The Game Boy is 20 years young this year, which is pretty incredible when you think about it. To mark this momentous event, PC World (UK readers - that's a website, not the shop of the same name) has featured the machine in its Gadget Autopsy section, where they disassemble famous devices for no other reason than to see what makes them tick.
The man with the tri-wing screwdriver is Benj Edwards, and here's what he had to say about the undertaking:
The Game Boy series of handhelds has sold over 100 million units. To celebrate its anniversary, I did what I always do: I tore one apart for the education and amusement of PC World readers.
This feature was actually posted back in April, so you'll have to forgive our lateness - we just thought it would tie in neatly with the current Game Boy review festival that we're running right now (you checked out Corbie's Tetris review, right?)
[source pcworld.com]
Comments 21
I bought one of those tri-wing screwdrivers, but I haven't been able to get up enough nerve to open up my Game Boy.
So is this like Sexy Poker... only without the Poker and with a Game Boy instead of cartoon girls?
I think I got more aroused by this than Sexy Poker, actually.
If they would have had naked game systems in Sexy Poker, I would have bought it for sure.
I don't think that the girls in sexy poker are torn apart with a tri-wing screwdriver and their guts scattered all over the table. Poor little Gameboy.
Think of all the fun that came from a simple circuit board and some plastic. I love Nintendo's workmanship, made to last.
gulf war game boy
Ahh! That's horrible! It's disgusting! Put it back together quick!
Kind of pointless too...
No pink on the inside of a gameboy....
chunky_droid celebrates Gameboy's 20th by getting naked...
I have a tri-wing screwdriver, I use it to open up my old NES games to clean up, but I don't dare put it near my Gameboy either, don't do it Corb!
@Machu Oh i know that picture . gameboy after a war of some dude right?
@Machu: how is the screen still perfect?
Hey, if it's 20 years old, that means the Game Boy's legal to clone now!
@Thrilla: The screen on the model was replaced. I'm sure you can find the whole story somewhere, but the basics are that the Game Boy survived a bombing in the Gulf, and when a tech took a look at it and hooked it up to a power source, he noticed it still appeared to be working. He replaced the screen, powered it up and ta da! Indestructable Game Boy!
@BB Thrilla: If you look close you'll see one of the LCD lines is out, but that's it!
EDIT: Ok I take it back, ty shpydar, didn't know that. You think they'd give it a decent screen though if they were swapping it out, tsk.
i actually opened all my game boys (pocket, color and advance) to clean the contacts for the buttons when they didn't work properly anymore
In another year the GameBoy will be old enough to drink alcohol. Lol.
how do i get a tri-wing screw driver?
If anyone here besides me has ever opened their controllers, for ALL of Nintendo's controllers, the inside looks the same. They have the same D-pad, the same-looking buttons and the same rubber...thingies underneath. crazy
Wow, that's classic simple Nintendo design. The Game Boy series are the best handhelds ever made.
@grenworthshero: Every week with my N64 controller, had to clean out the stupid analog stick all the time
@Corbie: I took apart my beloved Game Boy Advance SP: Classic NES Edition with a triwing screwdriver and scattered the guts across my bed. Several hours later, after much blood, sweat, tears, and frantic screaming, I managed to get it reassembled and properly working (albeit with an "extra" screw left over), and vowed "never again!" I've heard the DS (all versions) is even more of a pain to reassemble, but I never dared to do something like that again, least not with a handheld. "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it."
I also disassembled my Wii once to apply a Transparent Blue Case Mod with LED lights, but I kept the original white case, in the unlikely event that I ever need to get it serviced.
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