Yeah. I've already got a Hakko, so I'll pass on it too. But I do hope iFixit open sources their tips, though. Proprietary tips (if they stay that way) is a bad move on their part for sure!
Great build. Would you ever consider doing a video of your fails or issues with your modding processes? I think it’s super important to get to see how we fail because I swear when I mod my systems I have multiple moments in a build where I want to give up or I do something wrong and it makes me nervous and question my abilities. You’re a great solderer and have good editing skills but I think behind every great skill came lots of failures and it’s how we handle things like that that really make us skilled. Thanks macho for the great vids and keep it up!
I'm so with you on this. I've recently been adding Modbo 5.0 to the PS2 79k, and the 4 wires soldered directly to the chip can take me hours to complete. It works when I'm done, and nothing is destroyed, but you still hear that voice in your head saying, 'You suck at this.' Then you finally get it, and it works. I love this retro console world-challenging and rewarding. One of the things I like about Tito's videos is that he does talk about his mistakes without getting too bogged down in the details. As a fan, a 'Lessons Learned' video would be another valuable addition.
@@bahamutbbob Could not agree more. We all learn from our mistakes and seeing his mistakes (and we know it happens) would be a good learning experience for us...
We really need an OLED GBA mod.... We were flying along with all the newest upgradeable screens, then just hit a wall. It was nice to see GBC and Switch/Lite getting OLEDs though. Hopefully we see more retro handhelds get them
One thing future mod I’d hope to see would be an OLED panel. I’ve love the art/graphics of this handheld the most, the games just look high quality. Imagine all that on an OLED 🥹
I did product testing with the Ifixit team regarding the iron. They put a lot of care into it and listened to all the feedback we gave them. I was a particular fan of that product because it was easy for me to climb into large CNCs and do repairs easier. I was telling them they have a product that could branch into some trades, not just for tech and small electronic repairs.
The portability of that soldering station is going to be amazing! Wish they included more iron tips at that price. Speaking of new "Ultimate" GBAs...something old, yet new, is coming soon.
As cool as many of these mods are, I wish there were aftermarket motherboards that came with many of the features added out of the box and more modern components like solid state capacitors so it looks cleaner in a clear shell.
@jacobjacksonsson9375 minimum quantity orders for PCB's are as low as 5. And you can have them finished assembled with components as PCBA's with the same low order amount. Of course if you are designing complex PCBs, it gets more expensive because you have to order 5 every time you make a prototype revision. If you can hand solder the components at least for the prototypes it will of course not be so expensive. It is injection molded cases that really cost a lot. When a simple mold cost about 4 thousand dollars. And a complex mold or several simple molds can then cost you 40k dollars. So plastic shells cost so much more to mass produce than the pcb.
Excellent!! The only thing missing is for the community to start paying more attention to the Bluetooth Mod. Playing on your GBA using headphones and with excellent sound quality is "the dream"!
Unfortunately, Bluetooth audio latency makes it less than ideal for games. :( For media playback it’s less important because the playback device can compensate for
@@emmettturner9452 Wouldn't there be a way to compensate for this loss? About 6 months ago he showed a new motherboard for GBA made by FunnyPlaying. Wouldn't it be possible to take advantage of and improve this technology to have good functionality? What I want to say is, take advantage of the fact that they are making a brand new motherboard and add Bluetooth or at least support for it
The 3d printed brackets, even if not the highest quality, are perhaps the biggest win for me. Different screen comes out? swap the brackets. Plus, you won't see them again after you've done with the installation so quality isn't that big of an issue.
A few things to add about the aluminum shell as I have built two personal gameboys with this shell kit. This shell is the closest option we have for a metal game boy advance. Metal buttons from RetroCNC are a good option to add too. The brackets can be a pain and a very easy to damage if not handled with a little care. The laminated screen kit leaks light out of the front and is only really held in by the brackets with double sided adhesive tape. It can shift or move if pressed with your finger into the shell. The shoulder buttons can stick you'll need to play around with the top screw tightness sometimes. Makho has done a great review and a couple builds with this very shell so check it out if you haven't.
For the Advance SP I'd love to see a mod where the cartridge entrance is flipped to the top rather than at the bottom somehow. Only downside about the Unhinged SP is the GB and GBC games sticking out the bottom rather than going behind the screen.
Great video, Tito! I'd really like a spreadsheet of "this is the temperature I use for _______". It'd be really handy to have to print out and post over at my soldering station. Obviously those temps aren't absolutes, but it gives a good starting point. Then we can adjust accordingly ourselves!
Temps are very dependent on the soldering iron that you are using, and the tip installed. Smaller tips some times require a lot more power since they lack the thermal inertia of the bulky ones.
Tito, your videos are so awesome that I press "like" and add to my Mods playlist before watching the full video. 😁 Love the great quality and awesome production you bring to RU-vid and the retro community.
