Pokedex
Image: @tomvdcr

We've seen our fair share of clever hardware mods in our time, but here's a design that's so perfect we're amazed Nintendo and The Pokémon Company haven't already gone ahead and made one themselves.

Instagram user @tomvdcr has transformed a Pokédex toy into a fully-functioning Nintendo DS, enabling it to play the system's impressive library of Pokémon games – and everything else, too. The Pokédex has had a few different designs over the years, but this one – which can be seen in the video below – is already shaped just like a real DS, making it a perfect fit for a mod like this.

To get this working, tomvdcr stripped out the electronics inside the toy, replacing it with real components from a Nintendo DS. Parts of the motherboard had to be trimmed to get it to fit, but the final result keeps everything intact, including the DS' Game Boy Advance cartridge slot.

"As a kid I always thought the Pokédex looked like a handheld and when we got to the Sinnoh region, it was just designed like a Nintendo DS Lite," @tomvdcr says. "So [of course] I wanted it, got myself a toy Pokédex and went [to] work with it."

With Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl just around the corner, we can't think of a better way to re-experience the originals before their upcoming remakes. Nice work, tomvdcr!

[source instagram.com, via kotaku.com]