Make Video Calls on a GameBoy!
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- čas přidán 9. 02. 2022
- I can't belive this thing is actually real. After years of searching I finally found it! The GameBoy Video Phone accessory.
I bought it here - bit.ly/38UrGzP
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The Retro Future
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JE4 9RF
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just when I think that this channel has covered every possible gameboy accesory...
hi Cyranek, love u
Hey le wittle monkey
There is also an AV input accessory for the gba advance sp that turns it into a video monitor
And to believe hes going throw legal issues
There's as many accessories as pokemon, no doubt
"slightly smaller than a 3.5mm one"
Correct, that is a 2.5mm phono jack. Very common back in those days, especially on cordless landline phones and cell phones.
I remember having to use 2.5mm jack adapters, and thought it was a big deal when I finally got a cell phone with a proper 3.5mm headphone jack that could do media playback, and that phone was the LG900G(LG GW300 in Europe) as I was on Net10 prepaid service at the time, and they did not yet offer Android phones, or allow you use your own unlocked phone with the service due to how they tracked minutes used on your phone, and not having unlimited plans.
Certain Nokia phones also used a 2.5mm jack.
@@blakegriplingph Yep, and even more crazy were some of the Samsung flip phones, and slider phones with physical keyboards that used their proprietary charge port to a 2.5mm jack adapter that you would then need another 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter to use normal headphones, or just their headset that sounded like garbage with the proprietary connector with a right angle plug that pointed the cable downwards thus putting unneeded stress on the cable, and did not allow you to charge at the same time as having a headset plugged in. So glad we are past those days.
if Apple thought the headphone jack was to big why not pioneer this? it would be so much better than removing it entirely.
The TI-84 plus still comes with one
If it calls a number directly, it shouldn't need a server.
It does look like there are devices available to simulate a phone line, and they aren't crazy expensive.
He could get 2 MagicJack VOIP adapters, register both of them with different numbers to connect them that way, assuming the cameras are as you said direct connect, and let you dial any number you want, and just a Japanese number.
I was going to suggest this; a PBX (phone-line simulator) that only does 2 lines would be sufficient, and would be
If you manage to track down a second one of those, you could actually pick up a phone line Simulator or whatever those are called in your part of the world.
If it works like network play on a SEGA Saturn for instance, you have a p2p connection with the only part not belonging to you would be the phone line.
That Gameboy truly was worthy of being called advance, it was so ahead of it's time with quite a lot of it's accessories and some of it's games.
I think internet gaming was also in the talk...
@@repeekyraidcero I wouldn’t doubt a computer program could connect to the wireless adapters for it
It mostly played snes era games so how is that "ahead of it's time"?
@@Alcoholic_Nerd I think people don't really remember what the world was like in 2004. The GBA and its peripherals were certainly impressive at the time, but none of it was particularly ahead of it.
I mean, the only thing that was really ahead of its time was running audio through the charging port, lol.
@@ProjectDv2 I had a f2a at that time so I was playing nes games and all gba games on mine... Had an afterburner kit installed too. Talk about "ahead of time".... Standard bar gba with a lighted screen....
I remember seeing this in games magazines when it was announced. It had a different design then, silver instead of red, and was shown connected to a regular GBA instead of an SP. If you think the image was hard to see on a frontlit SP screen, I hate to think what it was like on unlit original GBA!
Shame they are so rare, it would be interesting to see how the dialing and calling worked. Although landline phone lines themselves are starting to dissapear now, so we may never get to find out...
I can say… terrible! Almost impossible to see anything
I second this; a clerk at a Hollywood Video's Game Crazy pulled out a magazine and there it was-- exactly as you've described (depicted as connected to a GBA), and I have been lowkey looking for any references to it ever since. Super happy RetroFuture dude found it! Childhood mystery solved.
I literally just saw a picture of that five minutes ago on a Google image search, so its legacy remains.
A rough translation of the settings:
Speaker volume
Mic volume
Brightness adjustment
Contrast adjustment
Image/video flip (probably for the other GBA models)
Landline settings
The “line” settings kinda threw me for a moment. Kaisen doesn’t seem like it fit any other word but the context wast obvious to me (although it should have been).
This is one of the most intriguing accessories I've ever seen for any Gameboy. Excellent video as always Elliot!
