Okay, c’mon, you knew this was going to happen. LEGO is on a nostalgia kick at the moment, laser-targeting millennials like me with retro gaming sets, including a 1:1 model of the original Game Boy. This is just a model, albeit a fantastic one with some lenticular swap-out cards for different “games.” But since Game Boy modding has been a thing for years, it’s no surprise that someone already made it play real games.
Natalie The Nerd was already a notable Game Boy modder with an online parts and service shop, so modifying the official LEGO set with replica Game Boy guts (spotted by PCMag) was likely child’s play for her. The original Game Boy hardware isn’t fantastically complicated, even by late-80s standards, and its big brick-like housing offers plenty of workroom. Even so, Natalie started working even before the LEGO set was out, estimating what she’d need to do based on official dimensions.
Her final product preserves all of the exterior LEGO parts, including the brick buttons, with only the “screen” and faux cartridge parts modified to the naked eye. It’s ready to go in terms of functionality, though it looks like her test unit may not have an internal battery pack yet.
Some custom 3D-printed parts are needed for the button functions, and there are a few modern creature comforts: power comes from USB-C (inside a 3D-printed LEGO brick) and the LCD is backlit, unlike any Game Boy from the 20th century. It’s running off of genuine Game Boy cartridges, not an emulator setup, which would probably be a lot easier.
The modder is still working out the last details and will release the plans once she’s done. It looks like a great weekend project.