Lego Game Boy gallery
Image: PJ O'Reilly / Nintendo Life

Lego's snazzy new 1:1 replica of Nintendo's classic Game Boy is finally in stores and, if you've been keeping up with reviews, it's gone down a right treat with master builders thus far.

Of course, being something of a master builder ourselves *shines counterfeit master builder badge*, we already got our hands on one, and have been busy building away at a set that, for the price of $59.99/£54.99, has provided a whole lot of very nice nostalgia.

Indeed, given that this particular writer is fond of the odd adult Lego set or two, this dinky little gaming delight really has stood out as one of the more fun builds that the company has put out in a while. What grabs you most at first, obviously, is the incredible attention to detail. Everything you remember is here, looking way closer to the original console than we'd thought it possible to get with bricks of plastic.

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The real joy, though, comes in piecing together the layers of history; the Game Boy's little circuit board, those iconic 'A' and 'B' buttons and so on, with each significant part being put together and set to feel just like the real thing in lots of creative ways: a little rubber Lego piece under the D-Pad so it moves around and reacts as it should; the on/off switch is just stiff enough; the volume and contrast wheels move just like we remember, and on and on.

Oh, and you've got to see these little lenticular screens actually moving. There are different qualities when it comes to these things, and these ones are top-notch; the Nintendo Logo, along with the Zelda and Mario Bros. scenes that come with the set, are a lot of fun to lay into the 'screen' inset for display. They've even managed to make loading the carts feel perfect (they click into place very satisfyingly), and the interchangeable screens are easy to remove and replace, meaning we'll actually switch them out from time to time.

There are a few other surprises hidden throughout the build — little attentions to detail all around — but we won't ruin everything! Here are some more shots of our own build:

Game Boy DMG-01
And for those of you wondering just how accurate it is, here's a shot of the real McCoy — Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

Oh, and in related news, we also reported on how this set has already been modded to work and play real games and everything. Next stop, circuit-board-building school!

Have you picked up the Lego Game Boy? Thinking of grabbing one? Let us know in the comments.

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