Original Game Boy Problems and Modding

[j7512]

I have 9 faulty game boys +1 sega game gear coming that I brought from ebay for £28.99 including shipping and I'm planning to open them up to see what their problems are. I just wanted to know what are the usual problems with game boys.

This is the description that the seller gave:

"A few of the Game Boys work with no more than a missing pixcel line, one of them works more or less fine but you have to push the 'Start' button extra hard to make it work.. 2 have missing screens.. However all of them have their battery covers. The Sega Game Gear comes with a carry case, but is also sold as faulty the sound works fine but the screen flickers..."

It seems to me that some cleaning with rubbing alcohol will fix some of these but I'll have to wait to see if this is true before I can acually confirm.

After fixing these I intend to make my own smaller case about the size of a NES controller and after cutting up all the PCB into smaller parts I intend to put it all together. A possible addition I'm thinking of is putting backlight and possible a tv out jack.

 

[BoFoSho]

For the gameboy it is probably an easy fix like heating up the ribbon cable.
The Gamegear it is probably just a capacitor or 2.

 

[j7512]

For the gameboy it is probably an easy fix like heating up the ribbon cable.
The Gamegear it is probably just a capacitor or 2.

So it doesn't have anything to do with resistors? I was thinking it might be resistors. When you say heating up the ribbon cable is that a permanent fix or just a temporary fix?

 

[XCVG]

The one where you have to push the start button extra hard is probably just dirt accumulated under the button. It might have trashed pads, though. My friend had a SNES controller like that.

 

[j7512]

Ok I've opened them up and it seems the pins are broken/ripped from the screen that's supposed to be connected to the PCB board and some of them give me a black screen. I'm thinking if I just solder the pins back onto the PCB board it should fix the problem and I haven't been able to open the game gear yet as I'm waiting for my nintendo screwdriver for that weird looking hex screw.