The race to sell a working DIY LEGO GAME BOY kit is on, and the first to the line is a new company called BrickBoy.
Other modders, such as NatalieTheNerd are also building a DIY Kit, and likely many more behind her are doing the same, but BrickBoy has officially launched their Kickstarter page so that LEGO builders who want something different can register their interest.
However, it's not the DIY kit you'd likely hoped for, as it does not work with real cartridges. Instead, the three creators behind this have made their own "custom components" and partnered them with a 2.4" display that can emulate GAME BOY ROMs.
The console itself (I am not sure what is inside this kit specs wise, nor has the BrickBoy team shared that information on their Kickstarter page, could it be a Raspberry Pie for example) sits inside the cartridge slot, and sticks out a little up top.
This console is then attached to a drop-in screen, which replaces the LEGO screen. It requires no soldering, no screwing and can be installed within 10 minutes, making it easy for those with no "modding" experience, which is great.
The BrickBoy will come in three different kits:
- Essential Kit: The entry point for those who want to make their LEGO® Game Boy playable at the lowest cost, keeping things simple and fun. It plays GAME BOY games in Grayscale only and is powered by 2xAAA batteries.
- Gamer Kit: For those who want the full experience, with features like accelerated gameplay, customizable backlight, Bluetooth audio, and wireless updates. It allows GB, GBC and GBA emulation in colour. It also has a rechargeable battery.
- Collector’s Edition: The most complete and prestigious version designed to display and play, featuring Exposition Mode and a power supply for always-on display.
I'll admit, this confuses me a little, especially considering that they have yet to show specifications, and the emulation quality of the attached video is very poor.
I have yet to know what this will cost, so I can't form an accurate opinion. However, the gamer kit comes with features such as volume and brightness. Does that mean the essential kit does not come with that? To me, that's pretty essential.
The same goes for the collector's edition. What is exposition mode? Continuous Display? And a USB power supply doesn't feel very "collector" to me.
I am just raising my concerns here as this does feel a little rushed, but I have my fingers crossed that this comes out the door working well and is affordable fun for those that snagged the LEGO GAME BOY.
Personally, I am going to wait until someone sells a modkit that works with real GAME BOY cartridges, but this is cool if they can price it respectfully and iron out those emulation issues from the promotional video.
