Nintendo Game Boy
All the small things.
The Nintendo Game Boy was originally released in 1989. And while it wasn’t the first handheld game console to hit the market, it popularised the category and kickstarted the portable gaming industry. Let’s take a look!
Major tech specs
• Sharp LR35902 4.19 MHz CPU
• LSI Logic LH5264N4T 8KB VRAM
• 2.6-inch 160 x 144 LCD display
• Sharp IR3R40 amplifier
Key findings
• Denoted by model number DMG-01 (which stands for Dot Matrix Game), the Game Boy can be powered by either four AA batteries or an AC power adapter, the latter of which has, quite unsurprisingly, disappeared somewhere into the clutter abyss.
• Despite the one model number, the Game Boy came in a handful of different models over the years, with subtle differences to the circuitry.
• The case is held together by six tri-point Y1 screws. Even back in 1989, Nintendo thought traditional screws might be too easy for us tinkerers. Fortunately, our Mako Driver kit comes with the necessary bit.
• Nintendo was at least nice enough to include an indentation for our driver to nicely fit into in the battery compartment. We slowly separate the two halves of the outer shell to reveal a ribbon cable booby trap! Luckily, this ribbon cable is more difficult to damage than the ones in newer devices.
• A firm grab and pull of the ribbon cable is all that stands between complete front and back separation. Once we’re inside, it’s all standard Phillips #1 screws from here on out. The display’s circuit board is held down with 10 of them.
• Using one of our own iFixit tools, we slowly start prying from the top, as the display and circuit board are ever so slightly glued to the case. The LCD display is attached to the circuit board with clips and a couple of screws. Unfortunately, the display’s cable is soldered to the board, as are the speaker’s two wires.
• The circuit boards inside the rear case are much easier to remove, with only four screws and no adhesive holding it down! The main board, power board, and jack board are connected together and come out all at once. As with the display and speaker wires, the headphone jack and other ports are all soldered to the boards.
• And that’s it! We hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to put this thing back together and enjoy some Super Mario Land 2.
• Repairability Score: 3 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair). The Game Boy only uses Phillips screws inside the casing, but even the exterior tri-point screws are easy to deal with nowadays. Only a small amount of (replaceable) glue was found inside. Many parts and cables are soldered directly to the boards, making individual replacements difficult. Soldering equipment and knowledge is required for most component repairs, such as the headphone jack, speaker, and display. AA batteries are obviously easy to replace.