Lego unveils official Nintendo Game Boy replica
Lego has finally delivered on its promise to recreate the iconic Nintendo Game Boy — and while it won’t play your dusty cartridges of Tetris, it’s still one of the most nostalgic builds ever crafted by the toy brick giant.
Announced earlier this year, the officially licensed Lego Nintendo Game Boy will retail for $60 and is available for pre-order now, with an official release set for October 1st. The design is modeled after the 1989 original, standing approximately 5.5 inches (14 cm) tall and 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide — nearly matching the real console’s size, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The attention to detail on Lego’s part is exceptional. From the iconic fuchsia A and B buttons that actually recess into the plastic frame to the curved silhouette of the console itself, the replica is clearly designed with reverence for the original hardware. Even the link cable cover, often lost to time in real units, is present and intact.
Unlike many Lego sets, this one includes printed tiles — not stickers — to recreate the Game Boy’s button labels, volume dial, on/off switch, speaker grille, and the famous “Dot Matrix With Stereo Sound” banner above the screen. Around back, builders will even find a battery compartment and a serial number tile that reportedly contains a cheeky Easter egg.
Perhaps the most exciting innovation is the set’s lenticular screen, allowing fans to swap in scenes from two legendary titles: Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. As you tilt the set, the screen shifts between two angles — showing different moments from the games, like the famous Nintendo logo drop or the emotional beach scene with Link and Marin.
While Lego makes it clear the display is not functional (“Lego wants you to know it’s not a real display,” they say), the clever illusion brings a sense of movement and interactivity to a build that otherwise can’t be powered on.
To top it off, Lego and Nintendo have even recreated part of the original Game Boy commercial and shared it on Instagram. The set captures the clean, pristine look of a fresh-out-of-the-box console — something collectors and longtime Nintendo fans will especially appreciate.
Senior Verge editor and lifelong Nintendo enthusiast Sean Hollister, who previously built Nick Lever’s fan-designed Lego Game Boy and owns the real deal too, admits he’s seriously tempted by Lego’s official version. “If those buttons move when you push them, I doubt I’ll resist,” he writes. Though he laments the absence of Tetris, the overall package is enough to win over even hardened fans.
Whether you grew up with a Game Boy in your pocket or just admire the 8-bit glory days of gaming, Lego’s tribute to the handheld that defined a generation is shaping up to be one of its most charming collectibles yet.
Pre-orders are now open worldwide — and with its mix of nostalgia, clever engineering, and display-worthy design, this blocky blast from the past is likely to be a hit among Lego lovers and Nintendo fans alike.
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