While the most recent technology behind the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nvidia RTX 30 line of graphics cards is wowing gamers all over the world, the classics still have a place, too. Some very old games may soon be playable online courtesy of a hardware hacker's endeavors.
Despite its age, the original Game Boy handheld console did come with multiplayer capabilities. Players would have to acquire and connect a link cable between two Game Boy units, which could get complicated depending on the type of Game Boy the users had. However, it was a long way from being able to seamlessly connect over the internet with other gamers, but by tinkering with the existing technology, this hardware hacker was able to change that.
Hardware hacker stacksmashing has created a method with which anyone can take their Game Boy online. The hack essentially involves tricking the Game Boy into thinking that it's connected to a standard link cable. However, what's really happening is that in the place of a link cable, a Raspberry Pi has been set up to communicate with an online server. If multiple players connect to the server using this technique right now, they can play Tetris in multiplayer without ever seeing the other player in-person.
For now, Tetris is the limit, as connecting other games to each other will require reverse-engineering their communication protocols. However, a community has grown around this development, with a Discord server providing ways for players to find each other and discuss the device and its possibilities. It's likely that more games will eventually become playable online, though simply being able to access the internet on a handheld gaming device dating back to 1989 is astounding.
As the years roll by, it's likely that gamers will continue to see these kinds of fascinating innovations with older hardware. As handheld units and home consoles alike start to lose online services and access to eShops to purchase or re-download games becomes limited, technology-savvy gamers like these often step in to find a workaround for the community. If a device that was never intended to connect to the internet can be tweaked this way, there's no telling what someone's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo DS will be able to do with the right person working on them somewhere down the line.
The Game Boy is going through something of a second life right now, with new Game Boy games actively being produced for the old handheld.
Source: TechCrunch