The best retro gaming handhelds offer a dose of nostalgia combined with more modern tech and storage capacities, but for those who want an authentically retro hardware experience with enhancements, modding is the way to go.
We've seen a wide array of ingenious tuned devices and hybrid handhelds over the years, but few inspire as devout adoration as the various iterations on the Nintendo DS Game Boy concept.
Nintendo DS Game Boys pack a Nintendo DS Lite motherboard into a Game Boy shell, combining features of two handhelds that were released 15 years apart, in 1989 and 2004, respectively.
Putting the two together combines the classic retro looks of the Game Boy with the more advanced graphical capabilities of the DS, which had dual screens, a microphone and native Wi-Fi.
In the video above, the YouTuber JayBoyModz describes his DMG DS Lite as one of the coolest handhelds that he owns. Cracking it open to see how it's built, he notes that getting a DS Lite motherboard into the shell of a Game Boy is pretty impressive feat.
The DMG DS Lite can play Nintendo DS games on a TV, with the handheld's screen receiving touch input. Ports on the bottom allow for video and audio output, while charging has been changed to a USB-C Port.
Having only one screen removes the devices functionality as a handheld since you need to plug in to an external display to play, but mods have also developed Nintendo DS Game Boys with dual screens in the form of the DMG104. The handheld modder Tomvdcr recently added a bluetooth transmitter in one of his latest builds.
In the video below, Tom shows how to make a DMG104.
The modder takes commissions. Here's a recently finished a Venusaur-themed DMG104 with a circlepad that he made for a client.
What do you think? Is the Nintendo DS Game Boy the ultimate retro gaming mod, or do you have another favourite?
