Have you ever wondered what a metal gameboy would look like? Or feel like? Well, we’ve had the privilege of doing just that and we can confirm that it’s one heck of a treat and every Gameboy enthusiast should have one in their collection. Period.
The Gameboy has been an iconic console ever since its reveal in 1989, influencers have been pimping them, modders have been adding new technology and now an Instagrammer named BoxyPixel has decided to go one step further and completely change the housing.
A look inside the Metal Gameboy
The Gameboy Advance was a superb handheld, one of our personal favourites in fact! It was perfect at the time, but as time goes by you can start to see the flaws. The first being its very dull screen, with no lighting technology behind it at times you’d find yourself barely being able to see that Snorlax blocking your route. So one of the major upgrades in this Metal Gameboy is the screen. Installed within its structure as a backlight AGS 101 screen that will light up your entire bedroom when you play at night. Having this in a Metal Gameboy Advance is a must do for anyone wanting to upgrade their handheld.
But one of the major advantages of investing in a metal gameboy is that you don’t have to buy the whole handheld. If you already have the internals and a backlight AGS 101 screen then you can simply buy the shell.
And for those of you that know, installing a backlight screen into a Gameboy Advance is hard, but that’s not the case with this one. BoxyPixel has crafted this aluminium shell into an easy “drag & drop” DIY case, meaning they’ve pre-cut the slot for an AGS 101 screen allowing you to simply drop in the screen without having to cut and sand down areas of the case like you would normally have to do with a plastic GBA case.
This allows modders and newcomers to the pimping scene to simply add a backlight screen with no problems at all.
Let’s talk about that body.
The metal Gameboy is made from a CNC machined aluminium and straight out of the box you immediately go “wow this is heavy”. It’s made from a thick block of metal so its going to be, but having such weight in a handheld means it’s no longer going to be a console that you can chuck in your back pocket. If you do you’ll soon find your trousers around your waist and everyone screaming at your Gameboy Micro.
The cutouts are precise and replicate the Gameboy Advance perfectly, the only real difference is the sides of the handheld. In the usual Gameboy Advance you’ll notice two bumpers on the site that sit inside the case, but on the Metal Gameboy there is none. This is all part of making the Metal Gameboy look slick and stealthy.
You .may also notice from the picture above that there’s no battery case. This is yet another addition of modern technology and that’s a simple 2000mah rechargeable battery. This can last 3 – 4 hours of gameplay, the average person can hold this portable tank for a maximum of 3 minutes so that’s more than enough power for your typical gaming sessions.
On the back you also see the BoxyPixel logo and screws which allows access to the internals. Taking a peak in here and removing the back is when you really notice how solid this thing is and how precise the cuts are.
METAL GAMEBOY EXTRAS?
That’s not it, for $250 you’re not getting a standard Metal Gameboy. This Gameboy Advance has a couple of extras. First off is the anodised aluminium buttons that are probably our favourite part. These things feel insane, and they have this clicky metal sound that i’ve never heard from a Gameboy before. The great pointer about these is that you can also buy them separately, so if you can’t afford the whole Metal Gameboy you can damn sure get a taste of it through your fingers. You can get them in a tonne of different colours too! If only the GPI Case did some metal buttons hey?
And finally the second feature which we enjoy about the Metal Gameboy is the glass display. Your average Gameboy Advance will unfortunately come with a plastic display which as we know, likes to show scratches. So this modified console comes with tempered glass screen cover that not only looks better but contemplates the whole design of the Metal Gameboy.
Overall the Metal Gameboy is an incredible handheld, but the $250 price tag will hurt ours and most collector’s wallets. But price aside this thing is a beauty, it feels like no other handheld on the planet, it wouldn’t even compete with a metal Bittboy Pocket Go and putting modern technology inside such a nostalgic product with a touch of metal really does make us contemplate going back to collecting plastic Gameboys! Imagine this but with custom engraved Pokemon or Zelda designs… yep, that can make any Gameboy enthusiast go gooey on the inside.
