Game Boy Head-to-Head Bundle - Two Restored DMG-01s, Tetris, Link Cable & Flash Cart

Two Game Boys, a cable between them, and Tetris

In 1988 Henk Rogers saw Tetris at CES, and told Nintendo of America’s president that it was the game to put in the box with the Game Boy. He was right in a way that reshaped the company: Tetris went on to sell over 35 million copies and is widely credited with turning the Game Boy from a gadget into the thing everyone owned.

Tetris was the first game compatible with the Game Link Cable, and two-player Tetris was a launch feature, there from day one.

Playing it today takes two working Game Boys, a real link cable, and a cartridge. Bought separately on eBay, that is three sellers and three shipments, and nobody has tested the parts together.

I tested these together. The video above shows the two consoles in this listing, linked with the cable in this listing, running the cartridge in this listing, on my bench.

What is in the box

• Two Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 handhelds, both restored and tested, serials G706232507 and G29120585.
• A genuine Nintendo DMG-04 Game Link Cable. Big connectors on both ends, which is the version that actually fits two original Game Boys without an adapter.
• An authentic Tetris cartridge.
• A microSD flash cartridge, so one player can have the rest of the library.
• Two Console Artisan USB-C power adapters, one per console, because a head-to-head session on AA batteries has a clock on it.

Every photo is of the actual items in this bundle.

Who this is for

Two people on a sofa: a couple, a parent and a kid, or someone whose sibling beat them at this in 1991 and has not let it go. It makes a good gift.

The price covers two fully restored consoles plus four accessories, and it is below what those parts cost separately. If you only need one Game Boy, ask me what else is on the bench.

About the flash cart

The included cart runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles off a microSD card, which means the whole library in one cartridge slot.

It is a clone, not a genuine Krikzz EverDrive. For the overwhelming majority of the library it does the same job just as well, and it will get you playing something like 99% of the Game Boy catalogue. Krikzz builds the original and is worth your money if you want the polished version, so go to krikzz.com with my blessing. If you want to know what actually differs between a clone board and a genuine one, I took several of both apart and wrote it up: cartridge level shifting.

The battery in this cart was dead, and I replaced it as part of my normal testing, along with some touch-up soldering while it was open. On this model the save battery is user replaceable with no soldering.

It plays what you put on the microSD, and it ships with a blank card ready to go. New to flash carts and not sure where to start? Message me and I will walk you through it: formatting the card, working the menu, the enormous free homebrew scene, and getting your own game backups running.

One flash cart, two Game Boys. If you both want one, I sell the same cart on its own and it ships in this box at no extra postage. Mention it when you order.

The detail on each console

G706232507

Three parts are not original:

• The headphone board was destroyed, and I replaced it with a new one. The CA-DMG-HPJ is built on the open-source wiretap-retro headphone jack design, which I have fabricated and sell, and this console has the assembled Base version fitted. An original replacement board is not available. Photos 13 and 14 are this console, opened, with the board in place beside the Nintendo original it replaced. Those are the same frames I use in the install guide for that board, because this is the Game Boy I photographed while writing it.
• The front glass was missing and has been replaced. The protective film is still on it, which is why the lens looks slightly hazy in photo 2. Peel it when you want to. I left it on because it is doing its job.
• The battery door was missing and is now a replica.

The shell was cleaned carefully and never retrobrited. Some collectors treat retrobrite as damage, and a photo cannot show it either way.

G29120585

I repaired this one, and I do not recall the details. It was before I kept proper notes on every job. What I can tell you is what it is now: it works correctly, the battery contacts are flawless with no corrosion, and the battery door appears to be an original. Its link-port cover is missing.

About the maker

I’m an electrical engineer and long-time hobbyist with a passion for vintage electronics, especially classic video games. The items I sell are projects from my personal workshop. Everything is guaranteed working on arrival and in the state described. Thanks for looking.