If you ever get a second one, you could use a VoIP system like Vonage to connect it. Since it uses a telephone landline it *very* most likely doesn't need a server, just call like a regular phone.
I lived in Japan around the time that would have come out. The most common cell phone was a flip phone, and the screen resolution was comparable to a gameboy. Skype was just starting to take off worldwide, but most Japanese houses didn't have a PC in them. My guess is that this accessory came out right around that time, trying to hit a sweet spot, but failing.
Actually ags-101 wasn't released in Japan, so the chances of using Campho with one are even less that you thought
It’s most probably designed for use for the original Gameboy Advance, rather than the SP models given its design.
"Forgotten" probably because:
1. It was expensive (better off buying another GBA)
2. Never left Japan (unless exported on limited numbers outside through other means)
3. It wasn't worth it
I mean, seriously, the thing needed a power socket and a ethernet port anyway... Why not just use your computer?!
Pretty sure ¥19000 is $164 at today's conversion rate. In 2004 it would have been about $100 (still too much money)
EDIT: Hmmm about $150 in today's money. Not so damaging.
Wat. Are you a broker or smthg ?
That is not "nothing"
Bro, it blows my mind that Nintendo did Facetime before Apple did Facetime with iPhone. Even though the product is 3rd party, Nintendo licensed it. Absolutely wild, brilliant, and astonishing little gadget! I love that I’m subbed; your content is amazing Elliot! Thanks for sharing this with us 💯🙏🏻
Apples video calling actually dates back to 2004, but the seamless versions only showed up when they launched facetime
They were ahead of their time. Gameboy is older then the handheld cell phone. They knew mobile devices was the future. Now if only they would make a Switch on par with Steam Deck…
Soooo cool. Stuff like this makes me regret getting into video games only at 21 years old, I truly missed funny stuff as a child
Me too 🥲
yeah, but I bet your life is well sorted out.
Is there anyway you could dump its ROM? I'd like to see someone try and make a new version. especially with the Wi-Fi cartridge.
Please, please, please dump the ROM.
Send him a DS with wood dumper (or give him the files, as he already has an r4)
Wouldn't amount to much. It's just hardware with a software frontend. All the software would be doing is reading an image from a specific memory address.
@@davidmcgill1000 Never Underestimate the hacking community.
It can’t be run on a DS the way it’s designed it will freeze the DS instantly on power up unless it’s a japan Reagan 2
bless you for not only buying it but opening it on video documenting the contents the best you can.
You should have tried it on the Analogue Pocket
The camera woud not be facing you tho
6:00 Well, you've got the thing in your hands. Dump the rom and preserve it. Share it and contact emulator developers to integrate it's functionality. Then we can all make video calls from our emulated campho phone on VGBA!!!
WHY?!!?
Wideboy.... that's why.
This video was totally phoned in......I'll see myself out.
Punny
"I have absolutely no idea why that could possibly be"
it's providing (too much) power to the system itself in a way that it shouldn't be.
quality of that video image is...shockingly acceptable.
This accessory was lightyears ahead of it’s time; awesome video !
You do know that lightyears measure distance and aren't a chronological unit in any way, shape or form.?
@@TheLordKronos just wanted to say that
@@TheLordKronos it also wasn't ahead of its time by any metric, video calling first debuted in 1964.
Every iteration in the game Boy line had some of the most interesting add-ons.
But this is certainly impressive especially for something from 2004.
At the price it was I can see why it didn't take off or for that matter go anywhere else. But as a technological curio it's still pretty cool.
In the thumbnail, it looks like the NES GB-SP has two tiny eyes in the bottom (the select and start button), and the pink triangle from the Campho is the tongue, and the black text over that triangle looks like a mustache
I loooove your channel so-so much!! You open and test so many collectible and rare devices, do absolutely amazing modifications, i can't get enough haha!! It's super cool to see you geeking out as well, love your energy a lot! Thank you for doing it all!
3:32 The good and old new box smell.
The fact that existed is mildly shocking. I had a Palm Zire 72 in 2004 with an actually ok-for-the-time camera. But that was a dedicated media device at the time vs the GBA SP which was more of a toy.
I have a couple of those. I bought them in a lot to use for cosplay props, surprised to find that some of them still had their batteries.
All these things that Nintendo released over time turned into what is our cell phone today. Difficult now to go beyond that.
Considering how Sartphones turned humans into irl zombies...
