“Do you want this old thing?” My uncle asked, pulling the old Game Boy from an end table drawer. “Your cousin didn’t want it anymore so I’ve kept it. Your aunt and I played Tetris on it for years, but now the screen’s all messed up and the buttons hardly work.”
Memories flooded back to me of begging my cousin for a turn at Metroid 2 in the back seat of my aunt’s Chevrolet Corsica on the way home from the zoo. Passing it around playing Kirby and Super Mario while at a birthday sleepover with a dozen other 3rd graders. Pleading with my Dad for one for my own birthday.
As I flipped the switch, Tetris music filled my ears. It was dirty, and the screen had vertical lines, but I couldn’t say no. It was FINALLY mine!
I got to work right away. I was able to resolve the vertical lines by reflowing the solder on the screen, and then I cleaned up the motherboard with alcohol while I soaked the shell in an Oxyclean solution. Now she’s running in tip-top shape! A friend called me a glutton for punishment for not replacing the screen, but I want it just like it is. Every scratch tells a story!
Super excited! Had to share with y’all!
You know what’s bittersweet about this is that my aunt died of dementia. My uncle said she held onto it and played it for years. It makes me wonder what she thought about as she held her son’s favorite toy.