Posted in: Game Hardware, Games, Review, Video Games | Tagged: game boy, grid, Review

Review: GRID Studio Game Boy Color Shadowbox

Published Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:42:11 -0600

A very cool item came our way recently as we received a special video game-related shadowbox of a Game Boy Color from GRID Studio. We originally saw one of these displays on a YouTube channel where they were restoring old items, as they took apart game consoles and other electronics and brought them back to life. This piece of artwork was featured for doing roughly the same thing as it highlights a specific piece of tech from over the years, as the company makes different displays for things like iPhones, Blackberry devices, and nearly every portable gaming console from the major companies. We took a look at this one to see how well these are put together.

First off, I just need to point out the wrapping paper this came in. Look at the attention to detail with a black-on-blake design with a bit of nature stamped in bronze wax on the front. They went out of their way on the shipping to make sure when this arrived it looked amazing, and that should be commended. Especially if you're looking at this as a gift, they practically do the work for you.

: Credit: Gavin Sheehan

: Credit: Gavin Sheehan

The shadowbox itself is pretty well put together. For this particular version, we got ourselves a Game Boy Color. As you can see from the images here, they took the entire system apart and laid it out on a vert specific format to show you the different pieces that made it work. It's a cool concept considering how many of these lasted forever to see just how little there was inside making them run. We were lucky to get a cool looking purple model, which to us, shows off the colorful nature of this series after Nintendo upgraded from the gray box.

They show off parts of the inside of the inner-workings, including the buttons, the board, various chips, and more. Each one of these is an original from what we assume was a dead-in-the-water Game Boy Color that they used to make it. Even if it doesn't work anymore, getting a look at the parts is kind of fascinating. And by proxy, it makes the entire thing a wonderful-looking piece of art to have. Especially if you're a gamer who used to own one of these.

If there is anything to complain about this design, I will say this: It's not ALL of the parts. I've taken apart a Game Boy before and seen several videos of people repairing old game consoles. I know there are missing wires and other bits not included in the display. The most likely reason for them not being here is that this is meant to be a presentation as an art piece, not an electronics course. So including certain parts that don't necessarily look appealing would be a detriment to the display as a whole. At least, that's the best reasoning we can figure for this.

Overall, this is a fantastic piece of art to get gamers if you're looking to have them show off their geekiness on their wall. Like we're going to be doing as soon as we rearrange some things and find a great spot. That said, parts for a lot of these displays are getting more and more scarce. There's a finite number of each item out there in the world that no one is using. So they are a bit pricey as they can get over $200 depending on which one you're looking to purchase. B ut if you got the cash to spend and a spot on the wall, this is a fantastic addition to your gaming decor.