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sixteen-bit · Jul 5, 2017

dock said:
I might sell my GB Light. I thought the bigger screen and light would make it a better experience than the GB Color, but it turns out the screen blur isn't as charming as I thought it would be.

Which modded GBs are the best for classic GB games?

That's hard to answer. A backlight modded Game Boy Pocket looks way better than a standard Game Boy Light for classic Monochrome GB games, but the battery life is really low. Coupled with a cart that has a high power draw like an aftermarket flash cart and you're looking at like 20 minutes on 2 AAAs, lol.

Maybe modded DMG is the way to go.

PumpkinSpice · Jul 5, 2017

I used to really like this site, but it deserves to go down now

Ben Morales · Jul 5, 2017

dock said:
I might sell my GB Light. I thought the bigger screen and light would make it a better experience than the GB Color, but it turns out the screen blur isn't as charming as I thought it would be.

Which modded GBs are the best for classic GB games?

I love my backlit/biverted DMG the most for classic GB.

dock · Jul 5, 2017

Ben Morales said:
I love my backlit/biverted DMG the most for classic GB.

Are biverted screens less blurry?
Do people ever bivert GB Light screens?

NormalFish · Jul 5, 2017

dock said:
Are biverted screens less blurry?
Do people ever bivert GB Light screens?

not particularly, and not that i'm aware of

Ben Morales · Jul 5, 2017

dock said:
Are biverted screens less blurry?
Do people ever bivert GB Light screens?

Yeah, it's tricky to find a solution with minimal ghosting while still retaining that classic feel. Game Boy Pocket has less ghosting than a DMG, but it is still present. If you want to get a backlit/biverted Pocket, you may want to find someone who can mod it for you and add a DSi rechargeable battery mod so your battery won't die so fast.

Do you think you would like a GBA SP or GBA AGB-101 mod? Monochrome games lose that classic look and feel but the ghosting is practically gone and some games have built-in color palettes that look pretty nice.

PumpkinSpice · Jul 6, 2017

The vast majority of monochrome GB games are slow scrolling to componsate for the blurry screen. It's not a huge problem, IMO.

NormalFish · Jul 6, 2017

I use high capacity eneloop AAAs with my pocket and it lasts a pretty acceptable amount of time. Like 7 hours and change I think? maybe 9? my memory is bad. It's more than I expected.

Ben Morales · Jul 6, 2017

SheepyGuy said:
The vast majority of monochrome GB games are slow scrolling to componsate for the blurry screen. It's not a huge problem, IMO.

Yup! Never bothered me to be honest, but I can see how some could be more sensitive to it.

NormalFish said:
I use high capacity eneloop AAAs with my pocket and it lasts a pretty acceptable amount of time. Like 7 hours and change I think? maybe 9? my memory is bad. It's more than I expected.

Oh that's pretty good! That's about how long the DSi battery lasts in it if I recall correctly. I really want to grab one soon. I miss my Pocket. =(

NormalFish · Jul 6, 2017

Yeah I think it lasts longer than my vita or 3ds

PumpkinSpice · Jul 6, 2017

prateeko · Jul 6, 2017

SheepyGuy said:
Bad news; looks like our friends in China figured out the pin trick we've been using to spot fake GBA games.

(only using this kid's video cause most of these youtube videos are super out of date or using an old fake cart)

For Pokemon games it might still be OK to look at the back and check if the pins are present on the reverse, but for regular opaque games that's not going to be possible and checking for messed up plastic or opening the cart will now be the best option.

On one hand is infuriating but then on the other hand I'm impressed with their commitment to being douche bag counterfeiters

D.Lo · Jul 6, 2017

prateeko said:
On one hand is infuriating but then on the other hand I'm impressed with their commitment to being douche bag counterfeiters

Lol yep.

It's kind of fascinating that markets develop like this. China themselves likely consume near zero of these, but are becoming experts on high quality ebay scam vintage products for export.

I believe the same things happened in the 60s-90s in places like Taiwan and Hong Kong for counterfeit antique vases etc.

TheFuzz · Jul 6, 2017

The number/letter identifier stamp is hard to copy, id be willing to bet most collectors don't know to check for it.

