It’s hard to believe it’s been over 30 years since the release of the Nintendo Gameboy. And truth be told, I can’t remember a time that I wanted something so badly up until the release of the N64. The difference though between being 8 and 14 was huge and because I was able to work and save up money meant I was also able to score an N64 on release day. This was not the case with the Gameboy and the ever so familiar “It’s this or nothing” ultimatum was in play for the only other affordable portable gaming option, The Tiger Electronics Handhelds. YUCK….!
Of course back then you didn’t complain. It was at least, something, that you could take with you in the car or play in your room if the TV was occupied.
But for me, I never really stopped resenting these Tiger Handhelds, or at least my inability to even be able to work towards getting what I really wanted. And this is where times have changed! I’ve got some money, got some skills but more importantly I’ve got issues…which lead to ambition…which lead to making a concept that not only looks cool, functions well and plays better than all the original hardware that went into it, but finally connected the outline of disappointment with something that (had this existed at the time) would have been the most amazing portable experience ever!
So, that was the “Dramatic” version and truth be told, this idea didn’t even pop into my head until after I bought one of those IPS screen and battery upgrades for my Gameboy Advance. But, just like with any idea I decide to go forward with, the rabbit hole turned into a Hell-Portal and suddenly I was in Knee-Deep in it again!
So I’m not going to get into much detail here about the build because the video above does most of the explaining, but for what looked like was going to be kind of a simple project, turned into a nightmare on on a very basic level. But what was even better than that was the fact that said video took more time to make than the damn project itself!
But I guess that’s where I’ve been going lately as I’ve really been trying to increase the content quality of my videos for the past couple of years now. Problem is, the amount of time they take to make is mind-numbing, especially when considering how little time I really have with this still being a “hobby”.
But it’s so worth it when when you can look back and say, “I made all of this!”, even if that means there’s only one or two projects/videos a year.
And as the portfolio increases and the list of projects grow larger, I have to remember that perspective is key. In most projects, I’ve done a majority of the work myself, sometimes calling on friends for PCB help or coding. But all the design, printing, painting, assembly, wiring and testing has all been me. Lots of different hats to wear for sure, but then add on the video side of things and we’ve got a whole new ball pit to play in.
And it’s a funny retrospective look on this because up until about 5 years ago, all my videos were made using Window’s Movie Maker. Very basic, but did what I needed to do. It wasn’t until my last job that I had the chance to look and get a bit of self-training on Adobe Premier that things really started to take shape. The complexity and the freedom the program allowed opened all kinds of doors and by picking away at it year after year, the quality increase of output has been gratifying to watch.
5+ years later with the release of the Tiger Boy Advance, I feel I’ve taken a big step forward with my video making process’ and content and really hope to continue this trend with the next project. Who knows when or what that will be, but I hope that it will deliver!
I wish you all a very happy new year and very much appreciate the time put into reading this blog and watching the video! Hope to hear from you soon!
Downing's Basement 