Skip to Content

Summer Budget Travel Tips from Gadling
AOL Tech

gameboy posts

iPhone 3GS PlayStation, Game Boy Advance emulators demoed on video


A final iPhone 3GS jailbreak hasn't been released yet, but that isn't stopping enterprising hackers from trying to get at all that extra horsepower, and some of the first notable hacks we've seen are these updated PlayStation 1 and Game Boy Advance emulator ports, which run way faster than the versions for the original and 3G. The revved up hardware in Apple's latest is apparently capable of running either of these at 150 - 225fps with zero frameskipping, which is pretty impressive. Of course, we'll be way more impressed when the Dev Team releases a 3GS jailbreak and we can hit these up ourselves, but in the meantime there are plenty of videos to with which to while away the time at the read links.

Read - Emulator videos
Read - ZodTTD blog post with more info

Nintendo's Game Boy turns 20

In case you hadn't heard, Nintendo's trend-setting handheld, the Game Boy, just had its 20th birthday -- and that's no small thing for a game console. We won't bore you with stories from our childhood about wasted time and missed opportunities spent chasing the dragon that was Tetris, but we will entertain the hell out of you with this vintage ad touting the system's launch from way back in the totally excellent year of 1989. We know what you're thinking: does the robot create the kid or just warp him there? And if he does create him, does that mean he's some kind of metallic god? And does that mean that the kid kills god? And... why is the robot dancing? Hey -- now you're playing with power.

Game Boy iPhone case instantly becomes best of all time


Sadly, there's a good chance you already own an iPhone 3G case if you're the proud owner of an iPhone 3G. That said, there's still nothing stopping you from hopping a flight to Tokyo and replacing your current one with the best case in the history of cases. Sadly, the lad that snapped this shot isn't sure where exactly this thing is sold, but if you're savvy on the details, be sure to holler in comments below.

[Via PMPToday]

DSi project leader reveals unreleased Nintendo handhelds


Man, the folks over at this year's Game Developer's Conference are having all the fun -- and now the Joystiq crew just got a rare look at two Game Boy models that never made it to production, unveiled during a talk by the project leader for the development of the DSi, Masato Kuwahara. The first, developed around 1995, was labeled "Game Boy Advance Predecessor," and was based on a 32-bit ARM RISC processor. The project stalled in development due to poor graphics performance. The second device was essentially a touch-screen Game Boy Advance SP, with a clamshell case thrown in for good measure. Apparently, this one didn't make the cut due to its lack of a backlit display. We've got a picture of that one for you too -- and it does look somewhat familiar. Check it after the break.

DSiWare to include Game Boy and Game Boy Advance downloads?

We really would like to think this is inevitable, but it's just been sourced from Nintendo itself (albeit at a GameStop meetup) that the DSi might be getting Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles as downloadable DSiWare -- in addition to previously announced apps like browsers and calculators. This was heard second-hand from a Club Nintendo member, and Nintendo has pointed out to the folks at Kombo that reported it that so far such functionality has only been announced for Japan, but didn't go on the deny it outright. If it does come true we're supposed to expect some first party titles out of the gate, with all games being region locked and ranging from $5 to $8. There were also mumblings of playing downloaded titles off of SD cards, which Nintendo shot down as well, but hopefully we'll at least be able to make backups -- we're still waiting on similar functionality for the Wii.

[Via Joystiq]

Game Boy Pocket fitted with backlit screen, one man's life now complete


You know what they say -- if you can't buy it, mod it. Michael "Bibin" Moffitt's backlighting job on this Game Boy Pocket is a case in point. Unwilling to shell out the dough for a Game Boy Light on eBay (but more than willing to destroy two old LCDs in pursuit of his mad dream), this guy removed the reflective layer and adhesive behind the handheld's display ("almost as hard as reasoning with a rabid PlayStation 3 fan," he writes) and built a backlight out of an LED, some perspex, and a diffusive layer. That's it -- now our man is playing Donkey Kong, in the dark, in all its monochromatic glory, and with no noticeable change in battery life. Hit the read link for plenty of naked GBP pics.

Open source "Game Boy" has five awesome parts, zero games


The Arduino-based, DIY GamePack is sort of like the Mignon Game Kit we saw in 2005, but it definitely looks much, much radder. For a mere $249.93, all the necessary parts -- CPU, "Inputshield" customizable, vibrating controller / button component (say, for right or left-handed configurations), "TouchShield Stealth" OLED display unit, and "MeCap" lithium battery pack -- can be yours. Once you've cobbled it together, of course, the real fun begins -- it's pretty much a blank slate with little more than code for a color-changing dot to start with, so if you want to play any "games" on that new "Game Boy" of yours, you're going to have to write them yourself. See a video of the device in action after the break.