As far as GBA mods go that I’d like to see is LEDs on the Left and right bumper pads. Make the bumper pads clear and run RGB LEDs in them so you can change the color whenever you want.
In my opinion, its about time developers start to producing games for gba that uses all the gimmics it has, like cable link compatibility, e-reader, gamecube to gna link cable with aweso.e features etc... the gba is already been modded to perfection so far, now we need new games!
I'm happy to see the GBA so loved, there's so much cool mod work that I can't really even think about anything off the top of my head that I'd want~ but it would be so cool to see some of this tech and support on other handhelds too!~
I like the overall aesthetic but I think if I were to do a "Zelda" theme I would want to have some small green accents - maybe the buttons, side bump guard strips, etc. Still - looks great as always bro.
Hey Tito, FYI anodized aluminum does not conduct electricity but I get the fact "better be safe than sorry" element playing. I really love your videos and always looking forward to your new upcoming ones! Continue the good work my dude!
is probably just me but i always associated "Hyrule Editions" with White buttons rather than Gold on Gold, but other than that the kit is utterly gorgeous & yeah i would like a full review of the iFixit kit, because that price tag with non-standard tips requires a lot of justifying
Awesome videos like always Tito! Keep up the good work! If you can show your best method for installing surface mounted leds and if you can incorporate a Bluetooth module for the GBA would be great.....
I would love a mod that allows bluetooth for an external controller compatibility, earbud/headphones or something like that. I think these custom GBA designs are amazing and I would love to see more game themed designs.
Such a solid build! The next mod that I'd hope would come out would be an OLED screen, that way you could have a complete package with a HDMI dock, usb-c, OLED screen for on the go and surely that would improve the battery life!
I've really come to like the more accurate color reproduction seen on the Analogue Pocket. I really hope we start to see this become an option for GBA and GBC replacement LCDs.
Qi2 will have both as standard btw. So pretty much the only thing to wish for is a Qi2 compatible charging kit. I'm saying this because I'm hyped out of my mind for Qi2
That is an excellent GBA. It reminds me of the Japanese-exclusive Golden Sun Gold GBA from 2001. That is an excellent recreation of the GBA logo on the lens. Most repros of the GBA logos on the lens are either too thin, occasionally too thick or just of inconsistent thickness.
Love your videos. You can tell you put a lot into your production quality and editing. Something I’d love to see with future GBA mods is fitting in Bluetooth audio capability inside the shell versus using a 3.5mm adapter.
Price point is high. Only thing saving it is if repair parts don’t break the bank to. I have a cheap solder iron for 40 dollars that I can plug into the power bank that came with my car battery jumper and use it outside. That setup is less than 70 dollars and if I fry either one it’s not an arm and a leg to go replace. I just wonder how much a replacement tip is or things like the battery that go in it would be. I feel like those would be the main things being replaced
I don't think there are any more mods they could do for the GBA besides somehow making it stereo sound. I could really use one of those mats though. Love your videos, Tito.
Oh man. My girlfriend was watching this video without headphones from across the room and was like "yo I really like that soldering iron" If I were to win the giveaway that'd be awesome, I could give it to her for Christmas. We've both modded GBAs before but she's wayyyyy more talented than I am. Getting her a quality soldering iron would be amazing
According to the description, the giveaway does not include the soldering station. If you want to get your girlfriend a quality soldering station for Christmas you had better go shopping.
I like the aesthetic of the iFix-it Soldering Station But it's competing with Irons that work with other Tips, Both the TS100 and Pinecil work with 12 - 24v tips are interchangeable and even work with the Hakko T12 style handle tips, I can fit both Irons in a little box and use any number of Dewalt Milwaukee Ryobi or Hitachi batteries with a very cheap adapter, Can buy the drill battery adapter with pre-made up lead using XT60 connectors.
I'm going to agree with others, the Station looks nice, and has some nice features but, the proprietary tips, and depending on the costs, could deal killer. It's also like $100 over where it should be in the marketplace. For around $100 you can buy a very nice iron, I got a KSGR suggested from others, it was $80, heats up in 3-5 seconds and does an epic job. Around $150 is where it should be with the extra features it supports. I could see a use for portable but, moving mine and taking a cord is not too much of a hassle.
