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Good morning guys, welcome back to the ValorosoIT channel and, for those who are here for the first time, welcome! Here we talk about vintage computers and electronics.
You saw it in one of my latest short videos: I recently purchased a batch of video games, a Philips Videopac G7000 and some Nintendo Game Boys. An acquaintance contacted me, sent me a photo of the Philips Videopac, gave me a price that I thought was interesting, so I went to his house to pick it up.
Arrivato lì mi ha detto: "io ho anche altri videogame da venderti e, se ci accordiamo sul prezzo, ben venga, te li porti a casa tu". E allora me li ha mostrati. In pratica aveva da vendere tre Nintendo Game Boy, di cui due boxati, una serie di videogame (parecchi con scatola, pochi senza), e questo accessorio qui, un secondo che ve lo mostro.
Which is probably not even that useless, because the Nintendo Game Boy monitor is so small... This one has a magnifying glass that allows you to enlarge the image.
I've been looking for a Nintendo Game Boy for a while, but looking online at the prices... well, they've increased significantly. For a few tens of euros you can only buy a broken GameBoy. Basically, this guy asked me for one and a half times the amount of a broken Game Boy, but for the whole lot. At this point it seemed a bit like a sign of fate: I wanted a Game Boy, I found three for a good price... who am I to go against fate? So I agreed and took the whole lot home with me.
Now, after tidying up all the packages with their respective games a bit (because there were some games outside the packages, others that were inside, etc.), everything is now nice and tidy. I would like to try to see what works and what doesn't work. Maybe we won't try all the video games, but I would like to test at least the three consoles and see for a moment if they work or if, unfortunately, they don't. I sincerely hope they go, because then I can play a few games.
Well come on, let's start the test. Apart from the fact that it looks like a shop window, with all the video games and consoles on display... So, I would start using this video game. Can you see it? Super Mario Land, which is the only one without a case, and I would start trying this first Nintendo Game Boy. Then afterwards we try the other two, opening their respective boxes.
Let's make some space.
So, first of all, many suggest spraying some flux on the cartridge contacts. I wouldn't do it at the moment, simply because we're doing a first test; then, if we see that the video game doesn't work, at that point maybe we put some flux.
The person who sold them to me was particularly foresighted in removing the batteries when he had stored the video games in his cellar. In this case, as you can see, the battery compartment is completely clean, there is not a sign of oxide at all.
I'll put in some new batteries... let's hope.
Ok, let's close the door. The video game cartridge goes in on this side here. Shall we try to turn it on?
Mh... you can hear it! Ah, look at this, it's got some writing on it.
Do you hear it?
So, in my opinion the video game doesn't work! Oh well, we get it! It just has to be something on the monitor though. Wait while we try to put the cartridge back in, spray some flux, as we said before.
I prefer to spray the flux on a cloth, just to avoid spraying it directly inside the cartridge, which then perhaps mixes it up. Not that there would be anything so negative if there were to be a deoxidizer: we are talking about something that is good for you, not bad for you. But, for example, to reach the bottom here, I find it difficult to do it with the cloth.
Let's see if with the screwdriver we can get to where the bottom connector is and brush all the contacts well.
Let's do the test again, come on. Cartridge.
Re-ignition.
No, nothing changes.
Okay, this one will have to be opened. Here there are screws that are neither star-shaped nor slotted: they practically have a kind of little triangle, a Y. I will have to order a screwdriver (Tri Wing) specifically to be able to open this console and see if something can be done to fix it or not.
Nothing, first console not working, too bad.
Let's move on to the second console: this one is boxed. The box is in fair condition (the other one, honestly, is even better), but this one here... Eh, we're not off to a very good start.
So, slide detached, but I think it can be glued. However, I see a sign that I don't like... ah, no, it's just a bit of polystyrene that was put on it, so nothing: the slide can be reglued without any particular problems.
Inside the box there is a Tetris manual in Italian. What is this? Ah, it's the console manual. Quick instructions and other leaflets with various advertisements. Here we have the cable which, at the time, was used to connect two consoles to each other and be able to play video games that had more than one player. Two players. I see that it has two connectors here, so it can connect to two consoles.
Nothing, here we have his Tetris video game. We could play Tetris, but it seems more logical to me to try it with the video game on the other console that we tried before and which didn't work. So, at least, let's see: if the video game doesn't work on this one either, then maybe we should try Tetris on the other console. If, however, this video game runs on this GameBoy console, then we have proof that the other one is actually damaged.
Pile: here too, really precise. Whoever sold me these consoles was right to remove the batteries before putting them away. How many things I have seen damaged with cells, batteries... old. What a mess.
Test of the second console: let's turn it on. We already set the volume to maximum, so if something comes on you can hear it too.
Ah, here you can see it. Mh. So, then, then... here I notice that the monitor must have some problems, because it has bands that are not filled with pixels. Do you see? By adjusting the contrast you can notice them. By making it really dark you can see that some bands don't fill in with what should be displayed, but the rest does. Let's say that it is already a step forward compared to the other console: the audio works, the buttons work.
So, if not… ah, already lost! I mean, I'm a really good gamer, right? But I remember that they can be crushed... oh, well done! So he learns: first he killed, now I caught him. But no, but I wanted to go up!
Ah, so, the second console we can say is partially functional. Even in this case, I would like to open it to see if I can do something on that monitor that you can't see well, but they always have these particular screws. Too bad: they really have to find a way to annoy those who want to fix things.
That is, one says: the manufacturer should be very happy that after 30-40 years someone still wants to play and fix things. But no: they make these screws with three little holes - what can they be called? - Y instead of star, and we can't even open the console. When I buy the TriWing screwdriver I'll show it to you, though.
I also left out the Tetris game. God, come on.
