Next to the speaker, there is the debug port. That is what people use to put different games onto it. All you need is an STM32 programmer And some software. It can run any NES/SNES game.
the screen cover up is a perfect example of Nintendo saving cost. that size was probably the cheapest option in mass quantities compared to ordering the exact dimensions. the 2DS wedge model was also 1 big screen that was covered up.
They also required a raised bezel around the display ANYWAYS to recreate the original Game&Watch design, so using an oversized LCD that fills the entire raised area actually makes mounting things a little easier. And if it means they can use an off-the-shelf part instead of a more expensive custom panel, so much the better.
You may think the sd card would have held hackers back from hacking this unit but stacksmashing literally got this thing running sonic within the first week (it's not public, but they showed it on the discord). It literally runs the same firmware as the Mario unit except it has more memory. So there's a chance you'll be seeing some really crazy mods for it coming soon too.
So, to illuminate the triforce, use the brightness of the screen but behind, who would have thought that something simple would look so incredible just using this and some plastics, whoever did this is a creative genius
It's a neat little embellishment and harkens back to the old Nintendo quality. They didn't have to do it, but they did and it makes me feel a bit better about spending $50 on a novelty device.
HAC-006 is indeed the part code/model for the Switch joy-con battery, it's the exact same part which makes sense, like the speaker. They've got tons of those (and are being produced already), no sense in making a specific part for it other than the bare minimum like casing and motherboard.
Nintendo is famous for this, sometimes its ended badly, but then we have the diamond that is the WiiUPro controller using a 3DS battery... Not a huge fan of the layout, but its become my #1 controller for PC, just on the 8hr battery life alone lol
If the screen was smaller it probably wouldn't light up the triforce as well. But also I'm wondering looking at the reuse of parts, they thought it would have a smallish run, and wasn't worth getting a nonstandard screen made specially for it.
I hardly think they'd have installed a larger screen _just_ to light up the Triforce, but they're certainly not going to waste the extra light if they have it. I haven't believed at all for the past few years that Nintendo will actually do a Gameboy classic, but this larger-than-necessary screen gives me new hope they might. Either this might be the screen they've already bought in bulk for it, or they could be testing it out in a smaller-run product to see how it goes.
ok nice video, try to buy a programmer for the game and watch so u can put other games on it inside there is a debug port where u can plug the programer into
@@bigmacgamer69 theres a few videos on how to do it like when the mario anniversary game and watch came out but immediately nintendo took down all the tutorial videos
did consider buying one of these but ended up against it and also realised I have the games on my vita... but this makes me want to get one just for the glowing light on the rear haha
I think that the gameboy classic mini should be a gba classic with both gba games and gb games but thats never gonna happen couse the og grey gameboy design is more recognizable and gives more money unfortunatelly, but the og gba with a backlight mod is the best handheld ever
I bought one of these the 20th, I thought it could only play the original TLoZ, little did I know I got Zelda 2 and Link's Awakening along with it! Keep up the videos man, I love teardowns like these
Spoiler alert: change the language settings on Zelda and Zelda II and check the audio out. You have the Famicom Disk System versions of those games on there too, and that set had better sound chips!
I'd totally try dumping the eeprom on the board, it's likely used to store game roms as STM microcontrollers usually have very small built-in memory. Potentially you could try finding the rom binary there and swap it with another rom, lets say swap the GB zelda for GBC rom (they most likely use a GBC emulator anyway so it should work)
With regards to the screen, it most likely is the closest size that still allows for cleanly doubling the pixels. Then you just cover the letterboxing with the bezel. This is what a lot of Gameboy mods do to add IPS panels. Perfect pixel doubling means you don't get blurry pixel edges when the image is scaled up on the higher DPI display.
Got mine through preorder as a Christmas gift for a special girl who likes Zelda, so I haven't opened it of course, but the very Nintendo outer packaging and quality of the device itself makes me feel better about buying a technologically inferior device. These things have presentation quality, very good for gifts but certainly not something I would buy for myself
If it had an SD Card, it would be really easy to hack. It has an external flash memory where it stores the ROMs Apperently you can rewrite the ST micro and upgrade the external flash memory.
I'm more intrigued that the battery has Korean writing that directs users to call a Korean phone number (I dont see an area code but 4 digits-4 digits is a Korean phone number) for support (A/S is short for "after service", basically a term for troubleshooting and product support)!
It's the exact same microcontroller they used in the SMB G&W, maybe it could be hacked the same way if they didn't disabled the debug pins like in the SMB one.
Nintendo probably just cheaped out by using some off the shelf screen, then instead of having black borders just covered the unused pixels with the case to show correct aspect ratio.