So the shell was one that came out before Funnyplaying or other companies made any laminated ones. One big draw is that they made their own laminated screens with old funnyplaying IPS kits, but they were a mixed bag. Mine had a lot of problems with dead pixels, hairs under the screen etc... The way they were secured didn't make it sit evenly. The triggers had to use springs that weren't any kind of standard size, so if you lost them you were in a bit of a predicament. Thr screen kit you have there is a cloud game store one. It looks like old stock because their kits used to have a big problem with a blue tint. There was documentation on this, including removing a resistor and doing some extra wire management etc... I can't remember the specifics. If that's the ARC GBA board then you can definitely turn it off and toggle through settings with button combos. However if it's just one of her old LED boards then you can always solder a small switch to the two pads you bridged, or of course use the one she sells
I wish the gba moddung community actually had a designated Bluetooth system for the gbs, especially when watching the shows or movies it could be connected to earphones or a bt speaker to add a new depth to the gba. Possibly even having a set LED setup for the gba logo to make it stand out more
A new mod I'd love to see for the GBA would be a wireless link cable mod. No clue how it'd work, but man, getting to play Four Swords Adventures completely untethered from my GameCube would be an absolute DREAM
Man, I don't even know what we could do with the GBA at this point. Pretty much all of the wish list items are covered. HDMI out, consolizing, shells, buttons, batteries, screens, audio. I honestly have no idea. If I could have my dream GBA, it'd have an OLED screen, stereo speakers, and a rechargeable battery. No metal shell, but a nice aftermarket plastic shell, maybe with a cool UV print.
I can easily think of 3: Built in wireless adapter that automatically disables itself when you plug something into the link cable port. Stereo Speakers through the one speaker grill. Mechanical switches for every button. And also a custom case mod for the GBA SP that turns it into a cyberdeck like interface device for the eReader, but that's a whole different can of worms imo.
Hey Tito! There are a couple game boy mods we haven't talked about yet on your channel I believe! Dmg 101, 102, 103, 104. Looking forward to this year's Halloween special!
The mod I'd love to see for GBA most, would probably some sort of extra ruggard outshell that when clipped on provides good water resistance, sand proof and still be playable. A bit like the Gameboy Pockets "Nintendo Hoshi no Kirby Hori GameBoy Pocket MGB".
If it wasn't for the price, the iFixIt Solding Station looks like a champ! For the GBA mods...IDK really. I'm more of an GBA SP user because I got my Grandmother's SP after she passed away. Maybe more Mods for that.
I wonder if its possible to fit an internal upscaler/linedoubler and matching IPS kit into one of these GBAs. Btw love the portable iron. Never thougt about a portable solution.
Do you have a general solder guide? If not could you make one? I feel from your videos that you're very well practiced and could definitely help pull back the curtain on such a crucial skill and make it easy to understand
Not even done watching the video, but damn, finally. Thank you for just skipping the disassembly process with a finger snap. It was genuinely a waste of ~40 seconds of time when anyone with half a brain can undo a few screws, remove a battery door cover, or failing that, just google a GBA disassembly video. It cuts right to the chase, saves you editing time, and saves time for the viewer. I get it for more complex consoles, like a GameCube or PS2 or whatnot, but there's not a lot to a GBA.
I'd love to see a GBA USB-C dock mod that allows for Bluetooth audio & controllers, HDMI out, and USB controllers too. The dock, powered to the wall, would also be able to handle upscaling or other video effects as well.
If I was modding a GBA, I'd go without the LED light kit for the buttons, and go with a plastic shell, but I would probably make it so I can use it on a TV as well.
I wouldn't mind seeing a video on your tool kit for these mods. I'd like to know what tools you prefer and why and also what to look for when building out my own kit.
Love the metal look! Another mod for GBA could be OLED screen maybe? There are already good replacement screen options that are good, but the colors of an oled would be amazing!
My dream for the future of GBA is an FPGA replacement board which has pads for X and Y buttons which can be remapped to the users' preferences. I just don't know where else GBA modding can go. Everything's kinda been the same old stuff lately.
I have a nostalgic connection with the Game Boy Advance. It was one of the first game consoles I owned, and I still have my childhood GBA with a new shell and IPS panel I bought a few years back. To be honest, I’m not crazy about the buttons that shell came with, and I feel like I made a mistake not getting the USB battery mod with it. To be honest, I’d love if somebody came out with a mod to give it clicky buttons like the SP. That combined with the original model’s form factor would make for the perfect GBA.
In terms of GBA mods I want to see the screens continue to iterate until there's a genuinely colour-perfect version. The latest M2 has a few settings that brings it close imo, but it's still not quite the same as an OG screen
I don't know what _new_ mods are even available/possible for the GBA as it seems like just about everything has been done. If it is possible I think it would be cool to use Bluetooth in a GBA to connect to a GameCube. Being able to use the GBA on GC for everything it already does (GBA player, GBA compatible games) but not having to use a link cable would be awesome!
The Pinecil and a PD Hub are still decidedly under $100 and pro's use it. I get that IFIXIT did their own software -- I just feel they could have done an IronOS product and got the price way down, and still offered a good product that's very configurable. For me its mostly a hard no.
I would love to see a not so practical Switch sized gba mod. I haven't really abandoned playing my GBA systems, but the older I get the less likely my eyes want to. 😅
