The Raspberry Pi goes with retro gaming like peanut butter and jelly, and today's project is a shining example of their union. Maker and developer James Sargent has created a Game Boy Color drop-in kit called the ReBoi that uses not one but two Raspberry Pis. His project was recently featured on Kickstarter and has passed his funding goal of $19,075 with 218 backers (as of this writing) eager to get their hands on the new kit.
According to Sargent, he wanted to make the kit as accessible to as many people as he could. To pull this off, the kit requires no soldering. You just assemble the component inside of your favorite Game Boy Color shell and enjoy the full range of benefits that come with a tiny Linux PC.
Sargent created a custom PCB for the project that fits easily inside of the Game Boy Color shell. This board supports the Raspberry Pi and has an RP2040 microcontroller that's used to handle input from the original Game Boy Color buttons. It also allows for a few extra features like customizable RGB lights and the ability to track battery levels.
Ordering a kit will get you most of what you need to get started, but some stuff you'll need to find yourself. The kit includes the custom PCB, a display, batteries, cartridge and extra hardware bits to assemble everything together. You'll need to get your own Raspberry Pi Zero and a Game Boy Color shell. Sargent assured it would work with original or aftermarket shells.
Software-wise, the sky is the limit! Because you've got a Raspberry Pi powering the operation, you can use anything that will run on the Pi. The official Raspberry Pi OS is a great choice if you're looking for a standard operating system, but this is a Game Boy Color we're talking about! RetroPie is going to be a winner for anyone who wants an exclusive retro gaming device.
It's important to note that should you decide to back this project, there is no guarantee you'll receive a product, as Kickstarter projects are more like an investment. If you want to get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi project, check out the official ReBoi project page at Kickstarter.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
