Modder finally illuminates the Game Boy Pocket

by Griffin McElroy on Jan 3rd 2009 3:30PM

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to modder Michael "Bibin" Moffitt -- for years now, our eyes have undergone irreversible damage due to being frequently strained in order to play our Game Boy Pockets in ill-lighted environments. Using only an LED, some perspex and a diffusive layer, Bibin managed to add a backlight to his beloved Pocket, leading to illuminated rounds of Dr. Mario with little effect on the system's battery life. Good going, Bibin!

(Okay, seriously, nobody tell this guy about the Game Boy Light or GBA SP. It sounds like he worked really hard on this, and we don't want to ... ) Oh, hey, Bibin! You're still here! Sure, we'd love to play some Mario's Picross! What's that? Your mom made Rice Krispie Treats? Awesome.

Source

Tags: backlight, bibin, game-boy-pocket, michael-moffitt, mod

Reader Comments (69)

This would be a great story, if it were ya know...1996. :p

Dude, it's still a great story. I love Rice Krispies Treats...

wouldn't be surprised if Ben Heck already did this. But instead of a back light he made it into it's own console. With buttons built into it, a nice batter life, and a screen. All in one. Cause that's how good Ben Heck is.

Ben Heck probably did this mod as something to do while on the toilet when he was bored

he actually modded a full sized fold out toilet into a gameboy

Which converts your waste products into extra battery life.

please be realistic, haggard.

Time to say goodbye to the snake light

I always wanted a snake light, but I always ended buying a game instead of the accesory.

(>'.')>

I always used a flashlight Also what Fernando is back?

Well... I have been idle for like 2 months, but I read Joystiq every day, just like before.

But I don't comment a lot anymore... but that's my new year resolution. Starting Monday, I will be back to the Joystiq comment section....

I have received a lot of comments on my MSN by almost 50 persons from Joystiq that wants again to post here on Joystiq.

Also... visit MySpace. I just created an account and I need gamer friends.

http://www.myspace.com/fernando_rocker

Fernando, ya gotta get with the times mannn...facebook is all the rage, myspace is dead lol

=(

My MSN is rock_rules20 at hotmail. If anyone wants to chat, feel free to add me.

Right now I'm talking with sheppy and Gun Barrier.

Fernando? in your Joystiq?

Is more common than you think.

(Welcome back Fernando)

ice, I'm pretty sure Fernando has a Facebook page. Either that, or there's someone in the JPAG with the likeness of his original avatar named Fernando.

I do have a Facebook account... and I'm member of the Joystiq group. But I don't use Facebook a lot.

=p

Lol, sorry, i didn't know. I was just sayin, everyone who used to be on myspace on my friends list, switched over to facebook and myspace is pretty much dead, well among my friends and school it is

Dammit.

Step 1 complete.

On to Step 2... introduce color!

Heres his official checklist

1. LED
2. Color
3. shoulder buttons
4. foldable, laptop design
5. 2 Screens?

You forgot the most important step... step 6 PROFIT!

Profit would be step 7 on that list.

I have an idea! what about a touch screen?

Just one because two would be totally stupid I mean who needs 2 touch screens when you can have just one.

Step 6: There is NO step 6
moving on
Step 7: ???
Step 8: Profit

I dont think there's any mystery to the steps. Nintendo has already proven the course to the profit step.

you can't compare this to a ds, ds can't play original game boy games.. lol and yes i know you were being sarcastic.

I feel like I have read this post before...

Perhaps you saw it on another blog? It was on Engadget, for instance.

You have probably seen this before since about 6 other gaming/gadget related sites did a post on this LAST WEEK.

Maybe because the backlit GBP was already out some years ago.

I wish i could refurbish my sexy green gameboy pocket, i mean it still works and all....but when i was 8 or w/e I didn't really care for the condition of my gameboy....so it's in pretty poor shape, and the screen has some black stuff on the bottom, but to this day, i still play Pokemon Yellow on it occasionally, those gameboys were my entire childhood...along with transformers..

Call Nintendo.

You will be surprised by how great is the Nintendo Customer Service.

LOL, would they really fix my gameboy pocket from 1996? Because I would definitely get it fixed.

Just call them... I'm pretty sure that they will fix your 1996 system.

well, seeing as how Nintendo.com still has a section for troubleshooting the original GameBoy, yes they will help you

Call them right now and tell us what they told you =p

Lol honestly, I wouldn't even know what to say, Like "Hi can you refurbish my 1996 Gameboy Pocket for me?"......LOL imagine if it was still under warranty :D

well, they won't refurbish it, but they might fix the screen

I'm gonna go to the troubleshooting website first, because I'm not sure what is going on with the screen, if any of you are tech savvy I cud get a picture lol

They fixed my classic GB a few years back.

I was on the troubleshooting website, and i was going to buy a replacement screen and battery cover...then it said they are no longer for sale =...( NINTY WHYYYYY

You need to call them.

I called them last April, telling them that I had a Gamecube without the digital component port (I have a Wii, but I want to play my Gamecube games on my Gamecube system).

I sent them my Gamecube, and they installed a component port for free.

Would I have to pay for a replacement screen lens or batter cover? Not that they would cost too much, I just don't have a credit card at the moment :/

You can buy a VISA or MasterCard credit card in Walmart for the amount you need.

Can they fix my PSP?

(Lulz but I seriously need to fix that, I would drive to Sony customer support to repair it but the amount of cash needed to do so scares me since is really busted)

Dr. Jekyl

Maybe you should drive to Sony Customer Service... if they are like Nintendo, they will replace you the PSP. Check this story:

http://fiendishgleeclub.vox.com/library/post/customer-service-gone-shockingly-right.html

No they won't. I called.

The guarantee is voided if you do a Mythbusters like video to show how many bricks you need to bust a PSP.

The answer just 1.

(Actually I dropped it to the ground and since it was a PSP lite instead of the wonderful normal PSP it cannot longer read UMDs because the quality of the PSP lite is fantastic. Hell I would love to pay a difference and change it to a PSP brite or a normal PSP, the PSP lite sucks so hard)

I used to prank Nintendo's customer service line (1-800-255-3700!) back in the mid-90's ALL THE TIME. I have no idea why I did so much, I was an annoying kid, what do you want? I vividly recall such gems as "I found poop in my Super Nintendo" and "Sonic the Hedgehog is sneaking around in your offices" and "Is Mario there?," among others.

Fin.

Lol, I too have prank called Nintendo, but i took it a little too far =/

Posts like this make me love Joystiq.

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Modder finally illuminates the Game Boy Pocket

Reader Comments (69)

Posted: Jan 3rd 2009 3:37PM Obienator said

Posted: Jan 3rd 2009 7:57PM Temidien said

Posted: Jan 3rd 2009 3:42PM Mitsuo said

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