Index
A contacts, replacement of, 50 corrosion, silicon pads and, 44 AC adapters, 53 corrosion in battery compartment, 49 accessories, collecting of, 193--199 5V boost, 156 adhesive. See LOCA (liquid optically Game Pak repairs, 53--55 clear adhesive) long time storage, 49 Pokemon Mini, 223 power LED, changing of, 134--136 B battery doors, 123 Beam Gun, 20 baby powder, 34, 83, 85 bivert module, 78--81, 137 backlights, 14 Game Boy Pocket, 151--152 colored backlight installation, 137 blade (boxcutter), 32 Game Boy Advance (GBA) mod, foil and polarizer removal, 75--76 158--173 bootleg game cartridges, 190--192 Game Boy Color (GBC) mod, 116--117 box art, 188, 200--211 Game Boy DMG mod boxcutter (blade), 32, 75--76 backlight preparation, 82--84 bricks, 61 bivert (hex inversion) module brightness, 156 installation, 78--81 buttons case removal, 72--73 cleaning sticky buttons, 43 polarizer, removal of, 74--77 customization, 122 reassembling the case, 86--88 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 170, 171 screen removal, 73 Pokemon Mini, 221, 222 Game Boy Pocket mod, 146--156 troubleshooting, 115 light panels, 101 Newton rings, 85 Pokemon Mini mod, 214--225 C soldering resistors, 38 tools for, 70 Camera, Game Boy, 196 troubleshooting, 89, 155, 172, 225 capacitor, 84, 86, 223 Bandai, 25 cartridges. See game cartridges (carts) Barcode Boy, 195 case. See shells batteries circuit board AC adapters, 53 bivert module installation, 151--153 (continues)
Index 233 circuit board (continued) corrosion buttons, cleaning of, 43 cleaning techniques, 34, 47--49, 61 5V boost installation, 156 headphone jack, 115 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 162, silicon pads, 44 169, 171 cotton swabs, 33 Game Boy Color (GBC), 102--103, 110 custom consoles, 121--137 Game Boy Pocket, 146--147 battery doors, 123 game cartridges, 191 buttons, 122 Pokemon Mini, 217, 222--223 colored backlights, 137 removing from case, 72--73 power LED, color change, 134--136 cleaning techniques, 40 product labels, 126 battery compartment corrosion, 49 screen lens, 124--125 buttons, sticky, 43 shells, 123 corrosion, 47--49 shells, painting of, 127--133 game cartridges, 192 screen, glue removal, 76--77 screens, 51, 52 D shells, 42 silicon pads, 43--44 dead consoles, 61 speakers, 45 display quality, troubleshooting, 89, yellowing, 51, 224 115, 155, 172, 225. See also screens cleaning tools, 33 Displex, 42, 224 clear carts, 186 DMG. See Game Boy cold solder, 37 Donkey Kong, 19--20 collectibles D-pad, 19--20 accessories, 193--199 Duran, Sean, 174--177 box and label art, 188 cleaning cartridges, 192 Game Boy publications, 182--183 E games, types and recommendations, 186--187 electrical tape, 31, 38 shopping for in Japan, 206--211 emulators, 15 spotting fakes, 190--192 storage of, 189 terminology, 184 F tips for, 185 variants and box art, 200--211 Famicom, 20 color carts, 186 fanny pack, 199 color code key, Game Boy Color (GBC), 98 5V boost, 156 colors, light panels, 100--101 flickering, 156 compressed air, 34 flush cutter, 32 contacts, batteries, 50 flux pen (flux), 31 contrast knob, 89, 155 soldering, basic technique, 36
234 Index foil, reflective, 74 original box art, 200--201 frontlight panels, 100 original specs (1989), 71 Game Boy Pocket, 148--149 sales and software data, 22 Pokemon Mini, 218--219 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 26, 160 removal of, 74--76 backlight mod Frankenstein Game Boys, 15 aftermarket backlit LCD, 162--163 frontlights, 14 LCD screen installation, 168--170 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 26 reassembly, 171 Game Boy Color (GBC) mod shell, opening of, 163--165 LCD screen, 99 shell, trimming of, 166--167 light panels, front and back, tools for, 158 100--101 troubleshooting, 172 LOCA, application to LCD, game cartridges, 186 104--109 IPS screen mod, 173 shell, closing of, 111--112 original box, 204 spidering, 113--114 original box art, 205 tools for, 96 original specs, 159 troubleshooting, 115 Game Boy Advance (GBA) SP, 205 wiring the screen, 110 Game Boy Camera, 196 light panels, 100 Game Boy Cases, 198 soldering resistors, 38 Game Boy Color (GBC), 24 spidering, 113--114 backlight mods, 116--117 Funny Playing, IPS screen mod, 173 cartridges and color code key, 98 frontlight mod infrared panel, seating of, 111 G LCD screen, 99 light panels, front and back, Game Boy 100--101 costs for, 61 LOCA, application to LCD, DMG-02 and DMG-03, 15 104--109 buttons, 122 power switch, seating of, 111 power LED, changing of, 134--136 shell, closing of, 111--112 Frankenstein Game Boy, 15 shell, opening of, 102--103 history of, 16--28 spidering, 113--114 mods for tools for, 96 basic types of mods, 14--15 troubleshooting, 115 market for sales, 11--12 wiring the screen, 110 new options and resources, games for, 186 228--232 original box, 203 sources for materials, 13, original specs, 97 228--232 Game Boy graveyards, 64 tools for, 30--35 Game Boy Light, 24 use of this book, 12--15 Game Boy Micro, 160