I'd hope it won't get even worse
@@repeekyraidcero in the 2000's many people are from me and my friends when they saw us exchanging pokemon with the gameboy and the cable link, they said we were idiots for spending hours with those devices in our hands.
@@repeekyraidcero Nowadays, I laugh at the same people, because they just didn't have a device in their hands because they hadn't invented something for them yet. For the gameboy is the cell phone of today.
3:33...he went in for a sniff of the box 🤣 you know you do it too!
Thanks for making good content Elliot. Your channel is a gen by itself with its great finds.
The gba was truly amazing technology. It tried very hard to be ahead of its time.
Its library still is among the best.
Where is Battlenetwork for Switch Capcom ?!
If there was really no extra cost for some kind of connection service, this is absolutely incredible for ‘04 and I’m shocked it didn’t take off. I would’ve begged for one for years
I hope someone has one and reaches out
Pretty damn amazing! As you said; years ahead of it's time, and the video quality was excellent considering the hardware involved!
Thanks for that insight.... 😁👍🏻
Hey @ The Retro Future @10:41 you can see it says something about B Button Demo. Should see if it has a demo call that way you can at least show it making a call even if its not a real call.
Settings:
Speaker Volume
Microphone Volume
Brightness Adjustment
Contrast Adjustment
Image Flip
Seafood Settings... I mean "Line Settings"
Yep, and as a translator, seeing Google Translate completely fumble all of these relatively simple items was somehow comforting
Love these kind of videos, never knew something like this could exist!
it really wasn't ahead of its time, plenty of phones in Japan already had video conferencing
I hope someone who has one of those sees this video and eventually you two do another one of the thing doing a call
I love this kind of wacky stuff, but I can see why this did not catch on, because even most video calls on a PC where low bitrate lag fest at the time.
i still got mine, the line number is from your telephone provider. We had it set-up for ages but never got the chance to receive incoming calls. We left it connected for the case when someone tries to ring us . Its kinda more like a magical tool than a real technical equipment. For a kid its fun to have this thing laying around and playing your imagination.
When the Gameboy's accessory camera looks better than your friends Samsung camera-
This this is a real wonder that was way ahead of it's time. Great video
Your videos are the best for casual fans and the worst for collectors because everything you show I’m immediately like “I NEED THIS “ 😂
So awesome. Very cool addition to your collection! Hopefully one day we’ll get to see it in action 👍🏻
Super cool find! The zoom before zoom!
Great Job on this video! :)
Great for the Apocalypse when we lose all cellular services.
We know you got a good whiff out of that box even if it was cut out, its just instinct to do that lol
I have a working development prototype of this (with JTAG connector), it came from the company that did the DSP chip.
BUMP!
I really love elliot doing these videos.
"Skype, facetime and zoom"
MSN messenger crying in a corner like the innovative child that time forgot.
I legitimately read the title and thought it was an accessory to make GBA a Cellphone lol! Using a GBA as a cellphone would have been way cooler.
Woah this is a very interesting accessories looks so wow.I love your videos😃😃
Hey hope you’re having a good day Elliot, thanks for showing me something new today
Wholesome comment.
6:25 I admit I've almost clicked off the video but when Elliot said to not do so, I'd stayed watching. Interesting.
I love the fact that this exists and made for a great video.
That would had been fun as a kid. We shared walkie talkies back when I was a kid we didn't have these fancy Gameboys back then.
Honestly what a good channel to kick it back, smoke a little weed and enjoy
I like how you left the bit of you pressing the (stop) record buttons. reminded me of an airplane pilot .
remember when phone makers thought we would all start video call each other and started adding in webcams to regular phones in late 2000s but people started texting instead? xD It mucst have failed, no one actually wants to show their face whenever they call anyone, only use for it would be making it work wia low range wireless so that children could call each other on the playground
This is really cool! The camera makes me want to make fake cutscenes for 90's console games lol
Imagine modding it to live stream on it haha
Nice Video Elliot
This is actually like rlly useful when it comes to preserving game media
I think this is what Desinc uses as a webcam...
the video quality is significantly higher then I thought it was going to be, very impressed.
i had a webcam in 2004 and this thingo would have been soo teathered plus youd need your GBA connected to phone line all the time to receive calls.
This is pretty cool compared to the original Gameboy camera, I think I remember ign talking about this accessory way back but I was disappointed because it was in Japan only and is mainly for video calling not the fun features of the original Gameboy camera but it's cool to see it in action!