Third console. But did I take out the batteries? No, I didn't take the batteries out of this Game Boy. What did I close it for if I didn't remove the batteries? That is, I forgot the batteries inside, then maybe I opened it again in a year when I said: "Ah, it's time to repair it", and I also found the battery compartment damaged.
Ok, then we leave the console open, so we put the video game back too.
Third Nintendo Game Boy console. Ah, this one on this side here. Let's see, let's see. Manualozzo. A bit of vintage advertising. Cute, though. One could see the available video games. Friendly. Here we also have a shoulder strap, always the usual cable to connect two consoles to each other and play games with two players. Below is another manual, but it's the same one we saw before.
So, compared to the others, this console shows a clear sign of yellowing and makes me think that it could even be worse than the others, given that it is more tanned. Oh well, there is one that partially works, at least I can play a few games. Then we'll see.
I don't know if you can see it clearly: in my opinion there is humidity on the keys, which will need to be cleaned well. Let's put in the usual video game: Super Mario Land.
Third console. Ah, Nintendo has already started! Let's turn up the volume. So, everything seems to work on the monitor here. If the video game starts... no, it doesn't. Let's do it again, because in short I saw it start: first the Nintendo logo was already coming out here and the contrast was... because... that is, it started anyway. Ah, here it is! Good, good, good.
Let's put an appropriate contrast that can be seen. The monitor works! The audio works. Oh, this is good, huh! It's just a little cosmetically tacky, but it works.
No, he did something to me... oh well. Optimal.
So, one of the three works, one works partially and one doesn't work at all, in the sense that it turns on but shows strange characters on the monitor.
Let's try Tetris too maybe, come on. How do you open this box? Oh, I succeeded! Can you see it?
Here it is, Tetris. With this button you turn. Eh, of course as a first… this very loser gives me! With this button it goes down. Let's see if I can get it under him, right in the last one. Oh, this long one, I'll try to slip this under too. Okay.
The music is beautiful.
Okay, come on, I'll spare you the Tetris game, but it's a lot of fun, eh. Damn, what bad luck is this piece: where do I put it? Let's put it here. No, like that!
And I was just telling you that... I'll spare you, but every time a piece of those losers comes along that you don't know where to put and then it gets me... Oh, at least we'll make it to one, I don't know.
Oh, I'm happy: at least one of the three, the unluckiest one, the ugliest, yellow one, works. The other two: one had those pixel strips that didn't work, whereas the other just made strange characters, the ones she wanted.
Now, if you don't mind, I would like to try this adapter here - Handy Boy - which you should install on the Nintendo Game Boy to increase the size of the monitor. Let's see if it's true. Come on, let's go back to the "store" configuration, which is how I like it: all the games back here, I've put the consoles back, the ones that don't work are in the boxes.
And now we can open this box here. So: installation manual, a shoulder strap… ah, this one should be the lens. And this here is an extension for the buttons: it acts as a joystick, it practically presses the direction buttons as I rotate the joystick. And here there is an electrical accessory that I don't know how to interpret. But do you see it? Maybe it's used to connect the Game Boy - assuming it's a GameBoy - to one of those square batteries that were once used.
Alright, let's proceed with the installation. So, let's see which way this stuff fits in, because there's this thread here too. Mh... Ah, in my opinion this one takes the audio and sends it to the stereo speakers. What stuff!
Okay, first of all we have to try to fit this Game Boy inside the Handy Boy and I already have my difficulties, but it's gone. Explain to me what changes between a monitor like this and a monitor like this: what changes? 0.15 X ?
And where does this one fit in? Will there be a speaker jack? No… ah, here it is, below. Below. But can anyone really play with this thing like this? We'll stick this here but, uh, in my opinion it's not centered... it needs to go a little higher. Here you go. Now let's stick this one in here again. When this… okay, it seems centered. At this point we pull this back down. But really? But can someone play like that? This thing weighs 2 kilos! Let's see if it goes.
But you can't hear anything. Then, the speakers would appear to be wrong, they would appear to not be working. When I plug in the speaker jack, I can't hear anything. Too bad, because with something like that I was expecting a disco. No, nothing: the Handy Boy's speakers don't work.
Let's at least see these... yes, the joystick works. But I tell you: it's not that this magnification helps that much, I don't know if you can see it from the camera.
So, accessory rejected! Handy Boy failed! You know that I also like to give a bit of technical value in videos: earlier we saw how I clean the contacts of the cartridges before connecting them inside a computer - which can be a Commodore 64, for example - or here we did it inside the Game Boy. It may happen that the cartridge has slightly oxidized contacts and therefore does not make perfect contact on all the pins: some characters may be ruined, the cartridge may be illegible.
I'll show you something else: how I put things away. Even if he doesn't deserve it, because this accessory really sucks. Over the years, electrical cables tend to release a substance that dissolves plastic. So if I left this cable free to touch the cover of this rubbish here, it would melt it. So, what do I do? I put a sheet of paper between the electrical cord and the plastic, so that the cord does not touch the plastic. I did the same back here, I don't know if you can see it, because there was another cable - the headphone cable - that had to be connected to make the speaker work, which then didn't even work.
Nothing, just to say that at least in 5 years, if I take it out, I won't find it all loose, as happens when you take a Commodore 64 or other computers out of their boxes: you find them all loose because the cable was rolled up around them. This thing here, putting the cables inside plastic bags or sheets of paper, doesn't happen.
We managed to get at least one of the three Game Boys to work: I'm very happy. If you liked the video, subscribe to the channel @ValorosoIT: I'm very pleased and it also helps the channel grow. Turn on the notification bell. Do you think I was right to buy these consoles? Write it to me below in the comments. And we'll see you in the next video. HI!