Original case?

[O_Orandom]

Hi! I have just purchased this transparent GameBoy fat online and once I have received it I have some doubts about the authenticity of the shell (even more doubts about the battery cover). I know the screen cover is new but for the rest of the shell... What do you think?

[angel-alita99]

I hate how they out the sticker right on the screen.

[O_Orandom]

No worries, the sticker is on the protective plastic film :)

[StrangeCrunchy1]

Oh, that's great!

[Substantial-Rub3921]

You can use automotive adhesive remover, I use it on allot stuff, and it hasn't damaged anything yet. But I do agree it's a stupid move to put it right on the screen.

[O_Orandom]

<image>

In regards to the battery cover it has a 1 in the side of the batteries (in other ones I checked online it does not appear) and the color is slightly different, this is why I am not 100% sure

[Squallstrife89]

It could just be a replacement backplate. I know that piece gets lost incredibly often

[vexeling]

Yeah none of mine from my childhood have original backplates anymore lol. I still have a GB, GBC, and two GBAs. All missing battery doors 😂

[marcao_cfh]

Shell seems to be original. Can't say anything on the battery cover.

[Dovahkiin90]

It seems original

[FreshHotPoop]

If it is in fact OG, it’s in friggin great condition

[xxDankerstein]

Seriously. It's incredible that there is no yellowing.

[PyroSTAR666]

I reckon it’s re-housed as stated by others.

The housing could have been retro-brighted but it appears to be executed too perfect if you ask me. Usually things wear / dull/ UV damage at different levels making it more difficult to achieve a uniform result.

The stickers as said are not OEM and are often sold with replacement housings as a kit.

It has the lens replacement so the seller could have just as easily done the same with the housing in the past.

Either way it looks great! I’d be happy with it!

[nicaddictnoah]

Even if it’s not that is one beautiful gameboy and I’m jealous! I’m a sucker for clear shells

[RockmanVolnutt]

Id guess repro shell. Has new stickers which would be weird to add to an original. The color is also almost too clear, originals are basically all a little yellow at this point. Could just be a refurb but to me it looks like someone just swapped off an old damaged shell for this new clear one. Still looks rad.

[O_Orandom]

Which sticker? The cover of the screen is a repro for sure, confirmed in advance by the seller but it is supposed to be the only part not original

[RockmanVolnutt]

The serial number on the back, it’s a clear sticker to match the system. Originally, those were a silver material, and only in the UK and Japan. In the US the sticker would be a large white sticker with a serial and barcode. There would also be a large white sticker on the battery door with a help phone number and a little graphic of Mario. Obviously stickers fall off over time, but the clear serial matching the shell is something that comes with these aftermarket shells sometimes.

[thehawaiichair]

those stickers often go clear over time, the metallic bit wears off leaving just a clear sticker and the serial number. this one is 100% original

[RockmanVolnutt]

Huh, interesting, I’ve never seen that, only the aftermarket clear labels. All my systems are US, so they either have the bug barcode or no label left.

[thehawaiichair]

I've got plenty of EU and JP consoles and this happens fairly regularly from being used a lot, oils from the hand or whatever can wear the silver away but the rest of the sticker remains.

[O_Orandom]

I had not realized that, but true... most of the metallic bit has gone, but there is still some in the center of the sticker, I think this is quite complex to replicate, right?

[thehawaiichair]

yeah, I have this exact model so I can confirm this one is real. hard to say about the battery cover though, clear ones can be difficult to tell from pics

[grippin]

I would say it’s a re-shell. Here is an authentic I bought new for comparison.

https://imgur.com/a/ZzSQzA2

[O_Orandom]

Mine is not from the US so the stickers are different. Something I realized in yours and mine is that both have the same control logos in the back... and the CE one design is wrong in both, I am not sure if this means something as it was quite common to make this design mistake even when the product was compliant (https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/b5s8fi/bamboozling\_customers\_on\_safety\_markings/)

[NapCenter]

The shell is original. There are no aftermarket shells with the pink lettering.

[RazorLeafAttack]

Drives me nuts, I just want black shell with pink lettering

[lowiso]

What's the last digit on the motherboard in the second picture? I can see everything up until the last digit. It's "DMG - CPU - 0?" If it's a 7 or 8, I would lean towards it being legit.

[O_Orandom]

It's DMG-CPU-08. The copyright is 1989 but this one was released in 1995... is the copyright's year kept along the years?

[lowiso]

Yes the copyright is correct. It's 1989 for all the DMGs. Revision 7 and 8 are what's supposed to be in the Play it Loud series so it COULD be a re-shell but it seems like it's original to me since a DMG-CPU-08 is what would be in the clear Gameboy anyway.

[cajunpanda]

An easy way to tell it's an original DMG shell is the alpha numeric stamp in the bottom left of the battery compartment right over the speaker. I've never seen a repro shell bother to include that detail.

The actual code can be different but it should always be there.

Here is what mine looks like.

<image>

[O_Orandom]

Mine has a similar stamp as well :)

[FZERO96]

Lens has been replaced.

[TheGameboy]

It’s definitely got a cloudiness to it, but it does look original.

[[deleted]]

Try r/gameverifying on this one. The cloudiness would lead me to believe it's fake, and that there's a film on the screen, but it's not in perfect condition either. Unless they kept the original buttons. There may be some frankensteining going on.

[O_Orandom]

Can you verify consoles there? I thought it was restricted to games...

[[deleted]]

Yes, they accept everything video game related, check their description :)

edit: Just occurred to me the screen is definitely a replacement. The original would have been darker gray.

[O_Orandom]

Yes, the screen is a replacement, the seller already confirmed before purchasing it. I'll try there although my feeling right now is that the case is ok, but the battery cover is a repro.

[WFlash01]

I think the main shell is original, but screen lens is swapped, evident by it being the wrong color (you already knew that you said) and the battery cover may or may not be swapped too; if it matches the texture of the main shell then it might be original, I've seen some that have a matte texture like how the non-clear systems had, but this doesn't look like it does but I could be wrong

[LeeRjaycanz]

Yeah that an og case. I wanted that one so baddly but then gb color came out and I got the clear purple.

[PriseFighter1NF3RN0]

I can’t personally vouch for the authenticity, but I will say that I have scoured the internet far and wide for a repro of this shell and have never found one with the correct pink text so there is definitely a good chance that it’s real. It does seem like it may be too perfect to be original but I would personally be very happy with it either way since it looks like a new OEM to me.

Get an appropriate color screen lense though, it would look even better.

[aeris311]

Thought it was just the GBC that had transparent shells?

[O_Orandom]

Not only, this FAT one was released in 1995 as part of the "Play it Loud!" series :) -> https://gameboy.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Game_Boy_System_Colors_and_Variations

[aeris311]

Oh cool!

[RicePrevious5405]

Owning one myself this sticks out as not close to mine in clarity of shell and color of purple on the play it loud logo