Tamper not with your Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance is a wonderful little console with one major flaw. It is widely acknowledged that the screen on the Advance is too dull, almost to the point of being unplayable in certain environments.

Information has hit the web over the past week or so, that it is possible to adjust the voltage supply to the screen by removing the serial number panel from the back of the machine and turning a tiny screw that is revealed when you do this.

Behind the panel there is a voltage rivet, which is a bespoke fitting, only to be used by Nintendo-endorsed engineers. Altering the setting will change the voltage to the TFT liquid crystal display, and this will cause problems.

LCD screens run, in simple terms, by filling small cavities in the display with crystal to make up the image. An alteration to the power that is fed to this crystal can cause its properties to change. This may cause screen damage after some time, rendering your machine useless.

Nintendo would also like to point out that tampering with the console in this way will invalidate the warranty.

If you, like the rest of us, feel the screen is too dark, buy a worm light, don’t blow up your new baby.