You may have seen that a very popular workshop in Akihabara, Japan, offers tourists and retro gamers the chance to modify and create their own customised GAME BOY console using third-party shells and upgrades that they can take home as a souvenir.
This remarkable experience has taken retro gamers who visit Japan by storm, and for good reason, it's a fun, nostalgic workshop to experience with friends and family, all while learning about the ins and outs of one of the greatest game consoles ever made.
Well, that workshop is now coming to the UK, thanks to an avid British modder who is teaming up with Four Quarters, one of London's most prominent retro gaming bars.
This comes at a perfect time in my opinion, as I was recently in London visiting the National History Museum, which has a gigantic section dedicated to the history of gaming, offering visitors the chance to experience over 100 different consoles, alongside an Xbox 360 booth that allows you to play Halo shoulder-to-shoulder with over 12 different players, like the good old days.
Though I mentioned in the article that London needs to offer more to gamers, there's very little there for them, unlike many other major cities across the world, so seeing a small workshop like this pop up in the city's heart is something that I am excited to see.
It's being created by Fabio, also known as MillennialDad_Modding on Instagram, who has a history of modding these consoles alongside a goal of promoting the positive role that slow gaming, and especially retro gaming, can have on mental wellbeing.
This event will take place at Four Quarters Elephant Park and start at around £219, which sounds expensive, but you get to take home a fully modded GAME BOY with a new shell, a new display and buttons, which is quite an expensive product these days if purchased for modders online. But this is one that you get to build with friends, alongside an experience modder who will hold your hand the entire way.
Fabio supplies the entire kit, from screws to tools to third-party accessories for you to build the GAME BOY of your dreams alongside a GAME BOY game too! Four Quarters will supply the venue, food and drinks with the ability to explore their array of arcades and retro games between breaks.
Fabio states: "You will explore the history of handheld gaming, try out a range of modded retro consoles (including Nintendo, Game Gear and modern Retro Consoles), and then build a fully working Game Boy Colour customised to your own style. Choose your shell colour, button colours, and finishing touches, then assemble your console with step-by-step guidance. By the end of the workshop, you will leave with your own custom-built Game Boy Colour, ready to play, including one game to take home with you".
You can book yourself a slot on Eventbrite, the first two workshops will take place on 30th June 2026 at 19:00, and 14th July 2026 at 19:00.
