LEGO released a 421-piece life-sized Game Boy replica with Game Pak cartridges but it could not play games. Then later a Aussie modder turned it into a fully functional handheld, and promised that there will be a $50 kit coming in future so that fans can turn theirs into a playable LEGO version. However, the LEGO version has a small screen and you are better off playing titles on the original handheld.
There’s so much craze around the classic Game Boy, you are bound to come across DIYs that spark the attention of arcade gaming community. Chinese YouTuber LCLDIY ventured out on creating his own interpretation of a Game Boy – only that it is much larger in scale. Best of all it plays games sans any glitches and can be carried around like a cool boombox.
Designer: LCLDIY
The DIY starts off by creating a 3D printed shell (using a light curing printer, printing for a week) that houses the 10-inches electroluminescent LCD TV that emulates the warm glow of the original Game Boy. The choice of the display makes sense as the soft glow illuminates the pixels that otherwise would look too harsh on the big display compared to small screen of the Game Boy. Getting the games to run on the rig was not an easy feat as he had to fit in an Intel 845 motherboard for driving the big display and also creating the interface for running the emulated software of the Game Boy handheld console. The classic processor is assisted by the 65540 Flat Panel VGA Controller chip to simplify the clock synchronization and data signals.
BIOS of the graphics card is modified to match the appropriate resolution of the display. The brick-built shell fits into pieces just like an assortment of LEGO pieces and the guts are flush with all the electronic components that make possible the magic. To complete the build, the maker spray paints the shell to replicate the look of the Game Boy. He also makes big tactile buttons and joystick to keep the arcade feel going, and the stickers for labels and the logos are put on the shell. The classic Nintendo gamepad is used to input the in-game actions for games (like Sonic, Yoshi’s Island and Comix) from other platforms like Sega. This is done as big buttons would be impractical and require even more tinkering around of the electronics.
The DIYer is kind enough to make the design files of the shell, PCB files and graphics card BIOS settings available for free for keen DIYers who love the idea of a Super Game Boy. Just seeing him play the classic titles like Contra and Super Mario using those chunky buttons and the joystick is pure joy.
