New Pokedex GBA Mod/Replica Build

[Nate Alig]

So I stumbled on a picture of the new pokedex from the upcoming Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby.
It's definitely based on the original Gameboy Advance, and I want to be the first person to have one.

I have everything I need for this build except for the back-lit screen.
What do you guys think?

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Found a significantly better picture of that pokedex.
I'm ordering some materials to make this happen (along with the stuff I need to finish my Pokedex GBA SP, and my Travel NES).


I will be pleasantly busy for the next few weeks.

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Let's get started.
Funky GBA with a bad screen: CHECK

Dismantle, kern, take pretty picture of meticulously arranged components: CHECK

This is why you don't leave your GBA in the sun, children.

But it's okay, because I have this broken AGS-101 with a *salvageable display.

Confidence is high on this project.

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Well, I had planned on buying a new screen to go with project anyway... Damn shame, as I was hoping that this SP would have helped me skip a step and saved me about $60 on this build.


Oh well.

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What would be the point of my builds if there wasn't any intense grafting of plastic pieces?
I had to move the d-pad to match the pokedex.
There's going to be a lot of cutting, filling, bracing, and sanding involved... I love this.

Plug the new gaping hole with some scrap plastic from another project.
Mark it for D-pad relocation.

Cut along the dotted line, and relocate that sonofabitch!

Look at that... this going way more smoothly than I anticipated.

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Need to fill the area where the screen protector goes.
The lens is square in the rendering, so it needs to be square for my build.

I took the old lens and traced it onto a scrap piece of poster board. Cut it out and fit it to the shell.

I marked the edges of the opening to the back of the poster board, cut it out, and traced the pieces to some 040" styrene sheet.

Glued the styrene in place.

Then I sanded the ever-loving **** out of it with a block and P320 until everything was flush and flat.

This thing is coming together nicely.

 

[drjag]

This is a very cool project; as soon as I saw the image of the new pokedex, I wanted to make one myself using an old GBA like you have. I've been debating whether to make this or the Tingle Tuner from LoZ: Wind Waker. Cannot wait to see this finished!

 

[Nate Alig]

This is a very cool project; as soon as I saw the image of the new pokedex, I wanted to make one myself using an old GBA like you have. I've been debating whether to make this or the Tingle Tuner from LoZ: Wind Waker. Cannot wait to see this finished!

The Tingle Tuner sounds like an excellent build.
I should have this thing finished in a few weeks (have to wait for the new backlit screen to be shipped from China... and that's a minimum of 15 days, if you're lucky)
But, for now, I will continue to work on modifying the shell.

 

[Nate Alig]

Time to do some of that marvelous detail to the face of this thing.
Traced it out, made poster board fascia pieces.

Yeah... I totally forgot to take picture of me cutting out all of the pieces of 040" styrene, but I assure you; it wasn't anything exciting.
Anyway, top piece is glued on and contoured, the bottom still needs to be drilled and cut for the speaker vent and start-select.

Stay Tuned.

 

[FirstPick]

I'm already impressed

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[nick daring]

Cool project!

 

[imonafalcon]

I wanted to do this as soon as I saw the new design. I can't wait to see how this turns out! Awesome project!

 

[drjag]

I don't know if it's just me but your image links don't work; they all say "Upgrade to Plus for additional bandwidth"

 

[Nate Alig]

I don't know if it's just me but your image links don't work; they all say "Upgrade to Plus for additional bandwidth"

Yeah, I think photobucket is having a problem. I've only used 11% of my available storage, and this is the third time they've done this to me.
The pics should be back later.

 

[Wes R]

Knowing photobucket they probably cranked down the limit without telling anyone. I'm going to keep an eye on this though as i know a 6 year old mad about pokemon and i love old game systems.

 

[Nate Alig]

So, apparently My "unlimited" bandwidth has been cranked down to 10gb per month... Thanks photobucket; you screwed me over again.

 

[Nate Alig]

Pics are back up!
Now we can continue.

 

[Nate Alig]

Just doing a little more detail on the face plates.
I found that it was easier to glue the bottom plate in, and the drill and cut with it in place.
Patience and a steady hand serves me well.

 

[Wes R]

Man all these broken systems made me sad lol. Good news is you can get the old school ones for about 20.00 if anyone else wants to make one.

 

[barrypotter]

Wow! It looks awesome. When I got my first Gameboy Advance with Leaf Green I desperately wanted a pokedex of my own.

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk

 

[Nate Alig]

I cut and installed the frame edges.

I was planning on getting a piece of gorilla glass to go with this thing (and I might still do that) but the lens was in pretty good shape, so I simply cut it to fit.

I did a little sanding and cleanup just to make it look a little more crisp.

What do you guys think so far?

 

[Mowsel]

Very cool, you've definitely got an eye for detail that borders on the obsessive. Oh wait, this is the RPF, we all have that Keep it up, can't wait to see it finished!

 

[Nate Alig]

LOL!


Looks like some people on instagram don't like seeing how things get made.
It's weird because they're POKEMON FANS! They have a Pokemon fan account! You'd think they'd be interested in knowing the steps so they could make one of their own.

 

[Nate Alig]

Then there was that one time when that I didn't plan my order of operations, and I suddenly had to build the part that should have been done first.

I need housing for the D-pad/Lens/Whatever.
This broken Gamecube controller looks like it will work nicely.

Thickness is pretty much perfect.

Time to hack away at it with reckless abandon (like I always do)

The top half needs to be the correct depth so I can have both halves close back together as if it were a manufactured product.

Amateur videogame surgery is one of my favorite games to play.

And now I have to go out and pick up another GBA I found on CL for $10... I need working internals and another set of shoulder buttons to go on the bottom.


I'll be back later.

 

[drjag]

Do you plan on hacking up any other consoles and controllers? JK though, I like how steady and paced this project is going; I usually do a massive amount of work in short bursts and then abandon whatever project I'm doing for 2/3 weeks.