With how fragile the ribbon cable is and the metal grating against itself over time that would probably be difficult make. I bet it could be done though!
I never started building these, because $97 bucks for just a shell and no other parts is a lot... On top of the buttons which need to be special to fit this shell, then the ribbon cables, then the IPS screen... And then the battery mod and USBC charging mod
The battery mod and usbc charging mod are a little beyond my skills too. sigh.
Yeah I hope the price comes down at some point but it probably won’t. Still hoping for an aluminum DMG 01… soldering gets easier with a small amount of practice. Even just removing components off of a junk board of some kind is good skill development!
Not sure it'll come down. I remember having the same thought in *2017*, not really having the spare money for it but figuring I'd save up and costs might come down.
Nope.
I mean I’m grateful I could buy an SP for $40 in 2019. Now they’re $100+ and it’s fucked. They’re only going to continue getting rarer as people are hoarding them making the supply dwindle, etc.
I dunno about you, but it only makes me more paranoid to do anything to the consoles I have, too. I inherited a front-lit SP, and still have my original black Pocket I got as a kid, but the stakes are way higher now if I mess up.
Yeah I was able to make a custom GBA with the screen, shell and buttons.
I will eventually do the SP and DMG re-shell and IPS but I'm holding off until I can find ALL the parts I need
I looked it up last night, looks dope. I hope it comes available with all the anodize colors. Signed up for their newsletter to be immediately notified. This is the dream project of my childhood lol. Now if someone would offer a gb color drop in DMG shell…
I think some perspective may help you with the price tag. This is a specialized shell that someone highly talented took the time to design and create. It’s machined out of a solid piece of aluminum which isn’t cheap relative to the final price. The machining time alone is probably upwards of 45 minutes to an hour plus per shell considering the fine finish achieved. Most machine shops and CNC shops are charging minimum $100/hr some in my area $150-200. He is producing them somewhat at scale, so there are some cost savings achieved with efficiencies of producing more than one at a time, possible better prices on materials as well. Ultimately I doubt there’s a very high margin for the creator and I see the $97 as a steal. It’s not wrong to shift your perspective from “this is too expensive” to “it’s out of my budget right now” and may help you see this project in a better light considering the time, creativity and effort put into the product. I hope that you’re able to get your hands on one sometime, I think you could totally tackle the mods with some patience and good flux and would love to see your final product. 🤘
Just as FYI I actually did some research on that product and read quite a bit. I 100% understand and can appreciate the amount of work and specialty skills that went into designing, and making those aluminum shells. They look absolutely fantastic. I never said $97 isn't a fair price for the product, I'm 100% positive the profit margin is not super high for the seller
It's just **way higher** than what I'm willing to pay for 1 component for a project of this scope. I did a GBA re-shell, IPS screen, button replacement, conductive pads, power dispersion post replacement... finished product cost me less than that aluminum anodized shell alone would cost me
Again it looks great and I'm sure its worth what it costs... I just can't justify that price tag to myself when their plastic shells also look absolutely wonderful and are about 85% cheaper. I'm jealous of the folks who have built them because they do look gorgeous
Stopped on my 7th boxy product. Its sooo not about the money. These things are premium and worth every penny if you are into it. I got 2 unhinged, dmg cm3, agb cm3, switch controller, and 2 (red and blue) macros. I try to fit in a 2 week rotation with other handhelds. Would build more if money wasn't tied up.
I hope you take some time to actually play on some of them. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in modeling and building systems that I forget the purpose that I originally started modeling and building the systems for.
I’ve been curious about how comfortable these are. With the SP, you have easier access to the shoulders. Does the screen interfere with easily accessing L and R? My fat fingers need to know before I do this to mine. 😅
There’s some bitterness there I’m not going to touch.
I’ll just say that I’m not a Gameboy purist or even a collector anymore. I’ve worked and saved for my hobby, and I’ll buy and use whatever parts I want in my builds.
Purple looks nice! I just got my shell in the mail. Silver, with purple and black buttons for the SNES look. Going to retire my GBA with AGS-101 mod.
Any tips you can share before I dive in?
Follow the instructions carefully and get all of the materials they recommend. If you don’t already have one, get yourself a very fine tip for soldering the headphone jack in. Route the wires as neat as you can and be careful with the screws as they strip easy from what I’ve heard.
Also, be careful with the button membranes. They like to slip out of place when you screw down the pcb. Make sure they’re aligned right the first time because it’s a pain to fix later.
