Why You Should Fix Your Old Consoles
Also a love letter to the Nintendo DS line
If you’ve been gaming for most of your life, there is a high chance that you have your older consoles laying around. Maybe you’re one of those people that like to keep these old remnants as a memento of the past or they are kept to grow a greater collection. Maybe your reasoning is a little bit of both.
I started keeping my consoles and games when I received my Nintendo DS Lite. I kept games that mattered to me, while trading or gifting those that didn’t. My gaming hobby has evolved since, but I have various DS models that take a place in my collection.
Though, my first Nintendo DS Lite broke. It worked perfectly fine aside from a busted bottom screen. It broke maybe 2 years into my ownership and I was devastated. I ended up upgrading to a blue DSi, and my pink DS Lite collected dust, occasionally getting use because I could still play GameBoy games.
Jump to last year, the DS Lite is still in my room, collecting more dust, and still with a busted bottom screen. This difference, is that last year I was introduced to the world of GameBoy modding. I watched various YouTube channels creating their own modded GameBoys and most importantly fixing up what they already owned. Watching people fix these old consoles, most of the time with relative ease, switched something in my brain.
Even though I went to school for STEM field, I didn’t think messing with electronics was accessible to me. I don’t know why, but watching all these people, especially women, taking such joy in repairing these objects inspired me. In my personal life, I also prioritize sustainability, so the act of repair lines up with my values.
So, this year I had a New Years resolution to begin learning console repair. I decided to start with my Nintendo DS Lite with the busted bottom screen.
From the videos I watched the process should be easy. I order the parts through iFixIt, some tools, and once they arrived I got to work.
BUT, I then realized that ordering a digitizer (touch screen) is not the same as ordering a new LCD screen. Lesson learned, I ordered the LCD screen.
Once that arrived I got to work again. The process was actually not too bad when following various YouTube tutorials. This video from Elliot Coll helped out a ton. It took a chunk of time, but I managed to do it. I managed to take it apart, replace the screen, struggle with the ribbon cable, and put it back together again.
And when I turned it back on, my bottom screen was fixed!
But my top screen was now busted. I was mortified. I didn’t know what I did wrong, I sent my problems to a Discord I’m part of and they said it was most likely a loose ribbon cable. I was struggling with the top ribbon cable, so that wouldn’t have surprised me. I then recruited my boyfriend to help me and in our struggle to troubleshoot we ended up unknowingly snapping the power switch.
Mortified once again.
I was saddened, feeling at a standstill with this project. Until, we found a cheap, coral pink DS Lite on FB Marketplace, working perfectly except for a broken hinge. I could see the light. This turned into a simple botton screen replacement to a full on shell swap, but I was determined to get this working.
My boyfriend and I bought the DS Lite and I got to work on swapping. As I disassembled my personal DS Lite, I realized it was not a loose ribbon cable that made the top screen stop working I just ripped it. So, I worked with extra care, disassembling each DS Lite, and moving the working parts into my soft pink shell.
When I turned it on, my DS Lite worked. The jingle of the DS Lite sounded like heavenly bells in my ears, the bright clear top and bottom screen becoming a salvation in the objectively chaotic beginner project.
I want to close this out with tips I might have from beginner to beginner.
Be careful with ribbon cables
Try to check if you have the tools first (Philips screwdriver, tri-tip, etc)
You have to know when to work with a gentle hand vs using more force
Just start!
Depending on where you’re starting, this hobby could be expensive. I didn’t do the calculations but I’m pretty sure what I spent on buying supplies, parts, and the extra DS Lite could have bought me another model. This isn’t the case for all retro consoles though. I’d highly recommend starting with what you have, especially if what you have is already broken. If something is already broken, it is much less daunting than having to mod your perfectly working console. If you don’t have anything broken, maybe try ordering a broken console online or at your local gamestore, and try fixing that up. This can still be pricey depending on what you’re buying, and it could get complex depending on what’s wrong with the console. Either way, it’s still a learning proces.
I assembled and put together a DS Lite so many times I feel much more confident with this console, and I’m less scared of working with others. Just watch every tutorial all the way through, read up on some guides/tips, and take your time. YouTube will be your best friend through these, and also some high definition images showing where components are.
I can see why people become obsessed with doing this. It’s so satisfying to be able to fix things rather than just buying something new. My childhood DS Lite is slightly different now, the bezels and GameBoy cartridge cover are a sparkly coral pink. But in a way it has grown and changed with me.
I’d be lying if I said this is going to be used daily, but now whenever I feel the urge to revisit the DS line, I can add my pink DS Lite to the rotation once more.
Identify with this so much. I took apart my PS5 last year and wrote about it. Was terrifying but rewarding.