In a stroke of pure, nostalgic genius, modder Mark Ghirardi—better known as Marky Pi—has taken a Fisher-Price toy meant for tots and turned it into a retro gaming powerhouse. The Laugh & Learn Lil’ Gamer, once a cheerful plaything for teaching shapes and sounds, now fires up Simpsons Road Rage and Turtles in Time.
The Lil’ Gamer’s colorful plastic shell, with its chunky D-pad and candy-bright A/B buttons, was born in 2021 as a kid’s toy that winked at retro gamers—enter the Konami Code, and it’d chirp Super Mario Bros. sound effects. Ghirardi saw more than a cute gimmick. He ripped out the toy’s basic guts and packed in a Raspberry Pi, the DIY tinkerer’s best friend, transforming this preschool prop into a legit handheld console.
Fisher-Price Baby & Toddler Toy Laugh & Learn Lil’ Gamer Pretend Video Game with Lights & Music for...
- Pretend video game learning toy with fun lights, music, and hands-on activities
- Push the buttons or press down on the “game cartridge” for lights and sounds
- Educational songs and phrases introduce directions, colors, numbers and shapes
Gone is the toy’s simplistic screen, replaced by a sharp LCD that brings pixel-perfect retro games to life. Ghirardi didn’t stop there—he snuck tiny shoulder buttons onto the back, giving you extra controls for games that demand more than the classic D-pad and two-button setup. A USB-C port adds modern charging, and those sliding Tetris blocks on the side? They now hide a clever volume dial, turning a decorative flourish into something useful.
Just imagine that you too, could be experiencing Simpsons Road Rage zooming across a device built to teach toddlers their ABCs. The oversized controls, quirky as they are, feel surprisingly comfy, channeling the clunky charm of early handhelds that we loved despite their bulk.
Ghirardi’s no stranger to this kind of magic. His Instagram is a gallery of toy-to-tech transformations, each one proof of his gift for spotting potential in forgotten plastic relics. The Lil’ Gamer, with its bold colors and odd chunkiness, stands out in a world of cookie-cutter devices.
Want to build your own? Ghirardi’s creation is unfortunately not plug-and-play. You’ll need a Raspberry Pi, a compatible LCD, some soldering skills, and a healthy dose of patience. For those willing to dive in, this modded Lil’ Gamer is a reminder that the best projects come from a place of nostalgia.
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