Index 235 Game Boy Perfect Catalogue, 182--183 GND (ground) pad, LED backlight, 81 Game Boy Pocket, 23 LED backlight mod, 81 backlight mod light panels, front and back, backlight preparation, 150 100--101, 106 bivert board installation, 151--152 Pokemon Mini, 223 5V boost, 156 troubleshooting, 89, 115, 155, 225 LCD preparation, 148--149 light panel soldering, 153 shell, closing of, 154 H shell, opening of, 146--147 tools for, 144 haptic features, 186 troubleshooting, 155 headphone jack original box, 202 cleaning of, 48 original specs, 145 troubleshooting, 115 Game Boy Pocket Sonar, 195 headphones, 194 Game Boy Printer, 197 hex inversion module, installation of, 78--81 Game Boy World, 182--183 horizontal screen lines, 60 game cartridges (carts) hydrogen peroxide, 51 batteries, save and clock functions, 54--55 cleaning of, 192 I early product design ideas, 17--18, 21 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 162, 169 infrared panel, Game Boy Color (GBC), 111 Game Boy Camera, 196 IPS screen mod, 173 Game Boy Color (GBC), 98 isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, 33, 42 Pokemon Mini, 206, 214, 222, 224 Iwata, Satoru, 27 spotting fakes, 190--192 storage of, 189 types of, 186 J The Game Console, 183 Game Pak Japan, hunt for Pokemon Mini, 206--211 repair of, 54--55 types of, 186 Game & Watch, 19, 20, 22 K GameCube, 195 gaming publications, 182--183 Kid Icarus, 20 glass screen lens, 124--125 KOTO, 23, 25 glue. See LOCA (liquid optically clear adhesive) gray carts, 186 L ground wire bivert chip, 87 label art, 188 5V boost installation, 156
236 Index Lateral Thinking with Withered microfiber cloth, 33 Technology, 18, 214 Microvision, 17, 21 LCDs Miyamoto, Shigeru, 17, 20 cracked LCDs, 63 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 158--173 Game Boy Color (GBC), 99 N Game Boy Pocket, 23, 148--156 LOCA, application of, 104--109 needle--nose pliers, 32 Pokemon Mini, 218--225 NES consoles, 20, 122, 187, 205 reflective background, 74 Newton rings, 85 screen burn, 62 Nintendo, history of Game Boy, 16--28 screen cancer, 62 Nintendo 64, 195 screen repairs, horizontal lines, 60 Nintendo D-pad, 19--20 screen repairs, vertical lines, 56--59 Nintendo DS, 27 screen replacement mods, 14 LED filter, 170 LEDs. See also backlights; frontlights O factory reflective screens, 70 front and back light panels, 100--101 OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) positive and negative poles, 135--136 Game Boy, original specs, 71 power LED, changing color, 134--136 Game Boy Advance (GBA), resistors, power flow and shorts, 38 original specs, 159 light panels, 100--101, 150. See also Game Boy Color (GBC), original backlights; frontlights specs, 97 soldering of, 153 Game Boy Pocket, original specs, 145 spidering, 113--114 Pokemon Mini, original specs, 215 link cable, headphones, 194 screen lens, 124 LOCA (liquid optically clear adhesive), 35 shells, 42, 123 application of frontlight panel to Okada, Satoru, 17--18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26 LCD, 106--109 curing time, 109 sources and tips for use, 104--106 P
painted shells, 127--133 M parts Game Boy graveyards, 64 magnetic screw dish, 35 sources for, 40, 228--232 Mario series, 20 PCB (printed circuit board) Meet a Modder bivert module installation, 151--153 Jaqueline Ruther, 90--93 buttons, cleaning of, 43 Owen Liza Winter, 138--141 5V boost installation, 156 Sean Duran, 174--177 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 162, 169, 171 Metroid, 20 (continues)