Loved the Gameboy start up Censor sound. Classy.
Glad to see the translation worked flawlessly
love that bob cameo X)
For what it is it's a great piece of tech I didn't even know this thing existed🤯
This got me wondering about audio and video compression for the GBA and an accessory with the limited storage and bandwidth of the time. I remember there were Nickelodeon cartoons on cartridge too. Some content about these things would catch my attention, especially if it's were possible to reproduce the look with modern video.
Play Yan and the gbamp could fit entire movies on the gba, so...
Translation for the menu:
- "Speaker Volume"
- "Mic Volume"
- "Brightness Adjustment"
- "Contrast Adjustment"
- "Flip Image"
- "(not sure, but) Line Settings"
For the Speaker one you tried to adjust it said
- "Save this settings"
- "Cancel"
awesome video as always! also im curious, will you be scanning the box/manual to provide more info about it online?
Wowza,That is super wild.What a find
that is really really awesome, never seen anything like that, i bet if this thing have a normal price point it would be cool to see people still use it at 2022 for videos, like the gameboy camera is the thing now, people mod it with a bigger lens and take some pixelate pictures.
Just imagine having to pay the minutes for video calling someone in 2004 via a landline...
That was ahead of its time, if nothing else, just WOW!
I've been playing Phantasy Star Online on my Dreamcast after I set up a kinda sorta server. It wasn't too hard to set up and there's tons of tutorials on how to do it since people love the Dreamcast.
I sound abit old now but summer of 2003 3G was big in sweden.
We could call video calls for free to the same operators through our mobiles. To have that in a landline would flopp bady in sweden. I do not know how 3G was extended in japan but they were shortly nor far after us.
Love you channel!
My phone was an Ericsson Z800
You could flip the same camera 360° .
Hmm, maybe you could look into collaborating with Look Mum No Computer? The guy has a home-made landline that might be capable of being operated with your item...
No way! I was about to ask people about this!
If it needs a landline, contact Look Mum No Computer. He has a whole vintage telephone exchange.
I think this can use again because the software Doesn't use a server but it uses the telephone line. So you can Make with this accesory videocalls with the telephone line.
Me watching this for the second time:
Elliot: you’ve never heard of this!
The retro future please when you find another of them please have two of them connected and show us it working.
O H M Y G O D
That red charger looks sick as hell!
translations for the settings are:
speaker volume
mic volume
brightness
contrast
flip image (presumably for gba vs gba sp)
and i think the last one is connection settings for the call?
You're the only one who can get such a rare accessory. I'm jealous...
10:27 Here's how I would translate the settings: speaker volume, mic volume, set brightness, set contrast, flip image, and line setting (I'm guessing a phone line?) I hope this translation was useful and or interesting.
Sure it looks cool, but I can see why this thing never took off. Never mind the cost of it, imagine trying to make a video call with this, holding a GBA with this thing hanging off from it and three wires extruding from it, tangling around each other as you're trying to hold this thing steady to see the person on the other end and keep the camera so they can see you? What could possibly go wrong? I wonder why this never caught on back then? 🤔But I will admit I've got to give them at lease an E for effort.
Presumably you would prop it up on a table.
I’d say the tech works peer to peer, you can likely set up an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) and voip server (you can get ones that run on raspberry pi for free) establish a line between the units via a VoIP call, and they should allow video calling again. If someone was inclined they may be able to reverse engineer the signal (it’s likely using a Cisco or SIP based video codec, which worked over poor lines like that) and set it up so that it could call in to a computer or video conference server.
(I worked with VoIP technology quite a bit so I’m familiar with a fair bit of some of this technology, if you could get something to communicate with it it’d be incredible!)
Whoever has one of these try calling him please. Would be cool to see it work 20 years later
This technology was around for a while, basically it's a modern that runs over a phone line and transmits video and low quality audio, if it uses a standard or common protocol for this maybe you could use another phone line video conferenceing thing to interact with this
Incredible
Just when I thought I saw it all on the GBA...
It must be so nerve-racking to think about what if your footage gets corrupted when you're filming one of these unopened unboxings
small backstory cus... i did know about it, basically we lived in southern japan for quite a while bck from 2009-2016, and i saw this a ton, but i never got one, even tho my friend had one, he never let us see it