WS Flash Masta Finally Available PLUS Announcing Game Pie Advance

By 26 commentsGame Pie Advance, WonderSwan Flash Cart

WS Flash Masta GreenWow. I really can’t believe that it’s been so long since I’ve posted an article here. I’ve been crazy busy. I’m currently working on several projects, and I have 2 to discuss here today.

First of all, the WS Flash Masta cart is finally available on the site. I just put up a page for it. I hope people still remember about this project. 😉 If you want one, please read the product description before ordering. The project is going quite well, but I want you to know exactly what you’re getting before you make a purchase.

Game Pie Advance (spinning)Next, I want to show off another handheld retro gaming project we’re working on. Yeah, I know it looks like a Nintendo Game Boy Advance. That’s because it’s living inside of a GBA shell, but it’s a full-blown Linux machine running RetroPie. We are calling it the Game Pie Advance.

We are making a custom circuit board that fits inside of the GBA shell (making use of the original buttons) and integrates with a backlit LCD to bring you a handheld retrogaming extravaganza. No, I don’t really know what that means, but I thought it sounded cool. I may have more details here or at http://www.gamepieadvance.com in the near future. For the short term, the plan is to build up 5 working units and auction them off on eBay to cover some of our costs and gauge interest. So far, we have 1 built and working. I’ll leave you with a video of that one.

UPDATE: I listed the first built on eBay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/322231541500

26 comments on “WS Flash Masta Finally Available PLUS Announcing Game Pie Advance”

    • Colin Reply

      Wow! I love the gamepie advance concept.

      I would love to see something similar for Neo Geo Pocket. Nothing compares to that clicky-stick.

      (In fact I’ve tried wiring a control inputs from a Neo Geo Pocket board to a Pi Zero before).

      • Flavor Reply

        Thanks, Colin. That’s pretty cool that you hooked up the NGPC board to a Pi. Did you try to stuff it back into the NGPC shell?

        There are a few reasons that the GBA shell is better, but the main reason is that it’s easily available in reproduction form.

        To do it with NGPC, you’d have to sac a NGPC (which isn’t as appealing to most people).

        • Colin Reply

          I wasn’t able to fit it into the existing shell.

          And yes it required the sacrifice of a NGPC.

          But I love that clicky stick.

          Now I am looking at extracting the clicky stick from the board, so maybe I could place it in an entirely different enclosure.

          • doom

            FWIW the clicky stick on the NGPC is just made from older style mouse tact switches. Most older PS/2 mice should have them, or search eBay for “mouse tactile switch.” The square ones are the ones you’re looking for (although the rectangle ones will work just as well, probably).

            I was trying use that setup on a project as well and found nothing about it anywhere, so just passing along the info. Worth a shot to recreate one and not have to sacrifice an entire NGPC.

    • Flavor Reply

      If I had my own personal eBay listing agent, it’d probably be listed by now. 😀 I’d love to get it up ASAP, but other things keep popping up. Like, who knew that when I finally put up a page for the WS Flash Masta people would start buying it? Now I need to ship things. 🙂

  3. Mark Reply

    I wonder if a DS could be used. The older, fatter ones or maybe the wider ones with the larger screen. You’d have a touch screen in any event.

    So you’re making a custom Pi for this or will users be able to pop in their own Pi?

    Also, are the ports all still going to be avialble if you want to connect controllers, or plug it in to your tv ?

    Looks great regardless. Love it!

    • Flavor Reply

      Yeah, if you watch the video (it may not be obvious) you can see us playing on a HDMI monitor with a USB controller plugged in.

      There’s a USB port and a HDMI port where the GBA cartridge would normally go. It’s actually the Raspberry Pi Zero that’s there. The PiZero plugs into our board.

  4. Tehcno Reply

    Good job. I was thinking of turning my Game Gear into one of these but GBA is even better. I’ll have to check out that auction myself.

    • Flavor Reply

      I hope to list it this week. We’ll see. I had intended on building a second today, but that hasn’t gone anywhere. There’s always tomorrow. 😐

  5. J.R. Raith Reply

    Woah, those are both really awesome projects! Great job! I’m definitely interested in building a RPA; sounds like a fun project!

    • Flavor Reply

      I wanted to add XY, but we couldn’t come up with an easy way to do it. Getting something made ASAP was higher priority.

      There are some connections on our board where you could run the wires to buttons if there was a good place for them.

      I will definitely be trying to figure this out. It’s a feature that many people want.

  7. einhander Reply

    Can you sell gamepiedvance only pcb with ic? What lcd size you use for gamepieadvance?

    • Flavor Reply

      At this point, I expect to do a DIY kit with the complete PCB and an LCD. It uses 3.2″.

  8. Nemet Reply

    I know there hasn’t been anything posted here for 6 months, but I’m curious to know: Are there going to be any more of these flash carts made?

    • Flavor Reply

      We have posted here more recently, but not much about the WonderSwan flash cartridges. We just recently sold out of those. When I get back to the office this week, I will probably evaluate our parts to see if we have enough to make any more.

      Once we run out of parts, I think it will be quite a while before we make new circuit boards.

  9. Paul MacGillivray Reply

    Do you think it is likely you will make any more WonderSwan Flash cartidges in future? Would you consider making them to order?

    • Flavor Reply

      I think that we will make more at some point, but the reality is that we are pretty swamped with our Freeplay Zero work at the moment. I can’t say when we might get to making them again.

  10. s0m Reply

    Cool projects! I’m also interested in a WonderSwan flash cart when you make another batch.

  11. DJ Reply

    Hey mate, any chance you could email me and let me know when I can get in on the next batch of these. thanks.

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