Pokemon fan has Emerald running inside an N64 controller

Scott Baird
Rayquaza Pokemon

A Pokemon fan has made a cross-generational device, as they have Pokemon Emerald running inside an N64 controller that houses a Game Boy Micro.

The N64 controller has received a lot of retrospective disdain following the wireless Switch models that connect with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack games. It turns out that decades of playing with ergonomically designed controllers make it hard to go back to the N64.

Those who remember being GoldenEye 007 masters back in the day were treated to the agony of the reality of an N64 controller in the modern day when it finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch in 2023.

At least one player can enjoy the rigors of Mario 64 on the go, as a user on the Pokemon subreddit named MaSaKee has shared their custom Game Boy Micro, which is built inside a functional N64 controller shell.

It’s actually one of the wireless N64 controllers made for the Switch, which likely made it easier to mod, as it’s much lighter and has fewer innards. The modder placed the screen above the Start button. All other buttons remain functional, with any unused ones kept for options like changing volume or brightness.

Even more impressive is the fact that it has a working cartridge slot built into the top of the system. This means real games are needed, which is why it was shown off with a working version of Pokemon Emerald.

Users in the thread loved the concept and showered praise on the OP with requests to buy. It’s possible the idea is better than reality, as the great thing about a Game Boy Micro or similar retro devices is the portability factor, and a massive clunky N64 controller doesn’t exactly fit in the pocket.

Regardless, it’s a cool device and would be an awesome way to play old Game Boy Advance games when sitting at home, especially as the mainline Gen 3 Pokemon games are still missing from Nintendo Switch Online.