TheFuzz · Jul 8, 2017

Hardware porn. This bad boy came in earlier this week. I love it. $100 and it's immaculate. Also came with a carrying case and a nice stand from RCG.

sixteen-bit · Jul 8, 2017

TheFuzz said:
Hardware porn. This bad boy came in earlier this week. I love it. $100 and it's immaculate. Also came with a carrying case and a nice stand from RCG.

So awesome!

Twins

TheFuzz · Jul 8, 2017

Is it normal/ acceptable for the glass lens to be slightly 'raised' or not 100% flush at every spot? Mine has a small corner that feels a little higher, no big deal just wondering if I should try and fix it.

NormalFish · Jul 8, 2017

TheFuzz said:
Is it normal/ acceptable for the glass lens to be slightly 'raised' or not 100% flush at every spot? Mine has a small corner that feels a little higher, no big deal just wondering if I should try and fix it.

might be that they used some adhesive to hold it in and the adhesive was layered on thicker in that spot. I wouldn't worry about it.

Ben Morales · Jul 8, 2017

TheFuzz said:
Is it normal/ acceptable for the glass lens to be slightly 'raised' or not 100% flush at every spot? Mine has a small corner that feels a little higher, no big deal just wondering if I should try and fix it.

Not sure, but be careful if you try to fix it. I've seen people shatter them trying to remove it.

TheFuzz · Jul 8, 2017

Thanks guys, I'll let it be!

sixteen-bit said:
So awesome!

Twins

OG Indigo bros! Love it!

aidan · Jul 8, 2017

TheFuzz said:
Hardware porn. This bad boy came in earlier this week. I love it. $100 and it's immaculate. Also came with a carrying case and a nice stand from RCG.

So. Beautiful.

RadarScope1 · Jul 8, 2017

Those looks stellar. I had one for a bit, but the screen had a ton of blur/ghosting and the sound would cut out quite often. It felt like a really cheaply done mod. You guys happy with the screens on those?

NormalFish · Jul 8, 2017

the AGS101 screens do have bad ghosting. Bothers some people more than others, though.

TheFuzz · Jul 8, 2017

Thanks guys.

As for the ghosting, I noticed it on my SP but after playing for 2-3 mins it doesn't bother me.

I will say, however, the glass lens looks remarkably better than the regular plastic one. The sprites look more detailed and crisp.

PumpkinSpice · Jul 8, 2017

NormalFish said:
the AGS101 screens do have bad ghosting. Bothers some people more than others, though.

It depends what you're playing more than anything. Stuff that scrolls fast is bad, like Mario 3 is the most obvious for me. The first game I noticed it was in Dragon Warrior 3 GBC where again it is not good.

For like Pokemon where you move slow anyway it's not a big deal.

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

SheepyGuy said:
It depends what you're playing more than anything. Stuff that scrolls fast is bad, like Mario 3 is the most obvious for me. The first game I noticed it was in Dragon Warrior 3 GBC where again it is not good.

For like Pokemon where you move slow anyway it's not a big deal.

Also worth noting that the "darker" games tend to hide it more. I didn't notice a single blur in either Metroid games. It does show pretty noticeably in the Mario games.

NormalFish · Jul 9, 2017

TheFuzz said:
I will say, however, the glass lens looks remarkably better than the regular plastic one. The sprites look more detailed and crisp.

Glass lenses are worth getting for every gameboy they're available on. My dream is for a glass (or acrylic if i'm being practical) GBM faceplate.

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

NormalFish said:
Glass lenses are worth getting for every gameboy they're available on. My dream is for a glass (or acrylic if i'm being practical) GBM faceplate.

I see why they weren't practical, but they are GORGEOUS.

I take my SP with me and I love being able to throw it in my pocket, but the glass lens with a backlit screen is unbeatable IMHO.

PumpkinSpice · Jul 9, 2017

TheFuzz said:
I see why they weren't practical, but they are GORGEOUS.

I take my SP with me and I love being able to throw it in my pocket, but the glass lens with a backlit screen is unbeatable IMHO.

You can get a glass screen for your SP too

don't stop till you have four GBAs for multiplayer fun

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

SheepyGuy said:
You can get a glass screen for your SP too

don't stop till you have four GBAs for multiplayer fun

You're evil!

prateeko · Jul 9, 2017

Shhh, he's just doing the Lord's work

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

Haha.

You all seem to be more familiar with mods than myself, so I'll ask another crazy question...

