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Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.
Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he has been working with it and its sister website, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity topics.
Summary
- Pico fits inside a GBA shell to run original Game Boy ROMs via Pico GB, reviving classic handhelds.
- ILI9225 display runs >70 fps and MAX98357 I2S amp plus 1W speaker deliver smooth video and audio.
- Pico handles every game flawlessly and provides ~2.5-3 hours per charge; battery life will be improved.
Raspberry Pi Picos are one of the best ways to bring old handheld consoles back to life. Not only are they small enough to fit nicely within a portable enclosure, but they're powerful enough to emulate retro games. As such, it's not uncommon to see a Pico or two pop up in retro projects.
Such is the case of the PiBoy Advance, which brings one of Nintendo's early forays into portable gaming into the modern era. Additionally, the shell resembles the real thing, which always earns these retro gaming projects extra points in my book.
The PiBoy Advance uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to revive a key chapter in Nintendo's life
The PiBoy Advance was the idea of Arnov Sharma on Hackster. We've covered some of Arnov's projects in the past, such as this cool Raspberry Pi retro console with a Pokémon design. Basically, when Arnov is at the helm of a retro gaming project that uses a Raspberry Pi, you know something good is about to happen.
Fortunately, Arnov didn't have to sit down and code a GBA emulator all by himself. He leveraged the power of the Pico GB project to get OG Game Boy games running on the board. It may seem unusual that he opted for a Game Boy Advance shell to play original Game Boy games, but if my memory serves me correctly, the GBA was compatible with Game Boy games, so it's not too far-fetched. Then, after snapping up a replacement Game Boy Advance shell from a retro gaming store, he was ready to bring it back to life with the power of the Pi.
Here's how Arnov describes his project:
PiBoy Advance runs Game Boy ROMs directly from an SD card, displays them on an ILI9225 screen, and even outputs sound using a MAX98357 I2S Module.
[...]For the display, we have to use the ILI9225 display, which runs more than 70 fps, which is insane. The original DMG project didn't support audio out, so youMakeTech modified the original file and added a few key functions that include I2S sound, meaning we had to use an I2S amplifier module. For this, we chose the MAX98357 audio module that is connected to a small form factor 1W speaker, which will provide audio output for our device. a small fun fact, this small 1W Speaker is harvested from DF ROBOT'S unihiker k10 Dev board.
So, how did the end project fare? Well, Arnov said he managed to get 2.5-3 hours of gameplay out of the PiBoy Advance before the battery went dead, and that the Pico "handled every game flawlessly, without breaking a sweat." And while he wants to improve the battery life in the next PiBoy Advance model, we still think this is an incredible feat in itself. Nice job, Arnov!
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