Nintendo Gameboy Pocket Wallet

Intro: Nintendo Gameboy Pocket Wallet

*No functioning Gameboys were harmed in the making of this Instructable*

I decided to make a wallet out of a couple of broken Gameboy Pockets that were beyond repair.

If you like what you see be sure to vote for me at the top right of this article or here https://www.instructables.com/contest/wearit/

Materials:

1. Gameboy Pocket, please only use broken ones!
2. Some fabric of your choice, about the size of a piece of computer paper
3. 2 x 9 volt battery connectors
4. Super Glue
5. Small piece of foam

Tools

1. Tri-wing screwdriver or the maybe a mini flat head, more on that in the next step
2. Scissors
3. Sewing Gear
4. Dremel with sanding/cutting bits
5. Small drill bit, I used 1/16

STEP 1: Disassembly

To first disassemble you will need to get a tri-wing screwdriver or get lucky with the perfect sized flat head that fits into two of the three slots provided. See image one and two.

1. Start by removing the six tri wing screws on the back, two are under the battery cover.
2. Next three small phillips screws hold the motherboard in place.
3. Disconnect the ribbon cables.
4. Remove the main board by lifting up.
5. Slightly pry up up on the screen to remove it.
6. Remove the buttons and the On/Off switch but save them for later. The rubber squishy contacts that are behind the buttons can be discarded.

STEP 2: Free Up Some Interior Space

In order to have enough room for your cards and stacks of cash you will need to flatten out the inside of the Gameboy.

1. Dremel and cut out the high ridges in side the Gameboy. Compare the yellow and red cases to see where the cutting should be done. Trimming down the buttons also allows for slightly more room inside the case.
2. Glue the buttons into place with epoxy or super glue.
3. Go over the glued assembly and double check for any spots the could be to high and cause issues down the line.

STEP 3: Locking Mechanism

To keep the wallet from opening two 9-volt battery connections can be used as snaps.

1. Take two 9-volt battery connections and cut them in half.
2. Glue the one half of the connection to the interior corner of the case.
3. Once the glue has set attach the connections together, this allows you to line up where the other connection should be glued to.
4. Once the other end is precisely lined up glue it in place.

STEP 4: The Hinge

The two plastic halves have to be connected by a hinge. I came up with a solution inspired by book binding.

1. First drill 4-5 holes on each side of the case where the hinge will go. Make sure that the holes on either end of the case line up when the unit is closed.
2. Stitch the hinge together. Make several passes to make sure it will last.
3. Putting some wraps perpendicular to the stitching can help to pull it tighter if needed.

STEP 5: Lining and Pocket

For the lining of the wallet take a fabric of your choice for the interior.

1. Cut out two pieces to 3.25'' by 9.75''. Cut one of the pieces in half.
2. Glue the two parts of the piece you cut in half to the case. I left a edge without glue near the screen, this way I can slide different things in and out.
3. Glue or stitch the remaining piece of fabric to the form a pocket.

STEP 6: Battery Pocket

The Battery pocket can be modified to be a storage spot for earplugs or any medication you might have to take later in the day.

1. Remove the connections for the batteries.
2. Carve out a hole for credit cards to come through part way.
3. Fill holes with a piece of foam to keep your items in the storage space.

STEP 7: Locking the Card in Place

To keep the cards from slipping out I used a piece of foam to keep them under pressure.

1. Cut a piece of 1/8'' foam to 3.25'' to 2.25''.
2. Fold the foam in half and insert into the cartridge slot like you would a game.
3. Insert cards!
4. Done! Go use your wallet and receive high fives from people who get it and think it's rad!

Comments

[tinaciousz]

I think you're my favorite new author. All of your projects are awesome.

[MattTheMaker]

Aww thank you so much! That makes me really happy as I've been trolling instructables for years but only recently started posting. It's so much fun I wish I had started sharing my projects years ago.

[watchmeflyy]

I LOVE THIS! It's an amazing idea, and oh-dear-I'm-so-envious-now. :3

[Rich_Limburger]

As a long-term game-a-holic i seriously love this idea.... when i saw the intro-photo i immediately thought of my son's gameboy...
To bad it is an advance colour and not mine

[MattTheMaker]

Hahaha thanks! If you took that gameboy your son would find it funny in like ten years but hate you until then. Keep an eye out at garage sales and you'll probably find one.

[Rich_Limburger]

You're right and i could not forgive myself for wrecking a fully functional gameboy :-D

[nathanwide]

It's cool, but it's not worth it to destroy such awesomeness for a case to hold money

[twilightfox]

Agreed.

[MattTheMaker]

Both Gameboys were non working. If they did work I never would have destroyed them.

[syates3]

I think it would be fun to have one of these with a photo stuck down to the glass of your favorit game being played. Also given the simple shape of an GBC you could if you didn't want to ruin yours measure out the dimensions and draw it up in a CAD program then have it cut out on a 3d printer and put back together. (I'm sure someone has made one out there.)

[MattTheMaker]

I like that idea since it doesn't destroy the nostalgic handhelds. Another option to drawing it in CAD would be to 3D scan it then modify the image it gives you. While I don't have access to these tools yet It's fun to dream.

[syates3]

Google has a drawing program that's free I think, but it doesn't work well with 3d printing or so I'm told because it doesn't make them solid. . Also students get HUGE discounts on autodesk, and some get autocad for free on a year by year.

[MattTheMaker]

I had Autodesk for free when I took a CAD course but it recently expired. I'll look into getting it again, I got sketch up but its not as much fun. Albiet there are certain features I like about both that I wish could be combined into one.

[blizatrex]

this is a nice idea for a hopefully dead old GB

[MattTheMaker]

No living GB were harmed in the making of this 'bile.

[syates3]

Should be noted it's probably cheaper to buy one then have one printed as you can get them for like 20 dollars. Only advantage to a printed one is what you can do with the inside (structurally), like making flat panels to fill it smooth etc.

I like this though and the idea of making one, I've been trying to figure out a good wallet.

[tomatoskins]

This is great! Though I don't know if I'd like to put it in my back pocket all the time. I have a wallet made out of Tyvek that I get "looks" at all the time. I love your re-use of 9v battery connectors! Truely great!

[MattTheMaker]

Thanks, figuring out how to snap the two cases took me awhile to figure out! I've been meaning to make a tyvek wallet for awhile, I do prefer a more minimalist setup like that usually. I'll use this more in the winter when I have a million layers and extra pockets.