Raspberry Pi Pico Runs Tetris on a Game Boy Color

Raspberry Pi
(Image credit: LyneByLyne)

Makers in the Game Boy modding community know how handy it is to have micro SD cartridges around, but they aren't always easy to find. Many popular options are no longer in production, leaving modders to turn to custom solutions. That includes  Reddit user LyneByLyne who decided to design his own using a Raspberry Pi Pico

LyneByLyne's ultimate plan is to create a Pico-based cartridge PCB with micro SD support and a custom GUI for game selection.

The current configuration is only a prototype design but is fully capable of loading and running Tetris. The Pico was programmed using C for this project and pulls power directly from the Game Boy. According to LyneByLyne, the Pico has to be overclocked to 270MHz just to load past the BIOS.

The big end goal is to develop a PCB that users can solder the Pico to and use as a normal Game Boy cartridge. Another feature LyneByLyne mentioned is Game Boy USB controller support in which users could theoretically use the Game Boy itself as a PC controller.

If you want to see this project in more detail, be sure to check out the original thread on Reddit and be sure to follow LyneByLyne for more updates. Explore our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more awesome creations from the maker community.

Ash Hill
Contributing Writer

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.