The retro gaming community are continuously coming up with incredible gadgets, though none have been quite as exciting as this Wii Boy Color. In the age of console modding and pushing the boundaries of the handheld, one Nintendo fan has completed a personal mission to build a brand new, never-before-seen console.
And it looks incredible!
All Pictures © GingerOfMods
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Meet The Wii Boy Color, A Portable Handheld Nintendo Wii!
Thanks to the Nintendo Switch and the best Nintendo 3DS games for its predecessor, Nintendo have secured themselves as the modern-day handheld gaming masters.
Heck, what am I talking about. They did that all the way back when the DMG came out!
No one can beat them, but that doesn’t stop other companies from bringing out fake consoles or copycat handhelds to try and take a piece of the portable gaming market.
But one fan has taken up the challenge of turning an old console and making it portable, paying homage to one of Nintendo’s most successful handhelds in the process. We’ve seen other attempts with the Nintendo 64 Handheld and the Nintendo Switch DS, but none quite as spectacular as the Wii Boy Color.
What Is The Wii Boy Color?
The Wii Boy Color is the invention of GingerOfMods. This mini handheld console plays Gamecube and Wii games on the go, all without a disc drive. It sounds too good to be true, but this is a fully working console that we’re absolutely blown away by.
It turns out that the Wii motherboard can actually be modified without the risk of major damage. GingerOfMods has made some necessary adjustments to remove the need for discs to make the games run. and they have even included a USB port on the top of the console to give you ‘plug n play’ functionality with an existing Wii console.
Now you don’t need to buy any more old games!
How Big Is This Console?
I guess the real clue is in the name, but the Wii Boy Color is EXACTLY the same size as the original Game Boy Color. The shape is incredibly similar, but the buttons differ due to the need for extra controls needed to play GameCube and Wii games on the go.
We really want to hold one of these in our hands. Having that nostalgic feel of the GBC, our favourite ever handheld, twinned with the games that we loved on two of Nintendo’s most successful home consoles…sign us up for the next prototype!
GingerOfMods has 3D-printed the shell of the Wii Boy Color, using DS Lite face buttons and joysticks from the Nintendo Switch Joycon remotes to finish the whole thing off. It’s a Frankenstein console, but the end result looks outstanding.
What Games Can The Wii Boy Color Play?
The main draw about this console is that it can play GameCube and Wii games. That includes older games Like Ocarina of Time Master Quest that were ported to the Wii too. The screen is fantastic and really shows off the superb graphics in titles like Metroid Prime and Super Mario Galaxy.
The handheld itself can be powered up by a power bank or via a 12V USB port, so it’s great for playing on the go or on a family trip to a solar-powered log cabin in the woods.
Games will be pre-installed via a cleverly hidden USB stick built into the console. There are plans for this console to be made to order in the future, but you might need to save your pennies as it looks like a costly process.
Though a process that is 100% worth the money.
Big thanks to GingerOfMods for taking the time to make this handheld masterpiece. You can check out more by following them on YouTube and watching the handheld making process in greater detail!