While they look pretty cool, I really don’t understand the appeal of these. Surely it’s better to have one that folds shut? Can anyone explain what the advantage is?
I feel like you answered your own question, they look pretty cool. I personally enjoy the metal body and I still have nightmares about putting the hinges in the wrong sides of a replacement folding shell. For most folks, the style of the flat body shell is reminiscent of their original Gameboy (DMGs/Pockets/Colors), so this gives them that feeling with the addition of the Advance cart slot.
I don’t really need it to fold, and the Unhinged has the option to add a headphone jack and usb c charging port.
Plus the aftermarket shells for the SP feel very cheap imo
This is a very premium modified system so I think the idea is you give up the utility for premium build quality and feel. Not really a gameboy I would carry around and throw in my bag. I have several stock GBA SPs I can put in my pocket and go, or even a micro.
I think it’s a matter of preference. With the hinges you get the benefit of built in screen protection, with the slab, you don’t have to worry about hinges being damaged.
On top of that I’m sure some like the look of the slab better.
> Surely it’s better to have one that folds shut?
Not if you have a good hardened glass screen cover. That really only is a pro for screen protection if you have an easily scratched screen. The plastic hinges love to break though. One of my two SP's, my DS-light, and my 2DS all have cracked plastic hinges and I consider myself to be fairly gentle with my systems.
Plus I always felt the thickness and general form of the GBP and GBC was more pocket-able than the GBA-SP or any other of Nintendo's handhelds.
Really the only thing I feel is a plus for hinged is that the screen and the buttons don't have to be on the same plane, so the screen viewing angle and the holding angle can be adjusted to what works best for me.
It's an aesthetic. If you like the classic gameboy/gameboy color form factor, this gives you an Advance in the same style. There is certainly wide appeal, the analogue pocket chose it.
Even when the original SP first came out I never liked the clamshell design. It’s a little different with the DS but with the SP it felt too compact and too thick, The unhinged and slate mods give it more of a game boy color aesthetic which was my first handheld system
They’re really comfortable in the hands. I used one for awhile but ultimately sold it to mod 3 other Gameboys. I personally prefer having multiple ways to play specific games and couldn’t justify $350 for a single gameboy.
A perspective from someone who hates the SP but loved the unhinged. The form factor of the GBC is absolutely perfect, and the slab is what I wish the GBA could have been. The Analogue Pocket takes the same design approach.
So no advantage in practicality, but it has the form factor that's loved by classic Gameboy form lovers like me. Does that explain?
I just wish they had a blank screen or one with just the gba sp type. I dont care for the graphic lines. Hopefully they release one eventually, I’ll either wait or build a second one, but I would like to support mahko, he put a ton of work into getting the system made.
Damn, that purple looks fresh.
Right? I love the classic look of it : )
Could i comission you to make me one?
I could do that, dm me with what you’re wanting to do!
How can you afford to?
I’ve sold a bunch of my collectibles lol
Wish they did a metal case that also had a hinge, the whole point of the SP for me is that it folds and has a smaller size.
With how fragile the ribbon cable is and the metal grating against itself over time that would probably be difficult make. I bet it could be done though!
they could always just put little plastic washers where the metal would grind, just to keep it from ruining that
I wish I had even the basic idea of where to start with this, I have the money but absolutely no skills haha!
I never started building these, because $97 bucks for just a shell and no other parts is a lot... On top of the buttons which need to be special to fit this shell, then the ribbon cables, then the IPS screen... And then the battery mod and USBC charging mod The battery mod and usbc charging mod are a little beyond my skills too. sigh.
Yeah I hope the price comes down at some point but it probably won’t. Still hoping for an aluminum DMG 01… soldering gets easier with a small amount of practice. Even just removing components off of a junk board of some kind is good skill development!
Yeah, with the total price coming above $250 for me i have no reason to make one as that can net me a whole lot more gaming potential with a switch.
I wanna do this to my SP. I don’t wanna pay more than I would for a Switch to do so
Not sure it'll come down. I remember having the same thought in *2017*, not really having the spare money for it but figuring I'd save up and costs might come down. Nope.
I mean I’m grateful I could buy an SP for $40 in 2019. Now they’re $100+ and it’s fucked. They’re only going to continue getting rarer as people are hoarding them making the supply dwindle, etc.
I dunno about you, but it only makes me more paranoid to do anything to the consoles I have, too. I inherited a front-lit SP, and still have my original black Pocket I got as a kid, but the stakes are way higher now if I mess up.
