In 2020, the Danish toy company LEGO teamed up with Japan's Nintendo to release the sensational "71374 Nintendo Entertainment System™ and Retro TV". Now, five years later, these two giants from the East and West have joined forces once again to release that classic handheld console in October 2025! Today, we're going to dive into set number 72046, the "GAME BOY" LEGO set.
Nintendo's first portable handheld console, the Game Boy (ゲームボーイ), released in 1989, is surely one of the fondest childhood memories for all you toy fans out there. Its size, which fits comfortably in both hands, the ability to play anytime and anywhere, and the feature of swapping game cartridges to embark on all sorts of adventures on a single console—these are all part of the Game Boy's charm. To me, as an elementary school student back then, the mini gaming machine my sister brought home was nothing short of a magical, unbelievable object.
If you've ever actually played the original 1989 Game Boy, then this LEGO version should leave you thoroughly impressed! In terms of appearance, this nearly 1:1 scale LEGO Game Boy boasts an outstanding level of accuracy. It also generously uses a large number of printed bricks, so you don't have to worry about the psychological trauma of misaligned stickers. Although the game cartridges use stickers, the physical cartridges themselves also used stickers, so you could say it's ultra-realistic (laughs). As for the feel of holding it, the tactile feedback from pressing the buttons, and the sensation of flicking the power switch and adjusting the volume dial, I personally find them all remarkably close to the real thing. It's an incredibly satisfying experience to play with!
The ability to swap game cartridges and have the screen display different game scenes is accomplished through brilliant structural design, the clutch power of LEGO parts, and three lenticular screen tiles. The entire experience is outstanding! Let me put it this way: sometimes, I look at this LEGO Game Boy and get the illusion that, "Hey, I forgot to turn the game off."
▼ I'm so excited, I've already said too much. Let's get down to business and start with the packaging! The front of the box features a dark background that makes the LEGO Game Boy pop, complemented by a retro-tech-style magenta gradient.
▼ The back shows an overview of all the contents, lifestyle shots of the set in action, and its assembled dimensions: approximately 9 cm long and 14 cm high.
▼ The side showcases the two game cartridges.
▼ The top of the box displays the effect of the lenticular screen and a 1:1 scale D-pad. The fact that a single piece perfectly represents the D-pad is particularly amusing—so convenient, so LEGO.
▼ Let's hurry up and open it to play! The contents include one instruction manual, a sticker sheet for the two cartridges, and a total of 421 pieces. In a very rare move, the parts are back in plastic bags. Was this a deliberate choice to match the retro vibe?! (laughs)
▼ The stickers do feel a bit thicker to the touch.
▼ First, let's look at the instruction manual. The front features the set itself, the brick-built Game Boy! The back shows the original 1989 Game Boy console.
▼ Opening it up, we first find an introduction to the Game Boy console's hardware, including the power switch, buttons, the contrast and volume dials on the side, the 3.5mm headphone jack, and more. The next page demonstrates inserting a cartridge. For someone my age, this is pure childhood memory! To all the toy-loving moms and dads out there, please pass on these wonderful memories to your children.
▼ Next is an introduction to the contents of this Game Boy LEGO set, such as the 421 pieces, two game cartridges, three lenticular tiles, and most importantly, it "requires no batteries"! On the right is the original box art for the Game Boy, which is super cool!!
▼ Following that is my personal favorite part: a glimpse into the internal mechanisms of the console and the cartridges.
▼ Here are introductions to the two games included in this set: 1989's "Super Mario Land" and 1993's "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening".
▼ After looking through the manual, let's get to building! GOGO~~!
▼ Done! The completed set includes one Game Boy console, two game cartridges, and a display stand for both the console and the cartridges.
▼ The exterior accuracy of this Game Boy is truly impeccable! Of course, there are some minor differences compared to the real console, but overall, I am personally super satisfied. Moreover, the tactile feel of operating the power switch, adjusting the volume and contrast dials, and pressing the D-pad is incredibly authentic. It's just amazing!
▼ Does this string of numbers look familiar? 19890421 represents the Game Boy's release date in Japan: April 21, 1989. It's a classic little touch that LEGO often includes.
▼ The contrast adjustment dial and the DC port for an external power supply.
▼ On this side are the volume adjustment dial and the external connector port for linking consoles. This 1x2 piece serves directly as the dust cover this time.
During the assembly process, you can feel not only the painstaking effort the design team put into the appearance of this LEGO Game Boy, but also the meticulous attention paid to the building experience itself. For example, the circuit boards and chips inside the cartridges and console are predominantly black and green.
Because the design team deliberately adopted a "build-a-unit-then-combine" approach for this LEGO set, it genuinely gives you the feeling of assembling a precision machine! Let's take a look at some photos from the build. First up is the internal structure of a cartridge.
▼ The console's interior also makes extensive use of green and black parts.
▼ This clip piece must be for securing the cartridge later!
▼ The design of mounting the D-pad on a soft black part to achieve a realistic pressing feel absolutely amazed me. While building this section, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "So that's how it works~ That's brilliant."
▼ The spring-back action of the A and B buttons is achieved using a rubber band.
▼ Ooh, the lower half is almost complete.
▼ The START and SELECT buttons are smaller, and their press feels different from the D-pad and A/B buttons. Here, they've used tiny tire pieces! Genius! They even used tire parts on a LEGO Game Boy model. Now you can understand why LEGO is the world's largest tire manufacturer (laughs).
▼ This perfectly fitting angle is just so incredibly satisfying!
▼ Now, let's install the cartridge and the lenticular tile that changes the screen display! The lenticular tile is held in place by the grooved brick shown below. The best part about inserting the cartridge is that you don't need to align it with anything specific; just like playing the old games, you simply slide the cartridge right in.
▼ We need to take a special look inside the two cartridges here. You'll notice that "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" uses a 2x2 round printed tile to represent the memory battery found in early Nintendo cartridges! The level of detail is just superb.
▼ The lenticular tile for the "Super Mario Land" game screen.
▼ The lenticular tile for "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" game screen.
▼ Both the cartridge and the console have stands, and the cartridge stand even has a slot to hold the unused lenticular tile. How thoughtful!
LEGO 72046 Game Boy Review Summary:
Although it's a small set with under 500 pieces, this LEGO Game Boy is guaranteed to bring immense excitement and nostalgia to video game fans! Its exquisite retro design, highly authentic operational feel, generous use of printed parts, the design team's dedication to form and detail, and the visually satisfying lenticular game screens all give this model an "extraordinary" aura.
If you, like me, lived through the era of blowing on cartridges when a game failed to load and re-inserting them into the Game Boy, then this LEGO Game Boy is an absolute must-have for your collection. It's a definite win! It's not expensive, not too big, and looks fantastic on display!
LEGO 72046 Game Boy™
Suggested Retail Price: NT$2,199 / US$59.99
Total Pieces: 421, Expected Release Date: October 2025
