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BrickBoy — The kit that makes the LEGO® Game Boy come alive

Updated: Oct 31

The kit that transforms your LEGO® Game Boy into a real playable console. Build it. Play it. Relive the classics. Double the fun!

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The official LEGO® Game Boy model (set 71374) is a popular collector's item, but its function is purely aesthetic, disappointing fans who wished they could actually play games on it. To address this, Substance Labs created the BrickBoy, an electronic conversion kit that transforms the non-functional LEGO set into a fully playable, retro gaming console capable of running classic games. The project aims to blend the nostalgia and satisfaction of brick building with the joy of gaming.


Project Overview

Name and Creator: BrickBoy: The kit that makes the LEGO® Game Boy come alive by Substance Labs.

What It Is: The BrickBoy is an electronic kit designed to be seamlessly integrated into the official LEGO® Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Game Boy model (set 71374). It replaces the non-functional components with a real color screen, working buttons, and a powerful single-board computer, turning the static LEGO model into a functional, handheld retro gaming device.


Key Features

  • Seamless LEGO Integration: The kit is designed to fit perfectly inside the existing LEGO® shell, requiring no cutting or permanent modification to the bricks. The assembly process is straightforward, maintaining the spirit of LEGO building.

  • Fully Functional Console: Replaces the static screen and buttons of the LEGO model with a bright, high-quality color screen and fully functional rubber-domed buttons and a D-pad, providing an authentic, tactile gaming experience.

  • Retains LEGO Features: The iconic side crank on the LEGO model, originally used to advance the screen in the NES TV model, is repurposed to control screen brightness, preserving a key LEGO element.

  • Powerful Hardware Core: The kit is powered by a high-performance single-board computer and includes a TF card pre-loaded with a custom operating system optimized for retro gaming, allowing users to play classic games.

  • Authentic Retro Styling: The kit includes a physical, functional game cartridge that fits into the top of the LEGO model, maintaining the aesthetic fidelity of the original Game Boy design.

  • Plug-and-Play Experience: Requires minimal setup; users simply build the LEGO shell (if not already built) and integrate the BrickBoy electronics to start playing.


The Idea Concept: The core idea is to satisfy the long-standing desire of LEGO and gaming enthusiasts by converting a beautiful but non-functional collector's item into a fully playable console. It fuses the world of construction toys and handheld gaming, offering "double the fun" by transforming the building process into the creation of a functional entertainment device.

Inspiration: Substance Labs was inspired by the disappointment of fans when the official LEGO Game Boy model was revealed to be a non-functional display piece. Their motivation was to elevate the model beyond display status, using modern electronics to fulfill the nostalgic fantasy of playing the classics on a device they built themselves.





 
 
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