Today we are replacing a classic Game Boy shell with an
aftermarket clear shell from out friends on the other side of the planet. Now most of the time I try to keep everything original
but in this case there are three factors as to why I will not here. The first is that both the screen and battery
cover need to be replaced. The screen is deeply scratched and the battery cover is missing the c clip that keeps
tension. The third
reason is that there is still some remaining battery corrosion on the lower
battery terminals. I have gotten enough
of the corrosion off to ensure the unit still works but to completely clean I
must disassemble. If I’m having to do
that might as well do it all!
So here’s my clear shell kit a la eBay for about eleven
bucks and a month transit time. It comes
with the screen, battery cover and the infamous tri-wing screw driver needed to
remove these six outer screws. Be
careful when opening the unit since there is a sizeable ribbon cable connecting
the two halves.
Look at this mess inside! First I will focus on the back half since
that will need the attention of both white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Okay, so after cleaning for a bit I assemble the back
half. I find that the kit provided power
switch is okay but I find using the original purple power switch works
better. Now onto the front half. Here there are ten Philips screws. Technically the new D-Pad is black and the
original is dark gray but I’m gonna keep the buttons original for that pure tactile
feel. Again I reused original equipment
by using the same screws from the original.
However, that may have been a mistake because you can see stress marks
in the plastic where I tightened the screws.
Oh well, I can live with that. Later I would find that the stress mark appeared to disappear once the innards were installed. All in all this took about forty five minutes and it was well worth it!
-kaokensho
