purposes, the GameCube GBA Player is a better solution. This is only slightly more portable than the gamecube + gba player + mini television.
a bit polishing though.. but at least it would be an eyecatcher for sure.
Eyecatcher in that "Living mother of God! My eyes! My eyes!" sort of way.
Bummer! (Score:1, Funny)
very cool modules. (Score:1)
Game Boy Advance goes wireless [mobilemag.com]
Gameboy Video Phone Module [mobilemag.com]
Cool (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Cool (Score:1)
Optionally, I guess you could try to power it on D cells or a rechargable battery pack.
The Cube certainly doesn't fit in your pocket, but then neither does the PS1 LCD screen he put on that GBA.
Re:GET THIS MAN A GIRLFRIEND!!! (Score:2)
Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:2)
Re:Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:2)
This isn't how the term 'console' is used to refer to video games hardware. 'Console' can refer to either a portable or TV-based system, and is used to differentiate from 'computer'.
Therefore, the original news item is poorly worded.
Re:Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:1)
Re:Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:2)
Somebody please explain to me why this is insightful? Not only is he nitpicking a not so relevant point (i.e. console has more than one definition), but he's also missing the point of why this project is cool. So please, explain to me why this is insightful?
Re:Um... the GBA is a game console already (Score:1)
Coming on Slashdot next:
"Turn your MS Windows into on operating system"
"Turn Slashdot into a news for nerds site"
"Turn your +5 Funny posts into something funny"
I hate to say it... (Score:3, Insightful)
Gamecube + Game Boy Player + Battery pack + LCD screen.
That's maybe 3-5 hours of game time on a single charge, but you can then play any GBA/GB games as well as the full GameCube library.
Granted, it suffers of a horribly reduced hack value, but for some reason, I'm OK with that.
GameCube controller doesn't cut it (Score:1)
You'll also need a PlayStation Dual Shock controller and a nYko Play Cube adapter. Nintendo unwisely chose to put the GameCube controller's digital cross pad in a hard-to-reach corner. Using a PlayStation controller instead swaps the cross pad and the left stick to place precise digital control right where you need it. (Compatibility warning: The Play Cube adapter works with PS1 Dual Shock controllers and PS2 Dual Shock 2 controllers but does not work with dance pads or other PS1 digital controllers.)
I
This is just stupid. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This is just stupid. (Score:3, Informative)
Consider this. Why do people modify old cars when they can just go out and buy a nice new one? It's the 'I can' factor. It may not make much economic, or functional sense, but is for the enthusiast that did it, it's a perso
Re:This is just stupid. (Score:2)
GameCube? (Score:3)
With the GameCube [amazon.com] now priced the same as the GBA [amazon.com], one might as well just skip the "turn your GBA into a console" bit and go straight to owning a console! =)
Re:GameCube? (Score:2)
Re:GameCube? (Score:1)
great little project but... (Score:1)
I was hoping somebody figured out how to get a neogeo pocket D pad on there cuz that would be amazing. I have yet to come across a better hand held controller.
or you could just use a super nintendo- (Score:1)
Almost, but not quite. (Score:1)
That would work for a few titles but not all titles. The set of titles available for the Game Boy Advance does not equal the set of titles available for the Super NES, and neither is a subset of the other. GBA Game Paks hold more data than Super NES Game Paks held, and frame rates in 3D games using the GBA's ARM7TDMI processor are better than frame rates in 3D games using the Super NES's Super FX processor.
Just get a GameCube ($100), a Game Boy Player ($50), and a nYko Play Cube adapter ($10), and use y
He is my GOD!!!!!11111111 (Score:5, Funny)
I've actually been working on a similar project - turning a notebook into a computer. I don't have any pictures at the moment, but in a nutshell, it pretty much involves tying a ball and chain onto my PowerBook G4. How do you like MY apples?
Re:He is my GOD!!!!!11111111 (Score:1)
What else can an orginal gba be turned into... (Score:1)
2) A retarded frisby.
3) Think brass knuckles...
4) Think brick...
5) A shovel.
6) A cause of eye problems.
7) A mirror.
8) The brunt of slashdot jokes ("In soviet russia. GBA's convert you", "Imagine what a beowolf cluster of them...", "What about gamegirls, you insentive clod!")
Re:What else can an orginal gba be turned into... (Score:1)
Frisbee? Almost (Score:1)
no, it's Frisby [amazon.com]. But you're right to a point: the name had to be changed to "Brisby" in the film adaptation.
Re:Frisbee? Almost (Score:1)
Re:Frisbee? Almost (Score:1)
Pfeh... nothing still beats (Score:2, Interesting)
ten years ago... (Score:5, Insightful)
amazing how the competitive markets change.
PS1 release date (Score:1)
Ten years ago, I would have found "Sony" and "game console" in the same sentence to be a bit odd. The PS1 didn't come out in the States until September 9, 1995.
Make your NES Four Score... Famicom compliant! (Score:2)
Why would someone do such a thing? This way, you don't have to import a Famicom to play your favorit famicom carts, which is a good thing if you decide to spend a ton of money [rahga.com] on importing the best darn Famicom game ever.... (Sure, some people would call me insane, but I consider it to be more valuable and far more rare than several of today's newest top games, such as Tron 2, Je
i got one for sale... (Score:2)
i also have the GBC rom copier "game jack" with a 128M cartridge.
a game boy color and 15-20 game boy games comes with it... everything included.
email mike at@at kristopeit dot.dot com if you are interrested.
Reminds me of (Score:4, Funny)
Turn Your GBA Into A Game Console, or... (Score:3, Insightful)
"Turn lots of time, money, resources, into a less useful GBA with a marginally larger screen."
This improves upon what? (Score:3, Insightful)
Please help these people find jobs! (Score:1)
Language Police! (Score:2)
Get a far better effect by hooking a GBA TV-out convertor [lik-sang.com] to either an Olympus Eye-Trek or Sony Glasstron head mounted display.
Honestly, the things can be had for right around $200 on Ebay. This person probably spent about that much on his little setup.
Hey... (Score:2)
Re:Hey... (Score:2)
Not completely.
portable! (Score:1)
yeah right! [prodigy.net]
Portable Playstation Mod (Score:3, Informative)
mr.
This is a mod? (Score:3, Interesting)
I guess it's impressive though for what it is but I wouldn't consider it a complete solution for making the gameboy into a game console. It looks too bulky.
TV de Advance (Score:3, Informative)
Now, if the guy had produced a cartridge with a real, full-sized slot for, say, Atari 2600 (insert your favourite old console here) carts which were than played with an emulater, that would be a "console hack".
Nice mod (Score:1)
Re:Hah, beat you to it :-) (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)