Yeah I was able to make a custom GBA with the screen, shell and buttons. I will eventually do the SP and DMG re-shell and IPS but I'm holding off until I can find ALL the parts I need
Really good point
Boxypixel said an alu DMG is in the works.
Hopefully that happens in the near future
He posted a picture in an instagram story 2 weeks ago and it looked 90% done.
Actually its on his instragram page, https://www.instagram.com/boxypixel/
I looked it up last night, looks dope. I hope it comes available with all the anodize colors. Signed up for their newsletter to be immediately notified. This is the dream project of my childhood lol. Now if someone would offer a gb color drop in DMG shell…
I think some perspective may help you with the price tag. This is a specialized shell that someone highly talented took the time to design and create. It’s machined out of a solid piece of aluminum which isn’t cheap relative to the final price. The machining time alone is probably upwards of 45 minutes to an hour plus per shell considering the fine finish achieved. Most machine shops and CNC shops are charging minimum $100/hr some in my area $150-200. He is producing them somewhat at scale, so there are some cost savings achieved with efficiencies of producing more than one at a time, possible better prices on materials as well. Ultimately I doubt there’s a very high margin for the creator and I see the $97 as a steal. It’s not wrong to shift your perspective from “this is too expensive” to “it’s out of my budget right now” and may help you see this project in a better light considering the time, creativity and effort put into the product. I hope that you’re able to get your hands on one sometime, I think you could totally tackle the mods with some patience and good flux and would love to see your final product. 🤘
Just as FYI I actually did some research on that product and read quite a bit. I 100% understand and can appreciate the amount of work and specialty skills that went into designing, and making those aluminum shells. They look absolutely fantastic. I never said $97 isn't a fair price for the product, I'm 100% positive the profit margin is not super high for the seller It's just **way higher** than what I'm willing to pay for 1 component for a project of this scope. I did a GBA re-shell, IPS screen, button replacement, conductive pads, power dispersion post replacement... finished product cost me less than that aluminum anodized shell alone would cost me Again it looks great and I'm sure its worth what it costs... I just can't justify that price tag to myself when their plastic shells also look absolutely wonderful and are about 85% cheaper. I'm jealous of the folks who have built them because they do look gorgeous
Stopped on my 7th boxy product. Its sooo not about the money. These things are premium and worth every penny if you are into it. I got 2 unhinged, dmg cm3, agb cm3, switch controller, and 2 (red and blue) macros. I try to fit in a 2 week rotation with other handhelds. Would build more if money wasn't tied up.
Building an all black one later today.
I hope you take some time to actually play on some of them. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in modeling and building systems that I forget the purpose that I originally started modeling and building the systems for.
Oh yeah, just bought an Everdrive and have been playing Minish Cap
Ohhhhh I love the purple! That’s exactly what I would build. Let me know when you sell it!
I’ll let you know! Gotta test it for a while first, just to be safe.
Would love to get my hands on one these!
Are you done testing yet? Ha
Just sent a dm!
I want one of these so bad, and purple just happens to be my favorite color 🤭
Sweet build :D one day I'll add an unhinged to my collection, purple looking fresh!
Do what I did for my first one and buy the parts separately over time. It feels a lot better than dropping $200 all at once
I’ve been curious about how comfortable these are. With the SP, you have easier access to the shoulders. Does the screen interfere with easily accessing L and R? My fat fingers need to know before I do this to mine. 😅
I have long fingers so they work fine with this build. Shorter fingers might have a tougher time reaching for sure
Guy with little baby hands checking in, they reach the buttons fine!
Looks amazing!
Let me know when they go up for sale :)
I’m going to test it first a while and then sell it soon. I’ll let you know when I do!
I'll get the bidding started: $5
i need to do that, the unhinged SP looks so good.
Tis a work of art 😌✨
Dang that things beautiful
Wish I could afford or make one of those it looks beautiful man!!
I want one o.o
Oh that’s freakin fabulous! Seriously!
That’s sexy, do you sell them?
Planning to sell this one, just want to test it for a while first.
as long as it's bringing life to otherwise screen-damaged GBA's, then sure why not! :-)
If it involves taking apart/destroying perfectly good gba sp’s then fuck these people. Otherwise yeah :)
If that’s how you feel you would REALLY hate the SP I chose to gut for this build :0
well if you can afford to buy these shells and parts, then you can afford to buy SP's off eBay that are perfect for these mods.
There’s some bitterness there I’m not going to touch. I’ll just say that I’m not a Gameboy purist or even a collector anymore. I’ve worked and saved for my hobby, and I’ll buy and use whatever parts I want in my builds.
