I am sure you have seen reports about how someone turned the LEGO Super Mario Game Boy (72046) into an actual, playable Game Boy handheld console. If you do, and want to do the same, Melbourne-based Natalie Cursio, better known as Natalie the Nerd, will sell you a kit that will let you do the same. Called Build A Boy, it will turn the 72046 into a real, playable console with authentic retro parts.
Yes, this is not some Raspberry Pi trickery hiding behind LEGO bricks. The Build A Boy kit uses genuine vintage Game Boy hardware, including original CPUs and memory salvaged from classic handhelds, so what you get is a proper Game Boy experience tucked inside your brick-built shell.
Compatibility extends to original Game Boy cartridges and backwards-compatible Game Boy Color titles, which means your childhood library is welcome here. Game Boy Advance cartridges, however, remain politely outside the door.
The kit upgrades the LEGO handheld in ways Nintendo engineers from 1989 could only dream of. A 2.73-inch TFT backlit display with 320 × 320 resolution replaces the famously green screen, complete with customizable color palettes and crisp 2× integer scaling.
Power comes from an 800 mAh rechargeable Li-Po battery that charges over USB-C, so there is no need to hoard AA batteries like it is still the 90s.
Controls are handled by Panasonic tactile buttons rated for 100,000 presses, giving the LEGO enclosure the proper clickiness it deserves. Optional upgrades include a link port for multiplayer sessions and display-out support for external viewing.
At the heart of the kit is a compact custom PCB measuring 52 × 42 mm (2.04 × 1.65 inches), designed specifically to fit inside the LEGO Game Boy shell without compromising its structure.
Another detail that makes this project especially appealing to the hardware crowd is its open-source nature. Natalie the Nerd plans to release schematics, screen driver software, and documentation so builders can tweak and expand the platform further.
The result is not just a novelty conversion. It is a proper retro handheld hiding in plain sight inside one of LEGO’s most convincing display replicas to date. A brick-built console that finally earns the right to play the cartridges it pretends to support.
The Build A Boy kit will be launching on Crowd Supply. Pricing has not been announced yet.
Images: Natalie the Nerd.