It's not long ago that I was chatting with my girlfriend about when we moved from the iPod to the iPhone and having everything in one device instead of multiple gadgets (riveting conversation, I know), and how a lot of people play mobile games instead of going back to a dedicated handheld. Well, one modder has taken this thought and imagined what it might have been like if Nintendo had gone down the same route, though instead of putting all of the tech gadgets we've come to know and love in a phone, he's put them in a Game Boy!
I'm a huge fan of the retro modding community and the incredible things they come up with, and it's no secret that I keep tabs on what Hairo Satoh is working on on a regular basis. Posting on his Instagram feed @haihaiSB, Hairo has showcased his newest invention, a multimedia device crammed inside a Game Boy Color shell with dual cameras and a video recorder!
I should say here that this is not an actual Game Boy Color or Cartridge Mod. Hairo's device has a camera inside of a GBC Shell and comes with an LED flash for taking pics in the dark. It can reord 720p video (VGA) and had a built in mp3 player and mini games that can be accessed by the 32gb Micro SD card. It has a rechargeable battery (1000mAh) which will last about 6 days based on 1-2 hours of use per day).
Hairo is looking to add an interchangeable camera lens option so that he can use a wide/fisheye lens in a future update, but for now, it's an impressive piece of kit that feeds my inner nerd. Hairo recently turned a Tamagotchi into a video camera too, turning another one of my favourite devices into a portable recording gadget that oozes nostalgia.
It's not the only time I've seen a Game Boy Color being used as a camera, however. Heck, this driver took the iconic handheld and turned it into a reversing camera for their car, adding a touch of nostalgia everytime they had to back into a parking space or while making sure they weren't about to run over a Pokémon while playing Pokémon Go!
