When Hyperkin teased an Android phone accessory that would let users play their old favorite Game Boy games, it was more serious than the viral press realized. The old images, shown above, have been replaced by new press releases, tied to upcoming sales of the actual device enhancer below:

The company is now offering the device add-on for pre-orders in the form of the Smart Boy Development Kit, available for $60.

When it was first published, it was intended as an April Fool’s joke, but so many fans expressed interest the company went ahead and got to work on the physical device.

So far, they have not announced an iPhone version, but that was the original idea so it may well be in the works, too. For now, “The Smartboy Development Kit attaches to Android smartphones, turning the phone into a handheld gaming device. It will be compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. Included in the kit is an open source serial app and firmware, which will enable developers of all kinds to advance Hyperkin’s current build toward a retail-ready model. Hyperkin is offering a royalty percentage – of retail-ready Smartboy units sold – to anyone that can improve the Smartboy’s serial app and firmware. Updates and builds of the serial app and firmware can be uploaded to a dedicated Hyperkin Lab forum. Hyperkin Lab is dedicated to product testing and development.”

The post Smart Boy: Android Add-On Plays Vintage Game Boy Cartridges first appeared on Gajitz.

What started as an April Fool’s joke targeted to nostalgic gamers, this physical accessory that turns your smartphone into a Gameboy is now actually being pursued as an actual commercial product by the company behind it.

Hyperkin, the company behind the spoof-turned-project, is an veteran accessories developer with the means to make this happen, and after the overwhelming response on April 1st is now committed to doing just that. “Originally a planned April Fool’s Joke – now a full fledged project for consumer release – the currently named Smartboy will attach to the iPhone 6 Plus, turning the phone into a handheld gaming device compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.”

Effectively, the device itself would just be the display portion of the equation – the keypad and computing are all part of the addition, working around Apple’s tendency to dislike other devices taking over their smartphones. Whether the project will clear with Nintendo is, of course, another matter entirely, but given its popularity so far they would be fools to pass up the opportunity.

The post Smart Boy: Gameboy iPhone Add-On Really in Development first appeared on Gajitz.

Steampunk mods are a dime a dozen these days, but it’s rare to see one that actually makes us want to pick it up and play with it. This Gameboy case mod from customizer extraordinaire Thretris is beautiful, well-done and oh-so-begging for us to plug in a cartridge and start playing.

The entire case has been painted in a lustrous distressed gold and adorned with gears, springs and tubes to heighten the Victorian feel. The red LED has been switched out for an orange one, and it even boasts a pro sound mod to make the sound output louder.

Thretris says this mod took him about a week to complete, and judging from the way he touches it in the above video, he’s pretty fond of it. According to his website he may even consider selling it, so if you’re in the market for the awesomest steampunk gadget we’ve ever seen, hop on over there – or take a look at his gallery and see if you can figure out how to make one of your own.

The post Nintendo Goes Steampunk: Awesome Gameboy Case Mod first appeared on Gajitz.