A cool neat idea to turn an old broken gadget into a work of art
that you can show off to friends and keep for posterity! Xreart is one
of several companies making framed hardware art out of old and new
hardware, using recycled parts - a in for the recycling movement!
The framed hardware
seen pictured belongs to the original Nintendo Game Boy portable game system
launched in 1989 and spanning over 20 years, thanks to the subsequent
releases of Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color and Game Boy
Advance, which kept the Game Boy brand alive and kicking for so many
years.
The Xreart Nintendo Game Boy wall art consists of 6
parts: a square plastic outer frame, 3mm thick lightly diffused plexiglass, square inner
frame, MDF wood backing board panel, a stencil like cardboard print out
with the parts of a completely disassembled Game Boy grey DMG-01 (1989 version made in Japan) glued
on to the white cardboard print out.
The main key parts include Game Boy's Sharp LR35902 CPU (4.19 Mhz clock speed) and Z80 (3.58Mhz) microprocessor - also found in the Sega Genesis 16-bit games console.
On the Xreart backing board, there are also 6 metal turn clips with
passthrough holes and two metal triangle hangers for hanging the framed
Game boy onto a wall. The turn clips are attached to the backing board
via a stud button metal nail and, they are designed to slide in and out
of the frame to release
the backing board from the frame.
The Xreart Nintendo Game Boy frame is a perfect square,
measuring 33cm long, 33cm wide and 3.5cm thick, which translates to
3.5cm deep when mounted on a wall. The bezel of the frame measures 2cm
wide, while the viewing display area measures 29cm long and 29cm wide. The Xreart Nintendo Game Boy frame and components weigh 1108 grams (1.1kg)
Potential deal breakers
- The Xreart framed Game Boy can be easily replicated by salvaging a cheap Game Boy from eBay and taking it apart. Game Boy uses standard Phillips head screws so, all you need is a Phillips screwdriver to get inside it.
- Plastic shadow box frame and display
- Limited installation options - no kickstand support for desktop or shelf installation
- Very expensive and very little value for money. A solid wood frame and glass display would make it worthwhile
- A bit too basic - some RGB light effects inside the frame would make it even coolerNo frame color options
Selling points for the Xreart Framed Game Boy
- Shadow box style frame captures beautifully the hardware components of one of the best selling console games of all time, which was essentially a portable simulator of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games console. Back then, Game Boy's competition were the Atari Lynx (aka Epyx Handy), Sega Game Gear and NEC TurboExpress handheld consoles, which had better hardware but lacked the clout of Nintendo.
- Looks cool on a wall
- Collector appeal
- Xreart DIY option lets you buy the materials and components from Xreart so, you can make your own wall art. Xreart also makes the part name print out template available for download
- Inspires you to make art pieces out of old gadgets
- Encourages re-using old parts - maybe even fix them!Nostalgic gift appeal
You can buy the Xreart Framed Game Boy Hardware directly from Xreart's website
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