Last April, this device was teased as an April Fools’ joke, and now the Smartboy is in development. The guys from Hyperkin built the Smartboy Development Kit which 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.
“We wanted to create a retro device that can be easily adapted into any modern gamer’s arsenal of devices,” said product developer Chris Gallizzi in a press release.
Hyperkin’s Smartboy Turns Your iPhone Into Old-School Game Boy
Also, 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’s Smartboy Turns Your iPhone Into Old-School Game Boy
