US man buys 23 broken Nintendo handheld devices to see if he can fix them all
Published on Mar 04, 2026 at 2:07 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 04, 2026 at 2:07 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
A man bought 23 broken Nintendo handheld devices, from the Game Boy to the DS, and attempted to fix them all.
Nintendo first branched out into handheld consoles in 1980 with the Game & Watch.
In the decades that followed, it released a bunch of handheld devices, including the rare Pokémon Mini.
And one man managed to track down each one and set himself the challenge of fixing them – here’s how that went.
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He bought a broken version of every Nintendo handheld device
If you’re handy with electronics, you can often pick up broken bits of tech online for cheap, like this pallet of Amazon returns that cost $88 but ended up being worth more than $300.
YouTuber Tronic Fix recently scoured the internet to find a whopping 23 broken Nintendo handheld consoles to see if he could get them running again.
He started off with Nintendo’s original handheld device: the Game & Watch.
Due to its age, the screen was super faint, and after cracking it open to get a better look, he discovered that it was pretty deteriorated inside.
He wasn’t able to fix the device, but he had ordered some parts, so he put it to one side and moved on to the next one.
He had several different Game Boys to fix, and many had the same issue
His next pick was an original Game Boy that had severe battery corrosion, and the motherboard was in need of a deep clean.
Thankfully, he tackled most of the corrosion with some white vinegar and then replaced the damaged battery contacts.
With that done, the Game Boy booted up successfully, and he was able to play a game.
But that was just the first of a handful of Game Boy devices he needed to repair; he’d also bought a Game Boy Pocket, a Game Boy Color, a Game Boy Advance, a Game Boy Advance SP, and a Game Boy Micro.
Much like the original Game Boy, almost all of them had battery corrosion, most refused to turn on, and some of them needed new parts and components.
Incredibly, he managed to get them all back working again, but decided to turn the Advance SP into a custom modded-metal shell build instead.
The Pokémon Mini was a rare find, but could it be revived?
The rarest of his Nintendos was the Pokémon Mini.
It was originally released in 2001 before being discontinued the following year.
Sales of the console were slow, and Nintendo only made 10 games for the Pokémon Mini during its life, so these days you don’t see too many of them out in the wild.
The version that the YouTuber snapped up had severe corrosion, and the board inside was completely destroyed.
Unfortunately, he deemed it unfixable and instead moved on to the next console.
The Nintendo DS range came with their own issues
He started with the original DS, which had a broken top screen, but after replacing it, it turned on without issue and was basically as good as new.
The DS Lite was a similar story, but this time around, it was the bottom screen that wasn’t working, and it also had some loose capacitors.
The YouTuber, again, managed to fix the issues and boot it up.
He fixed the DSi by simply plugging back in a ribbon cable that had somehow unplugged itself.
As for the DSi XL, it came with several major issues and refused to turn on, but the YouTuber wanted to give it his best shot and promised to make a follow-up video to reveal its fate.
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Most of the broken devices were salvageable
Tronic Fix has proved that just because an old device is past its best or no longer works, it doesn’t mean it’s only fit for the trash can.
Out of all the devices he attempted to fix, it was only the Pokémon Mini that he wasn’t able to save, although he was still awaiting some parts for the Game & Watch.
Overall, it was actually pretty heartwarming to see so many nostalgic consoles being brought back to life.
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With a background in both local and national press in the UK, Claire has covered a range of topics, including technology, gaming, and cryptocurrency, since joining the editorial team at Supercar Blondie in May 2024. Her ability to be first to a story has been integral to making SB’s coverage of scientific discovery, AI, and global tech news a slick 24/7 operation.