Index 237 PCB (printed circuit board) (continued) Game Pak repairs, 53--55 Game Boy Color (GBC), 102--103, 110 Pokemon Mini, 223--224 Game Boy Pocket, 146--147 power switch, Game Boy Color (GBC), 111 game cartridges, 191 Printer, Game Boy, 197 Pokemon Mini, 217, 222--223 product label, 126 removing from case, 72--73 publications for gaming, 182--183 Phillips-head screwdriver, 32 picture quality, troubleshooting, 89, 115, 155, 172, 225. See also screens R pins bivert (hex inversion) module Raspberry Pi mods, 15 installation, 79--81 reflector, Game Boy Pocket, 144, 148--149 Game Boy Advance (GBA), DAI, 169 repairs Game Boy Advance (GBA), dead consoles, 61 ribbon cable adapter versions, Game Pak, 54--55 162, 164, 172 LCD, cracked, 63 Game Boy Pocket, light panel salvaged parts, 64 mod, 153 screen burn, 62 soldering and short circuits, 80 screen cancer, 62 plastic screen lens, 124--125 screens, scratches, 52 pliers, needle-nose, 32 screens, vertical lines, 56--59 Pokemon Mini, 206--211, 214 resistors, soldering of, 38 backlight screen mod Retr0bright, 51, 224 preparing the backlight, 220--221 ribbon cable, 72, 73, 74, 87 preparing the screen, 219 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 162, shell, opening of, 216--218 164, 168 soldering the backlight, 222--223 Game Boy Color (GBC), 103 tools for, 214 Game Boy Pocket, 144, 146--147, troubleshooting, 225 148--149 original specs, 215 Pokemon Mini, 217, 219, 222--223 polarizer torn cable, 89 bivert (hex inversion) module troubleshooting, 115, 155, 172, 225 installation, 78--81 rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol, 33, 42 Game Boy Pocket, 148--149, 150 rumble features, 186 Newton rings, 85 Ruther, Jaqueline, 90--93 Pokemon Mini, 220 removal of, 74--77 replacement of, 83--84 S screen burn, 62 troubleshooting, 89, 155, 225 safety power supply. See also batteries knife or blade use, 75, 77 AC adapters, 53 soldering irons, 31 5V boost, 156 salvaged parts, 64
238 Index screens. See also backlights; frontlights soldering iron, 31, 33 basic mods, 14 chisel tip, 80 cleaning screens, 52 cleaning of, 37 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 158 as heat source, screen repairs, 57--59 lens, adhering to screen, 52, 88 tinning the iron, 36 lens, custom, 124--125 soldering techniques removal from shell, 103 basic technique, 36--37 repairs bivert module installation, 151--153 cracked LCDs, 63 cold solder, 37 horizontal lines, 60 5V boost installation, 156 screen burn, 62 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 169 screen cancer, 62 Game Pak repairs, 54--55 vertical screen lines, 56--59, 89 LED backlight mod, 79--81, 89, 150 replacement mods, 14 light panel soldering, 153 scratches, 52, 224 Pokemon Mini, backlight, 222--223 spidering, frontlight panels, 113--114 resistors, 38 screwdriver solder bridge, 37 Phillips-head, 32 speakers, changing of, 46 security screwdriver, Game Pak troubleshooting, 172, 225 repairs, 54--55 volume knob, 48 Y-tip security, 32 speakers screws cleaning of, 43, 45 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 163--164 removal from case, 73 Game Boy Color (GBC), 102 replacing, 46 Game Boy DMG, 72--73 troubleshooting, 89, 115, 155, 172, 225 Game Boy Pocket, 146--147 spidering, frontlight panels, 113--114 Pokemon Mini, 216 steel wool, 33 tightening of, 86 storage systems for games, 189 shells Super Game Boy adapter, 195 cleaning of, 42 collectibles, 198 Game Boy Advance (GBA), 163--165 T Game Boy Color (GBC), 102--103 Game Boy DMG, 72--73, 86--88 Team Shikamaru, 20 Game Boy Pocket, 145, 146--147 terminology, collectibles, 184 painting of, 127--133 tools for modding Pokemon Mini, 216--218 baby powder, 34 product label, 126 blade/boxcutter, 32 replacement shells, 42, 123 cleaning tools, 33 yellowing of, 51, 224 compressed air, 34 silicon pads, 43--44, 115, 122, 170 cotton swabs, 33 solder, 31, 80 electrical tape, 31 solder sucker, 31, 37, 80 (continues)
Index 239 tools for modding (continued) V flush cutter, 32 flux pen (flux), 31 VCC, backlight mod, 79--81 LOCA (liquid optically clear vertical screen lines, repair of, 56--59 adhesive), 35 vinegar, 34, 48, 49 magnetic screw dish, 35 Virtual Boy, 23 needle-nose pliers, 32 volume knob, cleaning of, 48 screwdriver, Phillips-head, 32 screwdriver, Y-tip security, 32 solder and soldering iron, 31 W solder sucker, 31 sources, 30 WD-40, 34, 48 steel wool, 33 Winter, Owen Liza, 138--141 UV lamp, 35 WonderSwan, 25 vinegar, 34 WD-40, 34 troubleshooting Game Boy Advance (GBA), 172 Y Game Boy Color (GBC), 115 Yamauchi, Hiroshi, 16 Game Boy DMG, 89 Yokoi, Gunpei, 16--28 Game Boy Pocket, 155 Y-tip security screwdriver, 32 Pokemon Mini, 225 screen flickering or brightness, 156 Z U Zapper, 20
Ultra Hand, 16 UV lamp, 35
240 Index