My PiZero Gameboy Build

SpacebatMcbat

41850

950

PiTFT and GamePads

this was the first and easiest step, solder the buttons to the board then connect the GamePads to the PiTFT. hope you are good at soldering...im not.

Pi Zero

next I had to add the Pizero to the PiTFT, guess what more soldering...starting to wonder why im doing this...

3D Printed Case

finally, something Im actually decent at. downloaded the STL files from the Thingiverse adafruit page: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1546607 (will link full instructions at the bottom). I printed them at home on my printer, took about 4 hours.

First Test Fit

Wanted to make sure I didnt have any obvious wiring issues or fit problems...so far so good.

First Power Up

I got impatient and decided I needed to make sure it worked. played Doom for awhile.

Final Fit

all the components are in the proper spots (I think). im hoping the blue light is good.

Time to do some stuff

the biggest flaw ive found so far is that the 2.2" display is treated like a full size monitor. hope there isnt any important information I need to read...

Configure the Wifi

Sweet Jesus the print is small, it took me more than a couple tries to pick the right network, only hacked the NSA once and brought down two Russian satellites... at the end of the day I got all the internets on it.

Beta Testing

loaded up a couple of my favorite games and spent the rest of the evening doing that. The build took me about a week working on it for about 20 min a day (dont have tons of free time with a 3 y/o and job) I bought the kit from Adafruit: https://www.adafruit.com/?q=pi%20zero%20gameboy%20kit& and the tutorial walks you through very well, props to the adafruit and the Ruiz Brothers for making this build.

Front Page edit: I want to thank a few people, first time here... this makes up for missing my cake day! thanks to my amazing girlfriend for buying me the kit for my birthday and the countless hours ive spent in the garage working on my printer. Also my parents for getting me the printer for Christmas last year.

Second edit: I have been notified that to avoid a lawsuit I must mention, the keyboard used in picture #7 belongs to life time best friend and co builder of the printer (drank my beer) Isaac.

science_and_tech

JawesomeJess

@op, all you did was just make a Gameboy Micro with a smaller screen

10 years ago |

LMACH3000

Getting this for my sister, need to remember for later

Aerogers

Got a printer 2 years ago that I am still trying to get work

and0ne

i.imgur.com/tIqjcUC.gif

likehelly

ruiz Brothers? the vine people?

didnt know they were on vine but yeah they did the design, they have many projects with adafruit.

happynessisawarmpotato

Needs a smaller screen... Otherwise this is pretty cool!

TerraformTrent

Yeah, it needs to be smaller!

RebelSkull

You are what's great about imgur.

BritishBatman

I still have no idea what this thing is.

MasterFlippyFloppy

Screen size?

2.2" you could go bigger though and modify the case. adafruit sells a 5" and 7"

TwoHorndUnicorn

roughly how much did the build cost?

xakh

Given the kit is $60, and that's about $2 of filament, $62?

Battery was 12 bucks

Right, good point. Adafruit's battery costs seem kinda nuts.

Angioegma

Alright, get crackin': https://www.adafruit.com/products/3161

PhiIIipJFry

so can I make one of these hook it up to my tv and play snes games?

It still has an HDMI (well, mini, but still electrically compatible) port, so that'd work fine.

yup

What would I need to buy? Do they have hdmi outputs?

get a pi zero for 5 bucks, get a mini hdmi adapter, sd card then look up the software RetroPie.

thanks

morehumanthanhuman

You can't fool me. I know that's a prototype Nintendo NX

SpecimenSpiff

We'll find out soon enough!

thurstythurst

feeltheice

This pisses me off for no reason.

Oblivious324

Does the directional pad feel anything like a gameboy or is it more "clicky"?

very clicky, lol its def more of a novelty then functional. honestly ill probably sell it.

Smidge204

You can buy "repair kits" of silicone dome pads like nearly all game controllers use. Gives a better feel.

Jonamark

I wonder if there's buttons with the proper 'feel' available in the same package. Or even a different package TBH.

asm80dfa8sdfj

Well, you can buy replacement stuff for the originals that feel pretty close, I suppose you could use those.

Yeah, but they don't come soldered onto a pre-existing compact circuitboard meant to interface with the device.

Sure, but the circuit here is more that trivial, and I suspect that OP is capable of printing an adapter plate to hold the buttons :)

SgtThunderfistMD

Why not just mod a psp?

Because I didn't build a psp?

[deleted]

10 years ago (deleted Oct 10, 2016 6:06 PM) |

Somewaffles666

Because OP didn't build a psp?

Since you said you didn't have a ton of free time I wasn't sure if you were doing this to build something or to just take your games with u.

Printing the case is by FAR the easiest part.

dagg3r

Exactly what i was thinking

Interfacing a general purpose computer with the PSP's screen, buttons, and etc would be far harder than ordering a prebuilt kit.

I thought he meant software modding like jailbreaking

Where's the maker spirit in that?

Uh... You still have to draw lightning bolts all over the psp to make it go faster... Duh.

How could I forget.

Well I mean... Your user name...