Ingenious modder turns Lego Game Boy into an actual Game Boy that can run real cartridges — new Lego set gets outfitted with custom PCB in less than a day, 3D printing required for future button support

Tinkering with the devices we own is a common part of the hobby that fuels exploration and curiosity. But there are times when a project’s necessity feels so undeniable that it needs to be realized at all costs. That’s what happened with @natalie_thenerd when she saw the Lego Game Boy get announced — it called to her like the Green Goblin mask demanding to be turned into a real, functional Game Boy. Now, less than a day after its launch, she has done exactly that, and the mod is so much cooler than you’d expect.

The Lego Game Boy was released to rave reviews a couple of days ago, and Natalie quickly got to work. She saw that the model had an opening behind the screen for a toy cartridge — that was her entry point. She designed a custom PCB using an MGB (pocket) CPU that has on-package RAM, critical for space saving. That means this is using actual, original Game Boy chips and not emulation, making the project a whole lot more impressive. The entire circuit board is actually smaller than a real DMG cartridge in size.

All of this componentry is paired with the “smallest screen kit on the market” that replaces the faux cards Lego ships with the set. Natalie did have to remove a few bricks in order for this assembly to fit. Despite that, the job isn’t done. Her interview with The Verge says she hasn’t figured out a way to make the buttons work for real, even though they actually click and press down on the Lego set, and her blog states she plans to make a 3D-printed Lego piece to connect them to the PCB, which she has already done for the USB-C port.

Once everything has come together, it’s nice to enjoy true retro gaming. As mentioned before, this Lego Game Boy can accept real Nintendo cartridges, but the video provided only shows her booting into Tetris, not actually playing it. Such a quick initial turnaround means the project will grow as she continues to reiterate on it, with hopes to eventually release the files for everyone to convert their own Lego Game Boy into a playable one. And we fully believe in her ability to deliver, as Natalie has previously built a fully-transparent Game Boy from scratch, too.