[Via technabob]

Gemei ups the PMP / gaming ante with the X760+


Finally we can toss out that old, boring Gemei X760 we've been fooling around with, and step up to some legitimate action. That's right, the X760+ is on the scene, and that + isn't just for show. The new iteration of the Chinese-made PMP / game playing device boasts 4GB of onboard storage, a 3-inch, WQVGA screen, a 400MHz CPU, FM tuner, and a TV output. The handheld is capable of playing MP3, WMA, APE, RM, MPEG, FLV, AVI, and VOB files (amongst others), but the main selling point here seems to be its built-in ability to emulate the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, as well as play "3D games." The price? 599 yuan (or about $87). Availability? Call an importer.

[Thanks, Raz]

Busted Game Boy given life with Super Mario papercraft


Call us crazy (or just packrats, whatever), but we can't just toss a dead gadget in good conscience. Apparently, neither can Josh Burker, who decided to convert a busted Game Boy into a beautiful piece of vintage art. Similar to the playable Paper Mario game we spotted about this time last month, Mr. Burker used his papercraft skills to whip up a familiar scene of Super Mario Bros. and mount it within the space where the display used to reside. Gunpei Yokoi would be so proud.

[Via DSFanboy]

Fly Mobile intros the MC100, doesn't mind how many laws you break


We've seen a lot of phones float our way over the years, and some of them have had emulation capability, but it's rare when you see a mobile phone-maker actually advocating that you pirate ROMs for their device. Of course, that's exactly what Fly Mobile is doing when it comes to its MC100 handset. The phone has all kinds of regular features we're sure you'd be interested in, like a 240 x 320 display, AAC, MP3 and MPEG4 playback, a microSD slot, and that handsome, "noble" dark brown finish. It all sounds good, but we know there's only one set of qualities you'll be laying down cash for: the phone's ability to play SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and NES ROMs. Just remember, your favorites "can be freele [sic] downloaded frim [sic] Internet." $270 and it's yours.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

Keepin' it real fake, part CX: Game Joy micro


We've seen a couple fake Game Boy micros in the past, but none of them have been as faithful reproductions as this one here. Sadly, we've got little to go on as far as games or other functions in this "Game Joy micro," but it looks like at least Tetris is a shoo-in, which is really all that matters. Check after the break for a few other gems of fakery.

[Thanks, Johnny]

PMP51 "MP4 MP3 super game" does it all


While a bit vague in the whole naming department, this new no-name OEM PMP51 PMP is actually packing a quite a spec sheet. The primary focus of the handheld is supposedly 32 bit gaming, but sadly SNES is nowhere to be found. But lucky for us there's Game Boy Advance play, in addition to Game Boy, Game Boy Color and NES. The 3-inch screen should show off that emulated Advance Wars just nicely, and the addition of a 1.3 megapixel camera and support for plenty of audio and video formats round out the piece nicely. You can also add memory with miniSD and play your ROMs on the big screen with video out. No word on price or availability.

Artist's Game Boy concerts get machine-based visuals


A gentleman who goes by the name Gieskes has created an interesting conflation of seemingly opposing mediums. The DIY'er / artist in question has combined Game Boy-based music with a low-fi, mechanical system of lights and motors, which create kinetic-art visuals that are synced to the sound. The concept is to build screen-saver-like displays which are actually created with analog equipment. The device features three components -- cans, lights, and a camera -- all of which can be "sequenced" much like the Game Boy, thus producing constantly changing (and changeable) effects. Want to see it for yourself? Watch the video after the break (especially towards the end) to learn how it all takes shape.

[Via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Keepin' it real fake, part LXXIV: the Game Boy Micro PMP clone


You can never have too many name-brand duping, cheap looking, Chinese sweatshop produced PMPs laying around, can you? I mean sure, we've seen little guys that boost the Game Boy Micro before, such as this number from way back in 2006, but this new entry does it with so much flair and unabashed disregard for copyright law we just had to mention it. The BMP-900 -- as this device is mechanically called -- does all kinds of exciting PMP activities, like playback of MP3, WMA, WAV, and PCM audio, MPEG4 and AVI video, JPEG, GIF and BMP picture viewing, plus e-book and TXT reading. Additionally -- and this may come as a surprise to some -- the red devil does some video game emulation, including Famicom, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color. Right now the player seems to only be available in China, or wholesale in lots of 100-199 pieces... so, go nuts.

[Via PMP Today]

GameBoy drum machine hack


The underground scene of game-created music is really thriving, with the latest example to emerge from under the radar being a drum machine hack for a GameBoy. A bright yellow GameBoy, 1MB of flash memory, a serial interface, and a custom ROM is all that's needed to put out some beats: with a little help from some solenoids and flat surfaces, of course. Putting it all together is the hard part, and half the fun we suspect.

[Via Hackaday]
Follow us on Twitter
Engadget Video


AOL News

Joystiq

Download Squad

TUAW

BloggingStocks

Asylum

Autoblog

Switched.com

FanHouse

Autoblog Green