The battery light on my AGB was red this evening, and this was using some new eneloop rechargeables that were brand new and barely had 30 min of gameplay. I turned it off and back on, and never noticed the issue again, light stays green.

Any idea why it'd show red with a perfectly new set of batteries, then go green? Or is this just one of those mod gremlins not worth worrying over?

Edit: looks like touching the power switch fixes it. Does it just need a cleaning? It doesn't have any Issue staying on or turning off.

PumpkinSpice · Jul 9, 2017

This site is beyond saving

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

SpiceOrange said:
Yeah the light on the AGB is triggered to go red when the battery drops below a certain voltage, which would be appx 20% capacity for an alkaline battery. But regular alkaline batteries behave quite a bit differently than the Ni-MH used in eneloops (and similar batteries produced by Fujitsu).

An alkaline battery will drop in voltage something like this:

They start at 1.5v each and slowly drop to so low that it can't power the circuit any more.

Eneloops are more like this:

They start at 1.2v (appx) and stay pretty consistently until they really rapidly decline in voltage.

So I think whatever the level for "20%" red LED it's somewhere near 2.4v (1.2 * 2). It's pretty annoying but the good news is it will last a very long time even though it's red.

The power on the system needs to flow through the metal in the switch, and over time the switch itself can get corroded, which can cause minor variances in voltage (it acts like resistor). If it gets really bad, even nudging the power switch can cause the power to shut off. I used a small amount of de-oxit contact cleaner to make mine more consistent.

Wow, this is very helpful, thanks! So if I understand you correctly, because the eneloops aren't alkaline, the 'red' light issue is actually perfectly normal and the batteries and system are fine? As if they 'stay' at the lower voltage they start at? Sorry. This is sort of new to me.

Also, should I clean the outer switch or should I take it apart?

PumpkinSpice · Jul 9, 2017

TheFuzz said:
Wow, this is very helpful, thanks! So if I understand you correctly, because the eneloops aren't alkaline, the 'red' light issue is actually perfectly normal and the batteries and system are fine? As if they 'stay' at the lower voltage they start at? Sorry. This is sort of new to me.

Also, should I clean the outer switch or should I take it apart?

Yeah it's normal. Pretty much all circuits are designed to handle a voltage range, and anything operating on batteries needs to handle voltage dropping, so eneloops running at 1.2v each instead of 1.5v is usually fine.

I think you'd need to disassmble to be able to get any sort of cleaning spray in there properly. In the past I've just agressively buffed the switch back and forth which helps but not as much.

TheFuzz · Jul 9, 2017

SpiceOrange said:
Yeah it's normal. Pretty much all circuits are designed to handle a voltage range, and anything operating on batteries needs to handle voltage dropping, so eneloops running at 1.2v each instead of 1.5v is usually fine.

I think you'd need to disassmble to be able to get any sort of cleaning spray in there properly. In the past I've just agressively buffed the switch back and forth which helps but not as much.

Dude, thanks a ton! Very good info, I appreciate it!

Lynd7 · Jul 9, 2017

I thought the stock of backlit GBA screens had dried up? Did someone start producing them again?

Pancakes R Us · Jul 9, 2017

Argh, I forgot about this thread! Popped up on my radar today.

socksfelloff said:
I'm really enjoying my backlit GBC. It's a real GBC running BennVenns converison board with a 101 screen.

I'm having trouble taking some good pictures of it but it's a 101 screen so we all know how it looks.

Wow, this looks neat. Where did you get this from>

aidan said:
Mod is complete!

It was my first time doing anything of the sort, so it took a few hours, but the end result is really nice. I find the buttons (particularly the d-pad) a little mushy and unresponsive, so I may need to take it apart again to check the membrane. Otherwise, it's absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait to rediscover my library of GBA and GB games.

Oh my, this looks stunning. I have an OG glacier system moded with a 101 screen from Peagles, which is great. I just really like the look of this green one!

socksfelloff · Jul 10, 2017

Pancakes R Us said:
Argh, I forgot about this thread! Popped up on my radar today.Wow, this looks neat. Where did you get this from>

https://bennvenn.myshopify.com/products/backlit-gameboy-color-yellow

I bought it from bennvenn himself. I usually mod everything myself but all my stuff is packed away to stage my house so I decided to splurge on a pre built.