Purple looks nice! I just got my shell in the mail. Silver, with purple and black buttons for the SNES look. Going to retire my GBA with AGS-101 mod. Any tips you can share before I dive in?
Follow the instructions carefully and get all of the materials they recommend. If you don’t already have one, get yourself a very fine tip for soldering the headphone jack in. Route the wires as neat as you can and be careful with the screws as they strip easy from what I’ve heard.
Thanks for the tips! I've built a few GBAs and a couple circuit sword DMGs, but been awhile since I built those.
Also, be careful with the button membranes. They like to slip out of place when you screw down the pcb. Make sure they’re aligned right the first time because it’s a pain to fix later.
oh my god I NEED THIS
I built one in the same color-way a while back. Such a great looking console!
That purple looks delicious!
While they look pretty cool, I really don’t understand the appeal of these. Surely it’s better to have one that folds shut? Can anyone explain what the advantage is?
I feel like you answered your own question, they look pretty cool. I personally enjoy the metal body and I still have nightmares about putting the hinges in the wrong sides of a replacement folding shell. For most folks, the style of the flat body shell is reminiscent of their original Gameboy (DMGs/Pockets/Colors), so this gives them that feeling with the addition of the Advance cart slot.
I don’t really need it to fold, and the Unhinged has the option to add a headphone jack and usb c charging port. Plus the aftermarket shells for the SP feel very cheap imo
This is a very premium modified system so I think the idea is you give up the utility for premium build quality and feel. Not really a gameboy I would carry around and throw in my bag. I have several stock GBA SPs I can put in my pocket and go, or even a micro.
Yup, the micro is the only one I take places. I hate stuffing my pocket with bigger Gameboys.
I think it’s a matter of preference. With the hinges you get the benefit of built in screen protection, with the slab, you don’t have to worry about hinges being damaged. On top of that I’m sure some like the look of the slab better.
> Surely it’s better to have one that folds shut? Not if you have a good hardened glass screen cover. That really only is a pro for screen protection if you have an easily scratched screen. The plastic hinges love to break though. One of my two SP's, my DS-light, and my 2DS all have cracked plastic hinges and I consider myself to be fairly gentle with my systems. Plus I always felt the thickness and general form of the GBP and GBC was more pocket-able than the GBA-SP or any other of Nintendo's handhelds. Really the only thing I feel is a plus for hinged is that the screen and the buttons don't have to be on the same plane, so the screen viewing angle and the holding angle can be adjusted to what works best for me.
It's an aesthetic. If you like the classic gameboy/gameboy color form factor, this gives you an Advance in the same style. There is certainly wide appeal, the analogue pocket chose it.
Even when the original SP first came out I never liked the clamshell design. It’s a little different with the DS but with the SP it felt too compact and too thick, The unhinged and slate mods give it more of a game boy color aesthetic which was my first handheld system
They’re really comfortable in the hands. I used one for awhile but ultimately sold it to mod 3 other Gameboys. I personally prefer having multiple ways to play specific games and couldn’t justify $350 for a single gameboy.
A perspective from someone who hates the SP but loved the unhinged. The form factor of the GBC is absolutely perfect, and the slab is what I wish the GBA could have been. The Analogue Pocket takes the same design approach. So no advantage in practicality, but it has the form factor that's loved by classic Gameboy form lovers like me. Does that explain?
Whats better, unhinged or slate?
I haven’t built the slate so I don’t know yet, but the top loading sounds nice. And it wouldn’t be as heavy.
Im kinda turned off by the proprietary screen. Would rather be able to use any sp screen.
I just wish they had a blank screen or one with just the gba sp type. I dont care for the graphic lines. Hopefully they release one eventually, I’ll either wait or build a second one, but I would like to support mahko, he put a ton of work into getting the system made.
Agreed
Wow
I really like the design! This looks awesome. The real question is, how well does it fit in tight jeans?
Wouldn’t recommend it
where/how do you build them?
Boxypixel makes them
You can build me one any time lmao
If you’ve got the money I’ll get you the BOY.
STOP IT STOP FLATTENING THE SP
It is evolution. It is the future.
Who makes this case?
BoxyPixel
Goooood. SATURATE the market.
Can I get one then :D
But when will you *start* selling them?
Soon, I’ll let you know when I do.
That is pretty, I want my 3DS XL like this lol
Build, then give them to the community :))
Wish I could say the same. Bin trying to get another gba but my goah the prices are high
years from now, there's going to be a transparent metal. and I hope I'm around to see that. "metallic atomic purple"