Game Boy Macro (Pikachu and Yoshi Edition): a Treasure Trove for $6

My first encounter with Pikachu dates back to my childhood. My father bought my brother and me a translucent blue ball, on which a bright yellow Pikachu was drawn. At that time, I had no idea who Pikachu was, what it did, or where it came from. But even today, the image of that cheerful yellow Pikachu on the blue ball lingers in my memory. It was the most beautiful ball I’d ever seen!

As I grew older, I got to know Pikachu better. I learned that Pikachu was a character from the video game series ‘Pokémon’. Over time, I played ‘Pokémon’ and became a bigger fan of Pikachu. I was introduced to Yoshi later, and I instantly loved this adorable little dinosaur from ‘Super Mario World’. All in all, I remain a huge fan of retro games, and as a child, I dreamt of creating my own handheld gaming console.

About a month ago, I stumbled upon a broken Nintendo DS Lite (NDSL). You might know that this is the second best-selling handheld gaming console in the world. The interesting part is that I found this damaged NDSL being sold as junk, and I bought it for just $6! As soon as I bought it, I decided to repair it myself. The top screen was broken, the rubber membrane was torn, and the screws were stuck. I almost fixed the ribbon cable for the top screen, but in the final moments of reassembling, it tore further. I was devastated. However, I quickly decided to transform it into a Game Boy Macro. For those who don’t know, a Game Boy Macro is a modification of the lower part of the Nintendo DS family, particularly the broken NDSL, allowing it to play Game Boy Advance cartridges. (Though with a bit of ingenuity, it can also run games from emulators like Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Atari, Sega, NES Classic, and more.)

When I decided to make the Game Boy Macro, I also made up my mind to do it at the lowest possible cost. In the end, I successfully created this Game Boy Macro for just $6. Let’s go through the entire process.

The supplies you need depend on how you choose to customize your Game Boy Macro. Here’s what I used:

1. Donor Nintendo DS Lite
2. (0805) 330 Ohm Resistor (SMT) 
3. Dishwashing Scrubber and Sandpaper (1200 grit) 
4. Soldering Iron 
5. Rosin Core Solder 
6. Kapton Tape 
7. Tri-wing and Philips Screwdriver 
8. Tweezers 
9. Spray Paint 
10. Artist’s Tape/Drafting Tape/Masking Tape 
11. Sticker 
12. Scissors 
13. Pen Shell

I wasn’t interested in using a working NDS Lite for the Game Boy Macro. I hope you’ll agree with me. So, I chose a broken NDSL. Make sure the bottom part is intact. If everything is fine, buy a tiny (0805) 330-ohm SMD resistor. You should be able to find one easily, but I had to search through three markets before I found one! Why do you need this resistor? Well, when the top screen is removed, the NDSL won’t turn on. It’s programmed in such a way that if the top screen is detached, the device remains inactive. By placing this resistor in the right spot, you trick the motherboard into thinking the top screen is still connected.

Next, grab the soldering iron. Be careful with it! Once powered on, avoid touching its heated tip or any part of the device. On the NDSL’s D-pad, you’ll see two points labeled ‘LEDA2’ and ‘LEDC2’ (circled). Solder the resistor in place. Once you’ve done that, power on the device. 

However, I was disappointed when, after several attempts, nothing happened. After some research, I found out that if the Wi-Fi module is faulty, the device might not power on. The BIOS is stored in this Wi-Fi module, and since I didn’t have a replacement, I carefully cleaned it and reinstalled it—but still no luck. Then I noticed that when powering up, the green light briefly flickered, and the screen briefly lit up. That was a sign that the device was working! 

I was still frustrated and almost gave up, but then I learned that if the ribbon cable of the bottom screen isn’t properly attached, you might face the same problem. I reinserted it properly, and to my joy, the Game Boy Macro was alive!

This was the most challenging step. Take your time and be patient. The key here is not to rush. I used green, yellow, white and lacquer spray paint. It’s best to use a primer, but since I didn’t buy one, I skipped that. 

First, disassemble the NDS Lite. Carefully store all parts and keep track of the screws. If you mix them up during reassembly, you risk damaging the device. Decide on the colors for each part. Painting plastic can be tricky because the paint doesn’t stick well at first. To make it more suitable, you need to scrub off the top layer of plastic using a dish scrubber. Be sure to wear a mask during this process!

Next, cover areas you don’t want to paint using artist’s tape or masking tape. This is crucial—especially for the parts around the buttons. If you don’t cover the areas properly, reassembling later could be a nightmare. After taping, it’s time to spray paint. Shake the spray can for about a minute before use. Hold the can about 10-12 inches from the surface and apply one coat. Wait 10-15 minutes between each coat. Apply 3-4 coats for each color. I started with white, followed by yellow and green. If you apply two colors on the same surface, be sure to let the first color dry for a day before masking it and applying the second color. This is something I learned the hard way!

Let everything dry. Ideally, leave it for a day, but for the best results, leave it for two days. And whatever you do, don’t touch the painted areas during this time!

I measured the dimensions of the Nintendo DS Lite first. Since I wanted to make the Game Boy Macro Pikachu and Yoshi version, I designed stickers accordingly. I placed Pikachu, the Pokémon logo, and a Poké Ball on the front plate. On the back, I added Yoshi, a Yoshi egg, and the Nintendo logo.

The sticker design measurements were as follows: 

1. Pikachu (Width: 0.8281 in, Height: 1 in) 
2. Pokémon Logo (Width: 0.9 in, Height: 0.33 in) 
3. Poké Ball (Width: 0.35 in, Height: 0.35 in) 
4. Yoshi (Width: 1.0263 in, Height: 1.2999 in) 
5. Yoshi Egg (Width: 0.586 in, Height: 0.645 in) 
6. Nintendo Logo (Width: 1.45 in, Height: 0.25 in)

Fortunately, I didn’t have to pay for these stickers. A colleague of mine, after hearing about the project, had them printed at a press through a friend! Applying these tiny, intricate stickers required precision, but the results were worth it.

The last addition was the hinge bar. Without it, the Game Boy Macro would look incomplete. I used a simple pen shell for this and painted it after scrubbing it clean.

Building this Game Boy Macro taught me a lot. Every step was a learning experience. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, especially while painting. There were moments when I felt like I was creating an ugly contraption, but when I finally finished, I was thrilled. As I was wrapping up, I realized that the Nintendo DS had just celebrated its 20th anniversary (November 21). It felt like a tribute to the DS family, which I had breathed new life into. People call it the Game Boy Macro, but after all the struggle, I named it the ‘Bad Boy Macro’—my beloved Bad Boy Macro!