Nova198Nine

I was humbled when NovaNine asked for a custom Game Boy mod to commemorate their debut album. To fit the record’s ‘80s synthwave aesthetic, NovaNine and I settled on the original Game Boy (DMG) from ’89 as the base.

This was my first mod with LED backlit buttons. I wanted to highlight the album cover’s glowing retrowave sun. Luckily, I was able to find some of Natalie the Nerd’s awesome DMG LED flex boards — custom flexible PCB boards with perfectly placed LED lights. Paired with a blue LED power light, this Game Boy vibes like NovaNine.

Nova198Nine includes:

• FunnyPlaying DMG Retro Pixel IPS LCD Kit
• FunnyPlaying Game Boy Housing and Button combo
• FunnyPlaying DMG speaker
• FunnyPlaying GB DMG Buttons
• Lab Fifteen clear silicone button pads
• FunnyPlaying DMG Retro Pixel IPS glass lens
• Pink DMG LED Board by Natalie the Nerd
• Blue 0603 SMD ultra bright power LED from Lighthouse LEDs

Note: In DMGs, the new display requires more power than the original display, thus increasing the noise floor. Buzzing from the speaker is a normal side effect.