Hyperkin’s Game Boy iPhone Accessory Gag Becomes a Real Product
The add-on that we always wanted Nintendo to make becomes a reality — Hyperkin is releasing a peripheral that turns your iPhone 6 into a fully functional Game Boy, without the need of four AA batteries.
Business Insider reports that Hyperkin originally planned on running the Smart Boy iPhone attachment as an April Fools' Day gag this year. The peripheral's premise was so awesome that the company decided to move it into production and make it a legitimate thing. Hyperkin is already known for its devices that play retro games in modern ways, such as the Retron console which lets you play NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and Game Boy Advance games through one system onto modern TVs via an HDMI cable. The company also has a handheld, fully functional SNES device that legitimately plays Super Nintendo cartridges on the go. Now, the company is working on the Smart Boy, an iPhone 6 attachment that will let you play old Game Boy games on your smartphone with authentic controls inspired by the 1989 Nintendo handheld.
"We wanted to create a retro device that can be easily adapted into any modern gamer's arsenal of devices," said Hyperkin's product developer, Chris Gallizzi.
The Smart Boy peripheral will connect to the iPhone 6 Plus (other compatible smartphone accessories are in development) and will integrate with a downloadable app that will let you play Game Boy cartridges on your phone's screen through the accessory. There will be an eight-way directional pad, two face buttons, the Start button, the Select button and no batteries will be necessary (the device is powered through the iPhone itself). The Smart Boy will also include a cheat database, save states and upscaled graphics. It will be compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, though we're dying to see a Smart Boy Advance sometime in the future. Bravo Hyperkin, bravo.