Using a Game Boy Advance console as the focus of their project, the player modified the Nintendo handheld to include a powerful battery that looks like it could handle a Doomsday scenario while playing for several hours on a single charge. A Game Boy Advance modder shared their handiwork on social media, along with a list of the parts they used in their project.
Originally released in 2001, the Game Boy Advance (GBA) was the successor to Nintendo's original Game Boy and Game Boy Color portable consoles. The GBA featured new L and R arm buttons, a larger screen, an improved sound chip, and game cartridges that were half the size of the original Game Boy cartridge. In addition to being able to play GBA exclusive titles, the Game Boy Advance also had backwards compatibility with Game Boy games. Some GBA games, incl Mr. Driller 2 and Super Mario Advancethey have since been added to the Nintendo Classics GBA library for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The GBA received an improved revision in 2003, as the Game Boy Advance SP featured a clamshell design, a front-lit screen, and a rechargeable battery.
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This Game Boy Advance will probably survive a doomsday scenario
While the GBA SP is considered one of Nintendo's most memorable consoles for its design and features, one gamer decided to modify it into a bulky machine that looks like it could survive a doomsday scenario. Over on the Game Boy subreddit, a Reddit user named Bangooh modified his GBA SP to install a new 162,000 megawatt-hour (mWh) removable battery. Bangooh's GBA project was created by connecting a DeWalt XR Flex power tool rechargeable battery to a buck converter and then connecting the converter to the GBA SP bracket on the bottom of the buck. Since the DeWalt XR Flex battery runs on 18V and the GBA SP only requires 4V, the dollar converter was a necessary step to ensure that the battery did not damage the system in any meaningful way. Bangooh said the battery can carry players through a lengthy Game Boy Advance RPG from start to finish on a single charge.
Since the original GBA SP could get up to 10 hours of battery life, and games like that Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Golden sun can run for an average of 50 to 100 hours, Bangooh's battery life claims are bold but believable. In comparison, the Switch 2's battery can only last a few hours before needing a recharge, depending on the game you're playing in handheld mode. If the DeWalt battery runs out, it can be plugged into its own charger and recharged in a short amount of time. However, the GBA SP loses most of its portability due to its larger bulk, despite its significantly longer battery life. In addition, the Bangooh GBA SP had the L and R buttons removed, although they stated that the project was not completed at the time of writing.
Other Crazy Console projects created by players
However, Bangooh's GBA SP project isn't the only incredible modding project that gamers have undertaken over the years. A redditor named MaSaKee modified an N64 controller to accommodate a GBA. The Game Boy Advance screen was placed above the Start button on the N64 pad, with a Game Boy Advance game cartridge slot instead of the Rumble Pack slot, a speaker between the C buttons, and a functional D-Pad, B, A, and Start Button with a USB-C adapter that can charge the system.
Another batch of projects comes from content creator BigRig Creates, who created cases for their Wii, Wii U, and Switch consoles that looked like a species of Porygon from Pokemon franchise. The creations were named PorWiigon, PorWiigon U, and Porygon-Zwitch, as each was modeled after Porygon, Porygon2, and Porygon-Z in sequence. The Porygon console assembly was made using 3D printed materials and other electronic components. With the Switch 2 now available, it remains to be seen how creative fans will be with Nintendo's newest console in future projects.
