The retro modding scene never ceases to amaze us. Over the last 12 months we’ve seen the Virtual Boy Console, the Boxy Pixel Custom Gameboy and the ArcadeBoy.
But now, the modder known as StonedEdge on YouTube has created a custom Nintendo Wii that looks exactly like the Gameboy Advance SP called the WiiSP.
His love for the clamshell Gameboy goes way back, and with the power of the Wii not only being able to play Wii games, but also the best Gamecube games too, Benjamin came to the mad conclusion that it would be fun to make the Wii console look like a Gameboy Advance SP.
He did just that.
The WiiSP looks and feels like an original Gameboy Advance SP that has a little too much junk in the trunk. Benjamin used a block of acrylic and then shaved it down using a CNC machine in order to get this look.
The bottom houses all of the goods, from the battery, to the motherboard to all of the buttons, analogue sticks and so on.
Around the device it features four shoulder buttons, USB-C, SD card to load your games, on/off, headphone jack, and a volume wheel. Once you pop open the WiiSP you will be greeted with a bunch of reassessed buttons that allow the device to shut.
There’s two analogue sticks, a DPAD, action buttons, two speakers, LEDs for battery signal, and start select buttons. What’s very interesting is that he has added shoulder buttons on the back that are pressure sensitive. Something that we rarely see in modded handhelds.
Benjamin showcases the menu system, and how the WiiSP operates. Mario Kart on the Nintendo wii has never looked so good, and the fact that you can snap the screen down and chuck a genuine Nintendo Wii in your bag is incredible.
He’s done a very impressive job, the 3D printed shell looks great quality, and so do the buttons. The analogue sticks themselves look like Nintendo Switch sticks too.
Benjamin has made this build completely open source, allowing other modders and even yourself to give it a try. You can click here to get a better insight into the WiiSP and how it was made alongside a guide on how to do it yourself.
WiiSP Specifications
- CNC acrylic housing, machined on a 3-axis CNC machine (thanks Dmcke5 for doing an amazing job)
- – BBLoader v1.3
- – AIO PCB, housing all components required to power a Wii portable
- – 5v boost, 3v3, 1v8, 1v15 and 1v uSIP TPS regulator modules with inbuilt inductors
- – Bluetooth module relocation
- – MX chip relocation
- – 3.5″ VGA 640x480p panel with relocated xtals, powered on 5v, 3.3v and 1.8v
- – U-AMP with modified code to allow for a potentiometer to control volume, full digital audio with no distortion
- – External SD card for upgrading memory (256GB)
- – USB data switching and USB-C PD (12V/2A, 9V/3A) – thanks Gman!
- – Power management system with modified code for green power LED (red low battery) plus orange charging LED (turns off when fully charged)
- – 2 x OEM GBA SP hinges
- – Acetal machined triggers with hinge mechanism built into the shoulder buttons (no springs required)
- – Full analog trigger compatibility, with 70 points of resolution on each side scaled to a 0-255 range (hall sensors/magnets)
- – Full digital trigger compatibility (actuated using 1.5mm music wire)
- – 2 x NCR18650Bs for 2.5 hrs of battery life
- – 2 x 700mW speakers
- – Full OMEGA trim, with relocated AVE, NAND and more – thanks to Yveltal for this!
- – 2 x mounting posts w/ spacers for mounting OMEGA/LMAO to the front of the case
- – Headphone jack
- – Custom GBA SP logo
We can’t wait to see what Benjamin does next over on his Youtube channel, so be sure to give him a follow.
A 31 year old British fella that’s had a Gameboy ever since he was a child. Brandon is the founder of RetroDodo and has created a YouTube channel with 260,000 subscribers dedicated to retro gaming products. He now wants to create the No.1 site to showcase the latest retro products from around the globe.
