Arcadeboy turns Nintendo Game Boy into arcade machine with 12.1-inch display

The Arcadeboy is a new arcade machine on Kickstarter that uses the processor from an actual Nintendo Game Boy to play Game Boy game cartridges without any kind of emulation. The device can be ordered either as a DIY kit or as a fully assembled arcade machine.

Those who opt for the DIY kit do not need a soldering iron, and the Game Boy is not intended to be permanently damaged. However, the Game Boy display must be disassembled in order to connect an FPC cable to the motherboard of the gaming handheld. This cable transmits the display output of the Game Boy to the 12.1-inch display of the arcade machine, while inputs are transmitted directly to the motherboard of the Game Boy.

Due to the screen resolution of 480 x 432 pixels, the display of the Game Boy is basically tripled on each axis, which is intended to avoid unsightly scaling artifacts. The arcade machine replaces the D-pad of the Game Boy with a joystick, while the A and B buttons are equipped with tactile arcade switches. 3-watt stereo speakers, an illuminated Arcadeboy logo and Start and Select buttons round out the feature set. Arcadeboy is compatible with all Game Boy games, but not with Game Boy Color titles.