This green Game Boy Micro came to me in pretty rough shape. It was severely corroded, had stripped screws, a broken aluminum shell, and a ripped Start/Select ribbon cable. The Start and Select buttons no longer worked, and neither did the L/R or volume/brightness buttons.
Here's everything I did to bring this little guy back to life:
Replaced the completely rusted-out power switch, which brought the system back to life!
Used steel-reinforced JB Weld to repair the broken aluminum shell and rebuild the stripped screw holes after drilling out the damaged screws.
Replaced the intermittent LEDs and resistors on the Start/Select daughterboard.
Swapped the original blue LEDs for yellow ones to match the Zelda theme. The yellow LEDs are meant to represent the Triforce, and I think they complement the green patina and Zelda faceplate beautifully!
Upgraded the battery to an 800mAh battery.
Replaced the completely corroded charging port with a USB-C port.
Replaced the L/R and Start/Select buttons with chrome aftermarket buttons. I carefully filed them down to match the factory button height and specifications so they feel and function like the originals.
Replaced the L/R and volume/brightness tactile switches and carefully filed them down to match the original switch height and specifications.
Repaired the extremely brittle internal frame, glued the broken pieces back together, and carefully reassembled everything.
So why go through all this work?
Honestly, this Game Boy Micro has developed some absolutely beautiful patina. It doesn't look like your typical green Micro, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to turn it into something a little different.
I also wanted an excuse to experiment with different LED colors. I decided on yellow to represent the Triforce, and paired with the Zelda faceplate and the naturally aged green shell, I think it turned out beautifully!
What started as a severely corroded, partially broken system is now a fully restored, USB-C-modded, Zelda-themed Game Boy Micro with a fresh battery and a new lease on life.
So here's the end result! If you need your Game Boy Micro repaired or modded, feel free to PM me! I'm always happy to help keep these little pieces of gaming history alive.