The Nintendo Wii was a big deal. Over 100 million units sold, several classic games released for it, and many backs put out trying to toss invisible bowling balls. Legendary. Also pretty legendary: the Nintendo Game Boy. Affordable, (generous) pocket-sized, went for ages on four AA batteries (just like your [redacted]). The handheld range shifted over 118 million units across its lifetime - not bad for something that, when it launched in 1989, was foolishly dismissed by some due to its monochromatic screen.
Now, what if I told you that some clever fellow had gone and combined these Nintendo all-timers? A Nintendo Wii with a Game Boy Color? You'd want to see that, wouldn't you. Well, today is your lucky day, as via Nintendo Life we've been able to see this video from YouTuber GingerOfMods, in which he creates... drum roll... the Wiiboy Color. Clever.
Check out the video, right now. Go on. Catch you on the flip side.
Now, I'm not going to lie to you guys: my very soul needs this thing. Naturally, I am resigned to disappointment as it's nothing that'll ever exist in the wider commercial sphere (although some will be manufactured and sold, according to the video). But what a fantastic creation the Wiiboy Color is - even if it does cheat, somewhat. The unit's clearly too small for a usual Wii disc, so the games it plays are all emulated ROMs. Naughty? We'll allow it. The unit's charged using a USB rather than batteries, too, which is a change from the original Game Boy Color.
And how was this magic made possible? The Wii motherboard can be divided into a few smaller pieces, it turns out, and these can then be arranged to fit a somewhat smaller space - not that the Wii itself was an especially massive console. The Wiiboy Color's case was 3D printed by GingerOfMods, in the shape of a classic GB Color console, and the components are sourced from other Nintendo systems: the buttons from a DS Lite, and the sticks from a Switch.
Uh, just look at that. Gorgeous, isn't it? The layout of sticks and buttons looks a little fiddly, but it's the sort of smart-thinking hardware, um, bending that makes you wonder: why didn't Nintendo do that themselves? Or, more pertinently, as that's a ridiculous question: why hasn't Nintendo put more of its Wii games on the Switch, already? Yeah, Nintendo, why haven't you? Ahem. GingerOfMods has made a couple more excellent handhelds, so it's worth checking out his channel if these kinds of projects float your boat.
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In related content, one classic Wii game, Xenoblade Chronicles, did come to the Switch earlier this year, and we reviewed it here. And we're expecting a remaster of Super Mario Galaxy to be announced, soon.
Featured Image Credit: GingerOfMods, NintendoTopics: zelda, Game Boy, Mario, Nintendo, Retro Games