Yes it's pricey but the quality is top notch and I heard he doesn't plan on producing the converter boards anymore so they will be a one of a kind item in the future. I've logged a good 20 hours on mine so far using eneloops and an everdrive without any issues!

Pancakes R Us · Jul 11, 2017

socksfelloff said:
https://bennvenn.myshopify.com/products/backlit-gameboy-color-yellow

I bought it from bennvenn himself. I usually mod everything myself but all my stuff is packed away to stage my house so I decided to splurge on a pre built.

Yes it's pricey but the quality is top notch and I heard he doesn't plan on producing the converter boards anymore so they will be a one of a kind item in the future. I've logged a good 20 hours on mine so far using eneloops and an everdrive without any issues!

Thanks for this! I will seriously think about getting one of these. Only thing that puts me of, I guess, is the lack of the original safety/production message on the back and the OG battery cover. Will have to source one or put up with it.

socksfelloff · Jul 11, 2017

Pancakes R Us said:
Thanks for this! I will seriously think about getting one of these. Only thing that puts me of, I guess, is the lack of the original safety/production message on the back and the OG battery cover. Will have to source one or put up with it.

For this, and only this, it's not a big deal to me and that's because the 101 screen is larger then the original so some concessions had to be made. The IR port and battery led are removed and several of the screws to hold the case together can't be used as well so the case is glued together. Because of this it'll always be a bit of a frankenstein and I'm okay with that.

Pancakes R Us · Jul 11, 2017

socksfelloff said:
For this, and only this, it's not a big deal to me and that's because the 101 screen is larger then the original so some concessions had to be made. The IR port and battery led are removed and several of the screws to hold the case together can't be used as well so the case is glued together. Because of this it'll always be a bit of a frankenstein and I'm okay with that.

Thanks. I guess the benefits outweight my hang-ups here. Please share some close up pics from all sides if you're able to.

Inside · Jul 12, 2017

After searching for about 2 years I finally managed to get a Game Boy Light Famitsu Skeleton edition (Mail order version). Only 500 was made with the black box.

Cant describe how stunning this device is!

NormalFish · Jul 12, 2017

Damn, that's crazy cool. How do you go about finding something like that? Monitoring yahoo auctions?

Inside · Jul 12, 2017

NormalFish said:
Damn, that's crazy cool. How do you go about finding something like that? Monitoring yahoo auctions?

Yes something like that. I have been monitoring Facebook retro game buy/sell pages and eBay. This one was actually from eBay so I was sure that it would go for a crazy high price. But I was lucky and got it for a really great price. If anyone is looking for a Astro Boy Gameboy Light or a Osamu Tezuka Gameboy Light, both new and boxed, the seller informed me that these will soon go on eBay for auction also.

sixteen-bit · Jul 12, 2017

Inside said:
After searching for about 2 years I finally managed to get a Game Boy Light Famitsu Skeleton edition (Mail order version). Only 500 was made with the black box.

Cant describe how stunning this device is!

That's the best looking Game Boy IMO, followed by the JP Toys R Us exclusive yellow GBL.

Ben Morales · Jul 12, 2017

Ugh it is soooo beautiful. I need to start saving up to get a JP GBL.

Pancakes R Us · Jul 13, 2017

Inside said:
Yes something like that. I have been monitoring Facebook retro game buy/sell pages and eBay. This one was actually from eBay so I was sure that it would go for a crazy high price. But I was lucky and got it for a really great price. If anyone is looking for a Astro Boy Gameboy Light or a Osamu Tezuka Gameboy Light, both new and boxed, the seller informed me that these will soon go on eBay for auction also.

The GBL you have is stunning. Please PM the seller's details. I'd consider a GBL but would want a relatively plain one like yours.

Peltz · Jul 13, 2017

Inside said:
After searching for about 2 years I finally managed to get a Game Boy Light Famitsu Skeleton edition (Mail order version). Only 500 was made with the black box.

Cant describe how stunning this device is!

Holy shit. So cool!

TheFuzz · Jul 14, 2017

Inside said:
After searching for about 2 years I finally managed to get a Game Boy Light Famitsu Skeleton edition (Mail order version). Only 500 was made with the black box.

Cant describe how stunning this device is!

Reporting you to a mod for posting porn.

😉

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