They did a similar thing with the original 2DS where to sell it cheaper both the top and bottom touch screen are actually the same screen, with the unused bits covered by the shell
Nintendo has horrendous problems inside and out, but seriously, hats off the the engineers for reusing the joycon batteries. That's a win win for everyone. Those batteries will probably be made for 4+ decades. I hope Nintendo uses them it more devices.
This wouldn't have an SD card anyway. It's on a completely different tier of SoC compared to something like a phone/tablet/set top unit. Very very simple and low power and an SD card/socket would probably be more expensive on its own than that SoC. Not about trying to prevent hackers, but really making it down to a price, but for what it is, it will never need anything more than what it has, but i wouldn't expect any miracles out of it like SNES emulation. An early 90s PC has more RAM than it.
They did a much better job on this than the Mario one. As a Mario fan I'm saddened, they never show as much love to Mario as they do to Zelda. But oh well this is still awesome. Maybe Zelda makes more money for them.
Zelda gets arguably higher quality, but Mario gets quantity. The 35th year celebration Mario got so many things I can't even name em all, custom shoes, lego Mario, Mario 3D all stars, Mario updates in other games such as animal crossing, Mario pins, Mario kart update I think, and others I'm forgetting. Legend of zelda got this. And skyward sword I guess. Nothing else.
my guess on the screen size is - that the emulator is using pixelperfect ( or integer scaling) resolution- so you see only the part that makes sense to get proper resolution
So literally the light for the triforce is just light pouring into the back from the screen itself, I was prepared to see a mini triforce led module of sorts
You need to get yourself one of the little rechargeable electrical screwdrivers. They are super tiny and hella convenient. Can pick one up for a great price and really useful item to own 👌🏼
GeekStuff.fr. What do you think about the battery itself? As a collector's item it would be playable after 10 years? Or should I open it to replace the battery? Then, after that time, would I find the same battery's model? By the way, great job with the video.
@@blacksmith7338 The battery will be worthless in ten years, and you won't be able to find replacements. Lithium-ion packs have a limited life span, and few of them become any sort of standard.
You didn't talk about the triforce easter egg inside the device. There are also some easter eggs when you tear down the switch pro controller as well. Edit: I'm sure there's more in other devices I don't know that Nintendo makes.
This is like 99% the same design as the Super Mario Bros. version, same STM32 chip. Differences are the color, the Triforce logo gimmick, and the extra 2 pins on the debug header. I'll put some nice games on it. 🙂
Really wanting to get one of these but they are gone locally.. I have a feeling these are not going to be like the Mario ones lol my local game stores said they already removed them from their inventory.
This device is getting me to finally pick up a retro handheld emulator. Probably not what Nintendo intended (Nintended?) but I just gotta have more value.
@@Chaos89P Oh like a Raspberry Pi device? Those look like really fun projects and I definitely want to give it a try at some point but for now I decided on an RG351v for that classic GameBoy style.
A Gameboy Classic would be so hype I would scream. But would they have Pokemon? Idk :/ they'd probably release Pokemon ones seperately. Play it Loud Red, Blue And Yellow GBs for Pokemon R/B/Y + Pokemon Pinball would be sick tho.
Probably has already been hacked, considering nintendo will use off the shelf parts, & games are probably either stored inside Programmable ROM or built onto same dye as the processor.
small 8 pin chip looks like an SPI flash chip maybe. possibly where the ROMs are stored. probably well protected if nintendont learned anything from the mario bros game and watch.
What do you think about the battery itself? As a collector's item it would be playable after 10 years? Or should I open it to replace the battery? Then, after that time, would I find the same battery's model? By the way, great job with the video.
The second tiny ribbon from the screen is a touch connector. I don't have one and don't know much about it - does this thing use touch screen controls? Because it looks like the screen supports them, even if its OS doesn't use them.
The second tiny ribbon from the screen is actually power for the backlight. There is no touch support. Typically, a backlit LCD will carry power on a separate cable from the data. Aside from making it easier to do multiple configurations from a single device, it also prevents noise from the backlight interfering with the high-frequency data. Touch LCDs typically have THREE ribbon cables dangling off them.
I need help, I brung this to school put it in my book bag then we I opened it the screen was like glitched so I was wondering if theres anyway to fix it
Put in a WIFI chip and a cardridge slot some aditional software like an e shop and put it in a smaller version of a DMG 01 case and your done Nintendo.
I hate to be a downer but...there almost certainly will not be a GameBoy Classic Mini. Why sell you a set of games on a SOC when they can sell you them just as part of Nintendo Switch Online? I know the very existence of these Game & Watch units would seem to contradict that but I also suspect that this will also be the final anniversary Game & Watch. 1985 and 1986 were very important years for first-party Nintendo properties but 1987 only really has Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and I don't think they'd be a Punch-Out Game & Watch because interest it would be low compared to Mario and Zelda.
